We are the Champions!

That's right! Team XIV has won and have been declared the Summer Thursday 890 League Champions!

From left to right: Jeff, Carole, Me, Suki, and Tony

We didn't come up with a name for our team, so we were just known as Team XIV.

We received these very nice plaques.Carole and Jeff hang theirs in the bathroom where they work, but mine will find a home some where on the wall over my desk.

I also won a trophy for bowling the highest female handicap game.

I received a pin and magnet for bowling a 250+ game too!

If you don't know much about bowling, especially league bowling you may be scratching your head thinking, 'How did she get a 311 when the best you can bowl is 300?' Well, I'll tell you.

This league is a handicap league which means that to even the playing field a little bit, everyone gets handicap pins added to their scratch score. All leagues calculate the handicap pins differently and may use different formulas. Handicap pins equal 80% of the difference between your average and 220. For example, my average is 155.

220-155= 65, 65x 80%= 52 handicap pins

So, on the night that I bowled a 311 I really bowled a 262 scratch and then 49 handicap pins were added bringing my total to 311. Ah, the magic of bowling. My average went down a little bit this season, but it's a lot higher than what it was when I started bowling years ago.

I am seriously contemplating bowling 2 nights a week in the fall. I look forward to it so much each week and the people that I met have been really wonderful. Also, I can justify spending and extra $20 a week bowling since I am smoke free now and save way more than that on NOT buying cigarettes.

Next Thursday is the meeting for the start of the fall league. It should be interesting...at the last meeting there was a lot of bickering over the formula to calculate the handicap. Some of these people are highly competitive and I admit, I am too. (Thanks mom!) After the meeting there will be a tournament and I'm hoping to do well. Wish me luck!

Until then...