I'll Wave To You From The Sandy Shores Of Miami Beach!

I certainly did not think a week would go by without any posting on my part, but life throws curve balls.

Besides preparing this past week for my trip today to Miami, I was thrown out of my excited mood when my brother called from Israel to tell me that my Dad, who was there visiting along with my Mom was in a hospital in B'nai Brak.

It's a long story, and I hope to post about it when I am back from Miami, but as for now, he is (thanks to the good Lord) fine, and back in Chicago. Which I am happy about on all points, but also because he and my mother are my babysitters this weekend. So here is to Dad's good health...

Then, I had to deal with Ate and his change in behavior lately.
A cold,
enlarged tonsils,
a visit to his Pediatrician,
an x-ray
a blood draw


all done on 3 separate days really threw off my prepared schedule.

But that too will have to be elaborated on later.

I need to make a meeting with So's principal about her Academic needs, because she is bored as hell and I can't take it anymore.

But that will have to wait as well.

My right hip has been funky since my 12 mile run, so I decided not to run this week before the race at all, which is just as well, because I probably ended up with no time left to do so anyway.

I think that was a good decision on my part, because my right hip finally feels better and the race is in 3 days.

Oh, did I mention I am running a half-marathon this Sunday in Miami?

When this posts, I will be on a plane (G-d please let travel go smoothly ;) to Miami with Hun and Bam.

Wish me luck.

Oh, and don't expect to hear from me - because the hotel I am privy to be staying at charges 15 friggin' dollars a day for Internet I can get FREE almost anywhere else.

Paranoia

THIS IS NOT AN INCENDIARY DEVICE!!!

I REPEAT - NO NEED TO BE ALARMED BY THIS BIZARRE "DEVICE" AS IT CONTAINS NO EXPLOSIVES!!!

It makes me worry about what else people will confuse with potential threats to our traveling safety.

If you have not heard (mostly because you are smart and stay away from all news sources), the above is a picture of a Jewish Religious Article called Tefillin - or Phylactery.

(NOT - Olfactory, as one police officer tried to have us believe...)

There are two parts. One part is a box that sits just on top and center of the forehead with leather straps that hang. The other is a box that sits on top the upper bicep and its straps get wrapped around the rest of the arm on down and weave through the fingers.

Inside the boxes there are specific prayers written on parchment. The Tefillin are worn by men as they pray every weekday morning.

I will not link to any one site that will explain them further - but feel free to join the thousands who have made the words "Tefillin" and "Phylactery" the most popular web searches in just the past few hours.

Now I can move on to the point of this post...

I am traveling on a plane in just 7 days and I do not want problems. Flying has gotten so awful, I am considering putting myself on the "No Fly" list.

After the underwear dude - I traveled and required a pat down of my head because I refused to remove my head covering which funny enough - is also a Religious "DEVICE".

The new protocol was to include making it a requirement to store all things in the overhead bin an hour before landing - nothing was to be allowed on your lap or in reach. This caused my never before mentioned nightmare, where I was greeted by a flight attendant who looked like Ellen DeGeneres and was told to store my "lap" child in the overhead compartment for landing. I was confused about whether or not this was a joke, as the instructions were delivered by a flight attendant who looked much like a comedian. But I was quickly made aware of its seriousness when Ellen DeGeneres suddenly turned into Simon Cowell. And so, I put Bam in the overhead bin.

You know - if my baby poops his diaper on the plane, that is now considered a flammable material hidden in the nether regions and then how different is he from the Nigerian dude?

I hope no one has to change their colostomy bag while in the air ... that would lead to all sorts of problems.

I am traveling in a week because I am planning on running a half marathon in Miami. It was suggested - to all of us who need to travel to Miami, to carry all our running gear in a carry - on on board, you know, because airlines are totally unreliable and they lose your crap all the time.

But I am worried that some flight attendant who has diminished brain cells due to sudden change in cabin pressure will just assume I am up to no good and brought my running shoes to make a quick getaway.

