Tunes By the Tridge

'Sup, folks.

One of the cool things this little town or ours does during the summer is provide free, open-air concerts to the masses every week. This 'Bread and Circus' management approach by the municipal powers that be definitely screams 'Midland,' but it's appreciated - we make an effort to head downtown every Thursday for Tunes By the Tridge to check out the week's musical act(s).

Some are definitely better than others - the 'Bro Country' acts are usually abysmal (like, comically bad) - but the last two weeks we've gotten lucky. Kris' favorite night of the summer, by far, is Dueling Pianos, which usually kicks off the summer program, so it was mandatory that we head downtown for that one. Our local friend group are big proponents of this weekly outing, so we usually have four or five families on hand to hang out with down there. Each night we pack up a cooler and some camping chairs and stake out a space on the grass, then proceed to hang out for a couple hours while traveling troubadours play for our amusement.

Today's post highlights the last two weeks' concerts, which were both pretty cool. We're kinda busy the next two Thursdays, so we may not get back around to Tunes By the Tridge until July - have to play it by ear.

Anyway, here you go, kids - enjoy.

Thursday, June 6th: Dueling Pianos

The weather has been pretty solid the first stretch of June, and the night we came out for Dueling Pianos was no different - no rain, high 70s (a little overcast for my liking - no bronzing to be had - but decent enough.) Turnout for this inaugural concert is usually pretty high, and so it came to no surprise that it was pretty packed down there.

Erik and I had a Masonic funeral to attend for an old brother who had passed away, and so we weren't rolling in until, like, 7:30pm or so, but Kris, the Colliers, and all the kids were able to get down there and snag a spot for our group.

By the time we finally got there, the two dueling pianists - and an accompanying drummer this year, a first - were in the middle of busting out pop standards.

This one was a song made popular from the cheesy movie Dolphin Tale that Abby was obsessed with back when she was super little (and that we consequently checked out one Spring Break back when we lived in Florida.)

Kris and Melanie

Abby and Ella, taking advantage of the local food trucks that always come out for Tunes By the Tridge.

Alayna brought along her friend Amelia for the evening (always keep the kids out of our hair if they bring along friends to wander around with.)

Lonnie Big Balls (at left) rolled in with his fam about a half an hour after we first got there.

The jams keep coming. . .

Two idiots, fighting over a balloon apparently.

This vid definitely sums it up what it's like down by the Tridge on nights like this.

Yours Truly, Stephanie and Lonnie, Erik, and the Colliers, Ryan and Mees.

Jesus Christ, this kid really likes her balloon. . .

Frickin' kid enjoys stealing my hat off my head when I'm least expecting it. . .

The show ended around 9pm, and people began to wander off back towards their cars. Our group, however, continued to sit around, having drinks and hanging out. 

Meanwhile, Abby and Ella were still running around downtown and snapping off glamour pics for their social media accounts (I assume.)

Not sure why The H Hotel is such a point of interest for these two, but whatever. . .

Yeah. . .  we're those people.

The girls took turns taking pics in a tree at the end of the night on our way back to the cars (when we finally got everybody motivated enough to leave.)

Thursday, June 13th: 90's

The following week was warmer, sunnier, and we were actually able to get down there right when it started.

Abby was kind of in a funk when we first got there, but fortunately she snapped out of it after awhile.

Mitch came out this time around (sans Kelli, though.)

Turnout this week was even heavier than last week, on account of the marginally nicer weather, but since we were able to get down there earlier we were able to get decent seats (and parking.)

At one point, some of the dads wanted to grab some drinks downtown, so as we were walking down Main Street we spotted this random cat inside the abandoned floor of the Larkin Building (which houses my Masonic Lodge up on the third floor, if you'll remember.) This floor used to be Oscar's, one of Midland's old bars downtown, but the owner sold it years ago, and it's been empty since. This cat - Weezy, I guess - must be such a regular that whoever is caretaking this empty floor made the cat it's own sign.

Just look at how much fun Abby is having. . .

