Tonight's blog will be short and sweet
Coz I gotta catch up on my sleep!
My Scatterpins played the BOB:
Lynn, Dianne's blind, Donna and sweet Kitty
My team was missing dear Ann Marie (get well soon!)
Playing were Sadie, Beth, Ruth and me
The GutterGirls played the "ghosts" next to us
Doing badly, they were in a rush (the "Russian Gutter Girls"...LOL)!
When Coach Ruth slowed them down, they did better
"No Rushing" (as in Russia...) = we must remember!
The BOB played well, took the first game
I got no strikes and my spare shooting was lame
I realized late, I need to loft the ball more
I started low, but vowed to get a better score!
My Beast Ball, for spares, I was not trusting (brought out my Pinky spare ball...)
But my spare play continued to be disgusting
When I finally listened to dear Ruth and Sadie
My Beast Ball delivered spares, strikes and a turkey!
After the first game, me and my dear Scatterpins
Played well and ended up with three wins!
For all three games, Sadie's score was 126 (what are the odds?)
Beth and I were glad, that by the end of the night, our games we were able to fix!
So when playing bad I need to stop rushing (Russian!)
And my strike ball I need to keep trustin'
These lessons from tonight I must remember
Coz they really helped me to play much better....
My scores tonight were 127, 152 and 167, for a 446 series and a 148 average for the night. This should increase my league average by one point to 134 = whoo hoo, inching upward! Spent a lot of time at practice getting re-acquainted with my Pinky spare ball, but in the end did better with Beast Ball on my spares. I need to be trusting my ball and my ability to throw it well. Glad I was able to recover from a not-so-good start tonight too, as it gives me confidence that I can find quick fixes and get better as the games progress. Need to keep fighting, fighting, fighting for each pin, I always say!
Enjoy, y'all, and see you at the lanes!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
2/20 "Blogworthy"
Tonight my beloved Scatterpins were up against the Gutter Girls at the Downingtown Palace Wednesday Night Womens League. Both my teammates Ruth and Ann Marie were out, so it was Sadie and me (with Ruby's and Ruth's blind scores) playing for the Scatterpins against Gutter Girls Mary, Gail, Maggie and Karen. I was a little worried about how I would play tonight, since I did so dismally at Friday's Philly Pinoy League. I prayed that my Sunday morning practice took care of my timing problems, and improved my spare-shooting. My practice throws felt good, and so the games were on: we were going home early tonight with only two Scatterpins playing, yeah!
Game 1 was close, and it took a few frames before Sadie and I got our groove. Boy, did sweet ole Sadie put on a show: she converted on a virtually impossible 1,2,10-split and then got a 9-pin spare with her ball kissing the gutter the whole way! Gail wins the red hot mama award though: she had four straight strikes and ended up with a 160 game, way to go! The Gutter Girls took Game 1, with Maggie commenting that they won because of her! They won by a slim margin of 11 pins. Hmm, maybe if we can turn it up a notch, Sadie and I can pull off a win. We could only hope, and fight, fight, fight!
So Game 2 began and Sadie and I were making our marks, whoo hoo! I was feeling lucky so I got ten 50/50 raffle tickets from Sherry and three 50/50 raffle tickets from Angela, all the while telling them that I had the winning tickets. As the second game progressed, the Scatterpins started to pull away from the Gutter Girls. Unbelievably when the winning ticket for the Downingtown Ladies League was called, I had the winning ticket! I won a whopping pot of $44, hallelujah! Then I had to go back and finish the 10th frame. Wonder of wonders, we won the second game by more than 60 pins. And so the third game began....
During the second game I had asked the Gutter Girls for their email addresses so I could send them the link to this blog. After that so many things were looking truly blogworthy. Maybe I unwittingly inspired the Gutter Girls to some pretty awesome play! In the third game, Gail and Mary were making some impossible spares and throwing their share of strikes. Maggie was getting the hang of her new ball, and even threw a double! She ended up with two awesome 120+ games, what a performance. Karen was making strikes and spares galore, having found a fix to her earlier wayward ball (strong follow-through, apparently!), and she ended up with a stellar 167 game, wow! We had to concede the third game to the Gutter Girls, they literally clobbered us. And since they also took total pins, we lost to them tonight, 3 games to 1. A blogworthy win for the Gutter Girls = great job, you all played well! And it was such fun playing with y'all tonight!
