Excellent. Thanks! We're headed out now to get groceries, cranberry juice, and now drugs.

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Tep, that stuff does indeed rock, but be aware you'll need to go off it at least 12 hours before going in for the pee test that will get you antibiotics, because it masks the UTI.

It is one of the best drugs ever made, however.

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Tep, that stuff does indeed rock, but be aware you'll need to go off it at least 12 hours before going in for the pee test that will get you antibiotics, because it masks the UTI

Really? Last time I had a UTI I went into an urgent care and all I did was tell them I'd been taking the stuff-- when the test results came back they said the white cell count was still way elevated so either I had the mother of all UTIs or maybe I hadn't been taking the AZO long enough to mask the symptoms.

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"You don't talk about anything. Ever."

Ex-fucking-actly.

This is Anglo-Saxon culture, to me: when I landed in U.S., I was shocked to learn I'm blunt.

Me. Miss fucking congeniality in Israel, just so we'll make it clear.

We don't have politically correct to make up for any respect we never had to begin with. Some have tact. And Israeli will have a very hard time to admit he/she doesn't know the answer to something (which means that if you're a tourist, it's somewhat dangerous asking for directions here). If you don't wanna talk about something, you simply won't talk about it. If something is troubling you and you'll try and dare to take it at others in a passive-aggressive manner, there will be shouts. Because taking shit from anyone, mostly people you love, is a matter of respect to us.

Then again, you have plenty of Anglo-Saxon people here, so it's not that extreme. I just... it's not that we're after arguments. It's that we prefer to clear everything out, no matter who's in the range of fire than letting things goes without saying, or not pay attention to something that might be a problem. Doesn't matter if it's our personal problem, or a stranger's in the street. Yes, people here will give life lessons to strangers on the streets. Really.

We're not emotional; we're very, very opinionative.

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And now, ION:

May I ask for some ~ma towards my dad?

He and my mom, along with some other family members, will decide my grandfather's future care tomorrow. I don't know how bad his condition is, but I know my dad is under a lot of stress and that's the last thing he needs on his mind. I'm really stressed our a lot more about my dad than my grandfather, at the moment. He's in the hospital for a few days now, and apparently, won't stop shouting. We think he went demented, but we don't really know if anything other is wrong with him. I'll know more tomorrow.

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Wow, that's really tough. ~ma for your dad and all of you in figuring out a path you can all live with.

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Doesn't matter if it's our personal problem, or a stranger's in the street. Yes, people here will give life lessons to strangers on the streets. Really. We're not emotional; we're very, very opinionated.

Huh, and all this time, I thought it was a NY thing. Maybe the Jewish community has more influence than I thought on NYers. Or is it a Mediterranean thing, what with the Italian, Greek, and Jewish populations in NY.

I tend to be the non-shouter of the family. "I'm 3 feet away from you, we can talk about it, but shouting will not help". Not that I haven't been pissed off to elevate voice, but I try and avoid it. Hurts the ears. Mom will just shut down and sit in the corner and say nothing, let the problem fester for YEARS (like when she came within an inch of being foreclosed on) rather than ask for help. Which means every time we talk, I gotta figure out how to ask if she needs anything, without it sounding like I want to help her. Fun.

I am feeling fragile.

Erin_O, so many brackets for you! {{{{{}}}}}! Your job isn't easy, but know you are making a difference! It's so easy to focus on the one that didn't go right, and forget about the hundreds that did go right. I seem to recall you saying, as a trainee, you were cited for a merit or medal, right? Focus on the good. Bad things happen to people. We can't fix all of them. I hope you get some sleep. Is there counseling available through the work place, someone who knows what the job is about, and can help you talk it out?

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Shir, tons of ~ma to your dad, and your whole family! (you included). It's not an easy time.

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We're not emotional; we're very, very opinionative.

Yup. It took me about three years to work that out, re: my Girl. It's a very healthy approach to life. It's just quite an adjustment for me, after 30 years of English politeness and Irish repression. My family is *fun*...

~ma for your dad, and your grandfather.

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Thanks, all.

It's a very healthy approach to life.

Try telling that to the lost tourists of Israel... At least the locals here know not to take a "yeah, just turn to the left, it's there" statement as The Truth So Help Me God.

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