It's a holly jolly (icy) work day.

I don't recall when the last time was I had to work on December 24th.  I might have to dip back to 2001 for that, but even then I'm not totally certain if I worked that day or not.  Even if I did, it now seems like a lifetime ago.  I work for a school but only faculty and students are off for the winter break; staff has to be here... so here I be.

It's so icy out that it probably would have behooved me to put on ice skates to get to my car this morning.  Instead, me and my Anne Klein loafers just schlepped and slid our way out.  Two of the school's campuses have delayed openings due to the ice today, but not the one I'm at today.  Joy to my world.  Now I know what you're thinking: "But don't penguins love ice?"  Mais oui, but this one also prefers to not crack her ass on the ice.

But I've been cranky enough about having to work today and just need to drop it.  I am thankful to just have a job, even if it is making me work December 24 - oh, and did I mention I have to work a full day on December 26?  Okay, no really, I'll stop complaining (for) now.  I do get out early today (3pm) so I can spend extra time at home with my family, including my brother who flew in from Florida last night (where he's in his last year of law school) and my sister and her husband and son, my absolute favorite child in the whole world.  Sometimes I feel guilty calling my nephew the love of my life because, well, he's not my son and I also have a husband . . . but my nephew is just so darn cute; I can't get enough of him.  This is his first Christmas and while I'm not a big fan of training future consumers, I am looking forward to watching him tear open presents and then, inevitably, enjoy the boxes more than the toys themselves.  (Hm, perhaps we are all anti-consumer at heart since we all seem to enjoy the vessels more than the products when we are young?)

After dinner we're going to church.  After attending the same church for 25 years, you'd think I'd know what time the service starts, but I can never remember (it's some time around 10:30pm).  I just always remember that we get out at midnight so it's "officially" Christmas when we go home.  Organized religion and faith are not things I find myself needing as regular parts of my life, but I do appreciate what they do for some people (my parents, in particular) and I enjoy the traditions and pageantry (although Lutherans are relatively low on pageantry).  For Christmas Eve, though, there are lots of extra candles and all the best hymns; it's a wonderful service.

This is probably an odd time of year to start a new blog because it gets bogged (err, blogged?) down with things like what one does for the holidays.  I missed blogging through my engagement and wedding (I got married last month), through graduate school (just finished in May), my summer as a temp, the new jobs I started in September, and so much else that will all be revealed in time.  I'm also going to start a 101 in 1001 list.  Stay tuned.

For now I'm going to continue sipping my french vanilla coffee until it's finished and get crackin' on some work so as to actually earn my paycheck today.  But first, a little holiday gift to my non-existent readers: a sneak peek of what I'm sure will be a topic to come - my wedding.

Photo credit: Kella MacPhee