I slept like shit last night, and woke up at 2:30 am and couldn't go back to sleep. After tossing and turning for a half hour, I decided I wasn't going to face my day and go to work. I was exhausted from my sister Kathy (the Wicked Which of the West - WWW for short as Colin calls her) being here the entire weekend with her baby. I try not to let it get to me - I do stay down here in my basement haven the majority of the time to stay out of the way. My mind also wouldn't shut up... so I took a Xanax to help me get some sleep and now I'm feeling soooo much better. I called my boss and told him I'd be in around lunch time. A few weeks ago, Mom, Kathy and I came up with a compromise (mostly against Kathy's wishes) that she would stay only Friday night and part of Saturday. This worked for about 3 weeks, then she started going behind Mom's back and asking Dad if she could stay another night and another day. Of course Dad was oblivious to what was going on and Kathy was manipulating him into feeling sorry for her. She has a home, she has a husband. A few weeks ago, we had a major war around here. Kathy wasn't sticking to the rules, and Dad didn't see what it hurt to have Kathy here. Well, Dad is blind to anything except the baby... which is great - he's a wonderful Grandpa. But he wasn't supporting Mom at all. He sat there and let Kathy tell Mom what a horrible mother she was, and verbally attack both Mom and I. It was awful. The past few weeks, Kathy has stayed here all stinking weekend and its just really wearing on me. Can't take much more. I went upstairs a little while ago to get my breakfast and Dad asked what I was doing home - so I told him that I just couldn't take Kathy staying here the entire weekend. Its exhausting me beyond anything. Then - just a minute ago, Dad comes down and tells me that he's going to talk to Kathy about just staying Friday night and some of Saturday. I about laughed! I said, "That would be so great - but you realize that's what Mom and I have been trying to do all along?" He's finally seeing how much it wears Mom out having to take care of the baby AND clean up after Kathy constantly. Woohoo! Now, we'll see if it works. Fingers and toes crossed.