This year Brian sent people lobsters to arrive Christmas Eve. This became a problem when his dad fell on the eve eve and went to the hospital. His mom, were she at home to receive the lobsters, would not want to deal with them alone so Brian spent some time on the phone managing the whole matter. Just as he finished getting all the Maryland people and crustaceans settled, a couple of lobsters showed up at our front door as well. They were bigger than any pot I own, so we had to trudge through the drizzle to find a neighbor who would lend us a pot. It all worked out in the end.

Christmas morning was books and toys and socks so that was all very pleasant. Then we played with our stuff, Brian made dinner, we all watched Pirates of the Caribbean interrupted several times by long holiday telephone calls (don't these people have pirate movies?) and then everyone else went to bed. I did enjoy not traveling, but it was unfun having Jennifer and Christopher somewhere else all day.