Gutter Ball Turkey

I went bowling with the family yesterday. 

We had a fun time laughing at each other. 

No one took the game seriously.

These days it seems that no one knows how to keep score because a machine does it all for you.  The machine counts how many pins were knocked down and then calculates the scores.

But I remember how to count the pins and how to add the strikes and spares.  I remember where to put the ball to make it hit the pins just right.  I can even tell you what is wrong with your stance and who should go first when two bowlers approach the lane.  You see while other little girls went to ballet, gymnastics or tap dance, I went bowling (Actually I did those other three things as well but I never had much rhythm). 

I bowled every Saturday morning of the school year for 10 years.  I was often the only girl on my team.  I owned my own ball (it had purple swirls), shoes, rosin bag, towel and bowling bag.  My average was 150 and my highest score was 225 - not bad.  I loved to bowl.  I competed in some tournaments as well as my league and I had lots of trophies to prove it.  During these times the high score on the above score sheet would have been a little bit of an embarrasment for me.

This is no longer the case.

The trophies were given away when my Mom made me keep them at my own house.

The bowling ball, bag and shoes were given to charity a number of years after getting married.  A bowling ball is pretty heavy to lug around when you aren't bowling regularly and need to move - AGAIN.  

No, these days I would have been very happy with a 101.

I would have even been happy with the 73 or the 72 or the 64. . .

Yes, it's true, I must admit my shame. . .

It seems that remembering how to bowl is not enough because you have to actually hit the pins.