Well, I just got finished making probably a gallon of chili, a half-gallon of refried beans, and a quart of hot sauce. It's all packed up and sitting in the fridge, along with two packages of tortillas and some cheese, waiting for my son to come and collect it. Oh, and there's a box of dishes, too.

It seems that the cabal has run out of food. Or at least it has dawned on them that now that they're paying rent, they really can't afford to eat at Applebee's every night, as they have been wont to do . . . Last night Charlie rolled in for a while, and as soon as he came through the door he said, "Give me groceries!" (He wasn't serious. He does that sort of pseudo-demanding from time to time - took me quite a while to realize that he really wasn't being importunate . . . ) For some reason, I was charmed by this. The boy has never asked for anything so remotely practical as groceries before. So I volunteered to cook a few things for him today so he could pick them up tonight after work. He seemed genuinely grateful. (I believe he's said "thank you" more times, and more sincerely, in the past month than in the past ten years of his life . . . I could get used to this! The boy could end up with a lot of food!)

The dishes part cracks me up, too - they seem to have moved in without a single one of them thinking about dishes. They have glasses and silverware, apparently, but nothing to use in the eventuality that they are not eating take-out food. Of course, having dishes raises the ugly spectre of washing them. Perhaps in a few days - oh, heck, let's get real: weeks - I'll invite him over to pick up some dish detergent . . .

In any event, I am getting a huge kick out of this phase of Charlie's life. It's funny to watch him striking out on his own, and realizing what living away from home really entails. His little stutter steps are revealing; I have no idea what these boys thought life was going to be like in that house, but I'm guessing they're in the process of revising their expectations . . . Dunno if he'll really stay gone after this six-month lease is up (and I kinda hope he doesn't, truth to tell), but if he returns to live with us, I have the feeling he will be a changed . . . er, man . . . Stay tuned.