Saturday, July 08, 2006

Old-fashioned family fun

Out of the blue today, Z asked if we could go bowling. DH hadn't been in 15 years; it had been about the same for me - so we said YES! Great deliberation over balls at the bowling alley, and of course, we had to get shoes!

DH was a pretty good bowler in his day, I was fair, and Z-boy has never hefted a ball before.

So the lessons begin... first there's how to hold the ball. Then there's what you do with it. And of course, bowler's etiquette! Z-boy insisted on running right up beside us and cheering us on as we tried to roll the ball. And he liked doing the run-up right as the people in the next lane were doing theirs.... I didn't do very well. In the past 15 years, I've developed arthritis in my fingers and hands that makes lifting and rolling the ball more difficult. They really hurt while I was playing. After the second ball, I started using the one Z-boy was using because it was only 8 lbs. Z-boy was giving me tips on how to bowl! The way Z did it, it looked like a combination of bowling and sliding into second base as he wound up on the floor half the time (unfortunately, I did not get a picture of that, though I tried!). He told me that the secret to good bowling was falling down. If only it were that easy.... Z-boy finished each roll with his happy dance, no matter what the outcome. Actually, it was a pretty nice way to spend the afternoon.



2 comments:

Janet said...

I have to tell you that watching me bowl, like with any sport, is definitely a sight to see. I tend to shuffle to the lane and just hold the ball with my right hand, letting it swing back and forth a bit before finally I just let it...drop.

Like I said, it's something you gotta see to appreciate.:)

Sayre said...

I saw some pretty interesting bowling yesterday, myself! Way back when I used to bowl with some friends after work, I actually had a ball come off my hand in the back swing. Luckily, the guy behind me was paying attention and caught it rather than be knocked out by it. I am NOT a great bowler....