I take a deep breath and release

It's 3:00 in the morning. The doorbell suddenly starts ringing, one ding-dong then another. WTF? By the time I calmed the dog down and raced out the bedroom to see who it was, cousin's girlfriend strolled past me to the door and went to peer in the peephole. She asked who was it, as if she couldn't tell who it was. She then opened the door, as I got to the door and there was my cousin standing there, with an amused look on his face. I didn't think it was funny, and found it odd that this girl who doesn't live here answers a door that isn't hers to answer let alone open. I grunted, turned around and went to my room, only to find that it was curious that my other dog didn't bark or alert the media as to who was at the door. I met my other dog in the hallway and she was calm, wagging her tail at me to greet me, as if she just came in from outside herself. I wondered if my cousin had somehow taken the dog out for a walk and stayed out and the girl, to be mean or teach him a lesson, put an extra lock on that he didn't have the key for to get in. It's just not the time and place to teach him a lesson. She wants to teach him a lesson, she needs to go live in her parent's place where her bedroom's at and drag him there permanently to live under her parents' thumb. Let's see how lovey-dovey it gets then. They never stay there more than a day or two before they come running back over here, acting like they are pulling a fast one on everybody by living like gypsies out of bags and making excuses as to why they don't pay rent while they sport new video game systems and shoes. All this while in their mid-20's, certainly not children but not all that mature in the mind either. And they want to play house. In my house. Riiight.

I texted his sister who was luckily at her place, although I knew she was probably fast asleep unlike the rest of us. I had a few choice things to say but as I have a saying, only ugly things can happen at three in the morning, and to hold off and see how things look in the morning. I do wish there was a way to keep them both up since they inconvenienced me. Aunt was woken up by the ringing but she didn't come out, and I filled her in. She thought maybe cousin was coming from work. I said really? Wasn't he here at 8 pm? Why would he be back by 3 and from his job in another borough that takes over an hour to get to and back from? And if he had the dog, no way was he working.

We'll solve the mystery tomorrow. I am thinking of changing the locks, including the deadbolt and making sure the two idiots don't get a copy of any key so we don't go through the elderly teenager theatrics again.

another turn of what the ?

A friend writes me that "we have to hang out" and that it's "been so long". I write back saying, "well, how about dinner sometime next week?" The friend agrees, then gives availability as being Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday is no good for me, so I agree to Friday. Thursday comes, and I'm already thinking this person's going to cancel. Because they've flaked before. Numerous times. Too many times to mention. Yet, this person wants to meet. OK. Will give them yet another benefit of the doubt.

I say nothing. Friday morning comes and goes, and we're hitting to a little before noon. Nothing from this person. I decide to text a what's up and are we still on? Didn't hear anything for a good hour or so. Then the person writes almost tersely, "I'm at work. May have to postpone as I have to pack." I recalled the person had taken the time out when they reached out to me last week to squeeze in that little detail that they were heading out of town for some much needed time off.

Perhaps that was just to show off? I thoughtfully replied back, "OK. Have a good trip."

I was not about to get dramatic or make an accusation that basically the idiot forgot that they had made plans. Plus it was just a gut thing. An instinctual response. Perhaps they really had to fly out early morning next day, and didn't want to get mired in dinner and possible couple of drinks. That's fine. We're all adults. Plus, waiting til last minute to pack, that can always cause extra undue stress. Procrastination is a bitch, I get it.

Next day, I had to run some errands and get some laundry done. The bedsheets were overdue for a cleansing and a changing. So I took two loads of it down -- two sets of bedsheets, comforters and pillowcases to wash. While waiting for stuff to clean then dry, I texted asking if they were already traveling.

The person answers they didn't have a flight at that time but later in the day. 4:30 pm. I thought about that for a second. So...they didn't have an early morning rush to anywhere. Packing takes what, about an hour, two tops? If laundry needs to be done, then four hours easy.

Even if they went to bed early, and slept in til 10 am, they could've still got the laundry done, and be out the door and at the place to travel in plenty of time to spare without breaking a sweat.

I did not say anything. That confirmed it to me -- the person had simply forgot they had made these plans with me. I decided I was going to lay low. There was a reason why I didn't ever go searching for this person, because I saw the pattern they tended to encourage and develop with others, making others seems desperate and jumpy to see them. "When am I going to see you? I'm in town Tuesday through Friday, let's get together any time you want!" writes one desperado. Another writes, "I haven't seen you in so long! When can we meet up?" Another writes, "You wait until I get to Jersey to tell me you were home cooking! OH well! Another time I guess."

It's a sweet ploy, leading others to believe that you are so busy that your time is so precious that you blow off people and leave them begging and asking for face time with you. Life's way too short for mindfuck games, in my opinion.

If you don't want to hang with me, I'm not going to stress it nor stress you. Fuck that. I only want to hang with those who truly like me and want to hang out with me, not to have me around for their fucking amusement so they could feel superior.

Let's just say that the days of this person trying to dick me around for their amusement are clearly numbered.