When someone first learns that I play music for a living, one of the responses I'll get is "You're living the dream!". But when I was a teenager, I had a very different dream (that I eventually let go of for the more realistic one; the one I'm actually gifted for 😉). My dream was to, someday, be in the company (as a peer) of guys I would watch on the Saturday afternoon Professional Bowlers Tour telecasts on ABC (preceding Wide World of Sports). In the 1970s, that would include greats like Dick Weber, Earl Anthony and Mark Roth, among many others. Saturday television, for me, was not just morning cartoons. In fact, some of  those morning cartoons would gave way to Saturday morning youth bowling league; first one (11am), then, eventually, a second (9am), pushing Saturday morning cartoons completely off to the side. I was hooked. For all of my father's attempts to nurture my interest and aptitude in sports (being the only child of an E9 in the Marine Corps wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Or at least any park I actually cared about), this is the one thing that stuck. And not only was there a bowling alley within walking distance of my house. In the military world, there is (or at least was) a bowling alley within walking distance of just about everything (save the battlefield). Even the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia had a bowling alley in the basement. And yes, I bowled on it. 

That was over 40 years ago. Now my bowling days are long behind me. But in recent years, I've reconnected with the modern PBA tour as a fan again. And imagine my surprise when I discovered, a few weeks ago, that the annual national PBA doubles tournament was taking place a half hour up the highway from me (keep in mind that I live in a very rural area), over the week of my birthday, no less.  So I gave myself a birthday present; buying a spectators pass for a day of qualifying rounds, and reconnecting, vicariously, with my childhood dream for awhile. It was cool to see many of the guys I watch on the televised events, starting from the moment I walked in the door. The photo above shows Packy Hanrahan on the verge of a 300 game, though in the end, the 10th frame didn't cooperate. This didn't stop Packy, and his doubles partner Mitch Hupe (also in the photo) from eventually winning the tournament. It was a nice way to spend my birthday   :)