I’M BACK. We had a nice trip to Gatlinburg in the Smokies, visited the Ripley’s Aquarium (which to my surprise is astoundingly good — with its plexiglas tunnels through shark-and-ray-filled tanks, it’s as close to scuba diving as you’ll get on dry land). Then a drive home via Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood, the Elvis Museum, and the NASCAR Speedpark. Now that’s America.

Naturally, there’s lots of email awaiting me, and if you’ve sent me anything important, well, it may be awhile until I get to it.