Seventeen. That's the number of phone calls I have received from my cousin over the course of the past hour. I've (mercifully) had my phone on silent and not been quite awake this morning, so I didn't have to suffer through any incessant rimging. Still, this is stalker territory. This is "I'll win him back. Fifteenth time's the charm." The entitlement here is staggering! "You're obviously not sleeping or getting ready for work or working or having a life outside of me, so I'm going to clog up your phone line until you talk to me!" He might think he has something important to say or urgent to report. He doesn't. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, he says has ever objectively qualified as urgent, so if this is that one time, well, the Boy Who Cried Wolf is an excellent metaphor here.

As far as phone calls go, it's easy to block my cousin. The complication revolves around my family, particularly my mom. She's the entire reason he's here. Extended family on the West Coast got tired of dealing with him, so they passed the proverbial buck to my mom. Now that he's here and he's rubbing the rest of us the wrong way, my mom has developed a sunk costs/stick your head in the sand mentality in regards to the cousin. She spent all that time and effort getting him over here, so might as well keep helping him. Also, she cannot let any criticism of the man sink in, otherwise it becomes harder to justify her continued help (and involving me with said help).

Their incomprehension wouldn't be my problem if my dad and his mercurial mood swings weren't involved. As an aside, if bipolar disorder has a genetic component, I'm almost certain who I inherited it from. Anyhow, if my family can't comprehend any criticism of my cousin, it's easy for them to make me out to be a bully.

Well, one step at a time. First up, number block.