Our youngest son, Coco, turns 21 today. A house full of legal age adult who can imbibe. That went by in the blink of an eye. Looking forward to having Coco home next weekend to celebrate in person. Glad Coco got to be with The Boys for his monumental birthday. Looks like they had a lot of fun.
Happy Birthday, Son. We love you.
Make good decisions :)
Caz's first car arrived today. The car he bought on his own. It was quite the lead up. He started while in Nashville celebrating New Years with E. He used Carvana which is such a Gen Z thing. Of course he kept getting stumped in the process and needed both help and information from Dad. Now. Needed help now. Funny how the communication and the attention increase when a child's interests are in play. That is an age old phenomenon. After the scramble to get the insurance square away, and a delay due to a snow storm, the car arrived today. A Toyota GT 86. I had no idea those existed until Caz picked it. But there you go. And now we have one happy camper.
First Christmas in Charleston for the Chins. It was a success and a memorable one. I am happy the four of us were able to be together. There was no way were going to leave Caz alone on Christmas Day.
It was certainly a different kind of Christmas. We didn't cook. We ordered BBQ. We feasted on brisket, smoked chicken and pulled pork, with mac & cheese, tater tots, baked beans and cornbread. There was an amazing pecan pie. A Southern classic for sure. There were also some seasonally appropriate dark beers too.
The video camera was running Christmas morning. The boys actually got up at a decent hour. Of course I had been up for hours but that is par for the course for me. I got in a few hours on the Christmas puzzle and watched Christmas Chronicles 2.
When the boys went back to bed to nap, Demi and I explored more of the area. We drove to Folly to see the Morris Lighthouse. What a view! The beach was cool. Driftwood lay strewn across it. Trees buried in the sand, stuck out willy nilly. It was warm and sunny. The wind blew a bit but what a nice day.
A great Christmas Day for the Chin.
Christmas Eve. All 4 Chins are together. Our first in Charleston. That we are together is what is important.
We kept Christmas Eve traditions alive. We ordered Chinese Food for dinner. We watched a Die Hard movie (finished the series actually). I read T'was the Night Before Christmas to the boys. Demi got an exact copy of the book we have in MA for this purpose. It was a very nice Christmas Eve.
I feel the same about the holiday as my father. As long as we are together, I am happy. Which is sort of bittersweet, since I am away from my father. He totally understands though.
Our family's first Thanksgiving in South Carolina. In many ways, it was very different. In many ways, it was very familiar. In the end, it was perfect.
It is hard being away from our families, both in MA and NY/NC. COVID sort of makes that inevitable that the bubble stays small. We figured we might still be with one or the other families. However, this is more like Thanksgiving 2019 in Alabama. The four of us were on our own, so that we could attend the iron bowl. We knew even back then, that Thanksgiving 2021 would be in South Carolina for the Palmetto Bowl. We just figured it would have been in COLA. Back then, we never dreamed we would have a second house, let alone in Charleston.
Demi created another Thanksgiving meal for the ages. She faced quite a few challenges. COVID made some food supplies scarce. Our new location meant some of our staples were not found here. Stuffing bread is not a thing here. Jones Sausage is not a thing here. I got to made a Southern side dish. I chose sweet potato casserole. I think it came out really well, if I do say so myself. I also made a rustic apple gallete. I am pretty proud of how that turned out too. The chocolate cake from scratch tasted very good. I really liked the frosting. However, it did not look aesthetically pleasing. The family didn't likely notice but of course the chef did.
Demi made her famous sausage stuffing, which was great. The turkey (which was a tough item to get) was perfect. She made our SIL's corn pudding. It would have made St. Louis proud. We ate like champs.
In the morning, I was able to at least stream the Duxbury/Marshfield football game. It was an excellent game. We started a family puzzle. We had a nice walk outside in shorts and t-shirts. We called our families. And the four of us spent quality time together.
