Bowling update:

This week was a difficult week at the bowling alley. After somebody decided to relieve me of all my bowling equipment, including 3 balls, two pairs of shoes and a rolling bag, I was forced to climb into the attic for some older equipment.

When I began warming up, it was pretty apparent that I would not have as easy a time as I have had in previous weeks. Here's the skinny:

Game 1
1.9-spare
2.9-spare
3.Strike
4.Strike
5.6-spare
6.Strike
7.Strike
8.Strike
9.8-1 open
10.9-spare, Strike

The first game was 211 and all three 9 counts were 10-pins. It could have been much worse and much better all at the same time.

Game 2
1.9-spare
2.9-spare
3.Strike
4.Strike
5.9-spare
6.Strike
7.9-whiff-I missed my first 10 pin of the night.
8.9-spare
9.6-spare
10.Strike, Strike, 9.

I got two big strikes in the 10th frame to squeak out a 201.

Game 3
1.Strike
2.9-spare
3.9-spare
4.Strike
5.Strike
6.9-whiff-missed my 2nd 10 pin of the night.
7.Strike
8.9-whiff-missed my 3rd 10 pin of the night.
9.Strike
10.Strike, Strike, 8.

202 for the 3rd game and the pattern continued. I was throwing the ball pretty well, I just couldn't seem to carry the 10 pin on any type of consistent basis. I left a total of 9 10 pins and missed three of those, otherwise it would have been a typical, just a bit above average night. Instead, with no carry, I shot a bit below my average for the first time in many weeks.

Oh well, for the most part, I was pleased. I threw the ball really good and, although I missed entirely too many spares, it wasn't a difficult night on the lanes. I made a good adjustment early and bowled pretty well, except for the lapses in concentration while shooting at the ten pin. (or in the gutter, whichever way you prefer to look at it)

That's all for this week.

G

Bad Night, Bad Week

This recap is a bit late due to some ass-hat breaking into my truck and stealing a bunch of stuff. I simply haven't had the time to update here this week, what with running all over OKC trying to get the window replaced in my truck. That and the heaviest thunderstorm of the season pouring down some much needed rain here left me little time to blog.

Tuesday night was a good night and a bad night all wrapped up in one. First off, we won four games from the 2nd place team in our league and they were not very happy about it. We climbed above the .500 level for the season for the first time in quite a few weeks with the sweep and are solidly in the middle of the pack with just two weeks remaining.

Unfortunately, the robbers took all of my bowling equipment out of my truck, so I will be bowling with old equipment for the last two weeks while waiting to see just how bad the insurance company tries to screw us when all is said and done there.

The lanes are definitely getting tougher as we near the end of the league. Normally, it is just the opposite, as the house generally puts up an easy shot at the start of league and the end of league, in hopes of attracting more bowlers for their summer leagues. Anyway, the shot has tightened up and it is obvious by the scores throughout the league.

Game 1
1.9-spare
2.9-spare
3.9-spare
4.Strike
5.Strike
6.9-spare
7.Strike
8.Strike
9.Seven-nil-split.
10.Strike,6-3

I got a little lost at the end and was not able to recover, shooting 197, my first game under 200 in the last five weeks. It would not be my last game under 200 on this night though.

Game 2
1.7-2 - split
2.Strike
3.Strike
4.Strike
5.Strike
6.Strike
7.Strike
8.Strike
9.Strike
10.Strike, 9-spare

Much better this time around, finishing with 268 and feeling like I actually had a shot heading into the last game of shooting my fourth 700 in the last five weeks.

Wrong!

Game 3
1.7-2 - split
2.8-1 - split
3.9-spare
4.8-spare
5.9-spare
6.Strike
7.9-spare
8.9-nil-missing a single pin is unforgivable.
9.8-spare
10.Strike, 8-spare.

Really nice, 162 in my out-game and I miss my average by three sticks for the night. I'm not sure what happened the last game, other than I didn't throw the ball very well and I didn't carry when I did hit the pocket. I chalk it up to one of those nights. The lack of concentration is inexcusable for a bowler with my experience and missing a single pin is simply lack of concentration on my part.

No bad beats, just bad bowling. Hopefully it will be better next week, but with one of my older bowling balls, that remains to be seen.

Have a good week.

G

Another 700

Well, I had another good night at the bowling alley last night and my team was succesful as well, going 3 and 1 on the night. Last week, when I played hookie and stayed home to play poker, they, of course, won 4 while bowling me blind. They all bowled really well the previous week and decided to give me a ration of shit before last night's festivities got under way.