All night, I continued to leave and continued to miss the darn 10-pin, how frustrating! As dear Ruby said, my team coach Ruth would have rapped me in the butt a few times for not trusting my ball. While my first two games gave me scores of 147 and 141, in the end I barely scored above my league average of 133 in the third game (got a 134). Not too bad, I guess, to have a night's average of 140 and a 422 series, a performance that allows me to maintain my league average of 133. My timing is back and I threw a couple of nice looking strikes, but my spare shooting needs more work. I did stick to just using my Beast Ball tonight, and may stick to using just one ball per night moving forward. I guess I can't complain, and I remain hopeful I will continue to improve.
See y'all at the lanes!
Game 1 was close, and it took a few frames before Sadie and I got our groove. Boy, did sweet ole Sadie put on a show: she converted on a virtually impossible 1,2,10-split and then got a 9-pin spare with her ball kissing the gutter the whole way! Gail wins the red hot mama award though: she had four straight strikes and ended up with a 160 game, way to go! The Gutter Girls took Game 1, with Maggie commenting that they won because of her! They won by a slim margin of 11 pins. Hmm, maybe if we can turn it up a notch, Sadie and I can pull off a win. We could only hope, and fight, fight, fight!
So Game 2 began and Sadie and I were making our marks, whoo hoo! I was feeling lucky so I got ten 50/50 raffle tickets from Sherry and three 50/50 raffle tickets from Angela, all the while telling them that I had the winning tickets. As the second game progressed, the Scatterpins started to pull away from the Gutter Girls. Unbelievably when the winning ticket for the Downingtown Ladies League was called, I had the winning ticket! I won a whopping pot of $44, hallelujah! Then I had to go back and finish the 10th frame. Wonder of wonders, we won the second game by more than 60 pins. And so the third game began....
During the second game I had asked the Gutter Girls for their email addresses so I could send them the link to this blog. After that so many things were looking truly blogworthy. Maybe I unwittingly inspired the Gutter Girls to some pretty awesome play! In the third game, Gail and Mary were making some impossible spares and throwing their share of strikes. Maggie was getting the hang of her new ball, and even threw a double! She ended up with two awesome 120+ games, what a performance. Karen was making strikes and spares galore, having found a fix to her earlier wayward ball (strong follow-through, apparently!), and she ended up with a stellar 167 game, wow! We had to concede the third game to the Gutter Girls, they literally clobbered us. And since they also took total pins, we lost to them tonight, 3 games to 1. A blogworthy win for the Gutter Girls = great job, you all played well! And it was such fun playing with y'all tonight!
All night, I continued to leave and continued to miss the darn 10-pin, how frustrating! As dear Ruby said, my team coach Ruth would have rapped me in the butt a few times for not trusting my ball. While my first two games gave me scores of 147 and 141, in the end I barely scored above my league average of 133 in the third game (got a 134). Not too bad, I guess, to have a night's average of 140 and a 422 series, a performance that allows me to maintain my league average of 133. My timing is back and I threw a couple of nice looking strikes, but my spare shooting needs more work. I did stick to just using my Beast Ball tonight, and may stick to using just one ball per night moving forward. I guess I can't complain, and I remain hopeful I will continue to improve.
See y'all at the lanes!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
2/13 Love from the Lanes
With tonight being the night before Valentine's Day, I was hopeful that getting some "love from the lanes" was in the stars for my dear Scatterpins. We were up against the PinPals (Sandy, Carole, Jackie and Bette) who always seem to do so well against us. I had seen Carole and Jackie on Sunday morning when I practiced. They had played the 9-pin no-tap tournament and Carole prebowled since she was going to be out of town. Her first game had been a whopping 171 (Jackie's game that Sunday had been a 180 = thank goodness she was not prebowling...). And since Carole bowls second like I do, the challenge was for me to play as well as she did = ayayay, let's see what the bowling gods give me tonight!
