Racket Ball and Bowling

In the last few days I've rediscovered two recreational activities: bowling and racket ball. In the past and in both cases I have only had minimal exposure to the enjoyment of these activities. My senior year of college, my teammate and good friend, Sarah Shivler, introduced me to racket ball. Combined, we had a sketchy understanding of the rules of play, but we had a great time competing against each other upon occasion. Bowling, as my family knows, is not an activity that we Gottschalks have never cared to give time or money to, beyond the normal high school P.E. courses and occasional birthday parties. Therefore, the unveiling of these two "sports" this week has been enchanting, to say the least.

Now, I don't mean to give any preconceptions about my skill level for either of these two sports. I, by no means, have any hint of skill or competitive knowledge associated with bowling or racket ball. But being the competitive soul that I am, I am hoping to acquire some deeper understanding of both games in the future.

Admittingly, it was rather painful to be badly beaten, twice, by my racket ball partner the other day. However, I am sure that with the recent sound beatings, my spirit of challenge will rise to the competition and someday in my future I will be able to wield the miniature racket with grace, poise, and deadly accuracy!

When one of my bowling buddies asked me when the last time I had bowled was, and I couldn't put a finger on it, I knew I was in for a humiliating demise. Surprisingly though, I finished two games of bowling with a new personal record of only four gutter balls rolled for the event! And, I might add, I astonishingly finished one of my two games with a score of over 100!

After thoughts:

• Bowling shoes are just as ugly as they ever have been.
• Both sports have a certain air of uncleanliness about them.
• The pungent smells associated with each are different, yet both discomforting.