Yes!


A quick getaway......


.....from a plane flying 32,000 feet up in the air.

My point is, are we now, and forever going to be traveling in a state of paranoia?

Will we all be getting on planes (those of us who still do that much) and quickly start assessing our fellow passengers? I mean, the U.S. Home Security and TSA may refuse to "ACTUALLY" profile, but I'll be profiling.

If you have a bulge in your nether regions - I may ask the flight attendant to assess that situation.

Sorry that it's all messed up for any one named - Mohammed, or Achmad, or Timothy McVeigh, but if that IS your name, and you were allowed on my plane, I hope you are fully restrained and being escorted by armed U.S. Marshals.

(And maybe that above statement is controversial, but you know I am not the only one who tenses up on a plane when there are certain, someone's sitting in your line of view.)

If you take out something that has funny leather straps hanging from it .... well .... my mind may wander into all sorts of areas - especially if you and that curvy redhead went into the bathroom with it and there is substantial yelling and banging around... But I won't involve myself in that one.

If the only English word you can say is "BOMB", then I will be thankful that I spent ten minutes assessing which of my personal belongings can be used as a self- defending weapon.

(Another reason why 4 inch Stilettos can make you into a superhero.)

Also, that laptop cord they let me bring on the plane WILL find its way around the neck of whoever is the least bit threatening to my fellow passengers and myself.

But if a 17 year old is wrapping himself with boxes and leather straps ....


...OK, fine, I can see how that might have been confusing to an overtired, overworked, and underpaid flight attendant,

but I can assure you, he was NOT hiding it in his underwear. And that means - it went through a Security check and x-ray, just like my friggin' shoes did.

Oh the paranoia - will it ever end?

"Avatar"? Uh, More Like "AVOMITAR".

I saw this movie Saturday night, called "Avomitar". Some of you may know it by it's more recognizable street name - "Avatar". But, those of us who saw the 3D version while sitting in the second row and got totally nauseous and vomited I will refer to it as "Avomitar".

I actually had no interest in seeing this movie altogether. But as a friend of mine pointed out to me, I tend to get turned off by movies that have a lot of hype before they even come out. I hated "Titanic" as well, for this reason. Is it coincidence that both movies were directed by James Cameron? I think not. Unless the guy has a series of movies about an assassinating robot from another planet or he spends over 500 million to make a movie, there would be no hype, and their would be no Golden Globes.

Have you seen "Avomitar"?

I have never been on acid, but, watching giant blue beings and fluorescent glowing botany as well as dogs that have been lifting weights and a cross between hammerhead sharks and a dinosaur on steroids must come way close to a full on acid trip. Now add to that 3D, and it becomes a BAD acid trip.

My friend, Miss S. facebooked me on Wednesday and told me another friend - B. was going to see "Avatar" (before my experience - it was "Avatar"). She asked me if I wanted to come because Miss S's husband had already seen it with his sister. My husband had no interest either. I told her, if I was going to see it, then I had to see the 3D version because I heard "you haven't seen "Avatar" if you haven't seen it in 3D" (But from me, the motto will be "if you haven't seen "Avatar" - DON'T!")

Apparently, B. and her husband already tried weeks earlier to see the 3D version, but it was sold out, so this time she would buy the tickets ahead of time.

Background on B. - when the latest "Twilight" movie came out (also won't see those because I hate the vampire hype) - "New Moon" she bought tickets for the 12 AM showing for about 20 people. She arrived 3 hours before the movie and saved two rows in the theater (I have no idea how she physically managed to spread herself across 20 seats, but it must have been a sight.)

I fully expected that she would be in the theater by the time Miss S., another friend - T. and I arrived with her legs and arms stretched over the most prime seats, battling off theater goers with her best "Avomitar" savages' hiss. But she arrived the same time as we did, looking quite pissed. Her look of pissiness was due to the fact that she would have loved some prime seats as well and fully intended on throwing her whole body across half a row, if only the other couple she was picking up was READY on time, allowing her to arrive early enough.