Following the good natured teasing from my buddies, I proceeded to kick them all square in the junk.

224-248-242 for a 714 series.

Again, I raised my average another stick and am sitting squarely at 210 per game with three short weeks left in the season. I would rather have the average higher than that, but since I am only bowling one night per week now, I am still pretty happy with 210.


Game 1
1.Strike
2.Strike
3.Strike
4.Strike
5.9-spare
6.Strike
7.8-1-chopped the 6-10 after a bad first ball.
8.8-1-another bad pitch, split this time.
9.Strike
10.Strike, strike, Eight.

I came back well from two bad frames and finished with 224, then I get up for my first ball of the next game and do the exact same thing as the 7th and 8th frame of the first game.

Game 2
1.7-2-right through the nose and an ugly split.
2.9-spare.
3.Strike
4.9-spare.
5.Strike
6.Strike
7.Strike
8.Strike
9.Strike
10.Strike, strike, Nine.

Again, I finished strong for a 248 and I am on a good roll heading into the last game.

Game 3
1.9-spare-my only 10 pin of the night.
2.9-spare-seven pin that definitely should have carried.
3.Strike
4.Strike
5.Strike
6.Strike
7.9-spare
8.5-spare-my ball did something funny here and stayed right and left the 1-2-4-6-10 washout, but I covered it.
9.Strike
10.Strike, strike, Nine.

Again, but for a few little hiccups along the way, I could have really shot a big series last night. Still, with the 242 in the last game, I shot 714 overall and I am very happy with that.

That's all for this week, see you next Wednesday.

G

Nada

No update coming this week as I had a buddy sub for me and I stayed home and played Pokah!

Karaoke Gear

These are the microphones that we use for our shows. Sturdy Shure corded SM58's for the singers, the wireless headset for my wife and the wireless handheld for me. They are all good mic's and we have had them for a long time.

--

This new floor monitor was actually more expensive than the speakers were individually, but it is well worth it for the singers. It is very important for the singer to actually be able to hear themselves and short of investing in the high tech gear that professional artists use, these things work just fine.

--

This is the karaoke machine itself. We used to use a triple tray player and pull each individual disc for every single song. This machine has a built in hard drive and we currently have more than 21,000 songs stored that are simply at your fingertips. Punch in the number on the remote control and you have karaoke without ever leaving your table.

--

Here's where the music all starts, our Mackie 408 powered mixer. It has built in effects and seperate amps for the main speakers and the floor monitors. It is strong enough to actually run a small band and has 8 channels, of which, we only use 5 for the music and the microphones.

--

Here is one of the new additions to my karaoke gear. The wife and I purchased these last Friday (thanks Uncle Sam) and they are a godsend. They really don't sound alot different than my huge JBL's, but they only weigh 35 lbs. or so, compared to 109 lbs. apiece on the older JBL's.

--

Okay, there's the gear. I'm sure you are thrilled that you wasted those 5 minutes of your life. Thanks for stopping by.

G

Heater? Nah

After two straight 700's at the bowling alley, it was time for a dropoff and that dropoff aarrived last night. The lanes had even more oil than normal and it took some time to adjust. I did make a pretty good adjustment though, after struggling most of the first game:

Game 1

1.Strike
2.Strike
3.Nine-spare-ten-pin.
4.8-open-left a 7-10 split on a pocket hit.
5.6-3-trying to adjust, I came up light and washed out.
6.9-spare-four pin.
7.9-spare-another ten-pin.
8.Strike
9.Nine-spare-ten-pin.
10.Nine-spare-Nine-another ten pin.

I went from lined up to lost and back to lined up, but could not find a way to carry the ten pin. 181 for the first game and my lowest game in at least three weeks.

Game 2

1.Strike
2.Strike
3.Nine-spare- seven pin.
4.Nine-spare-ten pin.
5.Strike
6.Strike
7.Strike
8.Six-spare. I got way too fast with this shot and missed right, leaving the 2-4-8-10 split, but I was able to convert it.
9.Strike
10.Strike, Strike, Strike.

244 in the second game and back on track a bit.

