If you were waiting for the league post last night, I didn’t get to it last night because I got in late (as is usually the case on the first night of a league).
The bowling-related part of the day began, as I probably alluded to, with my attendance at the wake of Harry Thibeault, Sr. I only stayed long enough to pay my respects to the family, however, after Jim Yost offered me a ride back from the funeral home. This allowed me to relax a bit before I had to get ready for opening night of summer league.
When I got to the lanes and met up with Bonnie, I was informed that Bill Macomber would, indeed, be joining us. I then discussed lineup strategy with her, with the idea that there is not much separating Bill from Bonnie as second-best bowler on the team. She had wanted to go lowest average to highest average, but I suggested that the most consistent bowler who is not the anchor should lead off. With the above in mind, I asked Bonnie if she felt up to leading off, and she said she wouldn’t feel comfortable in that spot. When Bill arrived just before the meeting, I asked him how he felt about leading off, and he said he didn’t care, so that made the lineup Bill, Rob, Bonnie, and myself.
After the league meeting (in which I was told it would be a 15-week season, rather than last year’s 13) and getting lane assignments, we named Bonnie team captain (as she basically put the team together) and gave the team the name “TNT” (because she thought we would be “dynamite”). I entered the team into the scorer, and the process went smoother this time because I had more experience with it. After the ten-minute warmup period, we wished each other well for the summer season.
My opening night bowling (BowlSK)
I got off to a better start this year than I did last year, overall, though I was a few pins per game under my 197 entering average. Only a missed spare or two kept me from 600. Despite what the online score sheet says (at this time), I had 3 splits (the 1-2-9 in the 10th of Game 3 was counted as a split when it shouldn’t have) and made 2 of them, so I’ll still consider last night’s spare game pretty decent. I saved my best game for last, though, with the hambone about midway through the game and stayed clean after the first frame for a 212. One of my old bowling buddies, Tim Major, was on our opposing team, and he was mildly surprised with what I was able to do (I’ve also told him about the heel fractures).
Result: 184-188-212=584
Average (3 games): 194
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 586
I’m not going to be sure about how many points we won last night until later on, but I get the feeling we won the third game, anyway, because Bill and Rob were also both cooking around the same point in the game I was, and we only lost by 30+ scratch against some pretty good bowlers (including the aforementioned Tim Major).
Administrivia: After posting this, I’ll get the link to the new stat sheet on BowlingTracker.com up in the “Author’s Links” sidebar section. The links to the winter league stuff will remain up for 3 weeks until everything from the summer league is available.
EDIT: Summer league also means bowling on the same night as my cousins again, and it was a memorable first night for Debbie, as she threw a 225 in her last game, which was her first game of 200 or better. Indeed, she only missed a 500 set by a single pin. Congrats Debbie! 😀
The Tenth Board 