So - that left the second row of the theater. Which, funny enough, turns out to be the FIRST row because no one in their right mind even attempted to watch "Avomitar" 3D sitting in the front row. That made us the stupidest people in that theater.

And what is more stupid than that? - Well, staying for an entire 3 hours of ung-dly torture - is what.

I will backtrack here, and share with you that Saturday night, I tend to make sure I EAT. Especially this particular Saturday night - because Sunday, I would be running 12 friggin' miles as part of training for a half marathon coming up in 2 weeks. I like to Carbo load with a mix of good carbs and really bad carbs. I had something to eat before I left the house and I stuffed my purse with peanut butter m&m's, baby carrots and water (I figured the peanut butter was also iron rich protein).

So there I was, sitting second row with funky glasses slipping down my nose and my head cranked back, throwing back a mound of baby carrots and handfuls of peanut butter m&m's, while giant blue people FEET were totally in my face and I am so NOT a foot person (although it could be the Podiatrist with us was getting excited). As time went on, I was getting really hot and kept adjusting my position to find comfort in that second row seat. I started feeling a migraine come on, but I have a sickness (besides the sickness I was about to experience). I have this sickness, once I start a movie (or a book) no matter how awful it might be, I must finish it.

CURSE THE FACT THAT I STARTED THIS MOVIE....

I had to subject myself to the brutality (not the brutality actually IN the movie), the brutality of watching 3D in the second row.

And what was with the "braid mating"? (If you don't know what I mean - then you haven't seen "Avomitar" ....... AND DON'T!!!)

But as soon as the movie was over, I could not get out of there quick enough.......


.....I MEAN QUICK ENOUGH!!!

I was the center seat in the second row, and no one was moving. So I literally leaped over the very empty first row, and hightailed it out of the theater to get some air.

When Miss. S. and T. walked out, I am pretty sure that the color of my face was almost as blue as the "Blue People" of Planet Pandora, or as white as their sacred tree. My eyes felt like they were on fire and possibly hanging out of my eye sockets from their retina. My stomach was churning like I was on Cameron's friggin' Titanic.

My friend T. decided to use my look of death to our advantage. So she walked up to "concierge"... (concierge? let's call it what it is, three twenty one year old college drop outs who need to contact the "Big Man" at the top who is vacationing in Cabo - to see if you should really get a refund) and she spoke about the awful movie and the guys behind us on their cell phone and then pointed to me and said, look it made her sick. I added in my two cents about allowing babies into the theater, to which Najeeb replied,
"we let in anyone, as long as they are with parents".

Really? So only the six month old babies who show up WITHOUT the parents, are denied entrance?

Anyway, Najeeb walked off and returned with three free admits in the form of a blue ticket. (Well, I am pretty sure it was blue, although everything at that point pretty much looked blue to me.) So I get to see a free movie at some point, which better be a good one so the vomit can be slightly worth something.

I got in Miss. S's car, at which point she basically threatened my life if I were to hurl in her car.

I made it home without causing her any undue hardship and collapsed on my couch, when my gracious Hun brought me 2 Tylenol caplets ....... which stayed down for about 4 and a half minutes, when I went running to the bathroom and .... well, let's just say that it was a good thing I did not have my 3D glasses on while leaning over the toilet. that would have been a sight.

So all the carbo loading for my big run the next day was kind of a moot point about now.

But you will be glad to know, "Avomitar" may have ruined my night, but it did not ruin my run the next day.

If that movie wins an Oscar, I will aVOMITar, all over again.

Heaven Is My Travel Companion

Oh, the joys of traveling...



WITHOUT KIDS!

I have been busy since my last post, preparing to travel from one State to another State. And the State I am most focused on, is my STATE of mind.

It is a very pleasant state of mind, peaceful, calm, without anyone around to yell about who touched whose barbie and who "accidentally" swung their foot purposefully with due caution under the dinner table at someone elses body part.

