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Last June, I wrote of finding my long-lost Friend, Guy. I ended that story with a play on the Disneyland ad campaign where they ask superstar athletes: "Hey -- insert superstar athlete name here -- now that you've won the championship, what are you going to do next?" and they answer "I'm going to disneyland!" I wrote "I'm going to Penzance," though, instead.

And I will . . . someday. I've never had any real desire to travel abroad before but now that I have someone to visit in the United Kingdom, I will find a way to get there. I turned, of course, to the internet to get an Idea of what it would cost.

After checking my financial condition, I came to the conclusion that I can't afford that trip at this time. It just would not be prudent to go without first ensuring that I have a job to come back to. I need what resources I have to get myself back into a career.

Although I can't make it to Penzance right now, I have decided to visit another friend who moved to Louisiana almost two years ago. He's been trying to get me down there ever since he left, and now I have the time, to do it.

At the beginning of this decade, when I first got this computer and before there was the internet, I used my modem to connect to local Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs). It was through a BBS called The Superboard that I met Audy, and we became fast friends. He only lived about five miles away from me, but if not for that electronic forum we would not likely have met. The Superboard was his creation and when he needed to find a new home for it I took it over for him and ran it for almost three years.

Audy and I explored the internet together, and it was through the internet that he met, Tabatha. She was living in Louisiana and I didn't think he would really do it when he first told me that he was going to move down there. They've been happily married for over a year now.

I've always wanted to travel by train but never did before, so I went to Amtrak's web-site to see where the nearest depot is, as well as to check on the price of a round-trip ticket to New Orleans. Unfortunately, I was unable to get the information I sought with LYNX, but I was able to get the number: 1-800-USA-RAIL.

The Amtrak representative who answered the phone was very helpful and not only did he tell me that the nearest depot was in Milwaukee, he also informed me that he could also set me up with tickets for a bus from here to there. By the time he was done, he had my whole trip planned for me. I received my tickets in the mail last Monday.

I'll be leaving Wednesday on a Lamer's bus to Milwaukee, where I will board a train to Chicago, and there I will hook up with an express train to New Orleans. I told him that I was blind and he assured me that there would be someone waiting for me in Milwaukee and Chicago to assist me. He also made sure that I would be seated adjacent to the restroom.

I will be there for a full seven days and then will make the same journey in reverse. Since I won't be here next weekend, I will not have a column for next week but I should have a good story upon my return.