I grew up with my parents in a shared terrace house with my uncle’s family. I remember my cousin got a spanking for drawing on the wall with her mother’s lipstick.
There was a fight between my mother and a non blood related aunt. My mother almost got donged on the head with a frying pan, and a knife was drawn up in the air before my uncle stepped in and broke it up. My relatives eventually got their own home, we visited each other, had parties together, until everyone grew apart, and now, we don’t see each other at all.
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My brother and I. Mom had just finished cooking dinner. I confronted my brother over some valuable items I had, that had gone missing. His face & eyes turned to rage & he threw a bowl of ravioli over my head. He did a lot of shit. He moved up north. The closest I ever got to my brother since, was when my mother died. We text each other on festive days. I’m not sure if I’ll ever make the 336 km trip to go see him. It may be the same way with him.
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A helicopter was flying around my neighbourhood for the last 15min. Occasionly they do, gives me thoughts of a robbery, vandalism or another illegal tobacco shop firebombed.etc. Once, the police and their dog came to our front door at 6 in the morning. They were looking for an intruder who had broken into a car in a nearby street, and it was possible the intruder jumped our front fence, and hid in our backyard. The police came in and their dog sniffed a guy out
who was hiding in our van in the garage. The front garage door was locked. Ha ha, he couldn’t get out. About 2 weeks earlier, I had pruned a big spiny bush and left the cuttings over the front fence which I cleared a week later. If I have left it for another week, the intruder would have gotten spiked bad. He was lucky he just got taken away in a police van. It maybe a bit sadistic of me, but it’s there, I wish the intruder had gotten spiked.
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So, I’ve been in luv with one Michael Stipe for years. To the extent that I used to send him birthday cards to REMHQ but latterly I keep missing his birthday so have taken to sending him Valentines Cards/Gifts instead. God only knows what they make of it at REMHQ- I never get a response from MS- not quite true, one year I got a demo DVD of “Bad Day” which I treasure- I think David at REMHQ sent it. Not the same as Sir Derek Jacobi though from whom I have 6 hand written letters (I used to write to him after I’d seen him on stage- his performances were always amazing)- Bless Him what a gentleman! I also have a signed photograph (!). Anyway this year I was holed up on Jupiter (Psych Ward) but managed to use a 15 minute exercise break to leg it to Sainsbury’s across the road and buy a card. I sent it on an outing in Tooting but fear I got the address all wrong. How good is the US postal system??! Anyway, friends wonder why I haven’t legged it across the Pond to try and find him (I’m not that nutty!). They dub him “Stipeybaby” ! I have a Franz Ferdinand DVD where the camera goes back stage at a concert and Alex Kapranos & Co are surveying the stuff they get from fans- it’s hilarious- at least it all provides some amusement somewhere 
I think we have some things in common though- I too like “funny clothes” as my sister kindly puts it. Nevermind- making do with 2 trips to see Shannon & Narducy this year. Go me! There that’s my confession.
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I’ve written to the fanclub to, not to anyone individually, it was always “Dear R.E.M.” I got a card back with information about joining the fanclub, which I did. Then newsletters started coming & little surprise promo cards now & then. I remember thinking wow, all this for $12 - $15 a year, can’t remember exactly how much. I remember looking forward to the next fanclub newsletter & Holiday single. My favourite R.E.M. fanclub single is the 1999 Bridge School Benefit concert live tracks featuring Neil Young.
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this is an excellent story 
I am also a big fan of Derek Jacobi. I used to watch the Cadfael series with my parents. (Read all the books too.)
Was wondering where you’ve been, glad you started posting again.
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I became a fan of Derek Jacobi when we watched the BBC’s serial “I, Claudius” as a family in 1976 (he was a marvellous Claudius) . I remember my father liking the strange title music.It was quite risque at the time (the TV serial not the music). I first wrote to him after seeing his wonderful Hamlet at the Old Vic in 1978. REM didn’t come along until 1991 with Losing My Religion and that was it- that voice, those lyrics!
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The most drunk I ever got. I skipped dinner one night, can’t remember why, in a hurry or something and went out with some friends to a nightclub. I had 3 glasses of white wine in the first 2 hours and started to feel so sick. My friends came looking for me 1 hour later. I had locked myself in the ladies bathroom, head over the bowl throwing up liquid. I heard them knocking, I was so relieved. I exited with my arms over both of my friends shoulders, slurring “I’m so happy I’ve got good friends, I’m so lucky” That was a lesson, never drink on an empty stomach.
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The day I surrendered to owning mobile phone. I think it was in the early 2000’s, when they started to become popular, I used to sneer in silence & roll my eyes at people who had mobile phones at their ears, or were playing around with them, thinking “Show offs! They just have one to look smart & professional” My Telco would send me offers for a mobile plan to which I would reply, “No sorry, I don’t need one right now” On the way home from picking up my son from pre-school one afternoon, he was about 4 y.o. at the time, my car broke down on busy main road with not a phone box in sight. I had to walk about 45 min. carrying my son most of the way to the nearest bus stop. While on the bus I was thinking, if I had a mobile phone I could have just sat in the car & called roadside assistance, who would have organized a tow for my car to the mechanic & and a drive for me & my son home. I purchased a mobile phone a few days later, a little Nokia. Question, will the convenience of technology reduce human resilience in adverse events or challenging situations? It’s been years since I’ve used my brain for long division at school, now it’s just a matter of tapping buttons on a keyboard.
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