Game 3

1.Nine-spare-four pin.
2.Nine-open-left a solid seven pin and missed it in the ditch.<--lack of concentration. 3.Six-two. Pulled this shot right through the nose and left the big four split, 4-6-7-10. 4.Strike 5.Strike 6.Strike 7.Strike 8.Strike 9.Nine-spare-ten pin. 10.Strike, Nine-spare-seven pin. Finished strong for 215 after a horrendous start. This is what I should have done the first game, except I couldn't carry when I finally got it to the pocket. 640 series, which is above my average, so I am still pleased and for the first time in a while, we finally won 3 games out of 4. We could have won all four games if I had struck out in the first game, but it wasn't meant to be. Current Average-209 I haven't talked about our positions in the lineup, but I am the anchor man on my team. That means I bowl last and face the other team's best bowler on a nightly basis. Last night provided one of the rare opportunities of stepping up in the tenth frame and knowing that I needed a strike for my team to win the game. More often than not, I get those strikes, but last night was not one of those nights. I pride myself on being able to get up there under a bit of pressure and throw a solid shot and both balls in the first game last night were good enough. They got to the pocket, just didn't carry and really, that is all you can do. It's a bit like trapping your opponent in poker, playing perfectly and flipping the cards up to find out that he has a two-outer to beat you. Some times you dodge the two-outer and sometimes you don't. Anyway, bowling is going well and I have raised my average 2-3 pins in the three weeks I have been tracking it here. I think I have paid more attention and had a higher degree of concentration since I started keeping track of my score to document here, so that is one goal accomplished. Too often, when my team is getting hammered by the opposing team, I found I would lose concentration and the results would be poor shots. As tricky as our oil pattern is right now, there is no chance for success without concentrating on what you are doing on every single shot. That's all I have for today, thanks for stopping by. G

Back To Back 700's

After going through the entire league with not a sniff of a 700 series, I've been able to bowl back to back 700's the last two weeks. I followed up last week's 714 with a 713 last night, again raising my average another pin.

Current Average: 209

Game 1
1.Strike
2.Strike
3.Nine-spare
4.Strike
5.Strike
6.Strike
7.Strike
8.Strike
9.Eight-spare
10.Eight-one for my only open of the game and promptly turning a 250 or 260 game into 234.

Game 2
1.Strike
2.Strike
3.Strike
4.Nine-spare-fawkinig ten pin!
5.Strike
6.Strike
7.Nine-whiff-another fawking ten pin and I missed it.
8.Nine-spare-another ten pin.
9.Strike
10.Nine-spare-Strike-and yet another ten pin.

216, but missing the ten pin in the 7th frame cost me another pretty big game. I didn't miss the pocket once this game and really threw the ball well.

Game 3
1.Strike
2.Strike
3.Strike
4.Strike
5.Nine-spare-yup, another ten pin.
6.Strike
7.Strike
8.Strike
9.Strike
10.Strike, Seven-dash. I split on the out ball and then missed everything on the spare attempt.

263 in the out game for a 713 series.

Overall, I threw the ball great again last night and with a little luck, could have shot much, much higher. Of course, had I just made all my spares, I would have shot much higher also, but we don't like to talk about that.

The shot has changed a bit over the last three weeks and alot of good bowlers are having trouble adjusting to it. They have decided to add a touch (and by a touch, I mean, just a little bit) more oil to the lanes at the start of the night and it has changed things ever so slightly. The change has been perfect for my shot, allowing me to move right early in the night and also allowing me to stay in my normal spot for much longer into the night. I am normally moving left by the early frames of the second game and now, with a bit more oil on the lanes, it is well into the 3rd game of the night before I ever have to think about moving.

I have certainly enjoyed the last few weeks at the bowling alley and I think by keeping track of my individual scores to monitor on this blog, my concentration has been much better as well. I probably still won't get the average up to the 215 I would like to carry this year, but it is on the rise and I am happy with that.

Until next week, I will be practicing shooting ten pins.

G

11 Strikes And A Brain Fart

Well, when I put this blog up on Monday, I did not expect to actually have an opportunity to shoot that elusive 300 this week, but opportunity I had last night, I just let it get away with one bad pitch.

The night started out with a bit more oil on the lanes than normal and consequently, my shot was a bit different as well. I made some good adjustments while warming up and was lined up to the pocket when we started. Unfortunately, being lined up to the pocket and throwing good shots does not always lead to strikes:

Game 1
1.Strike
2.Left a ten pin, made the spare.
3.Left a seven pin, made the spare.
4.Another ten pin, made the spare.
5.Strike
6.Another ten pin, made the spare.
7.Brain fart. While trying to change my angle a bit, I pulled this ball inside of my target and spewed it too far right. Result=washout and my first open of the night. 6-3.
8.Another ten pin, made the spare.
9.Strike
10.Strike, strike, strike.

