I usually try to wish everyone a Merry Christmas here on the actual day, but for some reason I never quite got here.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact I've been standing in the kitchen continuously since Friday night.

OK, that's not true, we did make the 2 hr. journey to my MIL's on Saturday for lunch, but Busy Girl and I had to come right back home after lunch because she (Busy Girl) had to work.

She worked, and I made the Christmas magic to prepare for the boys' arrival home.

Despite my solemn vows (made right about this time last year, in fact) that I'd never see the wee hours of Christmas morning again because we didn't get everything done ahead of time, I saw the wee hours of Christmas morning again because we didn't get everything done ahead of time.

Anyway, I cooked until my head fell off, and then we ate it.

The food, not my head.

Sadly, I am really sore today from all the standing. Indeed an attestation to my physical conditioning of late.

I didn't even bother all you guys about cooking beef tenderloin as usual (I can't ever remember what to do), but it would have been moot, as I think the oven is about to go to God.

It came out OK-ish, but other stuff either didn't cook right or burst into flame.

Oven diagnostics are on today's agenda so as to avoid the Great Appliance Failure of Year-End 2011.

Actually, catching up on some online stuff is on today's agenda because I have to go back to work tomorrow.

I didn't take much time off this holiday because I wasn't sure what the custom was at my new job.

In fact, they had to tell me today was a holiday.

Over the past few years, I've just been able to take whatever days off I wanted/needed, and didn't pay much attention to which day was the "official" holiday.

But, now I have to think, and I nearly made a big fool out of myself by going to work today, as this whole Christmas falling on a weekend thing is complicated at a hospital.

Santa was good to us, I was excited to get an iPad, so I will shut up about that, now.

It was probably our last large-ish purchase for the next 6 years or so because we'll have kids in college beginning in a few short months.

In fact, that may have been our last purchase ever now that I think about it while preparing FASFA forms.