My esteemed employer has been running an essay contest of sorts on the website. New Mexicans are invited to e-mail a twenty-five word discription of our culture. This morning, local talk radio maven Larry Ahrens forwarded the "You Can Tell You're a New Mexican When..." e-mail that my dad and I bounce back and forth a couple of times a year.

I thought I'd post a few of my not-so-facetious favorites.

• You hated Texans until the Californians moved in.
• You price-shop for tortillas.
• You have an extra freezer just for green chile.
• You're relieved when the pavement ends because the dirt road has fewer pot-holes.
• Tumbleweeds and various cacti in your yard are not weeds. They are your lawn.You have been told by at least one out-of-state vendor that they are going to charge you extra for "international" shipping.

There should be a Harriet update later today, and Dark Avengering later in the week.