I finished strong and had a 203 the first game. I thought I would also mention the side bets that we have at the bowling alley. Every game, we have a $1 per man card game and a $1 per man high scratch game side pot. I lost in the card game, but won the high scratch game side pot. +$3. The card game is 5 card high hand during the first game and one player drew Quad Aces to crack a flush. I had four to the flush but could not get the fifth diamond to save my ass.

By this time, I am struggling to carry the ten pin, but in the last two frames, I seem to have figured something out. The only adjustment I made was moving my feet forward about 4 inches on the approach. Game 2 started off much better.

Game 2
1.Strike
2.Strike
3.Another ten pin, made the spare. This would be my LAST ten pin of the night.
4.Strike
5.Strike
6.Strike
7.My second and last open of the night. I got a little slow with my ball speed and the ball jumped a bit high and left the 4-7-9 split and I did not convert it. 7-2.
8.Strike
9.Strike
10.Strike, 9-spare.(I think it was an 8 pin I left here)

I finished strong again for a 233 and was able to steal the high scratch game side pot for +$3 again. The bad news was that I got outdrawn in the card game. The second game is Razz-style lowball and I had a 7-5-4-2-A going into the tenth frame but got outdrawn by a 6-5 high.

Update on beer consumption: By the start of the third game, we are into our fourth or fifth pitcher of beer and I am good and loose. I used to be able to walk in off the street, shoe up and fire strikes, but as I have gotten older, it takes longer and longer to get loose and relaxed. 8-10 beers usually does the trick. We are also 1 and 1 in the games on the night, losing the first game by 150 pins and winning the second game by 75. We have a ton of ground to make up and only one game to do it.

Also: There are side bets on the last game. I have $2 riding on game 3 with Steve, heads-up and a 1-1-1-2 bet with Terry for the overall night, that I had forgotten about. That is simply $1 on each game and $2 on totals for the night. I am up $2 going into the third game on that bet.

Game 3
1.Strike
2.Strike
3.Strike
4.Strike
5.Bad pitch. I again got a little fast and wide with it and it didn't make it back, leaving the 2-8(sleeper). I spared it.
6.Strike
7.Strike
8.Strike
9.Strike
10.Strike, strike, strike.

Nice, 278 and without the one brain fart in the fifth frame, oh well, it doesn't do any good to think about it that way. Believe me, I've tried a lot and the do not let you go back and throw that one bad frame over. Obviously, I had a great shot by this time and hit it over and over again. All 11 strikes were right in the pocket.

I won all three games from Terry on the side bet. +$5
I beat Steve on the side bet on the last game. +$2
I won the high scratch game side pot. +$4
The last card game was hi-lo split and my low was counterfeited by the nut low with a straight flush draw twist. That's why you don't play cards at the bowling alley.

Overall on the night:
203-233-278 for a 714 series. My highest series of the year this year and my first 700 of this year, as well.

Side bet results:
Card game wagers: $4 - Winnings: $0
Scratch game wagers: $3 - Winnings: $15
Side bet with Terry: $5 - Winnings: $10
Side bet with Steve: $2 - Winnings: $4

I also paid for two entirely overpriced pitchers of beer and paid $15 to the league for the pleasure of bowling three games, so overall, I was a loser for the night, but not nearly as big a loser as I could have been. Winning the side pots always softens the blow a little bit.

The bad news is that we lost the last game by 5 pins, leaving us 1 and 3 on the night. We won the second game, they won the first and third game, as well as totals. Unfortunately, this is about how this entire season has gone for us and we are mired somewhere in the lower middle of the pack, I think 10th place out of 16 teams at present. It's difficult for us because we are all competitive guys, it's just that the competition has gotten better and unfortunately, we have all gotten older.

So, there's your first update from the bowling alley. I will be putting these updates up, good, bad or indifferent, every Wednesday for the rest of bowling league.

I might also have some sort of post here this weekend, as the wife and I are running karaoke this Friday at the local Elks Lodge, just a mile or so from our house. We have been to this lodge on a couple of different occasions, but this will be the first time we run karaoke for them, so we really don't know what to expect.

Have a good week and thanks for stopping by.

G

Welcome

This is primarily going to be my bowling blog where I will post my weekly results and any highs or lows from bowling league that week. I will also deal with my karaoke habit and a few other non-poker related things as they occur.

So, to get to know me, I am a 41 year old father of two in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I like to play poker and for more information on that, check out my other blog, Low Limit Grinder. I also enjoy bowling and karaoke and that is what I am going to talk about specifically here at this blog.

