A Canceriffic Soiree

How's it goin', folks.

So Kris and I had an opportunity to class it up this weekend a little more than we usually do. As you can see here.

Our friends the Bos' are chairmen (chairpeople?) of the Cancer Services of Midland, which host an annual soiree at the Midland Country Club.  Mitch used to be a golf pro at the Club for years, and is a cancer survivor himself (colon cancer, about a decade ago.)  So he's had a hand this annual fundraiser for a couple years now and is actively involved as chairman.

This year, he invited our friend group to the event, as it means a great deal for to him, and about six of the ten couples were able to attend: the Johnsons, the Colliers, the Larsons, the Sheahans, and, of course, the Houghs.  For $125 per plate you got a three-course meal, all the hors d'oeuvres you could ask for, and unlimited open bar access (and premium booze at that - it is the Midland Country Club, after all.)  There was a silent auction as well, but, seeing how it's probably the hoitiest-toitiest event in Midland, we had zero chance of winning anything.

When the CEO of Dow - who makes a meager $16 million per year - is betting against you, you know you're out of your depth.

So while none of us won anything, we did end up having a blast.  We're definitely doing it next year.

Behold. . .

Arriving around 6pm, we hung out in the hallway with most of the other early attendees - the banquet hall was still being set up and dinner wasn't for a couple more hours.  The Silent Auction ran along both walls of the hallway, along its entirety, so while we browsed around checking out the different items and bundles provided by local vendors and patrons (nothing really stuck out to Kris and I, so we didn't end up bidding on anything), serving people walked around offering champagne flutes and hors d'oeuvres. 

Tom, gettin' fancy.

While waiting for the Colliers to show up - they were running late - Erik, Tom, Morgan and I went out on the balcony to admire the view.  Weather was pretty awesome this evening.

In the Banquet Hall, they had some photo op thing set up (where, you know, you could pose with different props in front of a background.)  They even printed you off a copy of the the pics there, which was pretty awesome.

The full group assembled (well, not including the Boses, who were still meeting and greeting folks as they came in.)

We were soon seated at our table, where things kicked off with a salad that, while small and insubstantial, had a pretty good cheese on it.

Shots of tablemates. . .

Kris wasn't happy with our first pic(s), so she insisted we go back and try it again. This one's slightly better. . . I guess.

The main course was a filet steak that wasn't the greatest.  Flavor, consistency, etc. - I've had much better meat on my friends' back patios.

This lemon thingy was pretty dope, though.

Bunch a' hoes.  Danielle, Courtney, Kelli, Mees, Susan, and Nagatha Christie.

The wives had to take a bunch of these pics as well (not surprisingly.)

Us guys didn't have much interest in doing a version of this.

Back the table. . .

Not sure why I look I've had two dozen drinks at this point - I was probably on drink #3.

As plates were being cleared away, the wives (and Tom) all began to drift towards the dance floor. . . 

One more sweep through the hallway to place mores bids for the upcoming auction (like I said before, it was pretty slim pickin's, but Erik found something he liked.)

Before the Live Auction kicked off - like what you see in the movies - Mitch, as Midland Cancer Services Chairman - took the stage and gave a short speech, thanking attendees for their support, talking about the program, his battle with cancer, etc.  He was pretty nervous, and understandably drank like a fish afterwards.

(Erik's creeping me the f*** out in this pic.)

After the auction wrapped up - and the city's millionaires easily cleaned up all the items - the crowd once again filled the dance floor.

Happy wives, happy lives.

During a slow number, all the couples began slow dancing. Unfortunately for Collier his wife was in the bathroom, so he just pretended to dance with an invisible spouse.

Ryan weirds out the Sheahans.

As we were leaving the event, around 11pm, we passed by the Boses, who were having to stay a little longer and help wind things down.  Not sure where Mitch found that snazzy hat of his, but it looks like something straight out of the late 90s/early 2000's.

The crowd was beginning to thin out and we decided to hit up a bar for an after party drink, of sorts.  No one was really tired yet.

We landed on Frick's Bar and Grill, seeing how it had recently reopened after years of being close for renovations, and we were curious to see how it looked now.  When we got there, we were shocked for two reasons: 1.) it didn't look any different, so I'm not all sure what exactly they 'renovated,' and 2.) it was packed with college kids (probably from nearby Northwood University.) I haven't seen a bar that packed since we went to Marquette for the first Brocation (2020) - you never see crowds of that size here in Midland.

When we walked in - a group of older adults in their 40s, all wearing suits and dresses - it was like a needle scratching on an LP: hundreds of college kids stared at us dumbfounded as we walked into the bar. Being twenty years older than the other patrons and dressed to the nines has that effect.  When we walked in, a bouncer was checking IDs (yes, even ours) and the bar owner was standing nearby.  He saw my drivers license and, recognizing my last name, told me he knew my brother (they hung out with similar people.)  He had a server clear out a few random college kids and let us have a big, giant table all to ourselves.  VIP treatment of sorts for the old folks.

More dancing. Of course.

We got a lot of compliments from the local college kids - they asked us all kinds of questions on where we were coming from, if we were rich, etc.  Pretty hilarious.

So this happened.  College girls were loving these older moms letting their hair down.

Some guy tries hitting on Mees, twenty years his senior. . . in front of her husband.  Gotta love it.

- Brian