I have only arrived less than 3 hours ago, and dare I say it, I am rather enjoying my little getaway.

I was expecting the worse, from the moment I left to the airport, thanks to one gracious man from Yemen, who thought lighting a match near his underwear would relieve his fellow passengers of the ung-dly stench that often permeates through airplane cabins. (Seriously - to the dude who dropped the stink bomb just as he was passing my seat when boarding the plane - underwear bombs now fall under the category of "TERROR ACTIVITY" so please stop, less I seek you out and turn your terrorist ASS (pun-intended) in. But, security ran pretty smoothly.

Well, I did require a pat-down of my cranium, because as an Orthodox Jewish Married Woman, I cover my hair with hats that are not permitted to be removed in public. (Should I tell them about all my Jewish friends as well as Cancer patients who are walking through without "pat downs" even though they are wearing a very natural hair-like wig???) Do you think they pat down those guy's heads, you know, those guys who think they are fooling everyone with their rat's hair toupees?

Anyway - thanks for the scalp massage, much appreciated.

My gate was conveniently just across from Starbucks, so thank you for that as well.

My dad was with me and is no spring chicken, so he gets himself on the plane before the suckas who payed for first class, and I get to go with him - thank you for that.

Thank you to the kind and considerate person who did not show up to sit in the seat next to me, I tip my hat to THAT person.

Thanks for the gentle sleep inducing flying motion of the plane, I did need a nap.

I am grateful, exceptionally grateful to the working landing gear and smooth landing at Newark airport.

AND BONUS ....

I do like the fact that we arrived an hour early. And if that was not awesome enough, we did not have to make up that whole EARLY hour by waiting an hour for a gate to become available, because the gate was just waiting for us in all its shining glory.

Uh ... I did think that someone forgot to tell our luggage we arrived an hour early. Either that, or we had to wait for the New Jersey Union workers - Tony, Franky and Tito, to put down their bongs and pizza and throw our luggage on the conveyor belt.

Oh, and I am thankful for my sister who came to pick me up, promptly after the luggage finally showed.

And to my Mom, who is also at my sisters house - that steak dinner was divine. Frankly, I would have enjoyed eating styrofoam sprinkled with pepper, if it meant eating it without tiny little food thieves stealing food right out of my mouth, and of course the aforementioned under table leg wrestling.

And to use a bathroom, without someone banging on the door two seconds after I get in there ..... it's like New Jersey has somehow become a little, tiny piece of Heaven. (And I don't think those words will ever come out of my mouth again.)

I'll be here until Wednesday. My cousin is getting married tomorrow night. And as pleasant as it has been going thus far (and please G-d, keep up the good work) there is only so much time without the kids, before I miss them terribly.











And here's hoping that time only comes when I see them again on Wednesday.

(And welcome to my new blog followers, hope you stick around.)

Sweet And Tender Ro

{To "Stay At Home Wifey" - Thanks for becoming a follower, I tried to comment on your blog the other day, but it asks for word verification and something weird happens and it only shows me the top half of the word and does not allow me to scroll down. I see others leave comments, so I have no idea if the problem is from my end...}

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I was about to post about Ate and some recent "changes" he made in his life, but then I thought I might want to focus on another child.

I often blog about So and her creativity and her ability to make a sculpture of Abe Lincoln or something of the like, out of paper clips, dried corn kernels, hay and drier lint. She is the oldest and could easily overshadow her younger siblings .... if I let her.

I blog about the baby for obvious reasons. Because, frankly, he is the baby. That makes him cute and extremely blog worthy, even if all he does is roll around, laugh, giggle, eat, poop, babble and drool.

I blog about Ate and his, uh .... anal retention. He is also my FIRST boy, so all the "boy" stuff that has any blog value gets posted at some point in regards to him.