Only a few months into Caz's first job and he marks a career milestone. The first project he worked on just went up for auction. It is a big moment for the young company for sure. It is for sure a huge moment for Caz. Christie's in NY is no joke. That is big time. He even made brief appearances in videos posted on social media. What a thrill for all of us. He can finally talk about the project in the open.
We had a great time setting up family viewings of the auction. A lot of the extended family were enthusiastic about watching. We streamed it on the big TV in the living room. It was lot #7, so we didn't have to wait long. The bidding was very exciting. The final sale was double what the expected sale price was. Time to celebrate for sure.
Fall break was back to normal this year. You know. Normal, like 1 BC - Before COVID. I feel with classes back in the classroom and Coco taking the shuttle back and forth to campus, he needed a break. It was very nice having the whole family together for a few days. Just the casual interactions are amusing to me. I like the time spent together. We had binge watching sessions, college football, cornhole and of course, plenty of food. We never starve when we are all together.
Isn't this what life is supposed to be? Surrounded by your loved ones. Making memories. It doesn't have to be an epic trip. You remember the feelings when you are all together. I know I will
It's Saturday in South Carolina!
First game back in a football stadium since the Iron Bowl. I admit. This seemed like a better idea in April when we were starting getting vaccinated and things seemed to be returning to normal. I bought season tickets to the Gamecocks football games. It was motivated by the Palmetto Bowl being held in COLA this year. The week of Thanksgiving should be really fun. The Gamecocks play Auburn at home (again - not sure how that schedule happened) the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The Chins will be in Charleston for Turkey Day, which will probably be BBQ day. Then the Saturday after Thanksgiving is the rivalry game for the Gamecocks!
This week though, it is the first home SEC game of the season for the Gamecocks. The Kentucky Wildcats are in town. It is a primetime match up on ESPN. Demi cooked all day Friday to provide food for the tailgate and for The Boys. Wings, chili, gyros, sandwiches and all the fixin's. Caz and I drove up with it all. We met Coco and The Boys at their apartment. Then we loaded up 2 vehicles for the State Fairgrounds parking. The Boys were very excited to have this old man at the tailgate. Or at least that is what they said. Kidding. We really did have fun. The game was very close and exciting as well. It was a very good day for the Chin Boys.
Caz completed his first week of work. His first job out of college. It wasn't the mechanical engineering role he pictured in his head. But it could lead to that. It allows him to apply a lot of what he was doing at Auburn. And he really likes the company.
Hearing your child gush about work it really an experience. I cannot even describe it. It makes me happy that he is so passionate about the job. This new start up company is giving him a lot of responsibility for not only a new employee, but a person fresh out of college. It sounds like they are also giving him guidance and support. That is heartening to hear as a parent.
This is such a great start for the recent graduate. It is fantastic that the job is here in Charleston. Sure. Technically, he is living at home. But he is saving money. He is not spending on rent or car at the moment. This will let him get on his feet and get established. What more can we ask for?
We seem to have weathered the worst of the storm. Coco and I both tested negative. Demi tested negative in MA. Caz is just bed sore from being restricted in his movement. The farthest he has traveled is next to his room, to the bathroom. He didn't really seem to mind but I am sure he was going stir crazy.
Finally, I had been able to grocery shop. I stocked up the supplies as best I could. i consulted Caz about what he might need after I left to return to MA.
I got to spend a lot of quality time with Coco. Some one on one time, is always appreciated. Coco was good about it too. He was willing and got into the spirit of Father/Son bonding time. Yes, we spent quite a bit of it watching movies or general TV. However, we had a lot of healthy dialogue too. We reminisced over highlights and tributes centered on Bobby Bowden. Coco is an avid student of history in general, but particularly sports history. We discussed current events. And we watched some quality entertainment. I furthered his important (pop) cultural literacy by watching Midnight Run. What a classic movie.
We all made the best of the circumstances. And we realized how lucky we are. We are still more fortunate that a lot of people during these times. It is not lost on any of us.
