I thought I was going to get away from my first game problems last night.  First game was solid, one stupid open frame on a standing 8 pin, threw the ball too fast and not the right angle and missed it.  Oh well, still on 200 pace.  Then in the 9th frame I leave a split and end up finishing the game out with a 180.  Game two similar, split in the 10th, and opened, finished with a 191.  Then game three, 224.  It wasn't that I was throwing a bad ball in the first two games, I just couldn't combine strikes and I the pins I was leaving I couldn't pick up.  595 series.  Now I'm on vacation for two weeks.

 

Well, the weekend started off pretty good, was really looking forward to the High Roller Challenge league, week 3, Cheetah pattern, but first I had to take my kids to the North Pole to see Santa.  This is a no joke story, we hit the road about 5:00pm on Friday night, drove about 300 miles North to the town of Fairbanks, just South of Fairbanks on another road is North Pole, Alaska.  There is a Santa Claus House, Reindeer, the Mr. and Mrs. and elves.  Unfortunately, the big jolly fella was out on vacation, guess he needed a break before his cross world trip delivering presents, so the kiddos were kind of bummed.  But we hung out for a while and watched the reindeer fight over the females and if it was going to be Donner or Blitzen get to play with the Doe's this year...really, I'm not joking.  Anyhoot, hit up one of my favorite food joints in Fairbanks on our way out, the Food Factory, had some good grub, then hit the road for the five hour drive back home.  About Denali Park I began to vomit and realized I must have got the flu or food poisoning, and to say it was a long weekend of puking is short of telling the truth. 

Sunday morning came way too quick, our normal departure time of 830 became 850 and thank goodness Dan wanted to drive because I was not in the mood.  I shouldn't have even bowled.  Never the less, I hit the lanes with a grin on my face, mainly because I was only dry heaving at that point.  I qualified 30th out of 32, but only because the two blind scores didn't beat me.  This blows right off the start, I got to bowl the guy who was on target hitting the front 4 with strikes, but, with all I had I managed to put up an open, strike strike spare.  Great, only 31 sticks behind in the first 4 frames.   My opponent then went spare, strike, spare and I folllowed suit to maintain my defecit of sticks.  Then, in the 8th frame his first shot was way off line and he opened with a split, open, split open, dude just opened the last three frames to give me a shot.  I managed hit enough pins in the next three frames to tie the score at 201 scratch, and I had 3 sticks of handicap on him to win the match by 3 pins.  I used everything I had to come back and at least win the match and now going into the round of 16 was pooped.  I could barely stand up, at one point the opponent had to help me stand up because I couldn't do it myself.  I managed to beat him 197 to 190 to go into the round of 8 and at least get my money back for the week.  In the round of 8 I dropped a 147 and went home with an 8th place finish!  If I could start qualifying a little better then I may have more points in this league, but for now I'm sitting in 11th place total with two 8th place finishes after 3 weeks of bowling and am in good position moving into week 4 in 4 weeks.

 

I tried some new techniques for my first game last night, it started with drinking some beer.  I haven't drank at all this year bowling and in all honesty, since having my gallbladder out late last year I haven't enjoyed that icey cold flow of alcohol down through my esohpogus and into my stomach, things just don't process like they used to when the gallbladder was good.  So, game 1 I finished with a solid 149.  I realized beer wasn't the answer.  Friggen first game woes continue.  Not only that but the team lost the first game because of my 50+ missing sticks that are usually there. 

Game two, not much better, 186, but, that's much more closer to average than usual.  Game three finished off with a 200+ game, which at this point is the only game I really want to bowl.  I'm averaging some 220 this year in game 3's but 170 in the first game.  Team wise we did alright, our normal anchor was missing due to personal issues last night (Like that Andy, I told everyone it was personal issues when in fact you skipped bowling to go to a pre season hockey game where all the men were wearing bright pink and the ice was painted pink, but I truly think it's great you support the whole breast cancer awareness thing because it truly is a great thing to support) and so we didn't really click last night, oh well.  We'll work on it next week. 

In other news, we hit the PBA Sport Challenge League "High Roller Challenge" (big drums now go banging with excitement), I can't wait to beat up on the Cheetah, I think this will be by far the funnest of the oil patters, short oil, should be able to swing it wide and have a nice strong arch in to the pocket.  We'll see though, hopefully I do better than 145 in the first game. 

Also, headed to Disney World and Florida in a week and a half, VACATION!!!  I need it, I haven't been anywhere in two years and I'm fried out already from this damn winter here in Alaska.  I can't wait to get out of Alaska and go somewhere civilized again, by civilization I mean location with stores like Krispy Kreme and Olive Garden although it's rumored we might be getting an OG up here.  Others may enjoy the scenery, clean air, nice cold dark winters here, not I, I want to get out as soon as I can.

Also, I'm not so sure I want to bowl full time next year in Anchorage because it's 80 miles round trip just to bowl every night and last night we saw the biggest damn moose I ever saw get creamed on the highway (probably a 1300 pounder) and in the little car I drive that means death and I'm just not willing to take that route yet.

I guess all I can say about this season so far is that I am consistent.  I consistently suck the first game, averaging 178 with no 200's shot in the first game all season.  My second game is averaging 200, exactly, I have a 1000 series shot through 5 games, 3 200's with a 180 and a 175.  My third game is unexplainable, I'm averaging 217.20 with a 222, 242, 209 and 234 and a 179 a couple weeks ago.  I have a 39 pin difference between games 1 and games 3 which is pretty significant.  I either am just getting really good the third game around or I just don't care which is bringing the high scores.  Compared with the first 5 games of the 2006 season I averaged 187.2 with 2 200's in the first game, 191.8 and 2 200's in the 2nd game, and 210.8 with 4 200's in game 3. 

Winter is quickly coming down the mountains, I'll post some pics of my view outside my window here at work. 

 

I love the Viper Pattern...I think I'll love the Cheetah pattern more, but the Viper was a challenge and a half for me the first game, quality score of 166 though...who am I kidding?  I can't bowl PBA patters worth anything.  I went into my 2nd game and decided to break out the brand new ball I had drilled, Storm Depth Charge.  Now, this may not be new to you all but for me this was brand new.  I bought it last year off the Jeff Carter fundraiser, it was a ball he used, minimally, but it was still used.  Anyways, just had it plugged and drilled up this past week and it worked great.  I had the best line I've ever had bowling.  Solid, hard pocket shots, I've never thrown the ball as good as I have with as good of a line as I had.  Score, 150.  Yeah, ha ha, laught it off.  On 10 of 11 solid pocket shots, first three frames solid 9 pins, then solid 8 pin, then solid 7 pin, then strike, then solid 9 pin, solid 5 7 split, then strike, then solid 10 pin spare, then solid 7 pin, to lose by 2 sticks to a 149 score with 3 pins of handicap.  Yup, the best line I've ever had and the worst spare shooting you could imagine and I lose with a 150 to a 149 and sticks.  Next week, Cheetah, bring it on you big cuddly kitten...