Summer Bowling

Alright, I'm not sure why I chose the dead of winter to blog about something I like to do in the summer, but there is definitely something cool about bowling in the summer. It isn't like the winter. Everyone bowls in the winter. The alley is packed, and there are tons of obnoxious drunks there who are on 17 leagues, and really only work to be able to afford their league dues and cheap beer.

See the thing is I don't really care to wade through all the empties an unconscious people just to throw a ball into some pins. I'd much rather wait until the summer and practically have the bowling alley to myself.

I took one trip up to my alley to test out my new shoes in the middle of July, and it was about 95 degrees outside, and I thought I was about to die, when I walked through the doors, and was hit by that chill of 65 degree alley breeze wafting through the door. Ah, paradise. I walked up to the counter with my shoes, my ball, a coupon for a free game, and a winning smile. As I wait for the guy to ring up a couple extra frames for me for $1.50 each, I notice that of all 40 lanes, there are 2 in use. I ask for some lanes on the other side of the alley, which happens to be right by the snack counter, so I grab a pop and head over to play. As I'm lacing up my shoes, and putting my keys in my street shoes (cause, that's where they go when I'm bowling, duh) I notice one of the other two lanes is finishing, so it's me and one other group playing, with about 32 empty lanes between us. So I get up, and bowl a pretty mediocre game and realize that I'm actually feeling pretty good. I go ahead and bowl through all three games, and about half way through the second game, the only other people in the place leave too. Now it's just me alone, playing much like a bowling championship in every way other than how many pins are being knocked down. I played a game and a half and was finished before anyone else even came in. To quote the immortal words of both Bill and Ted, "Excellent".

Now I guess you might think I'm a bit of a loner if you read through that story. It's not really true. I really like spending time with people. It's just I also value my personal time as well as efficient air cooling. I don't bowl for the social interaction of it though. I bowl for the fun. I also like bowling with some of my best friends too, but they all live 60 miles away, and sometimes it's hard to justify an hour in the car to bowl a few hours.

On a side note, I've started amassing a collection of bowling balls. I've got a nice blue one that I really like, and I just picked up a black one with red swirls through it that looks pretty cool too. I had a few other ones too, but I just end up selling them in a garage sale, or giving them away.