Last night was my first trip to the Ft. Wayne Women's Open.  All I wanted to do was make the cut and come back to bowl again tonight.  I have been struggling so badly this year that I really just wanted to stay clean and make the cut.  No crazy scores, just stay alive.  You bowl 4 games of qualifying and then they cut to the top 16 to come back and bowl the finals tonight.  I open up with a whopping 167 game, nothing to write home about....20 pins under average.  I knew most of it was nerves and I needed to focus.  I was able to regroup and bowl well enough to make the cut.  I'm being teased now by friends that I just waited to hear my name called and was so giddy that I don't even have a clue what place I qualified!  So, for now, I will wait and see what tonight brings......

Well, summer is over and I couldn't be happier! Back to school also means back to bowling and I embrace that with open arms. Yes, I have been bowling since leagues let out. I've been to Reno and Charlotte, I even took 4 kids to Buffalo NY for the inaugural USBC Youth Open (that should've been a separate blog!) and bowled in a youth/adult PBA Experience league. So, it's not like I hung up my shoes back in April and am starting off cold. But in a way, I am. I developed some bad habits over the summer, I believe it started in Reno at men's nationals. The lanes were so oily that I started doing things I thought were helping. Not so. Never broke 200 once, same goes for Charlotte, by then my confidence had suffered and I just felt confused. I struggled with about a 165 PBA Experience average and suffered some physical pain as well. It is true, the lanes are more challenging and I got knocked down to reality. Fast forward to Buffalo.....as many know, Thruway Lanes is where they held the youth open and it's also Liz Johnson's home center. So, I decided to take my equipment and my crappy game and seek some help. Upon arrival, there she was, along with Susan Jeziorski whom I learned is an absolute whiz behind the drill press. Sure enough, my thumb was drilled with an extreme reverse pitch and angled to the right, they were surprised I could even get out my ball, with or without pain. Anyway, they were able to fix it with a slug and I was in awe talking to 2 such superb women bowlers, that's the level I would love to be. Anyway, I have now thrown my ball with new life and meaning. Last Tuesday during practice I shot a 670, all games 200+. Felt very good, last night was our first night of league and I shot 629, again all games 200+. I ordered the brand new Ebonite NVS (hope to be the first one on the block to have one!). I hope that it doesn't take me as long to get my 2nd 700 as it took to get my first. My goal for the year is to have a 190 average, my coach says 195, 200 would be nice. We'll see what happens....I still have another couple weeks before my other league starts and high school season is right around the corner, go Lady Vikes!!!

April 4, 2007-

Started as any other Tuesday.  Talking a bunch of crap about betting my series against a friend's series for a drink the following night when we bowl on the same team.  (He bowls mens league on Tues, I bowl womens at a different center.  I bowl on a "men's" league on Wednesday that allows women to bowl as well.)  ....anyway....I have been trying to achieve my first 700 for the whole year.  I have had high 600's before but never that 700.  One Sunday a couple months ago, I actually even shot a 699 (damn 10 pin, anyway!).  Still short of my "7"...well, I told Jim (my betting buddy) that today was it, I was shooting my 700 come hell or high water....well, first game I come up with a 266.  10 strikes total that game, strung 8 together beating my previous high of 7 in a row.  Start next game with first 4, couple spares, few more strikes for a 236.  Then I start thinking....oh God, I may actually do it.  All the while Jim and I were texting back and forth as I was sharing my Randy Pedersen inspired commentary.  (Turns out, it was Jim's night to sit out so I would've won by default).  I start 3rd game with a turkey, few spares, then my head starts thinking.  What kind of time for THAT to start happening???  Then I whiff a 10 pin-open.  Next frame 4-9, don't convert.  I start thinking (again) "I'm going to blow it again!".  This whole time, I never added up to figure out what I needed to do it.  Done that enough times to know THAT is the kiss of death!  Couple more spares, struck 9th frame, first ball of the 10th too.  Second ball of the 10th, I leave a 10 pin.  Oh no, it's going to come down to that damn 10 pin again, isn't it?  I look back at my teammate who assured me I already had it, I didn't even need to pick up the spare.  She already knew all I needed was a 198.  I ended with a 703 (oh yeah, I missed that final 10 pin too!).  I think some good hard 10 pin practice is in order this weekend.  I leave for Reno a week from tomorrow to compete in my first ever men's nationals (USBC Open, whatever....).  Hopefully I'll come back with a follow up titled my second 700, or maybe my 1st 300........