Strike

The other day we took the kids bowling.

First of all I must clarify the term "Bowling." Where I am from, bowling pins are kind of curvy and look a little like bottles. The bowling balls are about the size of a head, and have holes in them for your fingers. Here, in New England, bowling pins are shaped like two plastic cups taped together at the open ends, and bowling balls are the size of... well, a small heavy cantelope. Everyone I've met from here insists this is "Real Bowling," and apparently ignores the fact that all TV shows and all movies with bowling in them has what they refer to as "Big Ball Bowling." Apparently they just think the balls are bigger because they are props, like fake money in a play. I think the "Big Ball Bowling" should be called "Bowling" and that the other kind, the candlepin kind, should be called "Imposter Bowling." And I can't explain how I ever developed such string feelings about bowling in the first place. Except that I know I'm right.

Anyway, we took the kids Imposter Bowling. Not just regular Imposter Bowling, but Glo Bowling, which is apparently bowling in the dark, with loud music and disco lights flashing. They gutters were blocked off, so you couldn't loose. But it was still kind of hard for the boys to roll the balls. While Steve and I would fling those suckers down to the pins, Nick and Nate would roll them, and then we would all watch as the ball slowly, slowly rolled, rolling... still rolling... Other people bowling would finish entire turns, throwing the ball six times, and we would still be waiting for Nate's ball to reach the end of the lane. And finally knock over a single pin.

As soon as a pin fell over Nate would turn and do a victory dance that would make a football player proud.

Because the boys took so long, it took us over an hour to play one game. But it was lots of fun. I'm glad I at least know another place we can go when things get snowy and cold.