Rockford, in the Rain

Welcome back, readers.

So, weeks ago, Kris and I had planned on an overnight trip down to Rockford to hang out with my best friend, Black Paul, and his wife, Sam, and their daughter, Delia. Kris was set upon seeing some kinda lantern thingy (think Tangled, I guess) at the local zoo down there, but unfortunately with Alayna's end of the school year plans, we weren't able to head down there until Saturday (today.) At that point, the lantern event was over and done with, so she reluctantly relented on pushing for it.

Rockford Brewing - one of those places I'm always cool with visiting here. 

BP suggested going to the beach at Muskegon instead, making a day trip out of it, which we were totally on board with. Unfortunately, the weather ended up being downright crappy this weekend - it rained almost non-stop Saturday and Sunday, and so the beach idea, too, was shelved. We still planned on going downstate to hang out with them - they always come up to visit us, for our Halloween parties, etc. so it was only fair we return the favor - and basically resigned ourselves to just going along with the flow.

I had some roasted chicken falafel wrap thing that was super good. . .

Upon arrival, around 1pm, everyone was hungry and we ended up over at Rockford Brewing for some lunch, some beers, and some strategizing for how the rest of the day would pan out. I'll cut this short and just let the pics and video do the talking folks, you know the drill around these parts.

Enjoy. . .

So at lunch we decided that Kris and Sam would take Abby and Delia (Alayna stayed behind in Midland because her friends' annual, end-of-school-year party had been switched to Saturday, after all that re-planning on our part) shopping around downtown Rockford to hit up some local shops and boutiques. This freed up The Knights of Pokemon to head into downtown Grand Rapids to check out the area's greatest vinyl record store (which I was obviously totally cool with.)

Vertigo Music. BP's talked about this place before, and the last couple times we've hit up record stores in Rockford they've been the smaller, shittier ones. This one had a ridiculous selection to choose from, and I could have spent hours in there.

There's a sweet spot when it comes to buy records in a store, though. See, while this place had a ridiculous amount of new vinyl on hand, and they were below the Discogs asking price, they seemed to hover around what you could get them for on, say, Amazon. I have sooo many records these days that I'm only hunting down a few, elusive albums for my collection, so I can't just waltz into a place and come out with an armload of new records without purging once I get home. I couldn't find any of the albums I wanted off my to-buy list among the 'new' section, so I went into the 'used' vinyl. Their prices for used vinyl was beyond stupid - only a couple bucks cheaper than the new versions, which is absolutely absurd. I ended up walking out of their with one, new album (from Calexico), so it wasn't a total wash, but still - kind of a let down.

While BP (who ended up walking out with four albums) and I were shopping for vinyl, Kris and Abby and the DeBoers bounced around different shops, checking stuff out. At some point, I guess, there was some kinda loom or something? I'm not sure where this is, or what that's doing there, or anything - I just pulled pics off Kris' phone, folks.

After an hour or so, BP left Vertigo Music. I'd definitely return  to this one, but my expectations would be adjusted for sure.

Heading back to the car, in the rain.

We met Kris and the others back at the DeBoer residence, where BP and I re-sleeved his new acquisitions and tested the out on his turntable. His collection is coming along, but he's not looking to expand past the cabinet he has here, so he's more or less in the same situation as I am (just on a much smaller scale, obviously.)

After an hour or so back at their house, we decided to head back into downtown Rockford to do something else.

BP has told me before - multiple times - about this retro, arcade spot in Rockford that he and Delia frequent from time to time, and suggested we hit it up (knowing my affection for old videogames from my childhood.)

So this joint, Pinball Land, is a pay-by-the-hour venue, which is honestly way better than nickle-and-diming you to pay per machine (I wish Brinstar in Midland was more like this, honestly.) 

We all paid $7 per person for an hour's worth of unlimited game time, which - if you do the math - is cheaper than what you'd pay if you were paying 25 or 50 cents per play anyway (the fancier games sometimes charge $1 per play, too.)

Kris and Abby battle it out in Street Fighter II

Whooped Abby's ass in this head-to-head driving simulator (which, by the way, would have been one of those $1-per-play games back in the day, 100%.)

I was excited to come across this nefarious relic from my Showbiz Pizza Place days. Good to see it's still nearly IMPOSSIBLE to play as ever (I couldn't advance past the first five seconds of the game, still can't play it for shit.) You should Youtube this bullshit and see for yourself how emotionally scarring this game is.

They have a couple different rooms in this joint, filled with retro arcade games, pinball games, and larger more-immersive setups (like the head-to-head racing games Abby and I were playing earlier.)

Sam and Kris, playing some pinball.

Abby and Delia race each other on motorcycles. . .

Yes, they even have a game based on cornhole (or, 'bags' as they call it. . . for whatever stupid reason.)

This games was definitely harder than the real thing, and I'm not even all that great at that.

Kris tries out X-Men (the options for which X-Man you got to be were super lame, though - no Gambit?!)

Sam and Abby try out some Dance Revolution game thing.

I had Abby play me in one of the greatest retro arcade games of all time, NBA Jam. I'm not even a sports guy (as you know), but everyone needs to respect a classic.

