prelude to a championship

Joining the bowling league was practically my idea, I’m still not sure why. I have only gotten a triple digit score once in my life, and typically claim that I hate bowling in general so I don’t have to go to FHE or on bad dates or to default BYU group activities.

But I am the co-founder of my bowling team. And since the idea came at work, it is going to be a work bowling league. We are very picky about who can be on our team and limit it mostly to people who get as excited about it as Emily and I do. We also prefer if they have some level of experience, like a class or have been in a junior league as a child, just so we know they were raised right. We usually ask for a bowling swing demonstration and stand aside, nod in interest, and count the steps they take before they reach the imaginary foul line. And we take a mental or actual note. We ask for the highest score they’ve ever gotten, and then tell them we’ll get back to them by Friday at the latest. We like high scores for the purpose of the league, but not too high so as to make the co-founder’s 60 average score look bad or possibly inspire a mutiny.

Unfortunately we do discriminate. We checked the record scores in the league books and our greatest victory potential lies in the women’s league. I hate to diss my own sex like this, but it’s just the way the pins fall.

We have shirts picked out for our team and almost have put the order in. but we decided we needed to pick out numbers for the backs. And also we need bowling names still. Last week I was dubbed KLEPTOKRISTY but the zubs in the next lane kept calling me klepto and I think it contributed to my lack of strikes that round.

There is an older lady that works in a different department who I would like to recruit to the team. I think she would really delivery a level of legitimacy that we younger girls can’t achieve on our own. I can just picture her with a wristguard and think she could really pull off the retro bowling shirt. After we win the league trophy, I want to be the one who presents her with a gold plated wristguard trophy with “Mad Dog Marjorie” emblazoned underneath because that is the type of name she would claim, even though her name is Barbara I think. Or Deborah.

We have a specific day and place and time we bowl. I’m really busy and only have time for work and school and want to buy a plot of land on campus so I can save some by not walking to school. But I’ve made time for bowling. I’ve only bowled over 100 once, but bowling is now a priority. I have faith not only that we will compete with the Marge’s of the SuperBowl women’s league, but that we will give them a run for their money. I am confident that after all is said and done, the glorious six foot trophy will take its rotation and light up my room every five weeks, and remind us all about what life is really about. The wild-card. the underdog. the greatest upset ever to be recorded in a State Street bowling alley.