Drew,
Glad to hear the talk went well. Based on your posts and the situation it didn't sound like it would go quite so nicely. Sounds like you have a much better relationship with your mum than her particular actions in this situation would lead us to believe. Good for you.
I have a tendency to want to fill up a few clips and walk in blasting. Knowing this never helped until I realized I didn't HAVE to go right in and deal with the problem instantly. It's also helped to marry a woman who has this exact same flaw and have her ask me for help in dealing with people. It doesn't SEEM like it would help, but lots of times, while I'm talking with her, I realize a situation where I've done the exact same thing, or done something that most certainly DIDN'T work.
If I'd have called her or went over there that night, it most certainly WOULDN'T have turned out as positively as it did.

As it is, venting my spleen to you guys probably helped get a lot of it out too.
I think you guys are the best therapy group in the universe. Except for Zakk. He sucks, and not because he's Canadian. That's why I ruined his Cancun trip

He'll learn. Oh, will he learn!