Auld Lang Syne

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S (EVE), AMERICA!!

Well, this year was definitely random, but it ended up being one of the more entertaining New Year's Eves we've ever had. 

Waking up in the morning, we weren't sure what the plan was for this evening - no one had anything 'official' in the books, and we'd only informally batted around a few ideas when we hung out with folks over at the Larson's the day before (when we watched the Lions get f***ing robbed.) Later on in the morning, we started talking on our Inner Five text thread, folks trying to figure out what the plan was going to be, and ultimately - by lunch time - the Larsons offered to have everyone over again. For the second night in a row.

Abby, Lexi and Alayna spent most of the day in the bathroom.

We figured this was going to be a pretty low key affair, but in the back-and-forth with trying to determine food and activities and what-not, it somehow was brought up that it'd be cool for folks to dress up for this. While only some of the adults decided to entertain this notion, the kids went all in on it. Alayna invited her friend Lexi along, and for about three hours in the afternoon/evening (not even joking) the three girls 'got ready' for their super-formal New Year's Eve.

So here you go, folks - ringing in the New Year, Hough-style. 

Enjoy.

We got to the Larsons around 6pm, and took a few pics of folks before the night got too crazy. Here's our kids (and Lexi) along with the Larsons (Jackson and Sophie.)

The Houghs.

The Larsons.

Morgan helps Alayna pin a strap (or something.)

The adults hung out in the back room while the kids hung out at the kitchen table and played whatever this game is called (I forget, but I'm really good at it.)

Yes, you read that correctly. And yes, that was Abby.

Morgan and Danielle wanted to play this Catan game that they had been sitting on and wanted to try. The instructions were super-confusing but after awhile you got the hang of it.

Couple other folks showed up as we were playing through the game. From left to right: Mitch, Kelli, Danielle, Morgan, Kris, Yours Truly, Erik and Courtney.

(Kris was not great at this game.)

Ultimately, I would end up winning this game (I'm the blue player.) Not bad for my first time.

Following Catan, we switched over to some drinking games, starting with the recently-discovered Slap Cup. The ladies did not fare well in this one - they end up drinking a ton.

Back in the kitchen, the kids were still playing through this game. . .

Jackson, Ella, Abby, Sophie, Lexi, and the Cannonball.

(. . . aaaaand one with the Bos girls, Audrey and Maddie.)

This game is probably more entertaining than beer pong, but you have to be good at pouncing a ping pong ball, otherwise you can get into a ton of trouble.

Kris points at all the cups of seltzer she has to drink (there's only a couple of ounces at the bottom of each cup, but still - that's probably an entire cup's worth right there.) She's not awesome at this game, either.

Taking a break from the game (not sure what I'm looking at, here.)

Watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve in the living room. . .

A lot of dessert was consumed this evening.

(Minus Collier.)

We took over this game from the kids and played a few rounds. I ended up winning these games, too - I was definitely on a roll tonight.

(99% of the pics we get off Abby's phone look like this.)

As we inched closer to midnight, folks started congregating in the living room, with sparkling grape juice and champagne at the ready.

The whole squad, assembled.

Getting closer. . . 

(Alayna takes selfies like this on her phone, too. . . just not as much as her sister.)

The Countdown. . .

Afterwards, we resumed our games in the back room, where my domination of all things entertainment continued.

I'm literally #1.

Kris and Morgan

(Not sure what's happening here.)

If it's terrible music, there's a solid chance Abby and Ella are really into it.

And that's how we rang in the New Year, America. So begins 2024. . .

- 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