The Day is Mine! aka "Teh Lion bowls 300"
Story Time!
I had this coupon for an hour of free bowling sitting in my wallet for the longest time... and I finally pulled it out to look at the expiration date: May 18, 2010. I look at the calendar... it's May 18!
So on a whim I ask my roommate Dolphin Echo if he wants to go bowling with me up at Majestic Lanes in Lynnwood. We stop briefly at Alderwood Mall and walk around a bit before heading to the lanes.
We get assigned lane 5, and I realize that they started our one-hour timer when we paid for the lane, not when the lane actually turned on, so we lost about 6 minutes already. "HURRY BOWL QUICK!"
It usually takes me at least 3-4 shots to get loose and somehow I manage to throw a strike. And then another. And one more.
About 10 minutes later, I was standing up in the 10th frame with nine Xs following my name and everyone around me had stopped bowling completely to watch this strange Asian guy with a lion tail on try to achieve bowling perfection. The 10th ball was absolutely perfect, 10 pins straight back. I knew it as soon as I threw it.
The 11th one I got a little amped up and think it was about this time I fully realized what was happening. It had been over 7 months since my last 300 game I threw the ball a little bit hard, but it still hooked back into the pocket for a "rip the rack" strike that had pins fly all over the place.
People were applauding and biting their nails, and Echo was just sitting there stunned.
I kept on telling myself "just throw this one like the last 11 shots and you WILL have it."
I took a little extra time to set myself.
I started my approach, and RIGHT WHEN I WAS IN MY SECOND STEP, there is an announcement over the loudspeaker:
ORDER 125 YOUR CHEEZBURGER IS READY IN THE SNACK BAR, ORDER 125!!!
I definitely heard it but I didn't have time to stop my approach. It startled me a little bit and I pulled the ball to the left, at least 2 or 3 boards (inches). When I let the ball go I thought "oh shit, there goes my 300." But with being startled I didn't release the ball very well either and the ball hardly hooked at all, finishing dead perfect in the pocket for a strike and my 5th career perfect game.
I got applause, cheers and high-fives from complete strangers and an annoucement over the intercom (isn't that ironic) about my accomplishment.
Oh and maybe the COOLEST part of all this - a lady sitting at the adjacent table that watched every shot of my 300 game was convinced that my tail was "lucky" and wanted to get one for herself - actually she was into fashion and costuming for her work and was fascinated by it :) So I gave her Ithabise's Web site and contact info for a possible commission.
Haha. I dropped 139 pins in the next game... my legs were still shaking and I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn that game anyways ;)
For those wondering, I used a MoRich Weapon of Mass Bias bowling ball.
I had this coupon for an hour of free bowling sitting in my wallet for the longest time... and I finally pulled it out to look at the expiration date: May 18, 2010. I look at the calendar... it's May 18!
So on a whim I ask my roommate Dolphin Echo if he wants to go bowling with me up at Majestic Lanes in Lynnwood. We stop briefly at Alderwood Mall and walk around a bit before heading to the lanes.
We get assigned lane 5, and I realize that they started our one-hour timer when we paid for the lane, not when the lane actually turned on, so we lost about 6 minutes already. "HURRY BOWL QUICK!"
It usually takes me at least 3-4 shots to get loose and somehow I manage to throw a strike. And then another. And one more.
About 10 minutes later, I was standing up in the 10th frame with nine Xs following my name and everyone around me had stopped bowling completely to watch this strange Asian guy with a lion tail on try to achieve bowling perfection. The 10th ball was absolutely perfect, 10 pins straight back. I knew it as soon as I threw it.
The 11th one I got a little amped up and think it was about this time I fully realized what was happening. It had been over 7 months since my last 300 game I threw the ball a little bit hard, but it still hooked back into the pocket for a "rip the rack" strike that had pins fly all over the place.
People were applauding and biting their nails, and Echo was just sitting there stunned.
I kept on telling myself "just throw this one like the last 11 shots and you WILL have it."
I took a little extra time to set myself.
I started my approach, and RIGHT WHEN I WAS IN MY SECOND STEP, there is an announcement over the loudspeaker:
ORDER 125 YOUR CHEEZBURGER IS READY IN THE SNACK BAR, ORDER 125!!!
I definitely heard it but I didn't have time to stop my approach. It startled me a little bit and I pulled the ball to the left, at least 2 or 3 boards (inches). When I let the ball go I thought "oh shit, there goes my 300." But with being startled I didn't release the ball very well either and the ball hardly hooked at all, finishing dead perfect in the pocket for a strike and my 5th career perfect game.
I got applause, cheers and high-fives from complete strangers and an annoucement over the intercom (isn't that ironic) about my accomplishment.
Oh and maybe the COOLEST part of all this - a lady sitting at the adjacent table that watched every shot of my 300 game was convinced that my tail was "lucky" and wanted to get one for herself - actually she was into fashion and costuming for her work and was fascinated by it :) So I gave her Ithabise's Web site and contact info for a possible commission.
Haha. I dropped 139 pins in the next game... my legs were still shaking and I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn that game anyways ;)
For those wondering, I used a MoRich Weapon of Mass Bias bowling ball.