But there is one kid who falls into that unpleasant space in the family. She can get lost easily (partly because she is so tiny) in that big hole, that abyss that is reserved for, the sweet, angelic, can go off to the basement for hours occupying herself and only emerge when I realize she has not been seen for 4 hours, kid. I sometimes have to remind myself that she actually DOES exist. She can be quiet, but she has plenty of fire in her. And when she does emerge, from wherever she has been for the past 4 hours, she always has the most profound things to say. She is my Ro. And today I post about her.



Sweet Ro in the Summertime.

She ALWAYS smells good.

She has a tremendous sense of hygiene and always smells like lavender soap and watermelon shampoo.


Sweet Ro enjoying her just picked apple.

She has a tremendous spirit. She will always remind me to say the appropriate blessing before eating any food.


Sweet Ro on Chanukah

While her siblings went grabbing for the gifts below, Ro just stood back to watch the glow of the flames and the glistening lights as they flickered.

She has enormous sensitivity to the world and its "going ons" around her. She does not take any moment for granted.

She is observant and becomes enlightened by that which she sees or hears about as it relates to her own life.

Two weekends ago, we were at a "Youth" convention that we attend annually. On Sunday evening, there was a banquet for the teenagers and Ro was getting very involved in the activities that were taking place that night. At some point, an award ceremony began and I left my girls in the room to watch the ceremony, while I took Ate back to our room where Hun and Bam were already settling in for the night so that he too could go to sleep.

I returned to the award ceremony and let the girls sit there for another five minutes, at which point, it was time to return with them to the room for bedtime.

As we were leaving, Ro looked up at me and asked,

"Mommy, why does [G-d] make funny people?"

"What do you mean by funny people?"

(I was pretty sure I knew what she was referring to, but I inquired.)

"People who move in funny ways and talk funny..."

I noticed the direction she was looking and that verified for me, what she was trying to ask via her five and a half year old, innocent view of life.

There is a subgroup of teenagers within the Youth group that caters to disabled and challenged teenagers, and Ro wanted to know why G-d would afflict any child with those sorts of challenges and disabilities.

"Ro, we don't always know why [G-d] decides that a child should be born with challenges and disabilities, maybe we need to learn something important from it. But we always need to be kind and considerate to all children whether they are healthy or not."

And then Ro said,
"I know why, because we need to CARE. And I CARE about them and I think that is why they are here, so that we CARE."

Yesterday morning, I handed Ro the clothing I picked for her that morning and she started her semi-typical kvetch,

"I don't like those clothes...."

But then she stopped abruptly and took them from me and went off to get dressed.

About ten minutes later, while she was eating her breakfast, Ro asked,
"Mommy, you know why I did not cry about the clothes that you gave me, even though they were not the clothes I wanted?"

"Why, Ro?"

"Because, I thought, well at least I am lucky to have clothing because there are some children who have no clothes and they are always cold and naked, so I shouldn't complain."

Later that day, when she returned home from school, Ro asked for a sugary snack. I typically give them a snack after school, but I like them to have a fruit or veggie first. So I told Ro, she could have the snack after she ate a fruit.

She began to whine,
"I don't want a fruit now, can have the fruit later???"

She stopped abruptly and then got quiet and ran to the counter to grab a banana.

A moment later, she said,

"Mommy, you know why I did not cry about having a fruit before the yummy snack?"

"Hmm, Ro, I can not possibly imagine why you did not cry..."

"Because, I am lucky to have fruits AND snacks and there are some children that do not have food and that is so sad."


It's nice to know that my lessons and words can almost be repeated back to me verbetim. Who knew she was ever listening.

Well, I am not surprised. Ro actually takes every word and lesson in and then she keeps it locked up. She goes back to it when she wants and analyzes and dissects.

And when you least expect it, she pulls it out and pulls off the most sweet and tender moments.

My sweet and tender Ro.

Sweet Music And One Girl With A Tone

What is sweet music to my ears?

The words - "Back to school".

The sounds of silence.

But also the sounds of one cute little dude babbling and chattering...


