“5 Blind Squirrels” seem to be making a habit of late of only taking two points a week, as that was the result last week against “4 + sk8 = #1,” and we continue to sit nine points out of 7th place. At the top, there was some shuffling of the standings last week, as “Five Fingers of Death” regained a tie in points with Team 7, but little changed overall: the top four teams are still separated by only two points.

The fall of “Babe and Balls” in the league standings continued this week, as we’re now tied in points for 9th place with “In It To Win It,” but only one point out of last place. At the top, “Fire in the Hole” now hold a three-point lead on “The 5 G’s.” The week’s opposition is “The Incredibowls,” who had one of their members, Brian Snow, shoot 250 last week while carrying a 130 average.

My Week 12 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

I’m a creature of habit, admittedly. Today wasn’t a normal Wednesday in my real world, as I had a long Thanksgiving Eve day at my sister’s, so my brother got me straight to the lanes from there, and well ahead of time. The change of routine may have been enough to throw me off of my rhythm for the first two games. I’ll be the first to tell you I was fishing for too much in the second game, but I did finally get my good look at the pocket in the third game to save 520 with a 232 game.

Result: 152-137-232=521
Average (36 games): 184
Average for last 9 games: 174
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 560

The team was all over the place tonight, as well, but John was well over his average in his last two games, Eileen was steady, and Patrick had a good first game. We only took one point, however.

“5 Blind Squirrels,” despite one of our better weeks of the virtual league season, only took two points from “Five Fingers of Death,” and we now stand nine points behind 7th place (held by “Cell 6”), which is all I’m really hoping for at this point. With five weeks left in the season, the top half of the league is all within two points of the lead held by “Furious Five,” so it’s still almost anyone’s race.

Wednesday night’s 1-3 loss to “Dee’s Boys” dropped “Babe and Balls” into a tie in points for 9th place with “Warren’s Girls.” At the top, “Fire in the Hole” continues to lead “Vakanczz” by a point, with “The Incredibowls” and “Mustangs” tied for 3rd a half-point behind 2nd. “In It To Win It,” the team we started the season against (and that had their name changed since the first week), provides the opposition next week.

My Week 11 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to series sheet on BowlSK)

I thought I was OK after 2 games, but I don’t quite know what to make of that third game. I could only execute well when I moved in to 38 once, and then fell apart. My two missed single pins were in that game, as well, so this was a game I hope I can forget.

Result: 174-198-137=509
Average (33 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 179
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 562

With both John and Carl absent, I needed help from my other two teammates and got it with a 156 first game from Eileen, but that was it, but it was fairly close for total, and my team got the first game point, anyway. I’m also happy to report that Eileen’s at least trying to learn a hook release, which may be slow in developing, but I urged her to keep at it.

“Babe and Balls” did take a point out of last week, but we still fell into a tie in points for 7th with “Dee’s Boys,” who happen to be our opponents Wednesday night. At the top of the standings, “Fire in the Hole” lead “Vacanczz” by a point, with “Mustangs” a half-point behind “Vacanczz” in 3rd.

“5 Blind Squirrels” were swept once again last week, this time by “AAA,” but you could say we “helped” that team, as the seven points turned out to be enough to unseat “Five Fingers of Death” from the top perch in the league (“AAA” now leads the latter team and Team 7 by two points). The leaders now have double my team’s points (42 to 21), so it’ll take a hot run (take all points for three weeks) to get back into it, but I’m not happy about our prospects for doing so. The deficit to 7th place is also in double digits, so it’ll take a hot run to even climb out of last place.

My Week 10 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to series sheet on BowlSK)

I was bitten majorly by the split bug tonight: nine of them, with five in the last game alone. When they came, I was able to run the strikes for the most part, and all of my makeable spares were single pins, of which I only missed one, and that was how I was able to save 500 on the night.

Result: 176-201-160=537
Average (30 games): 187
Average for last 9 games: 177
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 579

My sub-par bookend games may have cost us points tonight, and, indeed I came up in the 10th in the third game with the possibility of saving the night, but that shot held to form for the night…you guessed it, a split.

In the virtual league, the same result as Week 1 occurred between “5 Blind Squirrels” and “Furious Five”: the latter team winning all of the points. The margin from the basement (my team) to 7th (“Cell 6”) is now six points. “Five Fingers of Death” had their league lead halved, with Team 7 now just three points behind them.

The four points “Babe and Balls” won against the vacant last week allowed us to move into a tie in points for 6th with “Pairs and Spares,” 6 points behind the pace set by “Fire in the Hole,” who hold just a half-point lead over “The Mustangs.”

Individually, Carl’s 447 was the high scratch series of the week in his average division. This week, we see “Bowling Stones,” the team I threw my 700 series against.

My Week 9 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to series sheet on BowlSK)

My work on lofting paid of in the first two (and particularly the second) games, but I struggled when I had to make a move to a line I was unfamiliar with playing. I missed all but one of my 10s, but made both of my washouts…go figure.

Result: 192-222-154=568
Average (27 games): 188
Average for last 9 games: 176
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 582

Team took all four from the vacant, but it wasn’t easy in the last game, as we were only 4 over our target score. Carl had his best night of the year tonight, scoring in the 440s (when his average night is in the 370s).

Last week’s failure to win points caused “Babe and Balls” to fall into a tie with “In It To Win It” in points for the 8th position. At the top, “Fire In The Hole” leads “The 5 G’s” by a point. My team has the bye this week; we’ve had previous experience bowling in a forfeit situation this season, and the forfeit rules are used when bowling against the bye…I hope we’re ready.