Who else has one or more relatives like this ...

[Pixelated]

An aunt called me a few weeks ago and left a message. Connection was awful and I could barely make out her phone number. Eventually a cousin contacted me and during the conversation I mentioned this and Cousin gave me the number.

I was in no hurry to call aunt back.

For one thing, she sounds as if she was recorded at 33 rpm and is being played back at 78 (really dated myself with that one, didn't I ) Also, as Cousin reminded me, don't tell Aunt anything that you wouldn't publish on the front page of a national newspaper, because she can't keep her yap shut.

I finally called back today.

Cousin has just had major surgery and had told me about it a day or so before she went in, but asked me not to let Aunt know that I knew; otherwise Aunt would start ragging Cousin about telling me -- and nobody, whether it's major or minor surgery, wants to deal with that post-surgery.

So OF COURSE Aunt gives me many of the gory details. I gave the expected response ("SHOCKED, I am; I am SHOCKED, I tell you!!") and then quickly emailed Cousin to let her know her secret was out.

This wasn't quite so bad, as Cousin had intended for me to know about it. What was worse is ... one of Cousin's younger sisters, as well as YS's husband, are both ill -- terminally so. They are VERY protective of their privacy. They might be telling one or two trustworthy siblings at least some of the details (test results and so forth) but have asked that nothing be sent any further.

Well, here comes Aunt. Bibble, babble, yappity yap yap.

Way to let everybody in the Western Hemisphere know you can't be trusted, Aunt.

One thing I did wrong: I mentioned I have no cats at the moment (my last one died on Valentine's Day and this is the first time in longer than I can remember that I have NO CATS). Aunt immediately said "Oh well, you need to come visit me before you get another cat! I can't have pets here!" I explained that I have never travelled with any of my cats since every cat I've ever lived with has loathed, with the fury of a thousand suns, being in a car. Aunt: "Oh well, that's okay then."

It wasn't until far too late that I realized here was a gift-wrapped excuse to NEVER go visit her.

[Kristev]

Yes. Please don't go near her.

[Ghel]

My partner's mom is a bit like this. She has a large extended family and likes to talk about them. But rarely by name, so even if I cared, I wouldn't know who she's talking about. It's always "my cousin who lives in Washington," instead of "Jenny," for example. Or she'll start a text or conversation talking about "she" without explaining who "she" is. It's a good thing I'm unlikely to ever meet any of these people.

[Pixelated]

Yes. Please don't go near her.

I'll likely go for a visit eventually, if for no other reason than that Cousin (who just had the major surgery) lives in the same area and I would actually like to visit her.

I'm no longer interested in making long road trips so it'll be a train trip plus a rental vehicle (I am NOT depending on her for transportation, because I want to be able to GTFO when I can't take any more of her) and a B&B or local motel (I am NOT staying with her, despite her repeated hints of "Your bed is waiting for youuuuu!")

On the other hand, if I wait long enough, she might by then have moved into a seniors' residence ... she's currently in her own apartment but says she's "tired of eating meals alone." I don't know if such places allow overnight guests so that issue might take care of itself.

My partner's mom is a bit like this. She has a large extended family and likes to talk about them. But rarely by name, so even if I cared, I wouldn't know who she's talking about. It's always "my cousin who lives in Washington," instead of "Jenny," for example. Or she'll start a text or conversation talking about "she" without explaining who "she" is. It's a good thing I'm unlikely to ever meet any of these people.

Ain't that the truth. Aunt does something like that ... talks about siblings of hers that I have NEVER met, and occasionally about neighbours and fellow tenants that ditto. I'm sorry for the other residents of whatever seniors' residence she moves into; they won't be able to get a word in edgewise.

[Kittish]

Ain't that the truth. Aunt does something like that ... talks about siblings of hers that I have NEVER met, and occasionally about neighbours and fellow tenants that ditto. I'm sorry for the other residents of whatever seniors' residence she moves into; they won't be able to get a word in edgewise.

They won't need to. All parties involved in the conversation will ALL talk incessantly, all at once. And somehow they'll all follow ALL of the conversations (though it might simply be rote memorization after lots of repetitions of the same stories).

[Eireann]

Yeah, we've had more than our share of blabbermouths in my family, too. Family secret? Don't tell them! Even if they said they'd keep it a secret, they never did.