I had an interesting experience on Friday, and not in a good way.

Let me precede this post by saying, while I am not one who voluntarily seeks out confrontation, if someone messes with me ..... well, then, they have messed with the wrong person.

There are bullies and just plain rude people in this world who are very good at sniffing out vulnerable weak people to prey on. They like to pick a fight or cause a commotion that ultimately puts someone else down, just so they themselves can feel bigger and stronger. Those people are typically overcompensating for a lot of insecurity.

I am not a weak or vulnerable person, but apparently I was in the wrong place at the right wrong time.

At my local grocery store, there is an aisle specifically housing ONLY kosher products. This supermarket caters to a community of kosher keeping people and they are very accommodating. (Of course, every other aisle in the store has some kosher products as well, but this aisle is very specific food items).

At one end of this aisle is a wire rack that has bread, cakes and cookies from a local bakery I will call B.S. Next to that rack is another rack of breads, cookies and cakes from other local various kosher bakeries in the community.

I typically do not purchase any foods from these racks because I would rather get my baked goods fresh from the actual bakeries. However, when the yummy supermarket brand of non-dairy chocolate chip cookies were not available, I decided to pull a container of cookies from the B.S. rack.

So I was standing in front of the rack with my cart in front of me, and yes, the rack was blocked completely by my cart and myself. I just placed a container of cookies in my cart and was standing there for another second or two to see if I wanted anything else when a girl came up behind me in haste and was obviously interested in something on the rack. Even before she said excuse me, I realized I wanted nothing more and should move away to make room for someone else.

She came up right behind me and while saying excuse me, she was already reaching across the length of me and my cart close to the rack to get some bread. I would have liked to move away for her, but because she chose to stand behind me and not wait even one second, and there was an elderly man in front of me at the next rack of baked goods, I was actually blocked in. At that moment, the bread slipped from the tip of her fingers and fell between the rack and my cart (because it was too far from her in the first place and maybe she should have let me back out BEFORE she tried to get her bread). The man moved and I inched my way forward and she had to grab the bag of bread as it was falling to the floor and then I hear her say in a very obnoxious, loud, condescending tone,

"THANKS .... I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU MOVING FOR ME, THAT WAS SO NICE OF YOU .... YOU WERE REALLY HELPFUL ...."

She went on with this statement as she walked away, down an aisle full of people. At which point, I only had time to yell back - "You could learn some patience and respect."

When I realized that she was getting far, I stopped, because I am not ONE for causing a scene.


Now - this girl was petite, but her face did not look so young. I estimate she was anywhere between the ages of 18 and 23. This is certainly an age that I would not expect such rude behavior.

I did not know this girl (In our community, many times you know almost everyone. If not personally, at least what family they are from.) I don't even know if she is from my community, or just visiting. At that point, I was letting the incident go (that is what Mrs. M. taught me - to forget it and move on). And I just continued slowly down the aisle focusing on my shopping. But when I got closer to the end of the aisle, she was there and it looked like she was with someone I just decided to assume was her mother. And so - I then thought to myself,

Self - if you let this go completely, she will think her behavior is okay. And at her age, it most certainly is not. If I say something in a productive way, it may be a learning experience for her and open her eyes to how she is perceived by others. I also thought, if I behaved that way at her age and my mother knew - I would have tongue lashing via me madre.

In fact - I digress for a moment to shed some light on my mother. I had a weekend party in my house for my class to celebrate our 8th grade graduation. My mother took it upon herself to give us a bit of a lecture, because she knew we had been a factious class. She told us that it was very important that we all acted kindly to one another NOW because we have no idea how our lives would intertwine in the future, and how we may become related through marriages, or share office space... And if we had a history of contention it would make it hard to have a peaceful relationship in the future. She then left the house to be somewhere, and as soon as the door shut, twenty something 13 and 14 year olds erupted in laughter. We joked about how my brother would marry that friend and that friends mom would become someone else's mother-in-law. I mean, who can think that far ahead in life?

