I am the cheese

... in the sense that right now, I stand alone as the only member of Outside Context not getting jiggy in the Bay Area right now.

I spent my Christmas in Texas, where I got to bask in 80-degree temperatures and marvel at the number of signs people put in their yards that say "Merry Texmas, Ya'll." You'd think in a state so full of religious conservatives, converting "Christmas" to "Texmas" would be considered sacrilege. But apparently faith flies out the window when red-staters evaluate plywood yard cutouts. Tastefulness as well.

My biggest gift was a new mobile phone - a Motorola Razr. I've been playing with it nonstop since I got it. I'll want to take pictures of all of you - that way when you call me, your face will appear on the phone. God help me if I turn into a cell phone person like Evan. Still, it's nice to have a flip phone that doesn't accidentally call people when I sit down on it.