bowl-a-roll

Yesterday we went bowling. At the end of the school year they issued cards that read "Say no to drugs and yes to bowling"! Now, bowling is a cheap sport if you are recreational beginner bowlers like us. The cards made it even cheaper. Hip hip hooray!

We've been bowling a few times a week ever since. Team Eggers .... you could say we aren't so talented in the lanes. We bowl with bumpers and together it is a feat if we break 200. Together.

Today Luc and I brought Granny.

Big mistake.

Somewhere in my vault of lost childhood memories I forgot that Granny is a great bowler. I have vague recollections of her lugging a bowling bag and shoes around. Us kids being in some sort of play room. I think my Dad bowled as well.

It's all so foggy.

So when we asked for bumpers Granny let out a huge laugh. What's that about? I wondered.

Then she stepped up to the plate. My jaw dropped to the floor. Flashback! Memory crystal clear,

My 63 year old bike riding tennis playing mother sent a bowling ball down the lane at at least 63 miles per hour. Ka-BAM!

Strike.

I swallowed. Luc and I looked at each other.

"Granny's good." He said.

"Granny's really good." I confessed. "we are going to get killed."

I felt sort of inferior that I used an 8 pound ball. She used a 15. Hey, I have a race coming, I don't' want to get hurt bowling with a heavy ball!!!!

She was cool to watch. Even gave me a few tips. A few tips that changes my game. I even broke 100!!!!

It brought back some great childhood memories. It gave me a platform to hang out with my Mom on. Bowling is good stuff. Like I always say, sport can unite family. It was nice to laugh with my Mom. I don't do that too often.

Last week I was telling he that Austin would likely be a non wetsuit swim. She told me I should get one of those suits like the Olympians wear. Hmmm.... I thought. She might be right.

A Blue Seventy pointzero3 arrived yesterday. There are for a sure a few races I do each year which border too much on the side of whether I wear a wetsuit or not. I have a Blue Seventy Double Helix that I don't wear much. Hate long sleeves. I have 2 Nineteen sleeveless.... which I alternate between depending on the day.

But there are days when I just need to be free of neoprene. Maybe this thing will do me some good.

Over at Bowl-a-roll I noticed that even people there have their special stuff. For our powermeters and heart rate monitors they have their special balls, shoes, outfits. This is their turf and I am the kid without a clue.

I was especially impressed with the teenagers I saw. Bowling together, laughing, polishing their balls (bowling balls!) It was really nice to see that.

So Granny killed us on the lanes. And later that day on my three hour long ride (just three hours!!!) I again was grateful and thankful that in this world we have so much to unite us. Sport is an amazing platform for all of us to come together. We laugh, we cry, we take it as seriously as we feel like.

But it's fun. And fun is what it is all about!