Bowling for Beer

                Bowling is a sport that I fully support.  It was my athletic credit in college.   You can be a talentless whack job and still possibly manage to be a good bowler.  You don’t have to have any real athleticism.  You sit on you’re a** waiting for your turn.  You can get loaded on booze and it might actually improve your game.  (I fall into that category, I’m not ashamed to admit.)  If so inclined, and if the establishment allows it, you can even bowl with a cigarette hanging from your lip.  I remember the smoking section of the alley I grew up playing.  Through a haze of smoke I could see the ball soaring down the lane towards the pins.  You can have a mouth full of pizza and still bowl.  Yes, there is competition like all sports.  With bowling it’s more often about the gathering of friends.  A shared good time.  No one’s going to be too upset if they gutter ball every time.  You won’t go home feeling like a failure.  Competitive league bowling is not what I’m talking about here.  If that is at all like joining a dart league, which I begrudgingly did, then it is very serious and very competitive.  Almost to the point where it lost it’s fun.  I’m talking casual bowling.  So I have to say I was excited when Bekah said all her coworkers were gathering again for a night of bowling.

                After a long but really rather nice day at work thanks to the overcast cold weather, I went home to prepare myself for the evening.  I was famished and needed a little snack to bring me back to the world of the living.  The game didn’t start until six so I had an hour.  I also enjoyed a couple beers.  Like I said, my bowling is much looser after a drink or two.  Not to mention this weather is the kind that makes me want to dive into those Oktoberfest that I’ve been waiting to drink.  So I chill with the dogs for a bit and enjoy the solitude.  Thinking to myself how f***ing dumb my coworker is.  I have never worked with someone so stupid.  The Llama continues to surprise me with his ignorance and general lack of higher qualities.  I decided one more drink won’t hurt.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this guy drives me to drink.

                I leave the house feeling relaxed and ready to play ball.  I check out my shoes, hoping athletes foot isn’t in my near future.  The first thing I do before I’m noticed and forced to socialize is check out the arcade room.  I want to see how much has changed since my childhood days of blowing my parents quarters.  It’s also nostalgic.  Arcades were a big part of my childhood experience.  I spent lots of time in the various ones across town.  Shakey’s Pizza was a home away from home.  (Just writing about arcades right now has me feeling excited.  Future blog?) So I want to see what the games people are playing these days.  Any of the old classic still around?  To my horror, they had killed the arcade.  It was all claw crane games & two pathetic excuses for arcade.  I always hated the driving simulation & shooters games.  Sad!

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                After leaving the arcade in disappointment I make myself towards the bar and purchase a bottle of beer.  A sadness has settled over me.  Once beverage has been secured I make my way to the crowd.  I say crowd.  I was the first to arrive other than my wife, her coworker & husband.  I say hi, share brief pleasantries, and am ushered toward tonight’s dinner: pizza.  My face probably lit up.  Joy was returned to me.  Junk pizza, no doubt.  But you can’t tell me that just the cheap stuff isn’t still good.  I’m no pizza snob.  Junk pizza is almost a comfort food.  It was delightful.  4 different varieties.  I made myself have a slice of each before the night was over.

                When everyone else arrived Bekah & I got together with the same group that we played with last time.  Good people, and hilarious to be around.  Like I mentioned, it’s the gathering of friends that really makes this fun.  Here I was, sitting on my a** with a beer in one hand and a pizza in the other waiting for my turn to bowl.  A perfect moment if ever there was one.  I start off strong with a strike.  That was just luck.  I have no real strategy when it comes to bowling: I just hurl the ball with all my strength down the lane.  I’ve always had pretty good precision when it came to throwing.  I continue this way for a bit.  Bekah brings me another beer.  I bowl and hit one pin.  Yikes.  Oof.  Bekah was beating me at this point. That didn’t last though.  I took great pleasure in yelling “OH NO” when she sent one down the gutter.  I ended up in 2^nd place out of the 6 of us.  Not my best game, but not my worst.  Good fun.  I really should try and bowl more than twice a year.  I always enjoy the game.  Till next time.

Jalapeño!!

                Does this really look gross?  The Slavic said it looked like Hazel threw up on my plate.  I took a bit of offence to that.  This was a crockpot recipe I got from Jamie and kind of altered.  It was really good.  Just chicken thigh, jalapeño, onion, cream of chicken soup & taco seasoning w/ a can of corn added towards the end.  I might have added a little too much water so it was runnier that I had wanted.  It had really good flavors. 

                Bratwurst.  It’s October and Bekah wants some good German foods.  This will probably be the only time in a year that I have brats.  I have to admit it was a nice dinner.

                This is one of our favorites.  And we have to make it last.  The Lea & Perrins white wine Worcestershire sauce isn’t even available anymore.  I have about half a bottle left and I’m making it last.  I have no idea why they stopped producing that sauce.  It is so amazing.  I grew up on it.

                Pizza & bowling. 

                Jagerschnitzel.  This was a real treat.  German cabbage and some mashed potatoes.  Some of the best mashed potatoes.  We used heavy cream and it made all the difference.  I can’t believe I only just now found out that heavy is the key.  Well, that and lots of butter.  We only ever make this meal about once a year.

Cocktail of the Week: Samuel Adams Octoberfest