Back On The Rocks! Be There!

In less than a month, my heart, mind and soul will be on something other than soccer, Los Angeles, California, AFL, NRL, Vine banter, tumblr postings, and America in general. The details are still being flushed out, but in less than three weeks, I leave for Canada. I am heading to Vancouver to spend a few days, take plenty of photos, take plenty of action shots, and celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving, which doubles as Columbus Day in the United States. More on that in a bit.

Spring will turn to summer in Australia, but first, the winter will have to end and right now, it is, with a focus on cricket, basketball, and soccer. Teams in the A-Leeague and W-League are reloading and refreshing and in some special cases, resetting. The AFL and NRL seasons are concluding and there is a chance that the NRL's premier will be from Victoria and the AFL's premier will be from New South Wales.

I think to myself, as my updated iPad belts out an Atlas Genius ballad: can Greater Western Sydney win two more games and live up to the words of its bold fight song that go, "You feel the ground a-shaking, the other teams are quaking in their boots before the Giants!" Already their reserve team have won the North East Australian Football League flag, their first-ever piece of palmares. (Yes, I am using the French term for honors.) Maybe a flag double is in the offing. Of course, if Hawthorn FC defeat the Western Bulldogs, it's a matter of "take your pick."

I don't have too much motivation to make a sequel to "Butterflies and Dragons." I enjoyed the journey, I enjoyed writing the story, but I don't feel obliged to write a follow-up yet. I have a Gochiusa vignette that is being drafted, which will parallel with my escapades in Vancouver. If I can surmise something of note, I might decide to make this last a few chapters, maybe 10-20.

Having a strong period of rest is going to be necessary for me to keep my mind in check, keep my mind in focus. My mom bought a new luggage case for me, and I will be bringing it to go with my new knapsack and my Anime Expo 10 Years bag, to show that I am an anime fan heading into Vancouver. All that is really needed is for my sister to provide me with the cash needed for lodging and for any food or souvenir expenses.

I can't wait to post the album of my trip to Canada, and I plan to use up as much camera space to provide everyone with my journey. Hopefully no snags take place on the trip, and I am able to enjoy the journey without any problems. Because of this, my Bold Predictions for the Ruby Period may be impacted, and no voting will be taking place for a good deal of the matches. However, I will be posted recaps of all the action that took place in the rounds I didn't get to vote on here on The Bedlam on Baltic Avenue. Look forward to it!

In The End, I'm Taking The Train Because My Lady Won't Let Me Greyhound.

I had to listen to Akatsuki. I was a fool to think I could get away with riding the Greyhound to head to Canada without having a ride from hell. In a vision, so the story goes, Lady Akatsuki, in her experience, unbeatable state with a conduct worthy of a heavy cruiser or battleship, told me this, and I quote...

"You need to back my sister ship Inazuma. She'll take you there. She's done it before. As a train called the Coast Starlight, she can take you to Seattle and let her sister Ikazuchi carry you the rest of the way to Vancouver as a bus. Going Greyhound," she says, "is wasted money and is a ride for fools and plebs who steal a living being talentless autistes on the lam. Besides, you always wanted a peachful ride, right? Destiny awaits you at Union Station. I know this for a fact. If you choose to be stubborn, I have an anchor that I can put to use on someone other than...you know who.


"Commander! I'm making you take the train, and you'll love me for it so much that you'll never want to let me down ever again...in fact, when you come home fully refreshed, you'll let me do whatever I want with you so you can enjoy my company more!!! And...I'll even let you pat my head. Ufufu..."

That's what she told me in my vision. The sweetener at the end closed the deal, big. And the person she referred to, if you already figured, is her ladyfriend Hibiki, or Verniy. A bilingual phoenix that plays the foil, the fool, the uke...I had to change my choice once the funds were available. I leave on Oct. 5, return on Oct. 11, four nights of lodging, and now, an itinerary to build.

I never wanted to do Greyhound, anyway. What the hell was I thinking, brushing with the possibility of taking the hound to Vancouver and back? What's up with that? Actaully, the Amtrak Thruway Coach is all the Greyhound I really need. And I have never ridden Coast Starlight, ever. This train is too important and is akin to melting all over Inazuma as an admiral in KanColler. I need a long-distance train ride in my life so that I can realize how important America and Canada are to me. I want to melt all over the amazing scenery and slices of life.

So I am extremely pleased that I made the right choice and reserved the train. It is my hope that I can muster enough money from my work to cover for lodging, foot, and visiting a few other towns, like, perhaps, Nanaimo. Something like that.

Thus, to Lady Akatsuki, I offer you my thanks for pointing me in the right direction. In the end, Amtrak was what I always wanted to use. Richie Havens was right all along: "There's something about a train that's magic. All Aboard America. All Aboard Amtrak." And Akatsuki simply is unbeatable.