More lyrical titles, not having much to do with anything--although come next week, I will be much closer to the ocean. The Atlantic, this time--in lieu of going home for Thanksgiving week after next (as if it would ever be worth the 400 dollar tickets to be home only three days or so--I guess "in lieu of" is a rather inappropriate comment in this case, then) I'm going to Miami and Georgia next week, leaving Tuesday night.

Are you getting rich, Red? Going to tour these grounds you've never yet kicked? Hardly. I'm a dirty damned hippy through and through, and this trip, like the two anti-war DC ones, will be another sleepless journey of cramped cars and pickets.

Next week, you see, has both the protest against the creation of the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas--think NAFTA on steroids) in Miami, as the Eighth Ministerial meets over the 16th-20th, and the vigil at Ft. Benning in Georgia to bring attention to the actions of the School of the Americas. Some folks here started organizing groups to go down, and, although at first I was concerned about missing three days of classes, I quickly realized that hey--I can take the hit. And if I didn't go, knowing me, I'd kick my ass later. Yea, years out of Catholic school, and I'm still damn good at guilting myself.

I'm still a little anxious about it, to tell the truth. I know twenty-four hours in a car isn't going to be exactly pleasant, and neither is sleeping in church basements for the duration. Nor is class on Monday going to be a walk in the park--the exact quote about our return time was, I believe, "You'll be back here in time for your classes, don't worry about that. Just don't count on too much sleep."

But really, that's the stuff memories are made of, isn't it? I still occasionally stop and grin at the fact I actually survived those journeys to and from DC, sleepless, once in the only car that didn't break down on the way there...

Yea, it's going to be crazy. But it'll be good.

For more info on FTAA, go to Stop FTAA.org, and for the SOA to School of the Americas Watch.