11 April, 2017

 

“Last night….I was on a Roll!!”

It’s been a little while since I knocked out an installment, and I thought today I’d tell you about my bowling exploits from last night!!  It’s a perfect way to refer to the crystal piece I received as a gift from my friend Tanuja, about 2 months or so ago.  She said she saw it while out on one of her trips, and thought of me. (smile) It couldn’t have been more timely a gift, and it now sits on my “Wide World of Sports” shelf with my “Thrill of Victory….Agony of Defeat” pieces.  I think it’s unique, and I love it!!  Gotta begin with a little history though….

For the past 2 years now (wow….it’s been that long) my brother-in-law Michael and I have taken up Bowling as a recreational pastime.  I had gotten off to a reasonably decent “re-start” as I had been a bowler off and on for a number of years.  I started back as a teenager just for recreation, then later participated on league teams with General Foods, and Mattel.  I hadn’t bowled since 1998 when I decided in the Fall of 2015 to take up the pastime once again.

Michael decided to join me, and we (as one might imagine) quickly took up residency at the bottom of the standings in the league we joined!! (ha,ha,ha,ha)  Not to be dissuaded from continued participation in the league, we vigorously practiced….determined to achieve “a Phoenix-like rise from the depths of the league standings” in the upcoming year!! (smile)

I was making what I’ll describe as “appreciable progress” when in December, I took a very nasty fall during one of my lane approaches while at practice.  I had taken one stride too many, and actually stepped onto the lane which (of course) was oiled.  My immediate contact with the floor was “swift and painful” (OUCH!!)

I literally was “out like a light”!!  I came to, and opened my eyes to a Paramedic standing over me, taking my blood pressure and feeling my head, and asking me if I was okay to stand.  There was a team of EMTs there ready to put me on a gurney, and take me to the hospital.  Michael told me that they had been trying to revive me for about 2-3 minutes, before I opened my eyes!!

They helped me up and (being a typical male) I said “I’m fine guys, no need for the gurney.”  They asked me if I was sure, and again not wanting to acknowledge that I might actually be hurt, I stood on my right leg (I had fallen on my right side and done damage to my right shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee and ankle!!) and as I was able to support my weight with no problem I said “I’m cool”.

The EMT says “go ahead and take a step”.  I tried to take a step and that did not go so well!! (sigh)  I assumed then that I had definitely sprained my knee and ankle and still being very hard-headed, I said “It’s probably sprained, but I don’t need to go the hospital.  I’m gonna go home, and put ice on it and kick back a while.  I’m sure it’ll be fine!!”  I signed the “I’m not requiring a trip to the hospital” paperwork, (heck, I wasn’t about to be presented with a $500.00 bill for that ride!!) and my practice day was done!! (smile)  I won’t tell you how agonizing it was when I attempted later to get in and out of my car. (WHOA!!)  A situation that lingered on for a period of 6 – 8 months believe it or not!!

Okay….so now months have gone by.  I sat out the both the Spring and the Summer League Season of 2016, and slowly….and I mean very slowly, tried to get back out on the lanes just last December, in preparation for the January start.  Prior to my fall, I was averaging 148, certainly not among the ranks of strong bowling enthusiasts, but I was pretty consistent.  By the way….I was helped significantly by Jodie’s gracious XMAS gift of my own Bowling Ball & Shoes as I attempted to embark upon my comeback tour!! (ha,ha,ha,ha)

The Winter League started in January, and I’m making progress.  Currently, I’m averaging 140 – 150 per game….BUT….on February 15^th, I scored my “first 200 Game!!” (WHOO, WHOO!!)  It was first time I’d ever done that well in a League.  As a result of that, I received the nice embroidered Award Patch from the USBC (United States Bowling Congress) that you see here in the other photo.  While that was for a score of an even 200, I was out socially last year and scored 208, while bowling with friends and the highest I had ever bowled was 213.  Notice I said “had ever bowled”….well that gets me to the title of this installment.

Last night, while in League play, I rolled a score of 231….I was elated, as it was the highest I’ve ever rolled in all the years I’ve been trying to knock down the pins!! (ha,ha,ha,ha)  My average is still about 148, and in my three game series I threw 167, so I felt that the night was going to be pretty decent, then fell to a 140….and then something seemed to fall into place, the stars aligned or something (smile), and I went on a strike tear that had me hit 6 in a row (prior to that I had only hit four in a row at any one time….Michael had hit 5 in one of our practice sessions, and I had to admit that I was feeling quite competitively challenged at that time because I was struggling to return to former form….such as it was!!) and let me finish out with a raw score of 231!!  My League handicap is 56, so when added to that raw score, I ended up with a 287 overall!!  It’s the closest to a perfect game 300 that I’ve ever achieved!!

Needless to say, I’m feeling really good this morning, and I’m bowling with Michael tomorrow night in our 2-Man Team League.  He doesn’t know about my “big game” yet….but when he asks “so-o-o-o how did it go Monday night??  I will be so-o-o-o happy to say….”Man let me tell you….Last night, I was on a Roll!!”