The Houghs: 2020

Seriously.

Holy f***ing shit that was a horrible, horrible year.

Nobody is going to miss 2020.

But at least it's over now, right? All the horribleness is behind us? Covid-19, war, famine, Trump, etc. is all behind us, and it's smooth-sailing from this point forward?

Let's hope so, America.

As always, December was a whirlwind for the Houghs. I don't think there's another month that comes close to rivaling the speed in which this month flies by, mainly due to the Holiday gauntlet and all the social obligations that go along with it. Granted, we didn't have half of the usual obligations this December that we usually do - Orchestra concerts, church pageants, school plays, etc. - but we somehow stayed just as busy during this, the last month of the year.

Dogs and Advent Calendars. A nightly ritual.

And so, I'll leave you now with how we Houghs brought an end to what will probably go down in History as the worst year of the 21 Century (if we're lucky.)

Enjoy. . .

So this is, I think the only picture we took of our Elf on the Shelf this year (Rosie Peppermint.) Since Alayna had came out and publicly admitted she no longer believes in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, etc. (though we know she hasn't in years), she's been in charge of setting out the Elf on the Shelf for her sister. We know Abby no longer believes in it either, and hasn't for awhile, but because she hasn't publicly said so (yet), we're still having to go through this bullshit song-and-dance routine. Abby could care less, honestly - half of the time we forget to move the Elf and Abby doesn't even notice. I sincerely think this is the last year we'll be doing this nonsense.

Snugglin' up with some dogs on the couch while watching some evening TV. . .

I've been virtual teaching since our school district shut down in mid-November (oddly enough, on yet another Friday the 13th, just like back in March when we all went into Quarantine the first time.). While I've been away from my classroom, my district installed a fancy new Activision Smartboard in my room - state-of-the-art educational tech, folks. . . something I'll have to figure out when I return to the school next month (hopefully.)

Jammin' out on Granny's ol' piano one evening.

A very interesting stout, and very appropriate for the Holidays. (Creepy photo-bombing Elf not intentional.)

Found this at Aldi towards the beginning of the month. Kris was pissed seeing me bring this home, since she had already bought me a ten-pack of hot sauce for my stocking this year. She offered to return it and get something else, but I told her I wanted to keep both - I'm a big fan of spicing up food.

Hanging out at the Bos residence towards the beginning of the month, enjoying some food and drinks with our 'inner circle' of five families we've been limiting our exposure to. Here Mitch is putting the finishing touches on his patented jalapeno sushi rolls. . .

'Tis the Season

Kids hanging out in the living room, playing some cards

The Five Dads (minus Erik)

Towards the end of the evening, hanging out in Mitch's kitchen.

After coming home, we decided to throw on a Christmas movie and do the Advent calendar thing with the girls.

Samson will gnaw on a frickin' bone, folks.

Falling asleep on the couch to a Christmas movie. We do this, like, all the time. . .

Beware the wrath of Her Burgomeister (the fascist dictator who hates Christmas. . . and probably Jews.)

My roommates, dropping like flies. . .

This creepy old man is about to show that poor boy a bunch of the popsicles he keeps in his basement. . .

The next day, the girls each had social plans with their BFFs, Maddie and Ella. Kris took all the girls out to Five Below in order to pick out gifts for Charity (something we like to do with them every Holiday Season.)

Afterwards, we pawned the girls off on their friends' parents and Kris and I hit up My Secret Garden in Bay City - every mom's favorite store (definitely do not recommend it for dudes, though.) We were shopping for our three moms, and spent hours inside. Kris was having the time of her life, but that store could've used some more guy stuff in there, for sure.

