Welcome. You know that I enjoy, well, maybe addicted to, bowling if you follow my blog. I bowl multiple times a week and have bowled in competitions in several states and foreign countries. I was a member of the Professional Bowlers Association for a time and won money in several regional tournaments. (No, I never won an event.)

Have you wondered how it all started? How did it grow and persevere over the years?

The story became one afternoon in my freshman year (ninth grade) at Spaulding Institute, a Catholic high school in Peoria, Illinois. Those who know me will realize I am speaking of 1961.

The school had an afterschool activity called bowling, ten-pin bowling. So I joined some classmates at a local bowling alley, where I learned the game’s rules and bowled some games. Unfortunately, I have no recollection of my scores for those games.

I was sidelined by a dislocated shoulder while playing flag football in the P. E. (physical education) class a few days later. I was on the offensive line (all 100 lbs. of me) against a 200 lb, or more, offensive lineman. He hit me, and my shoulder said “ouch” in a shrill voice.

I didn’t bowl again until taking a date to a bowling alley in 1969. As I sit here, I can’t remember how well I did or who she was. Time dims some memories but not others.

Now it was 1971. I am stationed in Hawaii, and my brother’s ship is in port. Cletus, also in the Navy, would be here for several months. He and a friend convince me to bowl in a league with them at a Pearl City bowling alley. The Navy base started an intramural league about the same time, and I joined the Electronics Maintenance team.

Then, I was bowling at least twice a week, often three times. I went the whole hog with having a bowling ball drilled to fit my grip, shoes, and a bag. I don’t remember much about my average in those leagues, but it was in the intramural league that I had my first 600 series. I was hooked on the game now.

The Navy moved me to Corpus Christi, Texas, to attend Del Mar College. I mainly had morning classes which allowed me to spend afternoons and evenings at Gulf Bowl. Soon, I bugged them so often that they hired me to work the customer counter. Besides working there, I bowled in leagues almost every night and weekend. Sometimes, I competed in both the 6 pm and 9 pm shifts. I rarely got home before midnight seven days a week the first year I was there. Saturdays and Sundays had me working or practicing.

Good coaching was another advantage to working at Gulf Bowl. They sent me to a coaching class before I could coach some local high school bowlers. Also, Heather, a very knowledgeable coach, took me under her wing. I improved significantly under her tutelage, having my first 700 series and several high scores. Unfortunately, the Navy saw fit to move me to Iceland before I had a 300.

My days of bowling twice a night and every weekend day changed on one Saturday night. I was working a lights-out promotion when two attractive young ladies came to the counter. After taking their money, I sent them to their lane. I had free time after the shift started and found myself near them. Being a bit forward, I chatted with who I thought the prettiest and, finally, asked her for a date. To make a story short, Lori and I began a whirlwind romance that found us at the altar just over six months later.

Dates with Lori battled with my bowling. Compromise, she joined me in a couple of leagues—becoming my life-mate and bowling partner. We have bowled together in Corpus Christi, Iceland, Italy, Florida, Panama, and Maryland over the past 48 plus years. And we both bowled in tournaments in Germany, but not together.

Lori was a novice bowler when she and I began bowling together. However, she improved quickly and won multiple “I beat my husband” awards when we were in Iceland. I have had to work diligently at my game to stay ahead of her, but even today, she gets a laugh when she outscores me.

Now you know the details of my bowling life until I met my wife, and the details of my game time since are less detailed—mainly from the paired view. Perhaps, one day, I will get into more details of the years since 1974.

Keep in your mind that this is how it started. But, this is not a complete story. I haven’t my last game yet. Nor has Lori. Although age and sore joints challenge us today, we still manage six to nine games weekly.

I write to share a part of my life with you. I encourage you to share yours with me via the comment form.

Let’s start by saying I have never won the lottery or Publisher Clearing House giveaways. But other things make me a winner several times over.

In the Navy

I won the opportunity to attend junior college while in the Navy. My application was selected over many others. As a result, I became a double winner when I met this wonderful woman and married her a couple months before receiving my associate’s degree. Now I have two beautiful children and seven super grandchildren. Better than winning the lotto!

There were two other such selections while in the Navy. First, I was picked from several candidates to be a Chief Petty Officer. Then, a few years later, I was selected again from a slate of fellow Chiefs to be a Chief Warrant Officer. I consider each a win.

Now for wins in the classic sense.

