I'm a very new reader - primarily because I started re-watching ST:TNG the other day and following the tor.com re-watch, and thus remembering how much I loved it (I grew up watching it). And I was therefore talking to a friend about it who is a long-term follower of yours, and she mentioned your "Memories of the Future", and so here I am... (I've also been trying to convince her to watch "Stand By Me", which I saw for the first time, on TV, in primary school and everyone was talking about it the next day.) Anyway, great story! Reminds me of one Bonfire Night (5th Nov) when one of the fireworks went off sideways instead of up and hit the wall right between two of the audience at about shoulder height... Close call! I'm certainly glad they're not illegal here, though. I love Guy Fawkes Night - fireworks for me will forever be associated with fallen leaves, the smell of damp earth in the dark, crisp cold air you can see your breath in, a huge crackling bonfire, and sparklers in gloved hands :). Quite different, I imagine, from the American associations with fireworks, which you have in the middle of the summer! Remember, remember, the 5th of November.

I feel your pain! Glasgow to Edinburgh and back every day (100 mile round trip) starting at 6am can also be soul crushing. It's mostly soul crushing coming home though - I leave that early for a reason! Sometimes it's traffic like you describe, mostly it's just generally slow with stupid drivers making it worse here and there. Getting up so early is the real killer though. But it won't be forever. It's a problem that has arisen from the irreconcilable issues of having a really good job elsewhere, but loving where we live.