After the arcade, Kris, Sam and the girls headed back to the DeBoer residence while BP and I ran out to pick up a couple pizzas (neither of us were that hungry, but womenfolk were starting to get there.)  Along the way, we snapped a pic to send to Kimmel - the third piece of our Triforce - who unfortunately couldn't be there to hang out with us

Back the house, as folks began to dig into pizza, we put on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ('cause it's BP and I, for Christ's sake), and BP and I cracked a couple beers. I had brought along my travel cooler filled with a couple hand-selected craft beers for this evening, the first of which being this one. It was. . . okay. Kinda pissed I spent money on it, actually.

BP used this time to continue working on one of his 'Treat Yo'Self' purchases from the last couple months - a Lego Rivendell (from Lord of the Rings) set, which consists of thousands of pieces and multiple bags of pieces. The price tag of this thing rivals some of my nicer swords, folks.

Abby and her damn selfies. . . she's as bad as her mom.

Nothing to see here, folks - just adult men in their 40's playing with Lego. . .

This set came with a dozen or so figures from the movie (the first installment of the trilogy, obviously) including these three - Sam, Frodo, and old-ass Bilbo.

This was a pretty run-of-the-mill pilsner - similar to a Bud Lite - but for $4 for a four pack of 16oz tall boys, and considering the cool can design, it was kinda hard to pass it up.

We went at this for a couple hours, things got dicey from time to time. I can't imagine these more deluxe sets are geared towards children, we were having a hell of a time.

About 20% done at this point, and we never came close to finishing the set while we were down there - we stopped shortly after this roof was accomplished. Around 11pm, the womenfolk all went to bed, with BP and I following suit about an hour or two later. In the morning, after a quick breakfast and coffee, we said our farewells to the DeBoers and headed back up north for home, a fun lil' day trip downstate in the books.

- Brian

42

Weeding the front bed while Kris enjoys a coffee on the porch. 

How's it going, Internet.

Well, the Ol' Lady turned the big 4-2 today.  No longer the spring chicken she once was, Ol' Ma Hough decided to celebrate her big day in a pretty chill way - no raging parties, no fancy dinners, nothing.  We spent some time soaking up the sun at Plymouth Pool (because our own kids rarely use the season passes we bought for them this summer), then heading downtown to hang out with some of our friends and take advantage of The Commons while that's still a thing.

A PG affair for sure, but that is, as you know, Kris' cup of tea.  And the Birthday Girl gets to call the shots around here on August 3rd, folks.

Check it out. . .

Plymouth Pool. Definitely full of child pee.

Kris and I went up there late in the morning, and about an hour or so later, Abby and Ella made their way down, where they began repeatedly jumping off into the deep end, over and over again.

While we were away at the pool, the City of Midland decided to pave our street. I'm assuming because it was Kris' birthday, and they figured she'd appreciate that.  So, consequently, we had to park our vehicles on the adjacent Mt. Vernon street and walk to our house from there.

On our way downtown, I had Kris and the girls pose with one of these giant frickin' road vehicles, and a particular sign that we've been seeing ALL AROUND TOWN ALL F***ING SUMMER LONG.

The main attraction downtown this evening was the launching of the annual hot-air balloon race (at least I think it's a race.) They have these basket thingies set up throughout the Commons area, where kids can go in and take turns pulling the lever that shoots up a pillar of fire (to make the balloon go up, I guess.)

While downtown, Ella spotted this famous Tik-Tok star (who also has that weird disease where you can't grow hair anywhere on your body - forget what that's called.) Ella asked for a pic with the quasi-celebrity, who politely obliged, and Abby snapped the pic for her. Abby then proceeded to work herself into knots because she hadn't been brave enough to ask for a pic with her, too.

The Tridge

We met up with the Colliers, Johnsons, and Mitch while we were downtown - something we usually try to do on a weekly basis while the city holds its annual Tunes by the Tridge thing.

Gallivanting around with drinks.  All of our kids had run off by this point in time, old enough know to do so without parental supervision.  It's pretty awesome.

The Commons of Downtown Midland.

Main Street.

Alayna's friends took off so she followed us around for a bit, in that awkward phase where she's too old for the younger kids and too young for the older adults.  I hated that phase.

Alayna took this pic of us old folks that Kris requested.  Wouldn't be a night out with the gals if they didn't get a group pic at some point in time during the night.

Back down by the Tridge, it began to rain, and so we quickly took cover under a nearby pavilion to wait for it to blow over.

Folding up the lawn blankets, which had been hastily snatched up in the sudden downpour.

That dude's hardcore.

Some of the other kids (you can see 'em there) had managed to duck into a neighboring pavilion.

The rain passes by and the sun returneth.

Ella spotted that Tik Tok person again downtown, and convinced Abby to grow a pair and ask her for a picture. Mission accomplished.

Back downtown, enjoying the dry weather.

Ah, the ol' Lodge building. . .

As you can see here, there's a Masonic meeting taking place upstairs (we light up the bulb of the corresponding body that's meeting that night.) Erik and I both opted to skip out of this month's regular meeting in order to celebrate Kris' birthday.

Erik makes a friend.

Kris wanted to hang out at Brinstar, which had recently installed a series of pinball machines. Erik and I bit our tongues, not overly-excited to revisit this place, considering how bad the customer service had been last time we were there.

Well, no duh.

Rock and roll.

Nyuck nyuck.

The newly-purchased pinball machines.

As we said our goodbyes for the evening after a couple hours of arcade-gaming, snacking, and drinking, we began to walk back to Kris' van. Along the way, I spotted this random dog, just left chilling on the dashboard of a parked car.  At least it wasn't like 100 degrees out.

A family selfie at the end of the evening, because Birthday Girl demanded it.

- Brian