I've been shackled to my computer for the last six weeks, thereabouts, and my class format for virtual teaching runs something like this: 5-10 minutes of attendance, getting things started, checking in with students, followed by 15 - 30 minutes of direct instruction, lecturing etc., followed by 60 - 80 minutes of independent student work time where I help kids and answer questions on a need basis. So during this independent student work time, if I'm not answering students questions, and have all my grading and lesson planning done, I'm just standing in front of my webcam like an idiot. So, I decided I'd work on a passive computer project during this time: the importation of all my old DV tapes from High School, College, the Peace Corps, and the early years of me and Kris' marriage. I bought a $90 digital converter that works on my existing computer setup, so all I have to do is mute my computer, plug in my old digital camcorder, run the program, and it digitally converts my old analog tapes to preserve them forever. Shown here is Smitty and Lloyd, from our infamous 2003 Spring Break trip down to Key West with the Sausage Pad.

It's gonna be a long-ass process, but God knows I have the time for it. . .

Kris and her work associates all went to the new art studio joint (I forget the name of the place) in town one day after work in order to create signs for their homes. Kris created a lacquered serving platter that doubles as a dining room sign. Whatever works.

Wouldn't really be the Holiday Season without cramming in Mickey's Christmas Carol, now would it. . .

Doing school work while snuggled up in what looks like a fisherman's nets.

(Fun fact: Yours Truly played Jacob Marley in a high school play once. I killed it.)

Following a sleepover with Sophie (the Larson kid), I decided to lecture the kids on something historical while they ate pancakes. Kris felt this was picture-worthy.

This has been a nice variety pack to have on hand lately - breaks up the monotony of beer, Christmas cocktails, and Chardonnay.

This one right here? This is a phenomenal Christmas beer. Southern Tier makes some of my all-time favorite stouts, hands down.

Alayna assembles a pop-up Nativity thingy that came in a church care package for the Youth group kids. Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus were little wooden figures, and, for whatever reason, Samson was obsessed with them - by the end of the Holiday Season, we had to pitch the entire thing because Samson had heretically gnawed up every, last wooden figure in the Nativity. Rest assured, that's one dog that is NOT going to Heaven.

We usually write the meal plan on the side of the fridge, but Kris wasn't having it this week (our fridge was overflowing at this point in the month.) I added my contribution off to the side, which was quickly censored by our elder daughter.

Both girls had orthodontist appointments towards the middle of the month - Alayna to have her existing grillwork adjusted, and Abby just for the docs to take a look at how her teeth were progressing (she'll need work eventually, it's just a matter of what and when.) When I went back with Abby for her consultation, I happened to be wearing one of my Masonic hats, and the doc recognized the square and compass and asked if I was a Mason. When I answered in the affirmative, he said his grandfather had been one way back in the 1910s, and he asked if our Lodge would want his grandfather's old Masonic relics. Pretty awesome, but totally random, score there.

Typical Hough morning on the couch. . .

One evening, after school, Mom stopped by to drop off some things and ended up helping Abby with some of her math work in the kitchen while I chipped away at dinner (5th grade math is already above my pay grade, folks.)

I recently designed these Yeti tumblers for Erik and I. I took the existing Jack Daniels logo and tweaked it for our Lodge. Turned out pretty badass, if I do say so myself. . .

We once again put our names on the back of them, in order to tell them apart. I ended up putting my nickname on mine this time around.

This is how Alayna watches TV anymore. . .

No one loves Samson.

The day after our friend group's Christmas get-together, I decided to crack open and start working on my growler full of Copper Harbor (it only lasts or a day or two, after that it goes super flat.)

So I spent a week or two researching pocket knives recently (it was Christmas Vacation, what else am I gonna do, house chores?) I was looking for a new EDC (Every Day Carry) knife that had a bottle opener, a decent lockback blade, and a pocket clip, but you wouldn't believe how difficult it was finding one that met all my specifications - it was like looking for the frickin' Holy Grail. In the end, I ended up on the Leatherman K2.

At $80, it's a bit on the pricey side - as much as some of their multi-tools - but the blade is worth it, and the design is pretty awesome. I like how the knife's tools all fold up into the handle like this, and those tools are limited to the one you would use on a daily basis (none of the crap you never use, which is a problem with typical multi-tools.) This series utilizes Leatherman's new FREE system as well, which is a series of magnets in the handle that allow you to open the knife with one hand (instead of having to break your fingernails trying to get different tools out of the handle, like you do with similar multi-tools.)

