Dear Sydney,

I understand that everybody’s got problems. I mean, I’ve got plenty although I don’t blab about ‘em. But you’re too good for this, baby. You got a good spirit. You gotta let it shine. Racism makes things weird for everybody; I know, I’m an American. We really like thinking about race. We invented the eugenics movement. We taught Physiognomy in school for chrissakes. And we’ve had our own share of forty-acres-and-a-mule type hypocrisy in the past. We’ve tried hard to make it not important. And we fail sometimes, too. But please—overcome all of that. Get it out of your system, at least before I arrive. Please?

Carpe Diem

I have to decide soon. I need to either leave on January 23rd, in time for Australia day on the 26th, or just settle for leaving later. Perhaps I’ve unduly loaded sentiment onto the date. I feel as if it’s very much a Fourth of July celebration, but like the Fourth of July if it fell on opposites day. Hence, January. And driving on the left. And that whole “southern” hemisphere deal. Hell, they probably butter their toast on the wrong side too. Why am I going, again?

Regardless—I need to decide. Visas take time. And I was leaning toward the “safer” route. That is, booking my flight with enough time that so when I get there my visa will have been actually approved. Which I guess is… ok (if you don’t mind the use of future perfect progressive tense). Then someone gave me this little elixir. I drank a bit, and noticed something. Look closer:

…you see that? You see that date? Best before January 26th, baby! Normally I wouldn’t put so much importance on an incidental occurence, an auspicious pairing of cicrumstances, a “coincide-ence” if you will—but come on, the name of the drink is “Carpe Diem“. Now try to tell me that’s not a direct order from beyond beyond. Try.