543, free bottle of rum, $100...IN YOUR FACE PLOTH!

Tonight's bowling started off the same. I bowled okay the first game but had timely misses with easy spares and a split in the 10th for a 146.

Now before tonight Ploth and I made a bet. I needed a 510 to win a free pizza from Pete's on Ploth and if I didn't, I was buying. Ploth and Michelle both showed up at the end of my first game, around the 8th frame.

Sidenote: Every team had a prize of a free bottle of rum (Bacardi) compliments of the bowling alley. Rule was as follows: Player who bowls highest above average wins the bottle.

Other sidenote: One of the women at the lanes every now and then asks me to bowl mixed doubles. It is only for the second game. It costs a dollar. When she asks, I play.

I bought a pitcher before warms ups. I wanted a beer or two in me so I didnt think too much about it. Turns out...excellent strategy.

Second game: I start out with a strike. The next frame was a 6 then a one. After every frame I walk to the back and talk with Ploth and Michelle. I lose complete idea of the game.

Now we are in position rounds as a team and we need to win 5 out of 7 to move up. We lost the first game.

I start stringing a few strikes. I did not even pay attention. I was more excited that I won the card game by the 7th frame because I got both jokers and three threes. Oh and that was my second win of the night in as many games!

By the way, it is now going into the 8th frame and I have 6 strikes, 5 in a row. I finally looked down and realized what was going one. I of course then do not strike but spare and then strike in the ninth and spare in the 10th for a 228 and 272 with handicap.

I now only need a 138 to win my bet. The woman I teamed up with for doubles had a 240 with handicap and I have placed myself in great position for that bottle of rum! Oh, and we won the 2nd game and we are up in series going into the last game!

Well, the last game did not go as well. I did mark on a consistent basis and rolled a 169. Good for a 543 and a free bottle of rum! SWEET! I did not win cards though...boo!

Oh, we won the last game by around 20 and moved up a spot. It was perfect way to end the first half of the season.

As for mixed doubles, 512 was good enough for first place!!! 502 was second place. Is anyone else impressed with these numbers? My god! We only won by 10. WTF! Well, my one dollar investment turned into $100 each! SWEET!

Of course, I had a couple of guys ask me why I didn't play singles high handicap and I had a couple of guys tell me we were going to play doubles next half of the season. Looks like this may have cost me more than I think.

To recap, 543>510 = free pizza (YES!), $100 from mixed doubles, 11th placed instead of 12th, and a bottle of rum!

I think Ploth and Michelle did to show up more often. The less I think about it, the better I did!