All Bowling

I won a sweeper, a four-game event, during a Military Bowling Tournament in Las Vegas.

My wife and I won the scratch (no handicap) Virginia Mixed Tournament double division twice.

I have won prize money in all but one Military Bowling Tournaments that I was a participant in.

I cashed, that is, won prize money in three regional professional bowling tournaments.

I have won many bowling league awards for the high average, high game, and high series over the fifty years I have bowled. There was prize money for each of these wins.

I can’t think of more at the moment. So, no lottery winnings. Sorry.

The first time was earlier this year. The league enjoyed a fun season, looking to several more weeks of completion when Governor Larry Hogan ordered the lockdown. He closed many types of businesses, including bowling alleys, gyms, and other recreational activities.

Of course, the base followed the state, and the base bowling alley was closed.

Why us

Funny how one could catch COVID in the bowling alley but not at big box stores like WALMART and COSTCO or the supermarket.

It seemed like years, yet in only a matter of months, the governor started to remove his restrictions. Welcomed was when he permitted businesses to fifty percent capacity. Shortly after, the base lanes began preparations to allow the leagues to return.

Returning was not a simple matter. The virus was still active, and no vaccine available.

Not everyone returns

When canvased, only sixteen of the leagues’ thirty-two bowlers desired to return in September under the base health department’s conditions. Instead of eight-four man teams, the competition started with six-three member teams. (The vacancy on two teams filled by the second week.) The league agreed to bowl a fifteen-week schedule with the hope that more would join in January.

Things were fine until Governor Hogan reinstituted lockdown rules when virus cases rose again.

Tuesday Night Men’s League’s fall season ended on week twelve when the lanes announce the base was closing the alleys until January 2021.

Next season?

Though enduring the restrictions placed on them this fall, all league members want to return as soon as the lanes reopen. Perhaps, by then, some of the previous league members will join us in the spring season.

Lockdown? Use the comment form to let me know how it has affected you or anything else of interest.

For the last thirty years, this would be the time when the bowling leagues wrapped up their summer seasons and the meetings for the fall season held. Well, there was no summer season this year.

COVID struck in March. Governor Hogan shut down all non-essential businesses, one being bowling alleys. Several weeks ago, the Governor allowed businesses to reopen with restrictions. Customers must wear masks, and there are social distancing requirements. Several local bowling alleys opened by conforming with the limits.

The Lanes at Ft Meade was not one of these. The military was taking it slower, being more cautious. Finally, the call came that we could start reforming leagues.

Preparation to Return

As league secretaries, the first order of business was to learn how many of our previous bowlers felt comfortable bowling under the COVID-19 mandates. My wife and I found many wanted to wait until January when they hope we will have a cure, but there was a good number desiring to start in September. The final count for restarting now was enough to establish fall leagues, though much smaller than last year’s.

Meetings convened, and the result was everyone agreed to short seasons that would end in December. It allows new leagues to form in January to include those desiring to wait.

My wife’s  Monday Seniors League kicked off yesterday with twelve teams, down from the 36. My Tuesday Men’s League restarts on 8 September with six-three man teams. Last season we had eight-four man teams. Her Friday Early Birds League had a good representation returning. Enough to form nine-four person teams, and three teams from the Armed Force League joined to make twelve. It restarted on 28 August.

These leagues have several things in common. They finish in December, the bowlers all wear masks while in the bowling alley, only every other pair of lanes used, and I bowl in all of them.

My New Normal

Yes, my usual has returned. Bowl Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Do league books on Wednesday. Thursday is a day of rest or, sometimes, a day to practice. Saturday and Sunday, think about not bowling.

So, what do you think of my normal? Please don’t be shy; let me know. I provide a form for your convenience.

First, my wife and I are doing well, sitting out the Covid-19 in a half-opened Maryland.

Summer Time

Covid-19 has affected our usual summer. What do two senior retirees do for the summer? Other years, we would have bowled until early May in leagues. After the leagues, we would use a visit to the lanes to give a reason to leave the house. Sometimes, we would take some of our grandkids bowling on dollar day, so we could also afford to feed them . We mostly stayed home this year.

“Living” at the alleys since 1985 has gained us friends we enjoy being with away from the lanes. We would get together for dinner, sharing our lives over a delightful meal. The lockdown did more than keep us home. It enforced it with the closure of our favorite and not so favorite eateries. The upside is that we will have lots to catch up once we can dine together again.