In the meantime the score sheets from last week were reflecting just how well the Scatterpins did against the Pathetics last week: we had actually logged the highest team game and highest team series = way to go, team! Sherry was asking how come we had to do that good against them, to which I said that they had "inspired us". So of course I was hopeful for some good inspiration tonight as well!
Since Carole prebowled and Bette eventually sent word that she was not going to play tonight, we played against Sandy, Carole's prebowl scores, Jackie and Bette's blind score. It was Sadie, me, Ann Marie and Ruth playing for the Scatterpins. Since my resurrected Beast Ball served me well last week, I started off with it this week. And boy did my Beastie deliver again, as my first game was a 165. Love, love, love = I was getting love from the lanes tonight! Alas, so were the PinPals, so as we struggled to keep the pin falls close, the pins kept falling for the Pin Pals, who eventually clinched the first game. They must have been inspired by Carole's super awesome prebowl play. It's painful when the pin falls fall mainly for the PinPals = try saying that fast three times.... Shrug it off and keep fighting, my Scatterpins!
Alas, I got struck by the dreaded "curse of the open frame" in the second game. And boy was the curse contagious as the Scatterpins struggled to keep up with the PinPals. I got so disgusted with my Beast Ball not hooking from the second arrow, and also with how I was somehow struggling with my right hand spares (gutterball delights, uggh), that I brought out Spinderella, which promptly "rewarded" me with a 6-7-10 split = not good. On Ruth's prompting, I switched back to my Beastie Babe, and by adjusting more to the left and throwing more to the middle of the lane, I started getting more marks, hallelujah! Ann Marie was throwing her share of marks, and the little "pin bump" spares inspired us to do little celebratory double-high-fives-followed-by-hip-bumps: my hot mama team mate had to carefully and demurely do the hip bumps, so as not to send me flying into the next pit... Of course each celebration brought about fits of giggles = love it, love it, love it... Hey, if that's what it's gonna take for us to get marks, then we should high five and hip bump all night long, whoa! Unfortunately, the hip bumps could not save us from losing the second game to the Pin Pals. I played a dismal 123, which could have been worst if I had not started getting marks in the last 4 frames and fought back in the last frame. Have faith in the Beast Ball, I told myself, and focus, focus, focus!
The third game had the momentum shifting to the Scatterpins: hey, maybe there is some magic in those hip bumps after all... We all started with strikes and marks, and both Ann Marie and I got doubles in the first two frames = celebration, baby! Finally we were pulling away from the PinPals, although Sandy and Jackie hang in there and kept it close. My faith in the Beast Ball was rewarded with a good 177 game, and my Scatterpins showed their stellar sides by playing at and above their averages, winning the third game, yahoo! Unfortunately, we lost total pins by a heartbreaking ONE PIN. Ruth had been under pressure in the last frame to get those precious pin falls, as she narrowly missed a 500 series by one pin, although she had played above her average for all three games. It was THAT CLOSE. Oh well, we win some, we lose some, then we live to fight another day. Great play, everyone, I had a blast playing with y'all!
So my happy streak from early February of playing with 150+ average at league nights continues, as tonight I had games of 165, 123 and 177, for a 155 average and 465 series. My league average should improve to 133 after tonight: it's inching upward, whoo hoo! But my take home lessons are to stick with my Beast Ball, to make the right adjustments early, and to work on my spares. We will make sure we address those at Philly Pinoy league on Friday and at my next practice session. With Ruth out of town next week, my team has the assignment to whack me on the head if I decide to switch balls away from my Beastie. next week Since I am loving up my Beastie tonight, the possibility of a whacking next week is remote (but we shall see...).