Today was supposed to be Day One of boys week in Charleston. It was over before it began. I was just logging into work, when Caz came down to the kitchen. I thought he was up earlier than normal. He said he didn't feel great and his ear hurt. Being prone to ear infections, he decided, on his own, to go to Urgent Care to be checked out.
About an hour and a half after Caz left, he called. He called from the parking lot. He tested negative for strep. His ear didn't appear infected. The other shoe dropped. He tested positive for COVID.
That information took a moment to process in my brain. That process felt longer, than it lasted. Caz is smart. He called from the parking lot on purpose. We made a plan. I clean and disinfected the house. He came in wearing a mask. He went to a dedicated bedroom. I had created a dedicated bathroom for him. I informed Coco what was going on. We all hunkered down for the long haul of isolation and quarrantine.
The boys are back home. In their new home, here in SC. This will be our first extended time as a family, in the good weather, here on Johns Island. Caz drove from Auburn to USC. Coco took over from USC to Johns Island. They stayed ahead of the really bad weather. Their little break for pulled pork sandwiches cost them though. Coco took the brunt of it. He had to drive in the torrential downpour. At least the thunder and lightning held off.
Demi and I are happy to have them here. We miss them. We had a lot of things we want to share with them in this area. It will be fun to explore through their eyes.
Great weekend! Demi got a semblance of her family holiday weekend. Coco and some of his crew came to visit for the weekend. It was really nice having them here. Demi didn't get to host like she likes due to her injured wing. But she was excited and made the most of it.
Only a couple of weeks removed from shoulder surgery, I didn't even want to offer to cook, knowing Demi would still try to help and would over do it on her shoulder. I convinced her to order dinner. After doing some research, she found the jackpot. Six pounds of pulled pork, double mac & cheese, double tater tots, cornbread and two BBQ sauces. Not a veggie in site. Perfect college kid food.
The boys arrived Friday night, right after the Final Four tip-off. We got pizza and wings. The game was exciting. It went right down to the last shot. It was an sad outcome for the Gamecocks but what a game.
Demi got time with one of her sons. Coco's friends are fine young gentlemen. Both our sons continue to surround themselves with good people. It is so nice to see. That was the real purpose of the weekend. Spend time with our son and the people close to him.
Coco and Caz barely adjusted to downsizing and to moving out of the childhood home, when more home change came about. Demi and relocated last fall to the Charleston, SC area, specifically James Island. Two cars were loaded up. We drove from MA and headed south. We stopped for the night in NC. The next day we headed off to Columbia, SC. We toured around Coco's new off campus apartment complex. Then we unloaded Coco's items into storage and sent Caz on his way to Auburn.
It was quite an adventure on the way. The boys had decided to drive together. Their idea, not ours. Coco drew the short straw, driving the shift which took us over the GW. Even during a pandemic, the GW is terrible to cross. They helped each other though. Caz kept us in sight, spotted for Coco, and provided direction. Coco white knuckled it the whole time. He was a sweaty mess when he got out. Caz went next and shortly after getting on the Jersey turnpike, the skies opened up. He had never driven in a deluge like this. That is when I notice the turtle shell carrier on top had popped open in the front. Of course. Right when it poured rain. We had to wait a while but finally found an exit to pull off. Keep that in mind for day two.
Shortly after leaving South of the Border, Caz and I pulled out into the left lane on the highway. Coco called because Demi was driving. Caz picked up the phone since I was driving the other car. Caz said we might have a problem with the roof rack, then immediately shouted we needed to pull over immediately. I had to cut off a big rig to do it but managed. There was no real emergency lane so I was off in the grass. The roof rack was open but somehow nothing was lost. We had enough room to cram in the items from the roof into the car. I closed up the shell as best I could. That went into the storage unit in Columbia until we were able to dump it.
After we split up in Columbia, Coco, Demi and I headed to James Island.