Bowling in or after Covid-19

The lanes being closed does not disrupt our league participation, not yet. We don’t bowl summer leagues, though I practice several times a month. This year, it might not matter if fall leagues don’t restart. Currently, the base commander is allowing the lanes to open for food service but not for bowling until late August. The re-opening depends on the Covid-19 numbers then.

My fear has to do with league bowlers returning and attracting new bowlers. The men’s league, and most of the others, have a large number of seniors. My wife’s senior’s league requires bowlers to be fifty or older; most are older than sixty. How many seniors will return if the disease is still rampant?

We recruit new bowlers during the summer when they come to practice. This option is not available this summer. Will new bowlers seek a league in September, if the alley opens?

Finally, how much disruption to bowling practices will bowlers accept? Will they wear masks? Would they accept changes to regular schedules to comply with social distancing rules? E.g., bowling every other week, or split shifts? These, and other questions, worry me that my league may not start on time, or at all.

RVing or not

There are other effects of Covid-19. This week found us planning the meals and snacks for a recreational vehicle trip. Decisions based on if any grandchildren were traveling with us. But Covid-19 has disrupted our plans. We will not spend late July with relatives in Texas like we have the past three years.

Instead of making the Texas trip, we have considered a local RV excursion. I suggested taking the RV for a two day trip into western Maryland. We would enjoy some beautiful scenery and the road trip.  The RV would enable us to stay safer, eating, and sleeping in a space we control. We shall see.

Lastly, I am so disgusted with the anarchy seen daily. Laws ignored and federal, state, and local government is abetting the lawless. How, by refusing to confront the criminal segment who have co-opted lawful, peaceful protests. It needs to stop before it goes so far that average citizens feel the need to push back against the lawless themselves. Our leaders need to stop it before it goes too far.

Be safe during these trying times!

I always appreciate comments. Share your thoughts with me using the available form.

My wife and I are homebound. We have been for three weeks, and it seems we will be for another month.

Homebound – Stay Home Order

The coronavirus has changed everything for us, my wife and I. Maryland’s governor has issued a new order requiring us to stay home. He allows us to walk, bicycle, and run, but no group gatherings. We can go to the doctor, the pharmacy, or for food. He threatened arrest and fines for those violating the mandate.

My wife and I spend most of our time at home anyway. We are “homebodies.” However, mandatory stay-at-home is different. Now, we experience cravings to go out, out to the mall, to furniture stores, or any store beside a grocery. Our relief is to take car rides to nowhere just to be out.

Recreation-Gone

Bowling was our recreation. My wife is the secretary of two mixed bowling leagues, and I am the secretary of a men’s league. The restrictions brought with this virus has caused each of these leagues to end their seasons.  The bowling center, as a non-essential business, is closed until further notice. The stay-at-home mandate would have kept us apart anyway.

About a year ago, I posted a blog called “Ever Feel the Need to Rant.” The blog allowed me to let off steam about speeding drivers and stop sign runners. I ranted about people throwing garbage in the wooded area and people not policing after their dogs.

Peeves

There hasn’t been an increase in dog walkers, but I am noticing more dog leavings. People stopped policing after their dogs. It is disconcerting because my labs always locate the dropping. One mess was in the middle of the sidewalk. Ewww!!

Throwing liquor and beer bottles into the wooded area is still a problem, but has seen changes. I wonder if the person disposing of the containers is attempting to shatter them on the sidewalk or can’t throw past it. I have cleaned up two such messes in the past two weeks. One was a beer bottle; the second was a beer bottle and a liquor bottle. I wish the police could catch the culprit.

Should you be the person throwing the bottles, please stop. There are recycle bins in front of most homes along the street every Thursday you could put the containers in.

It is almost time to walk the dogs again. My wife and I are hunkered down, and doing well. We hope you stay well (and sane) during this trying time.

How are you doing? Share with the comment form.

God Bless!

“Septuagenarian versus the coronavirus” might make a movie title for life today. Perhaps it should be “Coronavirus against the earth.”

Life normal

I am a septuagenarian plus and my wife in her mid-sixties. The first news stories brought few cares, and our lives remained unaffected. We shopped per usual, bowled in our leagues, and went out to eat with friends without care. Our lives continued as usual even after the first fatalities in Washington State.

