I’m mostly settled back in after my Christmas trip to Omaha. I still have laundry to do and thank-yous to write, though.

Not one but two of my friends got me ultra-cool music - one bought Aphex Twin, the other Boards of Canada. My profuse thanks to both. Now if only my family was that good at listening to my dropped hints… Not that I did badly there, either - I got enough clothes to last for two more winters, and enough cash to pay for a big chunk of my new couch.

Seeing my family and friends all gathered together reminds me of what I’m missing out on the rest of the year. Sure, there’s e-mail and the phone, but that’s not the same. I hope I can meet friends of that caliber down here in Arizona, but I haven’t yet.