Chucks and Concerts.

The Cannonball favorite: The 0.5 Forced Perspective

Some Kings of the Hill: Collier, Erik and Mitch

And, like last time, Abby and Ella had to get a few pics for their social media nonsense on the way out of there (courtesy of the Cannonball.)

Teens are so edgy. . .

Kris, Mees and Courtney, mid-gossip.

Closing down Tunes By the Tridge, just like last week. Gotta wonder if we're pissing anyone off by doing this every week. . .

Once again, on the steps of The H Hotel. 

And, in closing, here we have Samson and Watson, who were totally fine with resuming couch time once we had gotten home and started watching some TV before turning in for the night.

- Brian

A March Across Another April

That's seriously my only go-to when it comes to titling April's installment of monthly randoms. . .

Like March, this month was obsessed with snow.  As if Winter didn't last long enough up here in the Mitten already, April decided to play the part of clingy ex-girlfriend and dug her ratchety-painted fingernails deep into Winter's snowy arms.  The first week of the month, we had ourselves an onslaught of snow - inches worth - that didn't completely subside until half-way through the month.

How bad was it?  On April 16th, we had a f***ing Snow Day.

I'm serious.

I thought I'd be done with this nonsense in March.  Thanks, Michigan.

Snow and crappy weather aside, this month was pretty busy.  That's weird for April, since usually everyone's in Test mode, what with Michigan's huge, annual standardized test - the M-STEP - reigning over the month with an iron fist.  The lives of the girls and myself literally revolve around this test during April (the biggest testing month of the school year) so the focus these last few weeks has definitely been on that crap.  Aside from that, we found ourselves occupied with a slew of weekend activities this month, something that generally doesn't happen until May or June.

Anyway, while the first half of the month was dominated by January-ish conditions, the latter half focused more on the resurrection and rejuvenation of our yard (which, as you may recall, is more or less a small park.)  It'll be a long, love/hate battle with the grounds before it'll be back to where it was last summer, but it's truly a fight a hell of a lot more enjoyable than, say, preparing one's students for the M-STEP.

Let's do this.. .

The month kicked off with Kris texting me this picture one day at work.  Evidently, Abby 'accidentally' fell out of her chair while eating and it split apart.  After further investigating the matter - because solid-wood chairs don't just split in half like this on their own - it was determined that Abby had more or less been riding it like a bucking bronco, and therefore the damage was understandable.  Now, we weren't emotionally attached to this old set of chairs by any means:  Brian and Jill gave us the set along with a kitchen table (that we got rid of back in March of 2016) way back in 2005, when we got our first apartment, and even back then it was a hand-me-down.  We had only been holding on these chairs because our kids are still young and we didn't want them breaking anything expensive (judging by the picture above, a definite smart move on our part.)

We wanted to buy a set of six solid-wood chairs that would match the solid oak table we inherited from Granny Hough, but buying a new oak chair sets one back about $300 apiece.  The gods apparently favor the Houghs, though:  the same day Abby broke the chair, Kris learned of an estate sale in town where they were selling a solid-wood table and six matching chairs. . .  that just so happen to match our existing table.  All for $180.  She pounced on it.  The picture above shows our original chair type, in the middle, along with two styles that came with the table:  we got four chairs  that match the style on the left, and two that match the style on the right.

What about the new wood table?  We relegated that to the basement, where it has become our new arts and craft table for the kids (and where we placed the three, unbroken old kitchen chairs.)  Two birds with one stone, baby.

Our current dining room set (Kris deemed it necessary for the fifth chair to serve as her 'purse' chair.)

The sixth and final chair sits next to the piano, for Mr. Bill's weekly piano lessons.

To top it all off, the new chairs perfectly match the small rocking chair we picked up a thrift store last month.  Definitely a creepy coincidence.

The girls - Alayna especially - had been bugging Kris for weeks about dying their hair teal.  She finally relented.

Kinda-but-not-really punk rock.

One week into April.  Still snowing.

