Bowling Prowess

Well, as some of you may already know, I've been going to Strike Bethesda every Monday with a group of friends for the past several months every Monday to enjoy all-you-can-bowl night. For those that aren't aware, Strike Bethesda offers unlimited bowling for $18 from 8 PM until closing on Monday nights, and also have $.75 sliders and $.25 wings to really pull you in.

Needless to say, they had me at all-you-can-bowl and a group of anywhere from 8-13 of us head there every week. We've been there so much that now we're considered VIPs (yes, I know...it's sad) and they will give us at least two lanes regardless of how many people we have or how crowded the place is. Trust me, sometimes that's a good thing.

Anyway, while the weeks and weeks of bowling would usually mean someone should be good by now, I really haven't been displaying it all that much. I'll still throw a few silly games here and there (i.e. 170-180), I'm still no Ernie McCracken. That is, until this past Monday.

There were only 6 of us bowl this fateful night and things are looking gloomy as usually early on. I'm bowling my typically 120-130 range, I've got a stupid zit forming on my forehead from having worn my hat a couple days last week, and I've already killed 2 sliders and about 6 buffalo wings. Dismal, if nothing else. And then it happens. I have a 50 through 5 frames, and I've got a $5 side bet (apparently I have a gambling problem...at least that's what I read somewhere) with Edwin, who's got close to 80. And then the stikes begin. One. Then Two. Then a Third. At this point, I am forced to dance the running man on the alley...it's a group rule...though I likely would have done it anyway. Then comes the fourth. I had no dance lined up for this and really everyone didn't know what to do, as this doesn't usually happen. And then came the fifth. At this point, I felt it only appropriate to raise both hands in the air and yell, "I am the greatest bowler EVER." Perhaps a bit of an overstatement, but let's see you drop five strikes in a row. I botched the next throw but spared the final toss to give me a final score of 187. A record high for me since my all time top score of 194 from a couple years ago.

But tonight is where I turn the corner. I proceed to throw a 99 in the next game. YIKES. And then it is go time. The game starts of and the spares are flowing. Four of them in a row to be precise. Then two strikes. I've already busted 100 and it's the 6th frame. I've bet Edwin again (yes, I've heard) and now he's shitting his pants. But I'm not done. A quick spare and then I'm back on course with two straight strikes. The second one was a wobbly 10th pin that got knocked down as the grabber thing came down, but we'll take it. It's gonna be that type of game. I'm entering the 10th and 200 is eerily in sight.

I chuck the ball down the lane...it's looking like another strike...but, oh no. There's one pin remaining. My score is sitting at 199. It's an all-time high for me. I've marked on every frame thus far, and I'm sitting just this one pin away from the immortal 200. Don't patronize me, I have little to get excited about, and this is the best I have going right now...you're just jealous you weren't there.

The pressure is on. I throw my shot at it, and the streak continues. My tenth straight mark, and I'm sitting in the den of gods at 201. But I'm not done. One more throw. I chuck it down. The pressure is off. The 200 was reach. And I added another 9 on top for a total of 210. An all-time high for me and everyone within shouting distance. And $5 well earned. Perhaps bowling every Monday is actually doing more than making me more of a redneck. Then again, I am wearing a shirt right now that says "stupid" on it and has a finger pointing up at my face. Now that's a whole different story.