Holiday Triumphs and Tribulations

What's up, gang.

This weekend was insane, even by December standards.  We didn't have much socially planned, so we assumed that we'd have ourselves a pretty chill couple of days off, but nooo. . . instead we were packed to the gills with tons of crap that just kept piling up, good and bad.

Passport application at the Post Office.

It all started Thursday, which Yours Truly took off of work in order to get my final eye appointment in with my ophthalmologist, as a three-week follow-up after dealing with ophthalmological shingles about a month ago.  In the weeks since I had dealt with that ridiculously painful scourge, the doc had put me on steroid eye drops for a few weeks, and this was just a routine follow-up appointment in order to make sure my eye had healed up properly.

Originally I had planned on taking a half-day off of work for this, because my appointment was in the afternoon, but then two other engagements piled up earlier in the day.  Alayna was recently invited on a Caribbean Cruise down to Mexico with her friend, Lexi, and her wealthy grandparents, free of charge, and needed a passport.  Because she's only 14, both parents had to be present during the passport application process, so Kris asked if we could take care of it earlier in the afternoon, seeing how she always works a half-day on Thursday and would be off anyway.  So we added that to our plate.

At Pine River Elementary, where my twin nephews go. 

At the same time, my buddy Erik and I recently took the reins of our lodge's Mittens from Masons program, which gives out totes of free mittens, hats and scarves to elementary schools throughout the area.  This would take a few hours to accomplish, so, taking into consideration my existing afternoon appointments, we decided to spearhead this in the morning.  

And that's how I ended up taking a full day off of work. 

Folks, Thursday was just the tip of the iceberg - the whole weekend (with the exception of Saturday a bit in the evening) was a whirlwind.  I'll cut this off now and just walk you through the deluge of pics and video that better chronicle everything that went down.

Check it out. . .

Erik and I picked up six totes of mittens, hats, and what-not from a brother of Joppa Lodge in scenic Bay City around 10am, and set off throughout the greater Midland area in order to drop them off at local elementary schools.  Chestnut Hill Elementary - our kids' alma mater - didn't need one, so we moved on to Siebert Elementary (where Erik's wife, Courtney, works) and delivered our first successful tote of much-needed winter supplies.

Our next stop was Central Park Elementary, but the principal was out of the office so I made Erik pose with a Christmas tree in the front office instead.  'Tis the Season, folks.

Bullock Creek Elementary

Way out at Meridian Elementary School in Sanford, our last stop of the day.  The principal at this school didn't want their picture taken (they were having a 'bad hair day,' so they got a low-level administrator to step in for the required photo op instead.)

I got home around noon and had some lunch, and about an hour later Kris got home with Alayna, who she had picked up early from Midland High.  We drove over to the local Post Office in order to start the passport application process, which took about a half an hour or so. . . and cost way more than it did back in 2013 (when I last got one) I can tell you that much.

I left the Post Office and headed out to my scheduled ophthalmologist appointment across town, and in the meantime Kris took Alayna out to Stratford Woods Park in order to learn the basics of driving, as she's starting Driver's Ed in a few months.

I was bummed I couldn't be a part of this process, so I demanded Kris take a shit-load of pictures and video of the experience for blog documentation purposes.  (You're welcome.)

There's a huge, open parking lot at this park, and the park itself sits so far back from the road that, outside of summer, the park is almost always deserted - perfect for learning the basics of driving.  Kris said she mainly just coasted in the van and steered, but eventually she got up the nerve to apply the gas pedal.

Aside from a small hiccup when she threw the van in park while it was still moving, the Cannonball did pretty good at her first time behind the wheel.  We're going to try this again (so long as the weather remains decent) in the near future, but use my car instead, which should be a lot easier to drive than Kris' beast of a van.

Later that evening, the girls ran through some orchestra practice - they both have concerts coming up within the next few days.  On occasion, Alayna will play an accompaniment with Abby since it's easier for a cellist to have someone handling the melody part in order to hear how the song goes.

Friday morning, the girls and I all headed out to our respective schools, and Kris settled in for a five-hour long HIPPA webinar (which, I'm sure, was just awesome.)  She had anticipated getting a bunch of stuff done around the house while this was playing in the background, but then her niece, Victoria, who lives in Bay City, called Kris up and said she was in a bind and needed someone to watch her one-year-old son, Julian.  Kris isn't one to turn down the opportunity to spend time with an infant, so she signed on to watch the kid from 9am to 6pm.

So, instead of getting anything done around the house, Kris watched this tiny ball of energy while a HIPPA webinar played in the background.  For hours.

I guess Samson was not having this kid in his house.  This dog has a huge problem with tiny human beings, and although he's super chill around adults and teens, will absolutely lose his shit over any kid under three feet tall.  Kris had to crate him at one point because he wouldn't leave the poor kid alone.