One Saturday, we drove up to Clare to hang out with Dad and Cindy.  My brothers and their families also came up, so we had some cousin time (the first time we'd done so in Clare since Christmas.)

One of my top three favorite beers.

Scarlett and Abby hanging out at the bar.

The Cannonball practices her ping-pong game. . .

Uncle Jeff, hilt-deep in cousins.

Story time with Abby, Papa and Scarlett.

Owen snags himself a new phone.

Magnaformers are like crack for my kids.

Nana, gettin' her hair did.

Our resident mad scientist tries out another experiment.

One weekend, towards the middle of the month, Kris and the girls met up with her coworker, Kim, whose daughter, Dani, is friends with Alayna.  I forget the name of this joint, but I think it's in Saginaw - has bumper cars (shown here), an arcade, a virtual reality thing, etc.

The girls fight off an alien invasion (virtually.)

Some updated shots of the kids' bedrooms, since they've evolved somewhat since last June.   This is Alayna's room.

 

(This may be the cleanest this room has ever been.)

Abby's room. . .

One day, while picking up Alayna from her girl scout  meeting (which takes place in her art teacher's classroom at Chestnut Hill), I stumbled across this literary treasure. . .

This kid's gonna go places in life.

Alayna was invited to a sleepover, 'mystery' party at her friend Dani's house.  Each kid that went had a custom identity, and they all dolled themselves up to play their part in the mystery game.  It was Hollywood-themed, hence the mini golden statues all these chicks are holding.

 

I'm soooo glad I didn't have to be involved with this - it looks like pure chaos.

My favorite craft brewery in Florida - Cigar City - finally made its way up to Michigan this month, which is awesome news.  As you may or may not recall, I had the pleasure of touring the brewery in Tampa with a couple buddies from work.

My brother Chris let me know about this lil' gem right here (we hit up Mitten Brewing in Grand Rapids a couple years ago, if you'll remember.)

Just in case you were curious, we still have snow on the ground.  Half-way through the month.

Watching the Winter from his trusted vantage point.  As usual.

Abby drew this 'birthday card' for her cousin, Blake (freckles and all.)  We had planned on going to Clare the weekend of the 15th, but the roads were so bad with ice and snow that the city ordered everyone to stay off the roads.  Seriously.  The party in Clare was postponed until the following weekend, and consequently the next day, Monday the 16th, all schools were called off on account of the shitty road conditions.  Gotta love Michigan.

The following Saturday, Kris and Abby met up with her BFF, Larkin, and her mom at the Midland Center for the Arts.  For something or other (I don't know, I wasn't involved in any of this.)

Puppet shows.

No idea.

Staying indoors on a cold, wintery Saturday (and yes, there's still snow on the ground.)

Our favorite family game, 5-minute Dungeon - the girls love this one (and it's pretty fun for us adults, too.)

One day Kris picked up a couple pairs of white shoes from the store, along with a pack of colored Sharpie markers, so the girls could decorate their own shoes.  A decent little craft activity that's also pretty practical.  Right up Kris' alley.

Finished products.

One Saturday, towards the end of the month, Kris and Courtney (her co-leader) took Abby's girl scout troop out to some local retirement home and cleaned up all the debris and crap that accumulated on their property over the Winter/Early Spring.

Look - no snow.  FINALLY.

Child labor = cheap labor.

Enjoying a rare lunch date (I had a half-day at work one Friday, so we enjoyed a short window of adult time before we had to pick up the kids from school.)

This happens ALL THE TIME.

I finally decided to start working on our garden beds towards the end of the month, once it started to heat up - tempting Michigan and Winter's fury in the process.  I drove out to Lowe's and bought 30 bags of black mulch, which, thank God, was able to fit in Kris' van.

(You can imagine how sore my arms were after loading and unloading 30 bags of mulch in the same hour-long time span.)

The front garden bed, re-mulched and ready for Spring.

Seriously, if it snows again, I'm just going to kill myself. . .

- Brian