I have to thank my newest bowling angel/guru Kevin. When I saw him at Donna's pro shop when I had picked up my Beast Ball, he had inspired me by telling me that I am a better player than my average reflects. What a difference those words have made: I am better, I am good, I am a student of the game = what confidence those words have given me! Believing that I can play well has made me play better = what a gift that is. Kevin's earlier comments to me on decreasing the size of my first step, I had incorporated into my approach with immediate results (better balance, straighter walking, more consistency). And at practice this Sunday, I got a few more pointers from Kevin on moving to the left as the lanes broke down (hey, that saved my second and third games tonight!), leaning forward at my stance and holding the ball's weight in my left hand, and even the simple act of carrying the ball with both hands (not by the holes!) and sliding it into my hand when I was in position on the lanes. I actually bowled with no braces tonight: none on my knee, and none on my elbow, and I feel fine, no pain, and I am convinced it was the simple change in how I handle my ball that made the difference. I am so glad I ran into Kevin on my way home, so I was able to thank him in person. I have more work to do, but Kevin has given me more things to think about, more things to try, more things to learn and do and add to my game. My happy streak continues, thank you so much!
I love this game, and tonight I felt love from the lanes, hallelujah, how I love playing well! I am surrounded by bowling angels, and am constantly reminded of how blessed I am to have found my beloved Wednesday Night Ladies league. I am committed to improving and am seeing results. We are a happy, happy girl (hmm, my grammar teachers would have a fit over that statement....).
Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! See y'all at the lanes!
In the meantime the score sheets from last week were reflecting just how well the Scatterpins did against the Pathetics last week: we had actually logged the highest team game and highest team series = way to go, team! Sherry was asking how come we had to do that good against them, to which I said that they had "inspired us". So of course I was hopeful for some good inspiration tonight as well!
Since Carole prebowled and Bette eventually sent word that she was not going to play tonight, we played against Sandy, Carole's prebowl scores, Jackie and Bette's blind score. It was Sadie, me, Ann Marie and Ruth playing for the Scatterpins. Since my resurrected Beast Ball served me well last week, I started off with it this week. And boy did my Beastie deliver again, as my first game was a 165. Love, love, love = I was getting love from the lanes tonight! Alas, so were the PinPals, so as we struggled to keep the pin falls close, the pins kept falling for the Pin Pals, who eventually clinched the first game. They must have been inspired by Carole's super awesome prebowl play. It's painful when the pin falls fall mainly for the PinPals = try saying that fast three times.... Shrug it off and keep fighting, my Scatterpins!
Alas, I got struck by the dreaded "curse of the open frame" in the second game. And boy was the curse contagious as the Scatterpins struggled to keep up with the PinPals. I got so disgusted with my Beast Ball not hooking from the second arrow, and also with how I was somehow struggling with my right hand spares (gutterball delights, uggh), that I brought out Spinderella, which promptly "rewarded" me with a 6-7-10 split = not good. On Ruth's prompting, I switched back to my Beastie Babe, and by adjusting more to the left and throwing more to the middle of the lane, I started getting more marks, hallelujah! Ann Marie was throwing her share of marks, and the little "pin bump" spares inspired us to do little celebratory double-high-fives-followed-by-hip-bumps: my hot mama team mate had to carefully and demurely do the hip bumps, so as not to send me flying into the next pit... Of course each celebration brought about fits of giggles = love it, love it, love it... Hey, if that's what it's gonna take for us to get marks, then we should high five and hip bump all night long, whoa! Unfortunately, the hip bumps could not save us from losing the second game to the Pin Pals. I played a dismal 123, which could have been worst if I had not started getting marks in the last 4 frames and fought back in the last frame. Have faith in the Beast Ball, I told myself, and focus, focus, focus!
The third game had the momentum shifting to the Scatterpins: hey, maybe there is some magic in those hip bumps after all... We all started with strikes and marks, and both Ann Marie and I got doubles in the first two frames = celebration, baby! Finally we were pulling away from the PinPals, although Sandy and Jackie hang in there and kept it close. My faith in the Beast Ball was rewarded with a good 177 game, and my Scatterpins showed their stellar sides by playing at and above their averages, winning the third game, yahoo! Unfortunately, we lost total pins by a heartbreaking ONE PIN. Ruth had been under pressure in the last frame to get those precious pin falls, as she narrowly missed a 500 series by one pin, although she had played above her average for all three games. It was THAT CLOSE. Oh well, we win some, we lose some, then we live to fight another day. Great play, everyone, I had a blast playing with y'all!
