"Things I Couldn't Say" aka Dear So and So

The originator of the Dear So and So meme (3 Room Bungalow) has decided to drop the meme which is really too bad.  I always felt better about my letters of complaint being a part of a group of other bloggers, rather than just crabby old me!  Nevertheless, I like the format of the Dear So and So letter concept, so I have decided that, when the mood strikes, I will continue to write them even all by myself.

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Dear Airlines,

I understand that the airline industry is struggling what with all the new regulations, fewer fliers, and higher costs, but really aren't we all struggling with something (or even several somethings) these days?   So really isn't there some way you can make air travel MORE convenient rather than less?  The Big Guy flew to CA this morning on a 10:00 am flight.  He was supposed to be at the airport by 8:30 am to allow time for all the security stuff and God knows what else.  He couldn't get a direct flight, but had to go from Austin to Dallas first, change planes and then on to his final destination.  He didn't get on the ground in CA until 4:30 (Austin time).  That is a very LONG time all cooped up with a bunch of other folks (many of whom were coughing, blowing, sneezing, and hacking) the whole way there.  And according to the tales I hear from others who fly, Mikey's trip was pretty direct!  At least he didn't have to go to Atlanta or Chicago first!

No wonder Mikey hates to travel.

Un-Sympathetically,
Mel

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Dear Weather Controllers,

It's January.  I get that.  It comes at this time every year.  But must you be so predictably consistently grey, rainy, and cold every single time January rolls around?  A lot more that just a peak at the sun late in the afternoon would much appreciated.  Mel gets a little cranky when the sun don't shine! It's times like these that Mel envies those species which hibernate through the worst of winter.  I could very easily climb into my comfy cozy little cave (that would be my bed) and stay there until a regular sunrise returns and the grey clouds blow off somewhere else far, far away!

Depressedly,
Mel

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Dear Father Time (or whomever),

Speaking of January, could you please explain to me what the hell happened to November and December?? To say nothing of the first week and a half of January??   It feels like I blinked and they just tiptoed past me and out of sight!  I know that we had our regular holidays.  I distinctly remember various regular activities that go with the holiday season.  We shopped, we wrapped, we decorated, we shared, we celebrated....all the regular stuff.  It just all seems kind of blurred together in one general memory.  The one thing I am sure of.  The holidays are over for another year and part of me feels like I missed it!

Disappointedly,

Mel

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Dear Bakers,

I hate to admit it, but I love a good doughnut!  Cinnamon, chocolate, powdered sugar, a good plain cake doughnut, occasionally even a jelly-filled doughnut....all good and very satisfying.  My favorite though is a glazed, raised doughnut with just the right amount of sugar glaze, light as a feather, and not too sweet.....ahhh, heaven.  Now everyone who knows me, knows that I would never attempt to make my own doughnuts, the very thought is ridiculous.  I'd probably burn down the house in the process.

So where does that leave me?  I must rely on the bakers of the world to provide me with my occasional "doughnut fix."  That shouldn't be a problem, right?  Most towns have bakeries that make all sorts of yummy baked goods on a daily basis.  Most of them that I have ever encountered are very traditional with everything from bread to cookies to scones to pies and yes, to doughnuts.  In Chicago (where I lived to much of my life), I couldn't even begin to guess how many free-standing bakeries there are.  There is at least one in every neighborhood.  German bakeries, Swedish, French, Scandinavian, and Polish are the most relevant.  Oh the goodies....my mouth salivates just thinking of them.

Bus Austin is not a typical town.  I've mentioned that before and one of the ways that it is unusual is that there just aren't many bakeries!  And most of the ones that do exist are more little restaurants that make a few pastries on the side.

Except for doughnut shops!  There are lots and lots of doughnut shops.  Small, storefront, independent doughnut shops are sprinkled all over the place.  I should be in seventh heaven right?  Wrong!

In Austin, the 8 gazillion doughnut shops are only open until Noon or 1:00 pm!  I guess they open at the crack of dawn (or maybe even earlier).   Well, that makes sense, sort of.  Doughnuts for most folks are synonymous with breakfast, the starting meal of the day.  OK.  I get that.

However, although we are in the minority, there are some of us whose lives revolve around a different schedule....we are night owls.  People who stay up late because of work or inclination and for us morning is whenever we get up!  So if I am not out and about with the rest of the world at the crack of dawn I cannot find a doughnut shop that still has more than a few weird-ish flavors or worse, is even still open!

Why?  Are doughnuts not to be eaten in the afternoon or evening??  Do they cease to exist after noon?  Couldn't you stay open a bit later to accommodate those of us who love doughnuts but hate morning?  Is that so much to ask??  Oh I know the grocery stores have doughnuts, but, trust me, they just ain't the same!

It's probably just as well, I suppose.  If I could get at freshly made doughnuts at any time I wanted one, I would undoubtedly weigh 500 pounds.

Still, I sure wish I could get a good doughnut somewhere in the afternoon!   Sigh......

Hungrily,
Mel