After Christmas shopping is one of those American traditions that has always felt a little uncomfortable to me. It seems a little perverse to go out and hit the stores after receiving a bunch of stuff from family and friends. And yet I was out there with the rest of the throng, wielding a gift certificate and looking for the cool stuff that I didn’t get in my stocking. Here’s one of the faces in the crowd at Best Buy in San Carlos. Just before closing, this employee seemed to be lost in his thoughts, at least for a moment. I think it had been a really long day.

8-Rock