Yay, job-having Joe!

There are supposed to be angle brackets around my tag (lovingly provided by a co-worker) but I haven't had enough coffee to figure out how to make it work. Instead, I'll just up my crankometer.

Congrats to Vortex, it looks like a great house.

Congrats to Joe, also.

Raq, I'm really glad you stood your ground. I see that you mention nothing of telling your sister never to contact you again, only that she is not to come for this visit. It sounds like you did not specifically shut down the lines of communication, but are leaving it to your sister to come to her senses, apologize and learn to have more realistic expectations of you.

I also wonder if her son is aware of and uncomfortable with her boorishness, and that is why he wants to keep his family away from his fiance's family until the big day. If so, smart kid.

GC, < and > will do it for you.

I knew ita would come to my rescue!

Raq, sorry about the family craziness. I always prefer to stay in a hotel. The only family member who I would assume I could stay with without asking would be Mom, and I still always ask.

I just picked up a one day pass for a gym for Monday! I've been putting this off for years. If there are enough machines that I can do to make it worth my money, I'll be joining on Monday. My goals are to ease pain, gain some strength, and lose some weight in that order.

Every mosquito bite I have - and I count 12 just around one ankle - has just started to itch like crazy.

imustnotscratchimustnotscratchimustnotscratch

The only family member who I would assume I could stay with without asking would be Mom, and I still always ask.

I was going to say the same thing - I do assume that my old room is still MY ROOM when I'm in town, but I still don't think I'd just show up uninvited.

Raq, I am repeating the good on you for sticking to your guns. It's always hard to do with family and even harder when they throw in the emotional bullshit manipulation.

You would think they had no concept of offence to begin with.

My sister is really horrible at seeing the consequences of her actions.

I didn't shut down all lines of communication, but she'll be so offended that it will be as if I had. Whatever. She's 21 years older than me, and yet I've always had to be the competent capable one - when our mother was sick, 7 years of deteriorating ALS, and my sister lived about 2 miles away, did we ever see her? No. Not until after Mom died and she wanted most of Mom's stuff.

Anyway. Off to take Mal to the doctor for antibiotics.

I am also going to incorporate "assclowns" into my vocabulary. It's more acceptable at work than "cocksuckers" I think.

I am also going to incorporate "assclowns" into my vocabulary.

My stepdad will be SO proud!