I have bowled since I was 5 years old and my father ran the local bowling alley in the town that I grew up in. I quit bowling in high school and picked up league bowling with my father while I was still in college. I have been bowling in leagues for more than twenty years and have just recently switched to bowling only one night a week.

I still love to bowl, but I have found with the creeping on in years, as well as the drastic changes in technology and the rising prices of bowling in a regular league that one night a week out with the boys will suffice for me. I bowl on Tuesday nights at AMF Yukon Lanes in Yukon, Oklahoma.

My team is a 5-member Men's team and three of the other four members and I have bowled together for the last 10 years or so. We have finished anywhere from first (several times) to dead last. (Just last year) We are normally pretty competitive with the other teams in our league, but with the advancing ages on our team, as well as the decreasing ages in our league, it seems that we have struggled to keep up with the competition for the last few years.

We are not professional bowlers and do not claim to be. I am strictly a one night per week bowler at this point and have no aspirations of ever bowling on the Professional Bowlers Tour. That being said, I have carried as high as a 221 average for an entire season (just 2 years ago) and am currently averaging around 208 for the season this year.

The highest series I have ever bowled is 795 and I have shot 300 exactly one time in my life. Unfortunately, it was on a saturday night shootout tournament at the bowling alley and was not sanctioned. Since the elusive 300, I have shot 299 a total of 9 times and several other 290+ games. I've left a solid ten pin on 7 of those games when I had 11 in a row and have become extremely frustrated with that particular pin in the last few years.

I am right handed and I throw an older Ebonite Vortex currently. It is probably 4 or 5 years old now, but I have had tremendous success with it and I love it's flexibility to different lane conditions and the versatility it provides me in just one ball. It tends to go a bit longer than my other bowling balls and the reaction is more tapered and not quite as violent as some of the newer reactive resin balls on the market. I still throw a 16 lb. ball, but as I have gotten older, I have certainly begun to think of moving down to a 15 lb. ball in order to have more control thoughout the night.

My typical shot is over the 15 board and out to about the 5 board before starting to hook back into the pocket. Obviously, the shot varies from night to night and some nights it breaks down faster than other nights, but for the most part, that is where I start out. When I was younger, my adjustments used to consist of staying close to where I had been at the start and simply throwing the ball harder to get it to hold the line to the pocket. As I have gotten older, it is harder and harder to throw the ball fast enough to hold the line once the lanes break down. Also, nowadays, the harder you throw the ball, the more violent the snap toward the pocket is on the back end, so, consequently, the more single pins you leave even if you are consistently hitting the pocket.

I throw my regular hook at all spares, except for the ten pin, where I move left and throw directly at the ten pin across the lane. Unfortunately, I have left so many of these in the past few years, I have become quite proficient at picking them up now. I would venture a guess that I am somewhere in the neighborhood of 80% on ten pins, which could still improve, but is more than respectable for a league bowler.

That is probably more bowling information than anybody should be forced to read about another bowler, so, if you made it this far, you will be surprised to learn that there are even more weird things about me.

My wfie and I run karaoke in our spare time at bars and clubs. We started out singing together about 12 years ago and travelling to and fro before the kids were around to different karaoke shows on a weekly basis. We also started buying a few of our own discs and this led to an addiction that is almost as bad as poker and bowling.

Eventually, we decided to put together our own system and start trying to run shows for ouselves, rather than attend other shows and make them more money. We bought our system and were off and running, starting out with a show here and a show there, soon we were working as many as four nights a week until 1:00 in the morning, following a full day at work. That lasted just long enough to make the down payment on our house and we have since gone into semi-retirement from the karaoke business.

We still run shows on a fairly regular basis, but we are very particular about which shows we do and where we will play. We have over 21,000 songs to choose from in our system and we recently upgraded our player to a CAVS digital system. It is an extraordinary little piece of equipment that is simply a computer with a remote control and all of our songs stored on the hard drive. No more fumbling with discs, skipping discs or dropping discs on the ground causing breakage. Now, we just punch in a song number on the remote and presto! Your song appears on the screen. I wish we would have had this machine 10 years ago, because it sure saves a lot of work when hosting a show.

Now you know more about me than you probably wanted to know, but if you made it this far, I appreciate you stopping by. I won't be posting here on a daily basis, for sure, but stop by every now and again, you just might find something interesting. For even more useless information about me, stop by my other blog, Low Limit Grinder.

Thanks for reading and have a great week.

G