Loons, Voigts, and Commons

What's up, Internet.

We met up with the Johnsons outside Dow Diamond and grabbed our tickets.

Kris and I spent basically spent the entirety of our weekend in downtown Midland this week, which was random 'cause this weekend was one of our summer's only 'open' weekends where we didn't have any big plans (our summers fill up fast.) We had Friday evening set in stone months in advance - we were going to a Loons game with the Johnsons for a Masonic thing (Erik is in Scottish Rite, an appendant body of Freemasonry, and they had a suite reserved), made all the more awesome 'cause it was also Yacht Rock Night. Last year, when they had Yacht Rock Night, it was kind of a let down because they didn't play any Yacht Rock at the game, and Erik ended up emailing the guy responsible and complaining. This year, when we showed up, they played nothing but Yacht Rock, so the guy must've taken Erik's email to heart. We were pretty stoked about that, I love me some Pablo Cruise.

Yacht Rock Night at Dow Diamond, feat. The Great Lakes Pontooners

So the next morning, we got around and prepared to head back downtown to meet up with none other than the Voigts, our old friends from Florida. They had been staying up north by Traverse City with Adam's extended family, where their clan annually rents some large cabin and hangs out on a lake for a week. He texted me a few days prior to this and asked if we'd be around to meet up for lunch, as they'd be passing by Midland around that time on their way back down to Detroit for their flight home to Orlando. We were around and were more than happy to catch up with our old Florida people.

Later that evening, after a couple hours (two tops) at home, we headed downtown yet again, this time to hang out with some of the other couples from our Tribe on The Commons (a blocked off area on Main Street where they have live music and you're allowed to walk around with a drink.) Stephanie's high school reunion was taking place at Dow Diamond, and once that wrapped up those folks who were going to that ended up rendezvousing with the rest of us, who had been enjoying the live music downtown in the meantime. 

Made for a fun two days, but I definitely wouldn't want to do it all the time. I like hanging out downtown, but we practically lived there this weekend. That's a lot of money (and booze) to make it a regular thing.

Anyway, here's some pics and video for you - enjoy.

Kris and Courtney were both super excited to be hanging around a suite full of crusty, old Freemasons this evening.

Our view of the field from our private suite.

Kris and Courtney

Kris and Courtney drank these special foo-foo cocktails all night that were Yacht Rock themed. 

We had a private bar up in the Scottish Rite suite, which was handy (unfortunately the bartender sucked so we usually got our drinks from downstairs.)

The free food that was served was better than usual - burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork, lots of sides, etc. We hung out with our Masonic brothers for a bit and ate dinner, then would spend the majority of our evening downstairs or otherwise doing laps around the field (like we usually do.)

Pretty cool seeing this up on the Jumbotron (or whatever it's called.)

Lou E. Loon (the team's mascot) popped in to meet-and-greet with everyone shortly after we ate (which he does for all the Suites at games.) The kid inside the suit is a former student, so he recognized me again and gave me a hug, but Kris (of course) neglected to get a pic of it.

Tom and Lou

We decided to take a lap around the field as the game wore on (none of us were watching it super closely, which shouldn't be all that shocking to any of you by this point in time - we're not huge sports people.)

I love this alter-ego the Loons have - I love me some pontooning.

Mitch, Kelli, and two of their kids came out for the game, too, but weren't invited to the Suite seeing how they're not Masons. He sent us this pic so we'd know where to find him if we ended up doing laps, which helped us locate him once we were out on the move. We'd end up dropping in and hanging out with him and his fam here and there throughout the course of the game, but they were content just sitting and watching the game so we left them to it.

Dow Diamond

Damn straight.

I'm making a retarded face here for some reason.

Popping back in to the Suite to do our obligatory social rounds.

I zoomed in on Mitch and the Bos fam from our vantage point across the stadium - it's zoomed in so far you can't see a ton of detail, but we managed to spot 'em.

A group selfie up in the Suite.

Kris takes yet another selfie, later on in the evening.

Another group selfie (Kris wanted one earlier in the day with the field in the background, but I told her to wait 'cause it was too bright out at the time and we would've been back-lit.)

Still baseballing.

The door to our suite, at the end of the upstairs level of the stadium.

Erik looks very serious here for some reason.

About funned out with baseball for the night.

We decided to leave during the 8th inning, and made our way out of the Suite and towards the stairs that lead to the main level of the stadium.

The upstairs bar, for the V.I.P. guests (Courtney and Kris got a few drinks up here, but Erik and I usually grabbed our beers from downstairs where they had better variety.)

Leaving Dow Diamond. On the way in we had all scored some complimentary bottle-opener coaster magnets with the Pontooners logo on them. I was pretty excited about that.

They had multiple pontoons set up inside and outside of the stadium, and you were allowed to climb in and check them out. They were all for sale, of course, and the second you expressed interest in climbing up the salesman (conveniently posted nearby) would swoop into action and try and 'sell' the boat to you. This particular pontoon was gorgeous, and waaaaay more than one should spend on a frickin' boat.

Not quite ready to call it a night yet, we decided to walk downtown and have a couple drinks at Brinstar (that retro arcade bar downtown you've heard me talk about before on multiple occasions.) On our way downtown, we passed by the newly-constructed pedestrian bridge that spans the river (I forget it's name.)

The other three walked all the way to the opposite side of the bridge, but the bugs were thick and I didn't want to do that, so I sat down at a bench and waited for them to double-back. I hate bugs.

Having a final round of drinks at Brinstar.

This wasn't great. I love mead, but this one had a nasty aftertaste and I regretted getting it.

Less than twelve hours later, we found ourselves back at Brinstar, this time eating some lunch and having some drinks with the ol' Voigt fam.

I'm intrigued.

We ended up walking around The Commons with them for an hour or two, killing time before they had to get back on the road to continue their journey home to Orlando. We didn't have any more drinks, but instead let the kids pop in and out of all the local, little shops to get ice cream and candy and window-shop and what-not (that's Jackson and Adam in the foreground, with Kris, Lindsey, Abby, Alayna and Ella in the background.) Afterwards, we said farewell to the Voigts once again, and headed home for a two-hour break from socializing.

Kris and I parked and once again met up with the Johnsons on The Commons, and settled into some drink sand live music (the band tonight played rock music from the 90's and 2000's.)

Midland's masses turn out for the live music - this City has done an amazing job with their weekly live music rotation.

We met up with Mitch and Kelli outside Three Bridges (not my favorite bar by a long shot, but I bit my tongue since that's where everyone wanted to hang out tonight - the wives love that spot.)

The Collier and Griffins met up with us after the Loons Game wrapped up (where Stephanie's high school reunion was, not sure why the Colliers were there.)

They had a live, bluegrass band performing on a small stage outside their bar, once the main act had wrapped up about a block away, so we got to check them out while having some drinks. Soon a nearby table opened up big enough to hold all of us, we we had front row seats for it.

Doesn't look like the sort for sure, but the guy on the far right could shred that frickin' guitar, we were stunned.

The wives, clucking about nails (probably.)

So there you go, folks - another weekend in Midland with the Houghs. The party never stops.

- Brian