Half a lifetime ago (almost)

I was going to post this on a future date but after expanding on that thought, it should be done now.

The date: November 13, 1992.

It was the day I turned 27 but back then, I was not aware of the connection with that number and Weird Al. To me it marked two things. Two years after the point where I first expected to die and one year after I met my girlfriend which was the first time I kissed a woman that was not her doing it as a joke.

Most of my coworkers at Universal Bowling Corporation were unhappy to hear that I was bowling in my league at 9PM that evening. They wanted me to get a hotel room and spend a romantic night with my GF or go to a club with her.

One coworker who was my teammate as well as the league secretary knew that I had to be at Palace Manor Bowl in Cicero and why.

Three weeks prior, my 65 year old father after stopping at the racetrack drove four more blocks to watch me bowl. After one frame, I noticed he headed into the lounge to put a twenty dollar bill (He hit the double at Maywood) into a "for amusement only" video slot machine.

I then hear a bowler get upset. He had credit in the machine and was playing it between frames and my father did not realize that.

After my dad played his 20 and left, I walked to the bowler to apologize, I hear him say to his teammate, "That old fuck ..."

Though I do not disagree with his description but I still confronted him. Fortunately, thanks to our respective teammates, no blows were traded.

You can probably guess what team we were against on lanes 1 and 2 that evening.

As I always did before the lights came on for practice, I stopped by my teammate's wife since she was collecting money for various optional pots. There was one for high each of three games and high series (both with handicap) as well as one for 7 strikes in a row.

There were also two for bowling clean, having a strike or a spare in a frame. One was instant clean which was for the one who from the start went the most frames without an open and 30 clean for anyone bowling three games without an open. At that point in the season, no one had done it so there was $300 available since it carries over if not won.

The previous year no one had won it into March and I had multiple bowlers watch every frame in my third game until I got a split in the 5th.

That night, I was hyper focused on bowling wanting to beat that team bad. After not getting a split early after being too pumped up and pulling my shot left to the nose of the head pin, I got in a good rhythm getting either a strike or leaving an easy spare. As I am waiting to bowl the 10th frame, I am announced as the winner of the instant clean pot.

The second game was even less memorable than the first other than finishing with three strikes in the 10th. When it was over, I walked to my teammate's wife who noticed my game was clean and asked 20 which I confirmed then asked to not tell anyone.

Compared to the previous March, the third game started with no one not paying attention but as the game progressed clean, those on my pair were becoming more aware of me as I kept reacting to every strike and spare with emphasis especially after converting a 3-6-9-10 in the 8th and a 2-4-5 in the 9th in a game that our team had sinched.

As I held my AMF black Ninja (ball brand) for my 10th, I moved 1/2 board to the left from my previous shot that went through the nose and executed as good a shot I did all night with all ten in the pit.

Those on lanes one through eight turned my way as I screamed in triumph. My teammate, league secretary who has referred to me as an insane lunatic shipping clerk had a WTF look and in a stance reminiscent of Goku from Dragon Ball Z charging in a voice that echoed through the 16 lane center bellowed, "THIRTY!"

Confused, he asked and I nodded my head rapidly and pointed to his wife. He turned around, saw her nod as well, then headed to the counter as I left a ten pin on my 11th shot.

Over the PA: "Even those here, in the parking lot, and possibly driving by probably already could figure out... Thirty clean, Ken Sherlock," followed by no reaction by anyone. After I picked up my spare, he gave me the money.

No one else in the building said anything to me in one of the few nights I ever left a bowling alley happy. Even though I won more money than I earn in a week, my girlfriend did not say anything to me either even after buying her dinner earlier that evening (on my birthday).

The lack of reaction was exactly what I really wanted at the time after "disappointing the crowd that wanted me to fail". The madman won... DEAL WITH IT!

I had thought they were just being jealous but almost half a lifetime later, I understand.