The tools included in this are a bottle opener, Philips screwdriver, flathead screwdriver, box and a box cutter blade. Nothing else. I use every one of these tools regularly, so having these covered in a lightweight, tough-as-hell knife that I can carry around at all times is a win-win for me.

Helpful guidelines on an old pint glass I picked up at the Blackrocks Brewery, up in Marquette (when we dads went up there for Brocation 2020.)

This was either Kris or Alayna that snapped this - we have a lot of pics like this. Homeboy likes to snuggle.

After importing all my college videos - converting them digitally, then trimming them, separating them into individual events, titling them, dating them, and filing them in designated albums in Google Photos - I began work on my High School years. Here we have the not-at-all-legendary Jeff's Left Front Pocket, practicing in my dad's basement. That Confederate flag in the background - hung ironically - did not age well.

Kris tried ordering grocery items off of Amazon this month. No food this time around, but she was impressed.

The morning of December 23rd, the girls and I officially started Christmas Vacation (Kris, unfortunately for her, still had to go into work.) We spent our time setting out the Christmas kitchen decor in preparation for Christmas Eve.

'Santa' got this for me last year as a stocking stuffer. Alayna decided to put it together this year.

Chowin' down on some dinner.

This is the kind of pictures we find on Alayna's phone these days. I guess there could be way worse things to find on your teenage daughter's phone. . .

My mom dropped off a few home video tapes she had that I had made for her years ago, and that I offered to digitally convert while I was teaching from home. Mostly early/mid-'80s stuff.

After over 15 years of heavy use, Kris and I finally bid adieu to our Krups coffee maker, which we got off our wedding registry from 2006 (thanks again to whomever the hell got us that.) Now that Kris has a fancy new coffee maker, we donated this bad-boy - which still works awesome - to charity.

Set up my new Amazon Ring 3 doorbell one evening, towards the end of the month. Picture quality is pretty good.

While being used at home, I decided that this spot in the Captain's Quarters would be an optimal spot for my travel turntable. I hooked it up to external speakers, too - so now I have vinyl in my workspace. Zero complaints here, folks.

Another selfie with Kris (Abby did their make-up, I guess.)

I have a feeling we're going to be getting a lot of this. . .
Kris and Courtney took the girls - ours and Ella, plus Maddie - up to Midland City Forest to get some sledding in, seeing how the snow (and weather) was the best it had been all season. Here's the Cannonball. . .
. . . aaaand there's Abby.
Alayna and Maddie
Ella and Abby
While the kids were sledding, Kris and Courtney walked the trails a bit, and upon returning to the hill they found these two engaged with a snowman. . .

After a social evening at our house one night, the Bos family was on their way out and Kelli totally wiped out on our front walkway. . . despite me having salted it thoroughly not eight hours earlier. At least no one got hurt and we didn't get sued. . .

Picked up some donuts from Meijer one weekend for the girls. I didn't know you could get donuts at Meijer, not that their selection is like bakery good or anything, but still.

No idea what this is from, but it's taken off Alayna's phone. What the hell is up with my head?

One morning I woke up and let the dogs out to go to the bathroom, and saw this set of footprints in my backyard. No one in my family did this. I was more than a little creeped out.

Who knows. . .

Squeezing in an afternoon nap on New Year's Eve.

As we've done numerous times in the past, this year we hosted a small, New Year's Eve gathering at our house with Rita and Smitty. While they were here, we took the opportunity to thoroughly plan out this summer's big vacation to the Upper Peninsula - Picture Rocks, Porcupine Mountains, Keewanaw Peninsula, Marquette, Houghton, etc. We're going to Airbnb it this year, instead of camping, since we're going so far away and would rather not mess around with bringing a ton of shit with us. Kris and Rita nabbed a really good house that was pretty reasonably priced, so we'll be perfectly situated to hit up multiple sites throughout the western half of the U.P.

Alayna - and the dogs - insisted on joining us for this process (Abby was so tired she could barely function, and was taking some personal space in the living room.)