I said that I was leaving town for a funeral, but I lied. Nobody close to me died yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that. But it’s easy to say that somebody died. People get visibly uncomfortable. They clam up and offer condolences, and then pretend that you didn’t mention it at all. They don’t ask any more questions. I always get this way in the days leading up to November. Every year, things start to fray. Getting out of bed becomes an accomplishment for a little while. This y...