8/29 And so it begins...

FIRST NIGHT of fall-to-spring leagues, boy oh boy, the averages get set tonight.  I had been excited all week but was running late and arrived at 6:30 pm sharp at the Palace, which is shameful for me as I can see the Palace from my house!  We actually had company at home, since Joel's brother Sani and his family (wife Ghen, son AJ, daughter Debbie and golden retriever Mocha) came to visit from Brampton, Canada en route to AJ's Filipino youth basketball tournament in the Washington DC area.  I reluctantly left them - Joey was SO overjoyed to spend time with her cousins (including the four-legged cousin!).  But I did return back home right after league at 8:30 pm - did not play my usual additional 3-4 practice games after league tonight (bitin ako!).

THE SCATTERPINS:  I finally got to meet dear Ruby's team, the Scatterpins, that I got recruited into for the Wednesday Night Womens League.  We have Sadie, who bowls first, I bowl second, then we have Ann Marie who bowls third, and Ruth bowled as anchor.  Sadie and Ann Marie played in the summer league, so we knew each other and we were happy to be playing together!  Ruth was taking care of everything, I am thankful and so relieved.  After being team captain this summer for the IncrediBOWLs, it was new for me to just sit back and have someone else taken care of the monies, the line-up, etc.etc.  No handicaps tonight, since it is the first night and averages got set.  But I was so laid back I do not even know the name of the team we played against!  It was Lynn and Donna and two blind (absent) team mates, whatever their team name is....

Ruth was subbing for Ruby, who may be sitting out a lot of games as her feet are still badly swollen.  They kept her from playing all summer league, although she still was present at every game, taking care of all of us as league treasurer and holder of the money bags.  Sweet Shirley, who was league president this summer, is also sitting out games since she is scheduled to have surgery on her ankle.  Super sub Ruth actually only bowled tonight, but then will be out for knee work.  I am extremely lucky to be bowling as much as I do, and to not have my knees bothering me lately - I have constant reminders to keep myself healthy so I can keep on bowling!

AND SO IT BEGAN.  Nobody was taking advantage of the practice time except for Ann Marie and me (saving their energy for the game!), but my practice throws felt good, and I found my line pretty quickly (no adjustments from my initial stance).  Thank goodness coz practice was stopped after three minutes to start the games.  And boy did I start HOT!  Lynn from the opposing team called me a sandbagger coz I had all spares and strikes the first half of the first game.  Donna kept reminding me that I should keep my average low, so I could play above average the rest of league.  I said I don't always play so good, so I was going to milk it for as long as I can, I can suffer some other day....  Ann Marie said "keep on doing what you're doing" so I said I'll try. I could not keep it up, the open frames started coming (dreaded 10-pin, stupid splits), and in the end of the first game I had a 141 and the highest score amongst the 6 players in our pit.  This is above my 134 summer league average, and I was happy to get it, although of course it could have been higher if I had converted on my spares - I started so cleanly!  But of course I'll take it, whoo hoo!

SECOND GAME started with a good spare but then the curse of the open frame hit.  Ann Marie at one point just leaned over and said "Jing, go get us a hot strike". And I took the shot and gave her a strike!  OMG, did not think I could "deliver" on demand but it worked that one time (thanks to my notes on my adjustments, my trusty pink notebook, see picture attached).  Ann Marie tried again to ask me for a strike later in the second game and I was able to give her another strike!  Ann Marie is my lucky charm.  Those strikes allowed me to salvage the second game from the open frames and come up with another 141 game.  Am I consistent or what?

MY TRUSTY PINK NOTEBOOK: It is just one of those bound pocket journals with an elastic closure and lined pages, and I put in pink lines for board 20 (middle of the lane) and blue or green lines for the lane and board markings, so I could mark my stance (left foot position) with an asterisk) and my laydown point/target with an arrow.  I use two pages at a time, to note adjustments for both lanes used at league play.  This is good for me coz I get confused or forget, and needed a system to remember where I should stand on each lane, especially since the lanes do change and break down during play.  I would also note what positions were working or not for my spares.  For example, the scribbles in the bottom right say to adjust 2 boards per pin for the left side spares, since my original 3 boards/pin did not work for a 7-pin spare I had in the first game.  The notes on the 10-pin on the left hand side worked!  I actually did pretty good with my 6/10 pin spares tonight, but was a little disappointed with how I missed my 3-pins - unbelievable....

THIRD GAME did not start so good, and my Beast Ball started to not hook again.  Good thing I remembered GoPapa Joel telling me on Monday night after practice to try adjusting my gadget to cock my wrist more, as a means of getting Beast Ball to hook a bit more.  When I tried it, it worked!  This of course coincided with Ann Marie asking me to please "go get another hot strike coz we need one," and I delivered yet again!  Between the "hot strikes", and some "hard thought" and hard fought spares, I was able to play a 137 in the last game.  It was great to have the luxury of focusing on my own game, I hope to take better advantage of this as the league progresses.  Ann Marie got a 147, but everybody else was playing below their averages.  Sadie had scores in the 90-110 range, Ann Marie 's first two games were in the 120s and Ruth averaged in the 130s.  Our team did good, the Scatterpins swept our opponents!  We are winner!

IN CLOSING, my current league average is 139, and I was darn consistent tonight.  Am I "doomed" for rest of league?  It's a long league, I hope not, but I am happy to play well, and hope to get even better so I can reach my lofty goals of a 150+ average and a 200+ game!  I am a happy girl tonight, in love once again with my Beast Ball.  The Beastie delivered, I did better than my summer league average!  We'll see how long this honeymoon lasts...  I came so close to ordering yet another ball today, but not after tonight.  We'll see about next week (and the week after that, and the week after that...).  One of my goals is consistency though, which is why I am happy with how I did, and how I was able to take advantage of what I could do tonight.  More in store, more in store, I feel so blessed!

Tomorrow, we bowl again.  The lanes are calling, see y'all there!