Cousin Tanya's visit.

Heya Melbs.

I've had an older cuz staying with me for over a week. I'm going to refer to her as Tanya. Let me tell you about Tanya:

Tanya is about ten years older than me. When I was ~20 or so, I lived, for a while, in the same town as Tanya. She always had a bed, a beer, a kind word, a joke, or a hot meal for me.

So, she called me up and said she had some time off work, and wanted to get away and do some shopping in the big-smoke, etc, etc, and could she stay for a few days. Of course I said yes.

On the first evening, we queued up some movies to watch, I made a pot of tea for myself, and Tanya poured herself a scotch. The movies didn't really get watched; they were there for background noise, and to fill the gaps in the conversation. Mostly, she talked and I listened. As the night went on, the scotch bottle emptied, and Tanya became more open and less coherent. At one point, she told me she needed to get drunk in order to sleep through the night, because her boyfriend had cracked her ribs and they hadn't fully healed yet. Painkillers apparently aren't cutting it on their own. Then she devolved into completely incomprehensible grunting, slurring and swearing. I put her to bed at about 1AM. She snored and mumbled and let out painful little yelps all night long.

Every night since has been a replay of the first night.

I've had to clean up many spilled drinks, two involving broken cups. I've also had to clean up after she fell off the toilet. One time, she almost pulled the bathroom cabinet off the wall.

I AM TIRED!

And I feel shitty about my lack of patience with the situation.

In any case, it will all be over in a few days. She'll have to leave, because I'm going bush again for work. I may not be back until October. When I go, I will worry about my poor cousin, who extended so much hospitality to me so many years ago; but I shall also be happy to get away from her.