Country Clubbin'

Welcome back, kids.

So my buddy Mitch is a golf pro, as you all know, and used to be the resident pro at Midland's local Country Club. He also happens to be a Cancer Survivor, having beat colon cancer, like, a decade or so ago (before I knew him.) Now, Midland hosts an annual Spring Soiree that raises money to fight cancer by giving funds to people undergoing procedures, transportation to hospitals downstate that specialize in cancer treatments, and whatever else it is that ends up costing so much damn money in order to beat cancer.

Erik bought a fossil like this last time around.

While he was employed at the Country Club, Mitch got onto the local board that oversees this giant fundraising effort, and they began to hold an annual soiree every spring (fourteen years ago, to be exact) at said Country Club. This has always been super important to Mitch, putting this thing on ('cause, you know, the dude had literal cancer), so whenever the event comes around, he puts aside some tickets for interested couples in the Tribe. This is noteworthy because this is a pretty exclusive event, and not open to just anyone.

This year, the Houghs, Johnsons, Colliers, and Alicia were able to show up for the Spring Soiree, which included the usual three-course meal, open bar, silent auction, and dancing. Things kicked off at 6pm and lasted until 11pm, and we more or less shut the place down (like we did two years ago.)

All in all, a great night for a great cause. I'll just let the following pics tell the tale.

Enjoy. . . 

They had a small fence set up in front of a photo op background outside the banquet hall, and as folks rolled in they wrote their name on a lock and attached it to the fence (like you see in a lot of European cities.)

Each lock represented a $250 donation, so for those of us who donated $125 (Mitch gave us free tickets but we all donated anyway) were doubled up onto one lock.

Before it got dark out, and before things got too busy and chaotic, we decided to nab some couple pics on the balcony overlooking the golf course.

Kris went with a 'Spring-y' dress this year (which ended up being a wise move on her part, because that was definitely the theme this year.)

The Johnsons

While folks entered the club house and mingled with drinks and hors d'oeuvres, most amassed in the outdoor passageway where all the Silent Auction items were on full display. They had some app that you could use to keep track of your bidding, which Kris downloaded (there was a pair of season tickets to the Midland Center for the Arts that she was eyeing, but ended up being outbid on it) but I didn't see anything I liked.

It quickly became overly-crowded out in the hallway, so the staff began corralling people into the banquet hall and to their respective tables. The meal was kicked off with a salad and creme brulee.

I waited to dig into this until after I had finished my meal, and then only ate a little of it. Waaaaay too sweet for my taste.

Kris, Danielle, Mees and Courtney.

Food was slow coming out, so Kris and I went back into the hallway where a roaming photographer was taking pics of people with this portable ring-light/SLR rig he had going on. You entered your phone number and he texted the picture right to you. Kind of a cool opportunity, our group definitely took advantage of this throughout the evening (as you'll see throughout this post.)

Mitch stands up to be recognized by the Midland Cancer Services Foundation, as the speeches - and meal - finally kick off.

Post-salad, pre-meal bourbon time.

We were sat at Table 23. Not only was this my high school number (on the ski team), but it was also Morgan's (on the swim team.) Fun fact.

Dinner is served. I grabbed a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon to go with the steak, as I am nothing if not classy.

Nobody enjoyed this steak. There was no fat on it and it was cooked too long, almost rubbery in texture but super tender. That white thing is chicken wrapped around some kinda ham thingy. The orange sauce was pretty good, but that yellow stuff off to the left was grits. Not bad, but didn't really go with the rest of the meal. I would not have ordered this plate again, for sure, but I'm not one to turn down free food, folks.

After the meal, Kris and the girls got some pics done with that aforementioned photographer.

Our first attempt at a group pic. Collier was shooting a wedding that evening, but was planning on swinging by afterwards (probably around 9:30/10pm), so Mees and Alicia went with each other as dates instead (Alicia's husband, Steven, had a work thing going on or something.)

Couple pic in front of the 'official' photo op background.

The Larsons

The Johnsons

The sun was setting so we made sure to get a Wives pic out on the balcony before it got too dark out.

Pretty cool looking course. Not that I golf or anything.

The King of the Hill, Inner Circle (minus Collier.)

Morgan ran into an old coworker while we were out there getting pics and ended up talking to her for like 45 minutes or some shit.

Mees and Alicia

Makers Mark was the bourbon they were offering up at the open bar (free booze is always appreciated), but Mitch put in a good word with the guy who oversees the booze at the Country Club (who he knows from his time working there) and requested a round of Eagle Rare for us dudes. At about $70 a bottle, it's not all that expensive for a bourbon, but it's hard to find up here and really, really good. The guy comped it so we got it for free, which was bad ass.

As folks were wrapping up with the meal, the live auction began. Mitch was in charge of helping identify bidders around his part of the hall for the auctioneer. The amount of money thrown around during this auction was staggering. $11k for a one-night getaway at some resort, $8k for a catered fancy dinner for 10, etc. That's CEO money, guys - not teacher money, that's for damn sure.

People watch the silent auction bidding as the end time creeps up.

Ran into the Pickvits (however you spell that) this evening - they're invited to all the Collier functions. Some drunk guy at their table, during the meal, ended up choking on his steak and the clubhouse staff had to seal off the hall while the guy - who had stumbled into the hallway while choking and collapsed - received CPR. He had stopped breathing and there was no pulse, and a couple doctors that happened to be in attendance actually broke a bunch of bones in his chest resuscitating him. A couple hours later, long after the ambulance and paramedics showed up, we got word that the guy was alive. Definitely a first for this kind of evening.

Following the live and silent auctions, the dance floor was opened up and the music cranked up. Some of the wives got out there for a little bit, but nowhere near as much dancing as two years ago.

Alicia, Kris, and some filters.

Collier showed up around 9:30pm, driving in straight from his wedding. He was a little worried about his attire, seeing how he was only in business casual - and he got a couple sideways glances from some of the stuffier boomers in attendance - but nobody confronted him about it.

The O.G.'s

Towards the end of the night, we were finally able to get a full group pic in front of the backdrop, Collier and all.

Another one of the Wives.

The dance floor ramps up. Lot of drunks out there.

The photographer guy ventured into the banquet hall with his ring light to get some 'action' shots at one point, and the wives wanted a 'strip' of pics (like you'd see in a photo booth.) And of course me and some of the dads decided to crash their picture.

The place shut down at 11pm, and unlike two years ago - where we stopped off at Frick's for a few rounds before heading home - everyone called it a night. Some of the womenfolk were heading down for a weekend in Florida the next morning (Stephanie's mom has a timeshare and car down there so literally all they're paying for is a plane ticket), and we had Alayna's first Prom to prepare for. So there you go, gang - another fun time of revelry for a worthy cause. See ya next time.

- Brian

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