Sunset photos are overrated. But the drive north was unreasonably stunning, to the point of being hazardous. That said, if the driver of a blue Mazda headed north on I90 at about 6pm happens to be reading this, I apologize for putting you into undue peril. Unless you deserved it. In which case, I got the photo I wanted, and you had it coming anyway.

I’m home, anyway. Sort of. Back in Rhinelander. My home is currently in Germany, but my job is here, and I just realized that those are horrible priorities but that’s generally how America gets by so I expect I’ll live.

Notes from the trip: raced a semi out of downtown Chicago at about 15mph. (I won, by a good yard or so.) Encountered a military convoy around nine, slowed back down to the speed limit. I doubt that the army cares much how fast I’m driving, but I think they have guns.

I also think the state trooper on highway 51 had a gun, but it was too dark to tell for sure. It’s irregular for a trooper to pull over someone going anything less than 10mph over, but the missing headlamp probably had something to do with it.

My sister’s voice is all but dead. She blames an alleged sinus infection. This is impeccable timing for scholarship night (graduates of Rhinelander High will remember this particular tribulation), and only slightly less so for the flight to Berlin on Tuesday.

Tuesday. We’re going home. It’s been far too long, and no matter how many times you see them online, it’s still going to be weird when Little Brother is taller than Mom.

We’ll be there soon. Can’t wait.