all of the editors names were in Hebrew

Send them over. I'll transcribe 'em back 'atcha.

Sox, if I were in your shoes, I'd go. I don't know how different shiva regulations are between the U.S. and here, but I suspect that not that much.

If you can come and pay your respects/condolences, I'm sure that will be much appreciated.

If they're of Ashkenazi orientation, it's a custom to bring food. If not, there will be plenty of food there. Either way, it's a mitzvah to eat something small at the grieving house.

Speaking of painting....I asked all my friends if they'd help me paint my old aparment. I hired movers but was all "please help me paint rather than helping me move!". Well I'm glad I wasn't counting on anyone to help me move...I'm alone in my apartment trying to paint the whole fucking thing myself. Fuck. I am so having a breakdown. I just can't do one more thing. An now I feel all friendless and like I have no one here I can count on and I hate life and blah blah unloveablecakes and not only do I not have a girlfriend I apparently don't even have any friends. Great. But I don't have time to curl up and die because I have to paint the damn apartment.

Hive- mind advice requested, specifically from those who can advise on shiva dos and don'ts. My much-loved boss from a previous job just lost her father after an illness and is sitting shiva this week. I knew this was coming but haven't figured out the best way to pay respects. I'd like to make the visit, but I do not want to impose. I can send a tray if that's better -she will know I made a special trip if I do go, and I don't want that to become a big deal.

The point of sitting shiva is that people are supposed to visit. If you know something about her in particular -- she has social anxiety or something like that -- that would make her less likely to want visitors, then maybe just call and see her later, but otherwise, it's not an imposition, it's a comfort.

Also, if you do bring or send food, it's a good idea to have it be something kosher, if that's possible. Even if the person sitting shiva doesn't keep kosher, food platters are usually set out for the visitors, and at least some of them will probably keep kosher.

And now I feel all friendless and like I have no one here I can count on and I hate life and blah blah unloveablecakes and not only do I not have a girlfriend I apparently don't even have any friends.

You're very, very lovable. I just got unexpectedly caught up today. But I will come help paint. And move the closet stuff from the old place to the new.

I'll text you later with updates.

With shiva I've always been told to not take flowers. I do not know why or if this is widespread.

With shiva I've always been told to not take flowers. I do not know why or if this is widespread.

No flowers for shiva. I can't remember the reasoning, but Jews don't bring flowers for anything associated with death, so no flowers at funerals, at shiva, or left on graves.

Thanks, Shir! I remember thinking vaguely in the dream, "Hmmph. Nilly or Shir will help me track 'em down!"

Aims, your uncle is a a douchnozzle, and I will come up and kick him in the shins REALLY REALLY HARD.

Meara, you are a darling girl, and we all love you, and if I didn't live in the middle of the country, I would so come over with my leftover bucket o' 'ritas, a blender, my horrible painting skillz, and some Beck on the ipod and help! MWAH!

Hmm. No flowers -- good to know. Oh, lord, I have to brush up/educate myself on Jewish custom -- we will be co-hosting a bar mitzvah for M. in 5 years, and I understand that is usually quite an undertaking.

{{{{{askye&family}}}}}

{{{{meara}}}}}

Honestly, he can say what the fuck he wants. I have no lease, never had a lease, he has no certificate of occupancy, and the IRS and State of Michigan would be very interested in learning that a) he's been taking the property homestead tax credit on this house for two years when it WASN'T his primary and residence and b) he's not been claiming the income he's been making off our rent on any sort of income taxes.

Yeah, I was going to say -- he's going to pull landlord-y shit like a walkthrough, when he can't prove to anyone in a position of authority that he actually *was* a landlord?

Other than being a petty fuckneck, what possible reason could he need you to be out by midnight Friday? I realize that Saturday is the first of May, and so an ACTUAL landlord could be a fuckneck and demand the tenant be out, but since you're moving out because he wants to live there, is he *honestly* going to move alla his shit in there at 12:00:01? Or even the next day?

I don't know the man, and even I know that's fuckwankery because he just wants to be petty and vindictive.

t edit When he does his walkthrough, if he points out shit that he claims you did, you could politely ask him for photographic proof of the way the house looked the day before you moved in. You know, because a good landlord would keep records of things like that, to protect his best interests. I'm sure he does it with all his tenants.

He claims it's because he wanted to have a May Day party and now I'm TOTALLY RUINING IT.

Nevermind the fact that I don't even have keys for the new place yet.