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As someone who quit eating meat a few years ago, if you are going to start incorporating more legumes into your diet, do it slowly to gauge your tolerance. Don't just jump into it. And Beano is your friend.

It's hard not flashing back to the Trees. But I'm loving the big lead.

I know we were supposed to have a good year this year with our returning production, but our OLine was suspect last year, and again a weak point this year. With the incoming OLine transfers and Moore, as well as a new DC, and what feels like a complete reloading across the entire roster with veteran production (yes, as DCWilson points out, a lot isn't from the P4 though, but graded pretty high regardless), I'm starting to feel like we might be able to have a much better year than expected next year.

Yes!. The research on nutrition and exercise has exploded in the past couple years. The things I wish we knew when I was in school...

I just got a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) today My health insurance pays 100% (I'm lucky). So, I'll start posting some things as I experiment with how various foods impact MY blood sugar. Your impact will vary as everyone is different.

As a way to open things up, I will disclose that 2 years ago I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic. 7.3 A1C.
6 month checkup non-medicated A1C was 5.2. I control it with diet and exercise.
I know I am not the only one here with this circumstance. I am willing to open up publicly and privately to help anyone here.

I have learned much in the past couple years and can provide sources of information and a layman's opinion.
In the past I was an athlete as a rugby player and then body builder. An injury stopped this abruptly and any sport became impossible for over a decade.

You can imagine the rest.
Groups like this are great support.
Chime in.

We went to the Big Island 2 years ago. It was all awesome, but there were things that really stood out. The night dive with the giant sting rays is mind blowing. Seeing the Milky Way from the top of Mauna Kea has to be seen to believe. Too vast for photos. Looking into the rim of Kilauea at night and seeing the glowing lava slowing moving in a spiderweb of streams. I know you can't time the volcano, but if it is erupting, go. Also, I am afraid of heights, but have enjoyed the one helicopter tour I took elsewhere, but sat in back where it feels more car like.

Kind of a reverse Gunner Givens situation...I believe the ratings' sites actually ranked him higher as an athlete but dropped when he openly stated he only wanted to play WR.

I'm with French, a clear candidate to switch sides (or leave via transfer portal) if he can't get through a deep WR room.

Cal is ice cold. Hope it lasts

So far so good. But ive seen this movie before......

Let's keep it up!

Is WR the new RB for this staff? I'm glad we have a lot of talented WR's, but they can't all play, and it seems like this staff would like to run the ball more anyways.

Hey! I live in Columbia, SC and have family down in Charleston, SC so I can definitely help with the Columbia, USCe and surrounding areas questions and provide some general tips on Charleston as well and then point to more specifics.

So, Charleston first - there is amazing food across the spectrums of budget and origins. But, right off the rip. Please, don't go to Hyman's Seafood. It's a tourist flytrap and there's far better actual seafood to be had if that's of interest. Just let me know.

Here's a range of places in different areas. There's also a million more excellent spots of course so this is not an exclusive list by any means.

Maison (French / Bistro) with a solid steak frites as well as a selection of seafood items on the small menu that will change seasonally. https://maisoncharleston.com

Wild Olive (Italian) out on John's Island which is away from the absolute crush of people down in the peninsula area of Charleston if you need a break from all that. Many options. https://www.wildolive.com

Obstinate Daughter (Italian but less formal), on Sullivans Island which is also laid back but very much on the beach. Same folks as Wild Olive but with more of a seafood and pizza focus. They *just* had a fire there a few days ago and so the restaurant is closed now but will hopefully be back up and running by Easter. https://www.theobstinatedaughter.com

FIG (French / Fresh and Hyper Local Seasonal) - FIG is in the middle of the peninsula, just a block or so away from the Market. It's famous. Everyone knows it. It's also very good, and everyone knows that as well. Get a reservation for sure. Menu varies daily based on what is seasonally available. It's a Charleston staple. https://eatatfig.com

The Glass Onion (Southern, Meat & 3, comfort food) - This is in Avondale, across the Ashley River from the peninsula. Avondale is a trendy neighborhood that's a little more relaxed than downtown but still very cool. https://www.ilovetheglassonion.com

Swig & Swine (BBQ) - Multiple locations, there's one in Avondale near The Glass Onion that's burned down before, which is my personal metric for a real BBQ place. https://swigandswinebbq.com

Stuff to Do...

You've hit on the Market and Fort Sumter. There's also an excellent aquarium, especially good if the weather is bad one day. High Battery Park, on the tip of the peninsula is a beautiful spot to walk around. Around the corner from the park are some of the various historic homes that make up "Rainbow Row" on East Battery which turns into Easy Bay streets, right on the water. There's good views of the Ravenel Bridge from a number of rooftop bars. The Pavilion being a large one.

King Street is full of shopping, though the incredible growth in Charleston and the skyrocketing rents are pushing things towards national brands and franchises more and more so there's not as much uniquely SC stuff here as there used to be.

Queen Street has a number of excellent restaurants (Husk, not mentioned above but excellent is here, along with many other amazing places).

There are a number of ghost and graveyard tours that can be done at night which might be fun. The weather will be very pleasant around Easter even at night.

Patriot's Point, on the other side of the Ravenel, has a naval and maritime museum featuring the USS Yorktown and a number of other ships. Probably a hard sell for the wife and kid but if they go shopping and you need something to do for a couple of hours this is an option.

You can also make a stop at Red's Ice House while you're on that side of the bridge, on Shem's Creek. Buckets of beers and seafood on offer, right on the creek where many working boats come in. Very cool place. https://www.redsicehouse.com

The Angel Oak is another popular park. https://www.charleston-sc.gov/153/Angel-Oak

There are also plantation museums that you can visit in many areas.

So - colleges in South Carolina.

I live in Columbia, and have called it home for going on 25 years now after graduating from Tech. People give Columbia a hard time because it's not Charleston but it has its own thriving restaurant scene, lots of recreation opportunities with nearby rivers and a large lake. USCe is an urban campus. There is an old historic core to the university around its horseshoe quad and then newer buildings are scattered all over downtown. Columbia isn't really a big city but if she's wanting a more centralized university experience that's something to be aware of. USCe has an incredible business school that a wealthy benefactor drizzles money on, so the marketing angle combined with some of the arts things that the honors college can offer might be of interest. The city and university have been undergoing something of a student housing boom, so there's good student life / residential stuff around for sure. The summers here are incredibly hot, the winters are mild with just a few weeks of winter.

Clemson is the land grant school, it's out in the country in the same way that Blacksburg is. In many ways Tech and Clemson have a lot of similarities, right down to having a corp of cadets (though the Clemson corps is only part time vs. the full time military school for the VTCC). There's a lake nearby, which is why some folks will call Clemson "Auburn with a lake." They also have a Dabo cult so do with that what you will. It's still hot there in the summer and mild in the winter but probably a bit cooler overall.

Clemson has the better engineering school.

USCe has the better everything else and is also home to the Law School.

Neither are trusted with the Med School which is in Charleston (MUSC).

Columbia is well connected both by direct flights into CAE, or in and out of nearby CLT just 90 miles away. Clemson is more remote, there's not a direct interstate that runs through anything closer than Greenville which is also a smaller market airport if that's consideration.

Hit me up if you want more specifics, especially when you are headed down to tour USCe.

(Also in South Carolina specifically it's USC and/or Carolina)

And we are talking someone who graduated in 2009? Because there were a few people who were convinced they were class of 08, despite it being a five year deal.

It's Kheavinne.