2/1 Pin Falls....

I am reminded of the Barbra Streisand song "People", and the Matutina version "Pimples", as I create my own version "Pin Falls".  Here is how it goes:

Pin falls
BowlStars, we need pin falls
It's so painful when pin falls
Fail to fall....

So it was the second night of league tonight, after the hiatus last week due to a scheduling snafu at the Downingtown Palace.  The scheduled games for Week 2 from last week will be played on February 22, so we actually played the games scheduled for Week 3 tonight.  If you followed that, you get a gold star from a BowlStar!  Glad we arranged the schedule this way, coz this means that the BowlStars will still be playing our hubbies in the Lords of the Lanes on February 15 in a classic giyera de patani, war of the kulambo (are you in or out)!  Hala Bira, at abangan!

The BowlStars core players were on deck tonight, with Liz joining us, no handicap yet.  So our lineup had Chelo starting off followed by Liz, me and then our anchor-woman, player of the week last week with a 172 average, Mitchie.  Chona came too, and helped with the 50/50 raffles (thank you!) and our team had pictures taken with our BowlStar uniforms on when the games ended.  Thank you to our photographers for capturing the kodak moments!

We were up against the Sports Commish himself, Jay, and the formidable BowlDawgs in their ube purple shirts on lanes 29 and 30.  Their lineup had Patrick (PJ), Lino, Jay and Olee, all great players (takot ako).  After entering all the lane info and getting practice out of the way, the games began.

The BowlStars started slow, although Liz was hot hot hot, her Slingshot making mark after mark.  I got the 10-pin spare on my first frame, but it was all downhill from there for me. The BowlDawgs got their groove early, while we somehow could not find ours.  Concede, concede, and my song began: "Pin falls...."  Darn, we need more PIN FALLS!  It's so pinpol (painful).  I had a score of 124 on that first game, far cry from my first week average of 162 (pinpol...), would have been happy otherwise.  Just warming up, folks.  Fight, my BowlStars, fight!

We got lucky on the second game, the BowlDawgs lost focus and were playing below average.  We started getting more marks and getting our groove. Maybe the song worked.  In the 10th frame, I got three strikes and ended up with a 151 score = triple X-rated BowlStar special, baby! Party, party, party: boy, did I dance up a storm of celebration on that one!  And my anchorwoman Mitchie delivered an awesome 160+ game, whoo hoo!  With Liz's handicap, we're pretty sure we got that game.  Tied with the BowlDawgs = game on!

I love it when folks get to play really well, it is an awesome sight wonderful to behold.  So although we were like doormats, swept away, bamboozled and manhandled, "nilampaso" when the BowlDawgs got super red hot and started throwing strike after strike, turning X-rated although WE were the BowlStars, I have to hand it to them, congratulate them and enjoy the show: well done, guys!  I am so happy for all of you, and feel lucky to have shared it with you.  I can even take credit coz I think you felt challenged after my 10th frame turkey, which somehow started an avalanche of doom for my gals by unleashing your hidden super bowler personas.  PJ was in the high 180s (I may not be remembering right), Lino had a 201 scratch score, Jay missed 200 by a hair and Olee had 200+ scratch score as well.  Way to go, guys!  The BowlStars did good but had no chance, not enough pin falls.... I am so proud of my girls, though, we fought hard and well, fighting for every pin! 

In the end, I think I did not do too bad (yes, coz it is all about mwah...).  I had a 144 average, down from my 162 initial average, which will drop my Philly Pinoy 2013 league average to 153.  Not too shabby, but I know I need to practice more to work on my spares, my adjustments and my consistency.  But what am I saying, I am a happy girl!  Never would I have imagine this time last year that I would be a little disappointed that I "only" had a 144 average for the night.  I've come a long way, baby!

Need to give a shout out to Alice Mercado for once again handling the 50/50 raffle sales.  Even though folks said they had no cash, she still sold $65 worth of tickets.  It is amazing how lucky Alice Deo is, for winning the pot for the second time in a row!  She won fair and square too, as I asked her little boy to pick the winning ticket in front of her teammates, and even joked that the ticket may be hers, and sure enough, it was.  Congratulations!  Keep on buying for a chance to win, dear bowlers.  Note that we have awarded more than $30 per drawing for the past two league nights already.  Way to go!  YOU could be the next lucky winner.  Coz what ARE the odds that it will be Alice again?  We shall see.... (ominous background music playing in background)

I am a little sad that the Sunday afternoon practice sessions of the Philly Pinoy Bowling Club at the Palace are at an end, now that Palace is no longer offering $2 practice games on the weekend.  Alternate venues to try include Jay Lanes, Limerick Bowl and of course, Facenda.  Or you can join me on Monday night at 9 pm at the Palace, or try booking a lane at the Palace before 6 pm or after 9 pm weekdays.  The after 9 pm slot weekdays at Palace is actually perfect practice time for Philly Pinoy bowlers, as it is most representative of lane conditions we would encounter on Friday evening league nights.  But wherever you bowl, however you roll, have fun out there, folks.

See you at the lanes.... Bowl, baby, bowl!