why am i whittling?

Because that's what you do in a town where a yellow light means slow down, not speed up.  

Ah, Kyle McLachlan, where have you been all my life?  I just watched the first episode of "Twin Peaks," which was super entertaining.  I highly recommend.  KM is an FBI agent who goes to a small town in the Pacific NW to solve a murder case, and is shown that the seemingly innocent town has a dark side to it.  I haven't stumbled upon any dark side in Gallup, but there's definitely a small-town vibe here.

This weekend I went out with my friends Brendan and Gil in Albuquerque, and we really messed up the place.  We went out dancing and good times were had by all.  I ate dinner at an area called Nob Hill, around UNM.  There's an area called "The Brick Light District," which is (I'm assuming), where potential reality-show contestants hang out.  I walked around a bit, then drove around a bit.  I haven't been here two weeks, and already I was really turned off by the congestion and noise of downtown Albuquerque, and the weird Manson Family vibe I got from the Brick Light District.  I really liked living in DC, but now that it's quiet all the time where I live, I've really come to enjoy it.  It's nice to be able to hear yourself think all the time, and it's so much less taxing to not have to block people out all the time.  

So I may not be whittling quite yet, but I've most certainly started slowing down for those yellow lights.