Brother

Got to speak to Mike yesterday for the first time in about two years. He's got himself into some trouble (which, for propriety's sake, I won't go into here), and wrote to tell me about it. I rang him and we talked for about 4 or 5 hours. He explained his situation, and then we both went off on Mom and her hobby of humiliating her children, but it wasn't all so heavy -- we talked about SHAUN OF THE DEAD, the new DAWN, I told him what's going on with my residency, and he told me to check out a comedian named Ron White, who sounds suspiciously like Bill Hicks, which ain't all that bad.

Now I'm going to have to call Mom, though, and I'm not looking forward to that. Apparently, he's not allowed to use the computer without someone signing him in, because giving him the password would be too much like treating him like an adult, I suppose. That shit's going to stop. He's got to be able to reach me at any given time, through Skype or the actual phone lines, and he can't get me on the computer at 3am if he's got to get someone's permission first.

I wish he could get out of there. Out of that house, obviously, but out of the area, as well. Lebanon County is just no good for anyone, it seems. Coming over here isn't an option just yet, so I don't know what he's going to do. He's caught in a Catch-22: Needs a better job to get out, but needs to get out to get a better job. I'm lucky I had a girlfriend who could help finance my trip -- Mike's girlfriend is in the same position he's in, so she's just an anchor. I just hope he can cut loose before he gets dragged all the way down...