So my happy streak from early February of playing with 150+ average at league nights continues, as tonight I had games of 165, 123 and 177, for a 155 average and 465 series. My league average should improve to 133 after tonight: it's inching upward, whoo hoo! But my take home lessons are to stick with my Beast Ball, to make the right adjustments early, and to work on my spares. We will make sure we address those at Philly Pinoy league on Friday and at my next practice session. With Ruth out of town next week, my team has the assignment to whack me on the head if I decide to switch balls away from my Beastie. next week Since I am loving up my Beastie tonight, the possibility of a whacking next week is remote (but we shall see...).
I have to thank my newest bowling angel/guru Kevin. When I saw him at Donna's pro shop when I had picked up my Beast Ball, he had inspired me by telling me that I am a better player than my average reflects. What a difference those words have made: I am better, I am good, I am a student of the game = what confidence those words have given me! Believing that I can play well has made me play better = what a gift that is. Kevin's earlier comments to me on decreasing the size of my first step, I had incorporated into my approach with immediate results (better balance, straighter walking, more consistency). And at practice this Sunday, I got a few more pointers from Kevin on moving to the left as the lanes broke down (hey, that saved my second and third games tonight!), leaning forward at my stance and holding the ball's weight in my left hand, and even the simple act of carrying the ball with both hands (not by the holes!) and sliding it into my hand when I was in position on the lanes. I actually bowled with no braces tonight: none on my knee, and none on my elbow, and I feel fine, no pain, and I am convinced it was the simple change in how I handle my ball that made the difference. I am so glad I ran into Kevin on my way home, so I was able to thank him in person. I have more work to do, but Kevin has given me more things to think about, more things to try, more things to learn and do and add to my game. My happy streak continues, thank you so much!
I love this game, and tonight I felt love from the lanes, hallelujah, how I love playing well! I am surrounded by bowling angels, and am constantly reminded of how blessed I am to have found my beloved Wednesday Night Ladies league. I am committed to improving and am seeing results. We are a happy, happy girl (hmm, my grammar teachers would have a fit over that statement....).
Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! See y'all at the lanes!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
2/6 Beast Ball Resurrected
What a difference a week makes! So last week at Wednesday Night Ladies League, I bowled at my 130 average and was pondering on my potential need to resurrect my old Beast Ball DV8 Misfit, which was a beast on medium oil league conditions over the summer. In the meantime, I did not do too bad with my good ole Spinderella Ebonite Cyclone at my unsanctioned Friday night league (please see my BowlStar Blog), where I could not maintain a 162 ("ridicurous") average but was happy to bowl a 431 series, dropping to a (I'll take it!) 153 average = we're a BowlStar, baby! Not too shabby....
Saturday had me driving over to Pottstown to see my pro shop professional and unofficial/future coach Donna Roberts. She had succeeded in resurrecting my Beast Ball, my magenta and yellow (neon bright!) DV8 Misfit, to a shiny like-new condition, except for a few black marks from my see saw which were too deep to be erased. I could not wait to throw my old friend down the lanes - it is, after all, my first fingertip ball, my first 11-lb ball, and I love and hate the darn thing but had high hopes for its return. But since Saturday was earmarked for (finally) taking down my Christmas decorations (yup, shameful to still have them up so close to Valentine's Day...), the lanes had to wait.
But bright and early Sunday morning (darn, it was hard to get out of bed....), i got 4 practice games in at the Palace between 10-11 am, after shovelling the dusting of snow on my driveway. Oooh, I was loving up my Beast Ball again, and was now torn between my Beast and my Spinderella (twin ball to Ann Marie's) which has served me well these past months. I also resurrected my original 10-lb spare ball, which I now call Pinky (as in Pinky and the Brain...), and did well with spares with her at Sunday practice. Hmmm, three balls: it was going to be a workout just hauling these to the lanes. I remembered to wrap Beastie in a white towel in my bowling bag (diaper!) to prevent any further color bleed that may beast it up even more, the little sponge....
