I just got back from the Phantoms Phan Club's bowling party. Thanks to Triston and Jussi, the players at our lane, and to Bev, my fellow fan, for not hurting themselves laughing at my bowling technique (or more precisely, the lack thereof).

I don't know whom to thank for the fact that when I arrived, all the Phan Club's lanes had their bumpers up (meaning that it's impossible to throw a gutterball). However, I notice that my hand hurt a lot less by the end of the game than usual, so I'm guessing that I benefited in more than one way from the fact that I didn't have to stress myself over keeping the ball out of the gutter. Well, that plus I actually hit at least one pin every time I threw the ball.

Well, every time except one: it was the turn after I bowled a STRIKE (yes, it's going to snow popcorn, I actually bowled a strike). To compensate for the karma of achieving the impossible (did I mention I got a STRIKE), the oddest thing I've ever seen happened to me when my next turn came around; as a result, I hit NO pins on my next throw.

After waiting a couple of minutes, to no avail, for the machine to reset itself from the previous player's throw, I clicked on the intercom that was at our table to notify the front desk that they needed to reset our lane. Moments later, a person from a neighboring lane came over and said, "See, here's the reset button", and pushed it. (I'd looked for that fargin' button, but I was darned if I could find it. Hence, my call to the front desk. I'm glad SHE knew where the darn thing was located -- that made one of us.) So, our lane was reset, and I proceeded to roll the bowling ball.

At that moment, I suspect that the person at the front desk got around to resetting our lane. That's the only reason I can think of for why the FREAKING BAR CAME DOWN right before my bowling ball reached the pins. WHOMP! Bowling ball hits bar and stops dead. FA NABLA! The bar then went back up and the bowling ball just kind of... SAT there for a few moments. But eventually, as I suspect the lanes are tilted ever so slightly downward toward the pins, the ball slo-o-o-o-o-owly rolled into the pin area and went away. I got credit for knocking down zero pins on that throw.

I turned back to my table, and of course everyone was hysterical laughing. I shrugged and said, "OK, even *I*, who have no luck at bowling, have never had THAT happen before. That's a new one on me." It *was* funny as heck, though. :o) But it just proves that I'm freakin' jinxed when it comes to bowling. And now I have the witnesses to prove it. ;o)