I realize I kinda forgot to update last week, but nothing really special happened, so whatever.

This week, I changed balls before the game even started. I'd been using my Super Carbide Bomb, which worked fine back in NJ, but I couldn't really work it out here. So, I went back to my Storm Eraser Blaze, a ball I haven't thrown for serious in about.. a year and a half, at least.

So, first game comes by, and I have zero feeling in my fingers. None. My hands were so ridiculously cold, that I was putting them on a fresh coffee pot to try and keep them warm.  So, no fingers = no shot, and the first few balls were way off. Once I regained feeling and got my line, I was doing fine, but by then it was too late and I ended with a 157. Meh.

But, the ball was reacting the way I wanted it to, so I stuck with it. And the line held. I kept blasting the pocket in game 2, got a couple unlucky breaks though. Every ball I threw was solid. I hadn't had a game like that in a while, it felt good. I missed a 7-pin along the way for some reason, finished with a 226. Not bad.

I go into game 3, the line's still holding strong. I was amazed. The ball change worked beautifully. In games 2 and 3, I really only threw one bad ball, it resulted in a 2-10 split, which I converted. Game 3 was solid like game 2, ended 225.

157, 226, 225 = 608. Can't complain with that... BUT.

We got destroyed. >_> We dropped down to third, and the final week we have to fight for second place, we're one point down from them. If I can shoot this well next week, and maybe get a little better carry, who knows what could happen? High series is only 778...

...

Nah, I'm dreaming. Maybe in NJ... maybe. But not here.

Alright, so... I go into the tournament Sunday. I bowled in one of the later squads, which was apparently a bad choice because they didn't re-oil the lanes after each squad. They used to do that back in NJ, but apparently everything is run completely ass-backwards out here. So I get to bowl on oil that's been torn to hell from the previous 2 shifts. Lovely.

It certainly was lovely too, since I opened up with a fantastic 145. I had the line in practice... started off XX9/9/, then the game went straight to hell. I don't even remember how many splits I had in a row. It was pathetic. Very very frustrating to think you have the shot, and have it be taken away so quickly.

Well, I got my bad game out of the way, and followed it up with a 205. Typical Jed right there; low game, 200 game. I found the line, and it actually held for a few shots, so I strung together a couple strikes and just kinda rolled with it.

Third game, I had to adjust a little bit, but I threw 6 in a row near the end and shot 223.

145, 205, 223 = 573. Might've had a shot at moneying if I didn't suck that first game.

Ok, after that disaster I had to go in and bowl the Monday league.  And, I shot worse, yet better.

How, you ask? Well, it's simple. The normal Jed throws a lot of strikes, but is pretty inefficient when it comes to spares, mainly because of the high number of splits and 10-pins (which I'm improving on at least). That Jed showed up for the tournament. Plenty of strikes, plenty of splits, few spares. However, on Monday, a completely different Jed showed up. Bizarro Jed if you will.

I... I couldn't string strikes together. At all. I was lucky if I hit a double. It felt like I was throwing pretty good shots, I'd just either be a hair off, or I wouldn't carry. However... I gained the ability to be dead accurate on my spares. I had 3 opens in the entire set, 2 splits and a washout, all of which I was just a hair away from making. 15 strikes, 14 spares, 3 opens. Just... mind boggling. I don't even know what to say about it.

195, 193, 182 = 570. So, worse series, but better bowling.

Also, the top 3 teams on the league get trophies, and by sweeping today we're mathematically locked in the top 3.  We're in 2nd right now, with 3 weeks to go. Next week, the first place team bowls the third place team, so that works out very nicely. The week after, we bowl the first place team, so we're pretty much in control of our own destiny. The last week is position week, so we can really put it away with some solid shooting.