Jidu and Cici’s House

Several years ago, my dad the unthinkable and sold his house on Jupiter Island. The property was one of the few on the island on both the Atlantic and Intracoastal Waterway. In other words, long walks on the beach combined with convenient portage for his sportfisherman. It was a quiet stretch of the island — and the waterway — just north of the Palm Beach-Martin county line, a short 10 to 15 minute motor to the Jupiter Inlet and open ocean.

Presumably, the opportunity to pocket a couple mil was too good to pass up. Though it seems hard to believe his new house came at a considerable cost savings when compared to the old. Like the old house, it too is on the Intracoastal. Like the old house, he designed and built the old house himself. Though the new house lacks the architectural statement of the old house, in my opinion. Or maybe that’s just nostalgia talking. Elise and I held our wedding reception in the front yard of the old house, not the new one.

The new house is equally enormous, but somehow is smaller, I am told. The new house is directly on the Jupiter Inlet, seconds from the Atlantic and open ocean    and on an extremely busy part of the waterway. Boats go in and out all day long, fishermen park right off his dock in search of snook, and the busy Dubois Park beach is directly across the water. For me, it is hard to believe he is happier in the new house than he was in the old, but that’s just my perspective. 

Needless to say, the kids love visiting Jidu and Cici and staying there. It’s a resort to them, and we can allow them to swim in the pool, hang out on the dock and sea wall, snorkel, and play with my dad’s dog Captain with minimal supervision.

Somehow, in a house this big, there is no guest room, but we were able to stay in one of the triplets’ rooms who was taking summer sessions and the accommodations were comfortable. The kids all piled up on inflatable mattresses and couch cushions in the upstairs TV room. 

The only drawback is the house is loud. The TV in the main living room is massive, curved like the windshield of the space shuttle or an airliner and always on, usually to sports. As late-July is a notoriously slow sports month this was more annoying than anything, especially when the kids get involved in watching a rerun of last year’s Penn State-Iowa football game. Though we enjoy an annual dose of American Ninja Warrior, somewhat of a tradition at this point. 

My dad and Carrie are thrilled to have the kids and it makes life away from home a little easier for Elise and I to have the kids occupied.