Team night oot, bowlin' doon the pub
Originally uploaded by itmpa.
Today was K's birthday and me, Lex, and Jenn headed to the Lucky Strike Lanes bowling alley that is part of Michael Jordan's cinema complex, the AMC, to help her celebrate.
I worked it out that I haven't been bowling in close on 17 years and so I was really nervous beforehand. I was afraid that I would suck in front of a lot of people, and that is never a good thing.
As we were leaving the house, Lex asked me whether I was wearing decent socks, a reminder that we were about to wear someone else's shoes for a few hours (which along with using someone else's toothbrush is, as far as I'm concerned, just about the ickiest thing you could ever do). "You'll have to burn your socks afterwards," Lex sternly cautioned me. Ah-ha, someone just as fearful of foot fungus as me. Sweet.
I chose to bowl today with a pink ball, partly because it was the lightest but mostly because it was the prettiest. I started pretty terribly and made friends with the gutter rather quickly (maybe Jenn's theory about the 'gutter magnets' had some basis?). But then I found something resembling a rhythym, and then I lost it again. It was 'all or nothing' with me really - one frame I was on fire, the next I was ice cold. You wouldn't put money on my game, that's for sure. I was not really a joy to behold either, as my stance left something to be desired, and I couldn't flick my foot out behind me as I released the ball, for fear that I'd fall on my face. And I seemed to synchronise many of my bowls with a young kid who just seemed to relish showing me up at every turn. Little punk. I contemplated doing a "Tonya Harding" on her, but her parents were watching, so I let her be.
But you know what? Aside from all my crises, I had fun. I had a good time out there today, and lots of laughs. And I got my first strike EVER today - in fact, I got two of them. I don't care if I never bowl again - I got two strikes, and people were there to witness it. I can retire from the world of competitive 10-pin bowling a happy girl.
1 comment:
Gaarbi - remember what your calisthenics teacher used to say .."There is joy in participation". Well done to Lexi for getting you into a bowling alley. You know they do have bumper rails which stop gutter balls - unless you bounce the balls over them. How embarrassing!! Raspberries to the kid who was showing off .....She's probably just graduated from the bumper rails herself.
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