Tonight at Wednesday Night Ladies League, the Scatterpins were up against the formidable Pathetics. Our lineup had Sadie, me, Ann Marie (missed you last week, girl! glad you are back!) and Ruth. It was Sherry, Angela's prebowl, Anjeanette subbing for Barb, and Mary Anne for the Pathetics. Both Ann Marie and Ruth apparently had stellar nights at Monday league, but Mary Ann and Angela have two of the three highest averages in the league, and Sherry had been playing well, so we were in for a fight.
And boy, did we FIGHT! We got our groove quickly in the first game, all of us playing above our averages. Looking good... We continued playing even better in the second game, which we needed to do since the Pathetics were starting to make their marks. Got two games down. It was neck and neck in the third game, and the scratch score looked like the Pathetics won it, but with our handicap added in, we actually swept the Pathetics 4-0. Way to go, Scatterpins! I am so proud and happy of how we played. Sweet Sadie hang in there, struggling in the 2nd and 3rd game but fighting for each pin. I am so very proud of her, she did not give up! Ann Marie was a super red hot mama, with a 466 series and all scores above her average. Shall I say I told you so, my bowling angel with my Spinderella's twin sister? I knew your breakthrough moment would come, Donna would be so proud of you as well! And Ruth had a 530+ series, and a 200 game, well on her way to having one of the highest averages in our league.
It was fun playing the Pathetics, as always, too bad we missed Angela tonight. Sherry is always a hoot, but the pins were just not falling her way tonight. Anjeanette ended strong with a turkey, and fought hard for every mark - glad you could join us! Mary Ann is always a strong competitor, giving us a run for our money.
Ruth almost got a "6-pack" from all of us missing our 5-pin spares = in the end she only had a "5-pack" coz the last 5-pin spare was one of hers, and she wanted the spare more than the 6-pack...too funny! Glad you got the spare instead!
Dear Shirley was back from Florida and I did not recognize her with her lovely shorter do. She had her long hair shorn for Locks of Love, such an awesome cause, and such an amazing and wonderful woman!
So in the end, my Beast Ball delivered for me, giving me games of 156, 172 and 148 for an average of 158 and a 476 series. It is my best ever performance at Wednesday Night Fall League and will increase my league average to 132. My Pinky Poo spare ball messed with my brain and let me down, I could not hit the 10-pin with it somehow tonight. But I was hitting the 10-pin with Beast Ball more than 50% of the time, something to continue to work on, for sure. I did switch to Spinderella in the middle of the 3rd game, when I got tired of open frames with ole Beastie hooking more in the changing lanes. I got a double with Spinderella but then kept missing my spares with it, and so switched back to Beast Ball for the final frame and was able to get 19 pins for a good finish.
I am really encouraged by my performance, but also wonder if my luck was brought about by my lucky "disco ball" bowling earrings which I had gotten from my last cruise. I had been wearing them to my Friday Filipino league and wore them tonight too. Nah...they are sparkly, but not a factor, except in my brain. It most probably is a combination of my hard work and regular practice paying off, my confidence increasing (got a good boost from my visit to Donna!), my team playing so well and being so supportive, and my Beast Ball delivering for me. Whatever the magic is, I feel blessed to be under its power. This normally happy girl is super happy tonight, and looking forward to even more happy times on the lanes.
Here is a picture of me bowling last Friday. Notice the brace on my knee and elbow = I am falling apart! Thank goodness for McNeil drugs (Motrin and Tylenol). I need to take care of myself so I can continue to bowl into my golden years.
