My roommate is in jail. Apparently he was arrested last month and released to work and was supposed to take drug tests but refused and was found to have marijuana in his system (they said nothing about the other drugs! WTF) and so he's on work release now. He thought they'd let him drive his own car to work but he's to be driven by me. I will be getting up at 0 dark thirty to drive him to work. He has said he will pay me. I will have the use of the car meanwhile.
I can get a lot done in a few weeks with a car. I can get my things in order, I can ship my belongings and I can properly sell my computer and bike instead of taking them to a pawn shop. Any money Mike might actually pay me I can give to the neighbor, whom he owes-- thus engendering good faith between all. I doubt she would accept it. But she turns out be a much better person than I judged her for. She totally 'gets' the way the state/criminal justice system is nickle and diming Mike and she knows he hasn't the mental energy for the fight to get out from under it. She has his social security card and will be paying rent for us on the 3rd if he's not out of jail. I'm to ask him , when I hear from him again, where his car is parked, and when he's to be released from jail for good.
I have paid 260 for cable, and 120 for utilities. I have given him 100 for a deposit, and 400 for rent. That's all nearly 700 and so looks like I'll not be paying rent next month. I spent a pretty sleepless night last night worrying thinking I might have to bolt from here but it looks like the neighbor is cool and rent will be paid so it seems all will be well as long as she holds on to his card, he keeps getting his SSI, and the woman he brought home doesn't OD or anything like that. She's currently trying to not use any meth this morning although I know she did some earlier. I gave her some Naproxen Sodium and I hope that helps her, she's twisting around and sweating and talking to herself but she's lucid and cognizant enough, not tweaking or anything. God this is depressing from their point of view.
Mike is a mess. He's not giving one shit about his own body or life. All he cares about is getting to his job. He smokes pot, does meth, sleeps, works. Eats whatever comes across his path when he's hungry. Drinks Pepsi all day long in order to work. Has drugs in his car... antidepressants he doesn't take, and some pain pills for nerve damage. I saw him pop one before he went in to court. I do not know how he managed to stay awake through the lawyer session. the man's body has got to be in turmoil. I don't think he ever drinks a drop of water or eats any vegetables that do not come on a burger. A 3 day old burger that has been sitting in the fridge. UGH
The guy nods off in front of the TV watching videos on his phone. Then sleeps with his hands down his pants a-la Al Bundy. But he's been nothing but decent, nice, and caring to me. I'm learning so much, to be honest, about life on the streets as a criminal trying to work. Mike is in the enclave called "Alternative Sentencing" in which they keep you in jail and get the monies from you for fines, fees, court costs etc, AND they get the money from the for-profit prison system, because you take up a bed and eat their food. THEN they allow you to go to work so you still make money to be taxed and you still get to pay rent on the place you can't sleep at or go to. I saw a paper with a list of his fines for yesterday and it was like 14,000 dollars. Plus he has to pay his probation officer 40 bucks each time they meet? FOR WHAT??? That's two bags of basic groceries. BASIC. Mike shows no indication of ever changing, and his body isn't going to be able to keep this work up for long. He'll be on full disability soon, and will probably perish in an apartment fire since the cigarettes he smokes often can be found half burned on the floor or table then next morning. I don't care enough about this shitty life to worry about burning to death in my sleep, to be honest. If that is how it goes down , so be it.
I just want to get my shit together, get my brain working well enough for school, my body in shape, and get out of this state. It's so fucking hot right now that nothing can really be done. September has turned into HELL MONTH. JFC this summer just got brootal.
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