The Houghs: Homecoming '23

What's up, Internet.

Well, here we go again - another frickin' Homecoming.

We had to wait in line for like twenty minutes for this photo op - appreciate it.

Now, back in my day, Homecoming was just a dance that you went to. And a football game. Nowadays, though, it's a big, stupid production that eats up an entire day, and it's beyond stupid.

So when I went to Homecoming my Freshman year, I went stag. No one took a picture of me, I just put on a dress shirt and tie and was dropped off at the school. That was it, nothing crazy. I skipped my Sophomore and Junior year Homecomings (despite having girlfriends that wanted to go, but whatever), and eventually went my Senior year to Farwell's Homecoming dance 'cause that's where my girlfriend at the time went to school. Still, my parents took, like, one group picture of me and my friends and our dates on our way to the dance. With a 35mm point-and-click, in the entry way of our house - nothing scenic or fancy, just a quick picture.

That's not what we do anymore, apparently.

The Cannonball and her friend, Rita, in front of a waterfall.

Nowadays, the photo process takes a couple hours, involving multiple locations throughout town, before dropping kids off at a restaurant for dinner, then picking them up an hour or so later and shuttling them to the dance. Then, you know, picking them up from the dance a few hours later. We're basically 'on call' all damn day.

Alayna didn't have a date this year (she broke up with her boyfriend over the summer) and went with a big group of friends again. She wanted to take pictures at Dow Gardens again, like we did last year for Homecoming, then drive over to the Tridge to get even more pictures taken. parents only seemed to want to take a pic of me going to a dance if I had a date in tow, but that was the '90s and people weren't as self-absorbed as they are now (thanks a lot, Social Media.)

So yeah - this three-hour long dance ate up our entire day. Again. I'm sure it'll be the same the next two years for her, and it'll be compounded even further when we're juggling her group of friends with Abby and her group of friends starting next year, taking pictures of even more kids in even more scenic locations throughout town.

Then we'll have to go through the same song and dance when Prom starts rolling around, starting next year. That'll be cool because it'll cost us, like, three times as much 'cause the dresses are more expensive and demands will be even higher for that shit.

God, parenting is a pain in the ass.

Anyway, here's a bunch of pictures of my kid in a dress. You're welcome.

I shot most of these with my 24-105mm lens, busting out the smaller 40mm for portraits here and there.

Most of Alayna's friends were meeting up with her later, at the Tridge - so for most of the time at Dow Gardens we were just walking around with the Cannonball, trying to remember where we got good pics the year before.

Lighting was decent this year, partly sunny with some clouds. I didn't have to touch up these pics too much.

Kris mentioned afterwards that we didn't get a lot of pics of the back of her dress. I guess that's a thing I was supposed to take care of. Whoops.

Kris, mommin' it up between shots.

The sun was right in her face for these shots in the Rose Garden, so I'd have her keep her eyes shut then open them up real quick so I could snap pics.

Our neighbor friends across the street, Kyle and Emily, are hosting a foreign exchange student from Poland this year named Natasha, who has been welcomed into the Cannonball's group of friends.

(Emily took this wide-angle shot with her phone.)

After an hour or two at Dow Gardens, Kris wanted to get some pics in front of this giant, blue door on some old building near to the Alden B. Dow studio, downtown.

Alayna's friend, Lexi (who she went on a cruise with over Spring Break) and some other girl met us over there.

That's it, that's the blue door. Check.

Afterwards, we drove over to the Tridge to meet up with the rest of the crew and get even more pictures taken.

There were tons of people around, all doing the same thing we were doing. And some poor couple that was trying to get wedding party shots done - they picked the wrong day to be doing this.

For most of these shots, I had to wait for other people to move out of the way in the background - it was a pain in the ass.

Just look at all those people in the background, sometimes it was unavoidable.

Cristina and her folks showed up and we got some group pics done on the Tridge.

Alayna was creepily taking pics of other kids she goes to school with getting their pictures taken on the shore. Totally a normal thing to do.

That's about the only pic I got of the back of her dress. But I got it.

(Kris took this one with her phone.)

Me and Cristina's dad, Brad, recreating our 'bent leg' pose from last year.

Rita and some other girl - I forget her name, too - met up with us down there for some more group pics.

"UNDER THE TRIIIIDGE, DOWN-TOWWWN. . . ."

Bein' weird.

Lexi and Cristina skipped down this pathway and got in the way of the wedding party attempting to get some shots done. Nothing like ruining someone's magic day.

This dock was questionable - I'm surprised no one fell in (but several heels were stuck in the slits between boards.)

Kris and I ended up going out for dinner with Ana and Brad (Cristina's parents) at Big E's after dropping the girls off for their reserved dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings (where they chose to eat before the dance.) Didn't make a lot of sense to drive home for an hour, then turn around and drive back up to pick them up for the dance.