November has a way of making even an ordinary morning drive feel like a quiet conversation with yourself. The roads look different this time of year. The light arrives later. The trees stand half-dressed, some still holding gold and rust leaves, others already bare and honest against the sky. Even the neighborhoods seem to speak more softly. Fewer people stand outside. Fewer sprinklers tick across lawns. Fewer windows glow with the wide-open feeling of summer. On my drive to
