The Parental Units - Andrea & Vernon - discuss the Empty Nest

In keeping with our new attitudes regarding this empty nest situation - which seems to be working out pretty well for all involved - we parents have relinquished much of the responsibility of the traditional holiday update. Since we're focused pretty selfishly on ourselves these days, we really aren't sure what the children are doing on a day to day basis.

Aside from the youngest going off to college, we've had another big change and that was our move last Christmas. Sold our long-time old house, packed up and bought and moved - all in less than 30 days. We love our new home and new neighborhood - across town on the Wando River side of Mount Pleasant. It's only 5 years old - so maybe not the history of the old house but it has novelties like insulation, level floors, and toilets that flush regularly.

We're staying extremely busy yet enjoying a much more relaxed routine. With CC in New York, Douglas living in downtown Charleston, and Rosena in Pittsburgh, we're pretty free to come and go as we please, stay up late, sleep late...you get the idea. We like it a lot but then we're fortunate to get to visit the kids when the urge hits and poor Doug bears the brunt of our most frequent intrusions since he's the closest.

We're on the periphery now and just enjoying the spectating - watched Rosena graduate Wando High School. Literally dropped her in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon where we were immediately dismissed. Watched CC enthusiastically soak up NYC and NYU. Watched Doug cheerfully and doggedly ramp up studying and DJ'ing and his Social Whirl at CofC.

Chased Carolina football from Atlanta to New York and back to Chapel Hill a lot. Lived it up. Hollered and cheered. Had big times at Carolina Inn, but that's a given. Still holding my breath about the NCAA football horror. Averted our eyes from Heel hoops...Yikes! Ugly! What's that about? Get me Central Casting and Quick!

In June to celebrate Rosena's high school graduation, the three of us set off on an adventure to Japan visiting Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto. Rosena, our Japanophile planned most of our itinerary and acted as tour guide and interpreter. The country was beautiful and the people fascinating and gracious. We all agree we would love to return and take the other two.

Our work's busy as ever. Vernon, having passed the 35 year milestone - spent the better part of November in Winston-Salem involved with a federal trial and helped gave it to Big Pharma(Novartis)to the tune of more than 12M punitive damages. Great effort, great trial team, great fun. We're going to try to do it again; several similar cases lined up. Fortunately with email, fax and cell phones, Renee and Andrea managed to keep the SC office humming. Doubtful that this pace will slow anytime soon.

Sadly lost old, dear friends. However we continue to make great new ones. Put down Old Faithful Chevy Suburban '01, 175K miles of memories...not because of age but due to big smack down as she hauled numerous COfC PiKA's and their lovely dates to their annual Mountain Weekend.

With Rosena gone, we got reacquainted with Lucky her Cat - she's not so bad after all. Actually took her off the Kitty Prozac. Kept up close and personal with Teddy and Dewey, the most charming(spoiled) and entertaining dogs ever!

As every year, we are so grateful for all of this. Carpe Diem!

CC's Year

I can't believe it's almost 2011, and that I'm 24 now. I feel like I'm getting old - but then again, I've always been sort of an old soul.

With only one class left next semester, I am rapidly finishing up graduate school at NYU in Global Journalism and French Studies. I spent my summer living in Paris while I took 2 courses in French studies and researched North African food in France. All that work called for a vacation from my vacation, so I then - with boyfriend, best friend and co-conspirator Elliott, traveled to the South of France, then French and Spanish Basque country, then a quick hit in Portugal before heading back for my second year in New York.

I've been quite busy during this beautiful New York fall - interning at France Today & France-Amerique magazines, www.francetoday.com. I'm also writing for the NYU/NYTimes blog called the Local East Village, http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/author/cc-glenn/. In the evenings I'm working at the James Beard House.
As this busy year is wrapping up, I am gearing up for another one. I'm off to France and Morocco for a month in January to delve into research and reporting for my thesis. Keep up with me while I'm there on my blog, at http://laviecc.blogspot.com/. When I return, I'll be hibernating with my loads of reporting in order to produce a thesis by May. And then who knows.......It's off to find a job I suppose, but who knows where.

I'm actually a little sad that it's all passed by so quickly. Although it has its difficulties, I'm learning to love New York City more and more each day - especially during December. I believe it actually is the most wonderful time of the year. I'm even beginning to think I don't want to leave just yet.

Rosena

Somehow, I managed to graduate from Wando this year. That's Daddy, my boyfriend Jaime, me and Mom afterwards.

After spending two weeks in Japan at the beginning of the summer, I spent my last few months in the South with my and Jaime's family. Then, in August, off to Pittsburgh to begin life as a Carnegie Mellon student. Though it's also known as a fine Fine Arts school, make no mistake - I don't understand art. I'm there for Computer Science, and learning how to answer questions like "For all natural numbers n, does 3 divide n³-1?" (Yes, it does, and I can prove it).

Somehow I managed to survive my first semester's classes, alongside living along art majors and my first time being around snow for more than a few hours. It turns out I really like Pittsburgh, despite the biting cold. Among other fun classes I took Matrix Algebra, Principles of Imperative Computation,and Concepts of Mathematics. Then again, I can't NOT love a city whose economy is partially based off of robotics. Of course, Jaime is a sophomore at CMU so that's pretty helpful too. Jaime and I joined ZIP car and drove from Pittsburgh to Washington for the Jon Stewart "Rally to Restore Sanity".

Oh, this is Daddy and me at Jaime's sister Mandy's wedding in Savannah.








Please, check out CMU college life at my blog - Hyper Nerdy Veganism http://cmuvegan.blogspot.com/2010/11/veganmofo-day-1-college-vegan.html

Douglas

Boy, did this year speed by or what? Between school, extra-curricular "activities", and NUMEROUS important social obligations, 2011 crept up on me. 2010 started off on a big note when I had the pleasure of attending the CofC - UNC game with my parents and witnessed my Cougars whoop up on the Tarheels! A joyous occasion for my mom and me.

This past semester at CofC entailed the toughest class schedule I've ever undertaken. I'm focused on political science and foreign policy with a little PR thrown in, which provided me with more insight into the world and these interesting times than I ever thought possible.

Took some fun excursions to DC and Chapel Hill this fall and to the N.Georgia mountains with fraternity brothers. CofC is great - if anyone's daughter is ever looking at the campus, call me and I'll give a personal tour.(Just kidding)

That's me above at the Carolina Cup this spring in Camden and above with my mom at the UNC - NC State game in Chapel Hill. Tuesdays at 6pm you can hear my radio show at www.CofCRadio.com so check me out.

A Toast to 2011

From all of us Glenns, all over the place!

CC, Douglas, Rosena, Andrea And Vernon

Have a Happy New Year!