I think I'd really like a slightly banana-flavored challah.

Hi, Shir! Hope you don't mind a stranger jumping in with advice... having been in that situation (right after my mom died, with a relative, even, who kept calling me at work) I think the only thing you can effectively do is, say you have to go and give her a chance to let you off the phone, and if she doesn't, say, "No, I really do have to go, right now, I'm sorry, but I'm hanging up now." and hang up. Don't wait for her to acknowledge, just hang up. It sounds really mean, but if she's causing you distress, you need to protect yourself. You don't have to stay on the phone just because she's still talking; you can enforce your own boundaries even if she won't respect them. Good luck.

Shir, would it work to get a timer with a loud bell, so that you can say to her, "Right now I can give you 5 minutes, then I absolutely must get back to my studies. So I tell you what, I'll set my timer for 4 minutes 30 seconds, and when the bell rings, we will have time to say good-bye." Then when the bell rings, watch the clock, if she does not stop on her own, you say, "OK, it's time. I have to go. So sorry to rush you. Goodbye," in a very pleasant voice, talking over her if she won't stop to listen, and then regardless of her response, hang up.

Because you can't substitute for her therapist. If she is in that deep need, she needs to not be able to have access to an hour of your time for her selfish purposes. If she can get you to act as her unpaid therapist, she won't have that need to go back to a real therapist.

ETA: Shir, am I overwhelming you with saying all kinds of things that you should do? You can tell me to shut up if you want. How are you really feeling?

Really Really bad idea for Bubble Gum: [link]

Really Really bad idea for Bubble Gum: [link]

ohgodohgodohgod, don't click.

nasty nasty nasty.

I hates the boyfriend for posting that, I hates him, the nasty Baggins.

Could be worse, could be SPAM flavored.

Thanks for the warning, WindSparrow. I'm taking your advice.

A jury of my peers would not convict....

He didn't give me the option to not click. Just said it out loud. It caused more brain damage than Vogon poetry. I've still got grey matter oozing out of my ears.

nastynastynasty

Oh freddled gruntbuggly,
Thy micturations are to me
As plurdled gabbleblotchits
On a lurgid bee...

Now, see, that's some darned mellifluous verse.