Julie's Web Journal

I'm not big on lucky numbers, really. I'm told seven is supposed to be lucky. This morning I checked my wallet before I left for bowling and found seven dollars. It was just enough to cover my initial expenses for the morning.

Today was sweeper day in my morning bowling league, and I always put in with a few people on doubles entries. I partnered up with seven people with my seven dollars. I know some folks who partner up with nearly everyone in the league. I can't afford to do that. I just can't risk losing a truckload of money if I bowl bad.

We bowled nine-pin no-tap, which means if nine pins go down on the first ball it counts as a strike. Some of the lower-average bowlers can do pretty well (I did once or twice years ago) because they don't have to pick up those pesky corner pins. I'm not a hot bowler: I'm on the higher end of the curve in this particular league, but I'm terribly inconsistent. I've improved on my spare shooting over the last couple of years, and it's added ten pins to my average.

Anyway, what it means is that if someone like me can stay in the pocket they can do well. But I'm just inconsistent enough to make that problematic.

You probably know where this is going.

First game: 257. I had a fair number of natural strikes, but lots of ten pins left standing. Of course, that's no problem. (The ten pin is the pin on the far right in the back row. Many right-handed bowlers have trouble with it, and I count myself firmly in that number.)

Next game: I left the ten pin on nearly every ball. Normally that would frustrate me to no end, especially since I'm not good at picking up the ten pin. But hey, it didn't matter today! Next thing I knew, I'd strung eight strikes. Then nine.

Gulp.

First ball of the tenth frame: I left the ten pin to applause from my teammates. Yeah, normally they'd groan, but this time it was cause for celebration!

Second ball of the tenth frame: Solid pocket shot. Left the ten pin. Oh, well. Much applause from my teammates, the opposing team, and a few others. I looked over at the next lane. The lead-off bowler on the other team had left a mess of pins on her first ball, and she was usually right there ready to take her second shot. I looked around (big mistake) and she was standing back off the lane. In fact, lots of people had stopped bowling to watch me.

Oy.

I shook like crazy as I walked down the approach, let go, and threw a horrible ball. I left the 3-6-7-10 for a 296 game. I choked. The game didn't count for any awards since it was no-tap (it would have if the strikes had been all natural - in my dreams!), but there was still a lot of pressure.

And, of course, I always fall apart right after bowling out of my head - except I didn't. I struck in every frame except the fifth (though I got my spare), and ended up with a 278. Had a lot of natural strikes that game, so it felt good.

My total was 831, and with handicap it was 906.

And that seven dollars? I cashed in with six of my partners: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th places. Also took the top prize in singles. Three of those sweeper prizes were shared with my teammates, who also bowled very well. In fact, as a team we took the top prize.

This sort of thing just does not happen to me. It was a major fluke. And just to prove it, I have to bowl in the sweeper for the other league tonight - nine-pin no-tap.

Arrrrgh.

Tags: Bowling