Mom's Birthday

Happy Birthday Demi!  Well.....almost.  There has to be a second around midnight, between February 28 and March 1, on the off Leap Years, where it is actually your birthday.

Sweet 16 Part Deux

Happy Birthday Coco!  The big 1-6!  Sweet 16.  Just in time for March Madness.  I took him first thing to the RMV down in Plymouth.  I had the application ready.  I had his birth certificate, passport and social security card.  We got there just as the doors opened at 8 AM.  We had to be 30-40 deep.  The line moved pretty quickly though.  We didn't have to wait too long.  Coco took his test.  One needs 18 of 25.  He sweat out a few but he passed.  He had a huge smile as we left the building.
     Coco could not wait to get home and drive.  He grabbed the keys and then me.  We headed out the door.  We stayed in the cul-de-sac here.  We did 3 laps or so.  He did well.  I only got minor whiplash.....jk.  He is off to a good start.

Banking

Caz got a much needed banking lesson today.  Today's lesson was the art of the ATM deposit.  It was a good choice of days, since it was a federal holiday.  Less chance of a line without the normal banking crowd.  Of course as luck would have it, we were third in line at the drive up ATM.
     I walked Caz thru the process from entering his card, to feeding his checks in.  It is much easier today, than even a few years ago.  There is no envelope, no totaling multiple checks or no deposit slips to fill out.  Feed checks and let the machine scan and do math.  Now, he should be good to do it all on his own.

Coco Training

Coco has decided to train himself this winter.  I think XC was a bit of a wake up call for him.  He didn't realize how much of a toll being away from an active lifestyle, his ailments have taken on him.  He thought he would pick up where he left off.  Not that he was ever a distance runner.  But I think he felt his natural athleticism would allow him to jump right back into the mix.  Coco got a bit of a rude awakening in the fall.
     Demi and I got a bit more gym and training equipment.  Demi had the boys clean out the XBOX room.  She set up a nice little training facility in there.  And so far Coco has used it.  I am not quite sure what he is doing.  I try to observe but don't want to spook him.  I think he is looking some techniques up on YouTube.  Or maybe his football buddies are sharing their workout regimes with him.  But he is doing something more often than not.  He is going in the right direction.

The Decision 2017

Well, Caz had that moment.  He knew from walking the campus that he belonged at Auburn.  Good for him.  The confirmation deposit is made.  Once that processes, we will do the housing application.  And deposit of course.  Nothing associated with college is free.  But he's happy.  We are happy.  I think going South makes more financial sense for us all.  It is a highly ranked engineering school.  He will be out of the New England winters.  He can eat his fill of Southern cuisine.  Win, Win.
     War Eagle!

War Eagle

Well, the trip to Auburn University is complete.  What a great trip.  I had some great bonding time with Caz.  Caz got a good look at his current number 1 choice.  We ate some great BBQ. Our travel was close to flawless.  OK, we had to wait 40 mins after landing to get a gate.
     Auburn was terrific.  We took the campus tour, which took us up to the Eagle's Nest, 12 stories up, where we could see the entire campus.  We took a out of the dorms in the Quad.  We hit the bookstore for some swag.  We walked over to Toomer's Corner to get lemonade (and an amazing grilled pimento cheese sandwich).  Caz took time to soak it all in.  He actually sat down on the bench by Samford Hall because he wanted to look around to see where he might be spending the next four years of his life.  I told him to sleep on it a couple of nights.  There was no rush to make a choice now.  We still had to hear from NC State, which was the wild card in all this.  But I also told him my story of visiting colleges.  I knew the moment I stepped on Colby's campus that I wanted to go there.  It happens like that sometimes.

Auburn, AL

Caz and I took off for a visit to see Auburn University today.  It was a pretty last minute trip.  We left for Logan airport, as soon as Caz walked in from school.  We didn't hit any traffic, which was a bonus.  We got dinner to bring on the plane in the airport.
     The plane took off and landed in Atlanta on time.  I had worn my Sam Adams shirt and Patriots hat.  I had the New England/Boston colors flying high, while strolling through Atlanta just before the Super Bowl.  I actually caught more flack for wearing my Sam shirt, than my Patriots hat.
     We picked up the rental car without an issue.  The drive was not bad at all.  It was a straight shot at 70 mph.  We gained an hour crossing over into the Central Time Zone.  The car ride was amusing.  Caz played DJ, while he gnawed on beef jerky.  He played a very interesting mix of tunes, Prince, MJ, Metallica, Kansas and Toto.  We had a nice chat on the ride.  He was excited to see Auburn.  He thanked me for booking the trip.  He was very sincere.  Hotel check-in was a breeze.  It actually didn't take long to settle down after traveling.  I was asleep in no time.