I meet for lunch monthly with one of the top human resources executives in Colordo. We're cordial friends, and often exchange small gifts: a magazine article, CD, or a book.

Austin has far-out literary tastes, and at Christmas I wasn't sure what to get him. I settled on a gift card from Barnes & Noble, and wrote this inside a Christmas card, which said: "Let us join in the promise of peace on earth, goodwill to all."