Seniors against coronavirus

Stories online noted that seniors, those in our age group, were not demonstrating fear commensurate with the danger the virus presented to our age group. Proven by the number of seniors, over sixty, who showed every Monday morning to bowl in the league my wife manages. Over one hundred seniors bowled each week until this morning.  I will never know how many would have shown today, but the military base shut down leagues for fourteen days. I suspect many would have.

Homebound

Here we are almost homebound. Homebound, not because of an inability to leave, but because there is a lack of places to go. Maryland’s governor announced the closing of many facilities, including restaurants. He also has placed restrictions on the group size to fifty. More restrictions may come. Between league cancellations and all of the mandated closings, we have no place we want to visit, homebound.

We are currently healthy and not in need of testing for the virus. I am hopeful that as we spend less time out, we will never need a test.

How is the current state of emergency affecting you? Share!

Change in format

Beside location, there were changes to the tournament format. The retired and senior retired divisions were too large for everyone to compete at the same time. The divisions’ schedules spread across Monday through Saturday. Some competed on Monday, but they delayed others in starting until Wednesday or Thursday.
For many years, as long as I have taken part, the Championship conducted a sweeper, mini-tournament, on Sunday before the Monday the tournament started. This was convenient for those with a Monday tournament start, inconvenient if one’s schedule began on Wednesday. Inconvenient if one came to bowl, but not vacationing at the same time.  This year the first section began bowling on Sunday with the sweeper moved to Wednesday.
The change in venue received the most comments, all positive. The rooms are spacious with expected amenities. There are many places to eat in the hotel, and all of the expected gambling opportunities.

The lanes we competed on were those used by the United States Bowling Congress for its annual national tournament. The stadium style seating for our supporters was appreciated after the cramped quarters at the Gold Coast, and its limited seating for observers.

South Point Hotel

The hotel offers other distractions from bowling or gambling. There are a bingo parlor, a movie theater and game rooms. The hotel hosted a girl’s gymnastics meet over the weekend I was there. And, an auction of a large collection of motorcycle was scheduled for the room next to the gymnastic meet the week I returned home.
As for bowling, this was my best tournament in years. I averaged 222 for the twelve games. The team cashed in the team event, my partner and I cashed in doubles, and I cashed in singles and individual all events.
I wonder if next year, I will find the Military Bowling Championship as enjoyable as this year’s tournament. Check back this time in 2021 to find out!

One of the curses of living is watching our family and friends pass from this life. Today I attended a funeral for a friend, a man I have known for nearly thirty years.

Goodbye Friend

During those years, he and I competed against each other in bowling leagues and together in tournaments. My first trip to Las Vegas was to bowl on a team with him in a tournament. He was a great competitor and fought cancer until his body could fight no more. He will be missed by family and friends of all ages.

I listened to the Chaplin extolling his life as related by family. I found interesting he, like me, retired from the military. He continued service to the country working for an intelligence agency. I worked as a contractor for an intelligence service.

We fathered a son and a daughter. We have grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. The correspondence wasn’t lost to me. One day, a chaplin will stand in front of a group of my family and friends and eulogize me.  The details will be similar but personal to me.

Enough melancholy, life is to be enjoyed. I love mine and I am not ready to leave the fun behind. Yes, heaven is waiting, and I desire to make it there one day. But as the song goes, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go right now.” I prefer to attend my funeral many years in the future, thank you!

I provide a comment form and encourage you to share things of interest to you.

Musing, let see what is flitting at this moment.

I just finished bowling in the Monday Seniors League. Friday night in the Friday Early Birds I bowled a 728. The first 700 plus series in two years. I was concerned this morning that I would follow the exceptional (for me) series with a bummer series. Low and behold, I had a 641. Relief!

Someone came up to me during the league and made a comment about the Impeachment Inquiry. I try to minimize politics there and here. I listened and only added that I wished the House would leave him alone and get back to doing legislation to benefit Americans. Let the election next year decide whether President Trump should stay or go.

I lost an uncle recently. It made me think about everyone lost. My mother in 1996, my father in 2002, one brother in 2001 and the other in 2002, and my sister in 2011. All of my mother and father’s siblings are gone. So many to mourn.

I am considering taking part in NANOWRIMO this year. I skipped last year after taking part in the previous two years. It might be the break I need from the novel I am editing. Need to either commit and prep an outline or just jump in on November 1st. I would make faster progress with an outline.

Many other thoughts flit too fast to collect and relate here. They note computer processing speed in advertisements. Well, I contest none yet can match the human brain for speed.

Do you agree? Use the comment form to let me hear your opinion.