Selfie with Julian in the early afternoon, following nap time.

Shortly before I came home from work, I guess this kid tried pulling himself up on a chair and brought the whole thing crashing down on his face (hence the birthmark-looking bruise that covers half his damn face.)  Kris is super good with small children.  Let's hope we don't have CPS called on any time soon. . .

After Vic picked up her son (and fortunately she laughed off the bruise covering his whole, damn face), we loaded the kids up in the van and headed over to Central Park Auditorium for Abby's Northeast Orchestra Concert.  The 6th Grade went first, so we sat around for like an hour before Abby finally took the stage, which is juuuuuust awesome, really.

Our seats weren't the best, so Kris jumped up a few rows and captured a few images and videos while Abby was performing (she's in back row, all the way to the right, closest to the audience.)  The people who sat directly ahead of us were white trash scumbags whose kids bounced all around in their seats, prohibiting me from getting any useable pics or video (and reeked so badly of cats that they got my allergies going.)

Forced picture in front a Christmas Tree, following her performance.

After saying goodbye to my folks, who had driven over to Midland for Abby's concert, we dropped the girls off at home to decompress and watch a movie or two and headed over to the Larson family's house for an 'Fab Five' hangout.

Kris, Renee (Collier's sister), and Kelli, playing some try-not-to-laugh 'dad joke' game.

Kelli and Morgan

The Inner Circle of our larger friend group.  Sometimes it's cool hanging out with all ten families, but most of time I prefer just hanging out with the other four families (Johnsons, Larsons, Colliers, and Bos's.)

The next morning, we got a chance to sleep in a bit and relax about the house (a rarity for this weekend, for sure.) In the afternoon, Kris got the girls around and the three of them went Christmas Shopping around town for, like, four or five hours.  When they finally got back home, we hung out in the basement with Christmas movies playing on the projector screen in the background.  Here the girls entertain themselves with the Duplo blocks, still out from when Julian was over the day before.  Why these two teenagers wanted to play with Duplos, who knows.

This is where Samson decided to hang out, hiding in fear behind Kris' rocking chair.  No idea why.

One of my all-time favorite Holiday beers, which I was fortunate enough to find at Cork n' Ale early last month.  It's soooo good.

A snowy Sunday morning over Midland.

Then this happened.  I had woken up pretty sick Saturday morning - sore throat, congestion, sneezing, etc. - but it came and went throughout the day, so I assumed I was just a little under the weather and powered through.  Sunday morning I woke up even worse, so I figured 'what the hell, I'll take a Covid Test. . .'  Once I found out I'd have to isolate for a few days, and with the work week kicking off tomorrow, I went into full-blown scramble mode.  I drove out to my middle school in Saginaw and spent two hours in classroom while the building was empty, prepping my room for a substitute teacher to watch it for the next three days.  Then I came home and recorded a video for the sub to show my students, basically me giving them their marching orders for the next few days.  I set up Zoom links students could use to contact me if they had any questions, and took care of a bunch of other needed things in order to make the next few days run smoothly at work in my absence.  In the end, I more or less put in a full day at work, just prepping to take three days off.  It's much, much easier just being in the damn classroom.

Kris and the girls went to church in the morning (while I was away prepping my classroom in Saginaw), and after they came home to grab some lunch, they went back downtown in order to rendezvous with the church youth group.  Every year, the First United Methodist Church Youth Group hands out free hot chocolate to people waiting in line to see Santa at the famous Santa House (conveniently located right across the street from the church itself.)

Alayna, Abby, Ella, and Ava

Some old guy and a reindeer (must be like a baby reindeer or something, I didn't think they were that small.  But I'm not like a reindeerologist or anything.)

Abby and Ella, waiting to see Santa inside the Santa House.  After a couple hours of giving away free hot chocolate, Kris and Courtney - who had come along to hang out - took all the girls inside to visit with 'Santa.'

Ava and the Cannonball.

Ella, Abby, Ava and Alayna.  Still waiting in line.

And one with the moms.

Kris had the girls go up to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas this year.  Abby, for whatever reason, said she wanted 'stamps.'  Seriously.  What the hell is up with this kid this year?

Abby, Kris Kringle, and Alayna

Alayna, when it was her turn, told Santa she wanted a boyfriend for Christmas.  I wish I was joking.

Santa and the Squad

And so ends another crazy-ass weekend in the Hough Family.  Stay tuned for more wacky antics. . .

- Brian

The Cannonball's First Homecoming

Welcome back, America.

