Well! Just for the heck of it Al and I got our bowling balls out of the attic. Retirement is great – Tuesday afternoon the place is practically empty. I was worried – would my aching body like it?

It wasn’t so bad. My bowling is still bad but I think I finally figured out what was causing me to send my ball
over to the right all the time (I’m left handed) I was letting my shoulder internally rotate. Once I started saying each time “maintain external rotation” as I let go of the ball – well wouldn’t you know it the ball went down the middle! Even got some strikes! You’d think in 40 years of being a PT I would have figured that out before now. Better late than never. Maybe it’s because in all those years beer was heavily involved in the bowling experience (I remember when you could smoke in the bowling alley, too)

The best part – my body doesn’t seem any worse
for wear although I’m sure tomorrow I will hear about it…. The other thing I had to do in preparation for the walk to the line was squat like I was getting ready to use a toilet-in-the-floor in China. My knees just wouldn’t coordinate with my arm swing and it was easier to waddle up to the line (in proper bowling stride mind you) in a crouch.

So I’m pretty happy. I love to bowl and always have. I don’t know why I never joined a league or anything. With that nasty hook I’ve always had a terrible average – about 81 which is REALLY bad, occasionally having a 120 game which is also REALLY bad. Nevertheless I love to bowl, love watching other people do well. A strike is a delight no matter who throws it.

I even have my own ball which I’ve had since I was in my twenties. It is a marbled orange and my “maiden” initials are etched on it, MCH. I think I got it at J. C Penney which seems like an odd place to get a bowling ball but J.C. Penney was a different store in the late 70’s. Al has a clear ball with a skull inside. Love that ball.

I’m kinda hoping we will make a habit of it now, a bowling date on Tuesday afternoons. Won’t follow it with a Dairy Queen dip cone every time tho. I have 23 Weight Watchers points a day and that cone used 28 of them…