'Welsh solutions'
So yesterday, there we were waving farewell as the set off on their journey to discover whether we're ready for a referendum or not, let alone ready for gaining the powers in one fell swoop that would put us in something like Scotland's position.
Today it's back to the day job, back to the process of bidding for powers from Westminster, issue by issue, that will lead to those 'Welsh solutions' to 'Welsh problems' we've heard much about.
In other words Rhodri Morgan will this afternoon be announcing to the Assembly what the Labour Plaid coalition government's legislative plans are for the coming year. And yes, I know we've been billing it as the Assembly's equivalent of the Queen's Speech - but be warned. There'll be no pomp, no ceremony, no men in tights.
We are talking salami slicing of powers after all. It'll be more Black Pudding than Black Rod - more solid than showy.
How do they gain those new powers? To those of you unfamiliar with the wonderful world of Legislative Competence Orders or LCOs (pronounced by most of us a bit like Tesco's) it goes a bit like this:
The Government, an Assembly Member of any political hue, or even Jones Public has an idea. They put that idea to the rest of the Assembly and if they think it's a good one, it's drafted into an LCO - or a bid for competenc/power - and off it goes for scrutiny: scrutiny in Cardiff Bay, scrutiny by the Welsh Affairs Committee in Westminster. (Cue headlines about bubbling tension between the two institutions). The scope of the LCO is narrowed, or redrafted a bit. (Cue headlines about MPs cramping AMs' style). More scrutiny.
It's debated in both Houses, it gets Royal Assent and finally, after a longer time than most had anticipated, it gets one of these.
In last year's speech Rhodri Morgan set six LCOs on their way, requests for powers in the areas of child poverty and assisting vulnerable children; environmental protection and waste management; charges for home care and other non-residential social services; affordable housing; the Welsh language and powers to enable a substantial restructuring of the statementing system in special education.
Over twelve months, just two have made it through the political pipeline. So expect to hear this afternoon how the government intends to use its new powers to ensure charges for home care and the quality of care are rather more consistent across Wales, expect tackling child poverty and affordable housing to be at the top of the First MInister's agenda.
But will he start many more balls rolling? Will the coalition government set off more LCOs on that tortuous journey or will the emphasis this time round be rather more on using what they've already got? Wouldn't it make more sense to start using those powers to come up with the much anticipated Welsh measures, or laws - the first new made-in-Wales, for-Wales-only-laws, in around a thousand years?
After all, ask the devo-sceptics and newly coined devo-realists, can you really ask a Convention to ask a nation whether it wants more new powers, before you've truly shown it how you plan to use what you've just got your hands on?
Rhodri Morgan gave his only hint this morning on Radio Wales:
"We don't want to raise people's hopes too high that there is a legislative solution to every problem in society and the economy - there isn't ... People will always be frustrated but that doesn't really worry me because we are still in year one going into year two."
So was the government guilty of raising people's hopes too high last year?
If your old Mum is paying through the nose for homecare or you're desperate to ban plastic bags and you're still waiting for 'the Welsh solution' to your problem, you may well think so.
If you're a Conservative or Liberal Democrat AM, you almost certainly think so.
If you have an eye on yet more powers for the Welsh Assembly, then I suspect you'll simply have stood back and applauded their ambition.
I'm Betsan Powys, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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