Bowl happy, folks, and see you at the lanes!
 |
| Beast Ball Resurrected! |
But bright and early Sunday morning (darn, it was hard to get out of bed....), i got 4 practice games in at the Palace between 10-11 am, after shovelling the dusting of snow on my driveway. Oooh, I was loving up my Beast Ball again, and was now torn between my Beast and my Spinderella (twin ball to Ann Marie's) which has served me well these past months. I also resurrected my original 10-lb spare ball, which I now call Pinky (as in Pinky and the Brain...), and did well with spares with her at Sunday practice. Hmmm, three balls: it was going to be a workout just hauling these to the lanes. I remembered to wrap Beastie in a white towel in my bowling bag (diaper!) to prevent any further color bleed that may beast it up even more, the little sponge....
Tonight at Wednesday Night Ladies League, the Scatterpins were up against the formidable Pathetics. Our lineup had Sadie, me, Ann Marie (missed you last week, girl! glad you are back!) and Ruth. It was Sherry, Angela's prebowl, Anjeanette subbing for Barb, and Mary Anne for the Pathetics. Both Ann Marie and Ruth apparently had stellar nights at Monday league, but Mary Ann and Angela have two of the three highest averages in the league, and Sherry had been playing well, so we were in for a fight.
And boy, did we FIGHT! We got our groove quickly in the first game, all of us playing above our averages. Looking good... We continued playing even better in the second game, which we needed to do since the Pathetics were starting to make their marks. Got two games down. It was neck and neck in the third game, and the scratch score looked like the Pathetics won it, but with our handicap added in, we actually swept the Pathetics 4-0. Way to go, Scatterpins! I am so proud and happy of how we played. Sweet Sadie hang in there, struggling in the 2nd and 3rd game but fighting for each pin. I am so very proud of her, she did not give up! Ann Marie was a super red hot mama, with a 466 series and all scores above her average. Shall I say I told you so, my bowling angel with my Spinderella's twin sister? I knew your breakthrough moment would come, Donna would be so proud of you as well! And Ruth had a 530+ series, and a 200 game, well on her way to having one of the highest averages in our league.
It was fun playing the Pathetics, as always, too bad we missed Angela tonight. Sherry is always a hoot, but the pins were just not falling her way tonight. Anjeanette ended strong with a turkey, and fought hard for every mark - glad you could join us! Mary Ann is always a strong competitor, giving us a run for our money.
Ruth almost got a "6-pack" from all of us missing our 5-pin spares = in the end she only had a "5-pack" coz the last 5-pin spare was one of hers, and she wanted the spare more than the 6-pack...too funny! Glad you got the spare instead!
Dear Shirley was back from Florida and I did not recognize her with her lovely shorter do. She had her long hair shorn for Locks of Love, such an awesome cause, and such an amazing and wonderful woman!
So in the end, my Beast Ball delivered for me, giving me games of 156, 172 and 148 for an average of 158 and a 476 series. It is my best ever performance at Wednesday Night Fall League and will increase my league average to 132. My Pinky Poo spare ball messed with my brain and let me down, I could not hit the 10-pin with it somehow tonight. But I was hitting the 10-pin with Beast Ball more than 50% of the time, something to continue to work on, for sure. I did switch to Spinderella in the middle of the 3rd game, when I got tired of open frames with ole Beastie hooking more in the changing lanes. I got a double with Spinderella but then kept missing my spares with it, and so switched back to Beast Ball for the final frame and was able to get 19 pins for a good finish. I am really encouraged by my performance, but also wonder if my luck was brought about by my lucky "disco ball" bowling earrings which I had gotten from my last cruise. I had been wearing them to my Friday Filipino league and wore them tonight too. Nah...they are sparkly, but not a factor, except in my brain. It most probably is a combination of my hard work and regular practice paying off, my confidence increasing (got a good boost from my visit to Donna!), my team playing so well and being so supportive, and my Beast Ball delivering for me. Whatever the magic is, I feel blessed to be under its power. This normally happy girl is super happy tonight, and looking forward to even more happy times on the lanes. 
Here is a picture of me bowling last Friday. Notice the brace on my knee and elbow = I am falling apart! Thank goodness for McNeil drugs (Motrin and Tylenol). I need to take care of myself so I can continue to bowl into my golden years.Bowl happy, folks, and see you at the lanes!