Well guess what???

Just a few years later, after quite a few of my classmates married, they would stop my mom in the street and say,
Mrs. S. - "So and so and I both married brothers and now we are sisters-in-law and I remember that speech you gave... So and so and I have become cousins. So and so and I have started a business together..."

Yes, my mom is bright, and insightful, and sometimes...... dare I even say it ..... RIGHT!

So, as I thought of my mother in that moment at the grocery store, I decided to go a different route.

I walked right up to the woman I assumed was this poor, misguided, young adult's mother, and I asked,

"Is that your daughter?"

(can of worms now open...)

"Well, I don't know how you raise your daughter, but you may want to teach her about not being rude, and disrespectful..."

Daughter hears me and walks over and, I am not making this up -

she starts apologizing...

BUT

and here is the big

BUT -

she is using the same obnoxious tone that she used before when she was walking away from me with her nasty comments.

"SHEESH ..... I'M SORRY.... I MADE A MISTAKE...."

At which point I interrupted her and said,
A) "Don't waive your finger in my face."
B) "Are your needs more important than anyone else's including an elderly man standing in front of me that you apparently want me to run over so you can get your bread?"

"I SAID I'M SORRY .... I DIDN'T SEE HIM..."

c) It really does not matter if you saw him or not, because if someone is moving too slow for your taste and you are not getting your bread quick enough - bite your tongue and keep it to yourself. On top of that you need to learn, patience, and respect - because you have no idea how your behavior could come back to you and take you down so hard. When you realize you are about to date the boy of the woman you were just rude to, or you realize you are about to be interviewed for a job by the stranger you just insulted. Grow up.

At this time ( due to my talent for "reading" people very well) I learned a few things.

The obvious - her apologizing meant that she knew her behavior was inappropriate.

She has a mother who is one of those, naive, lets her kids walk all over her, has no idea how to discipline, weak woman. I don't know her background from beans - but I would even dare guess that she comes from a family of critical parents and may even have a husband with a temper, and she just TOOK IT all her life. It was the way she just stood there while she could obviously HEAR the tone her daughter was using to someone older. And how she said nothing as her daughter literally got in my face and waived her fingers under my nose. (My mother would have been on me before the first words came out of my mouth).

Second, a husband with a temper or a critical husband (or a divorce) could also explain the very ill, rude behavior her daughter possessed.

(Of course, much of the aforementioned is TOTAL speculation on my part)

I just can't imagine, that a girl that age would be that rude and ill mannered to a complete stranger in such a public place, if there was NO back story. Of course, it does not excuse it. This daughter is very self-absorbed and only concerned with her needs. Those are traits that will certainly inhibit her from having a productive relationship or marriage of her own, if she does not grow out of it. I certainly would not set this girl up with anyone if I was asked and that is one way your behavior can affect where your life moves next.

I actually wished them a Good Sabbath (which was to begin in a few hours) and walked away. I have no idea if they spoke about it after that, but it certainly did not seem like her mother said anything to her, in the supermarket.

I mostly let it go after that. But I was still so boggled by a girl that age being so outright rude. And I still wondered if saying anything would actually be productive, or if I should have just left it completely alone. I guess I just went with my first instinct, which I felt fine about because it was not impulsive on my part, as some time lapsed between the incident and when I saw her at the end of the aisle.

I also spoke to my 7 year old and 6 year old about the incident, so they could learn that this sort of behavior is never appropriate. But when I looked at my 7 and 6 year old, I truly believed that even at their young ages, they would never act that way - especially to someone older than them.

It is still boggling my mind. I almost hope she had/has some serious brain injury to explain the situation, because I just can not wrap my head around it. Am I over thinking this? Do many people out there encounter girls around that age who are just so outright rude (Frum or not)? I have never encountered this before, so it was surprising for me. Ooh - I could also maybe justify SOME of it if I found out she was from N.Y. (No offense to my N.Y. readers).

Did I make the right decision in my actions???