So our resident Freshman had her first Homecoming tonight.  To say she was excited for it would definitely be an understatement:  she started talking about it last year when she was still in 8th Grade, for Christ's sake.  For months she had been dropping reminders that she wanted to go dress shopping with her friends - even back in the summer - and started making Amazon lists for the various accessories (shoes, necklaces, purses, etc.) that she was considering for her outfit.  This, truth be told, is so far removed from how she usually is it's scary:  this is a girl who can usually be seen in a baggy sweatshirt, ripped jeans, and Converse.

Well, last month Kris and Ana (Alayna's friend Cristina's mom) took the two girls out dress shopping one weekend.  After stopping off at like three or four different places, Alayna finally found a dress she wanted. But this wasn't the end of the prep work, folks - no, Kris and Ana had to take the girls out a few more times over the following couple weekends.  For shoes, for jewelry, etc.  It was a never-ending shopping list of absolute bullshit.

So glad I wasn't involved in most of it.

Anyway, while Kris was involved with the shopping process, Yours Truly was involved with the picture-taking process.  Alayna and her friends all decided that they were going to take their group pictures at Midland's Dow Gardens, an elaborate, planned series of gardens that snakes out behind the Midland Community Center.  For years, city residents have used the Gardens as a backdrop for graduation portraits, engagement announcement sessions, Christmas Cards, and - you bet your sweet ass, America - Prom and Homecoming pictures.  When Alayna announced to us that her group of friends wanted their Homecoming pictures taken at Dow Gardens, I complained very loudly and very frequently.  For days.  Nearly every other high school-age asshole in the city would be there, each armed with two stupid parents, all trying to get the same cool angles in the background of their Homecoming pics.  

Alas, Kris sided with the Freshman and told me to suck it up and deal with the crowds for the time being - "it's her first Homecoming, let her be excited."  etc. etc.

F***.

Well, we got there at 5:30pm to meet up with the other six or seven families in Alayna's group of friends going to the dance later that evening, and - just as I predicted - about 25,000 assholes were all jostling through the entry point to get into Dow Gardens, to do the exact same thing we were trying to do.

God, I hate people.

So check it out, folks - the Cannonball's First Homecoming. . .

Upon arrival at the Dow Gardens, we immediately met up with Cristina and her parents, Ana and Brad.

Alayna kept texting her other friends, trying to figure out when everyone else was showing up (only us and the Geibs had showed up on time.)

Getting a few, quick portraits of just Alayna before all her friends arrived.

Because we were still waiting on, like, six or seven other families at this point, we had to hang back by the main entrance to the Gardens. 

Kris and Ana kept telling the girls to 'bend one of their knees slightly' while taking their pictures, and Brad and I kept making fun of them for saying it.  So Kris took this picture of us trying to do it (I look like someone's knee-capping me.)

Lexi (who just showed up at this point, with her mom), Cristina, and Alayna.

Abby, who came along with us, asked to climb up these rocks so Kris could take her picture.  Because it's Abby.

A couple more people show up.  I don't remember the girl all the way to the Far Left, but she's a new addition to Alayna's usual group of friends.  Then there's Cristina, Cristina's date/boyfriend Hunter, Lexi and Alayna.

This was by far the hardest spot in the Gardens to get - you had to wait in line for your chance in front of this man-made waterfall.  Once the group of kids had their pic taken (the previous one) I held Alayna back (because f*** the other parents waiting in line) to get a few of just her.

Kris wanted a family picture right after that. . .

Gabby and Tobi (the two at the far right) showed up with their families right after our waterfall pics. . .

Gabby and Alayna

That Tobi kid doesn't like her pic taken, and the other kids in their group still hadn't shown up by this point in time, so we just kept walking through the damn Gardens, taking pics of these kids in front of random shit. . .

This kid with the bow isn't one of their friends, but some of the parents knew this kid's dad or some shit, so she randomly just started appearing in my kids' Homecoming pictures.  Oh well.

This is probably the best one I got of Alayna throughout the evening - the lighting is just about perfect.

One of the last spots we all set up on was this bridge.

This is what's going on behind the pictures, folks.  Me and this. (You can spot Kris, third from the right.)

Ava (with the jacket over her shoulders) finally shows up.

The full crew (plus that random kid in the bow.)

Cristina and Ava's boyfriends just so happen to be best friends or some shit, so Alayna coordinated this picture of the four of them on the bridge.  She was very proud of herself.

By this point in time, it was time to leave Dow Gardens and drive Alayna over to Old Chicago Pizza (down by the Mall), where the group of freshmen had a reservation at 6:30pm.  Following a dinner there, the group car-pooled to Midland High for the Homecoming Dance, which lasted until, like, 11:30pm or some shit.  I don't know, it was late and we were all tired.  And so ends the Cannonball's First Homecoming. . . can't wait to go through all this bullshit again next year. . .

- Brian