Got back from Mobile recently after donating to (or competing in, your pick) the state tournament. About four games in, the part of my brain that coordinates the process of picking up the 10-pin decided it would rather go fishing down at the bay than stick around to help me get out of the tournament in plus-numbers.

I averaged about 190, which is not terrible (and believe me, I've done worse), but it wasn't going to win me any money. The weekend's how-about-that moment was the fact that I left splits in 8 of the 9 third frames I bowled. In six of those games, I started X-X-split. That's a momentum-killer.

My wife was bowling in her first tournament and struggled. My other three teammates were all around their averages but no one could shoot a big number. Coupled with my troubles, it's best to focus on the good seafood we ate. We bowled at Camelia Lanes and Skyline Lanes, two houses I'm familiar with. To make things very simplistic, I've usually found Camelia to play inside and Skyline to play outside. Skyline held true to form but Camelia had a puddle in the middle; both houses' outside boards were bone-dry.

My home house has put down a nice blend shot this year, meaning we didn't have a drastic, dry wall out by the gutter. I'm not used to being able to stand left, throw right and strike at will. I never could take advantage of it and I paid for it.

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Home "pro shop" is still up and running. I punched up a ball for a friend and plugged and drilled one of my old ones for my wife. It was a 14-pound ball I was using a couple of years back when I had wrist trouble (a Roto Grip Silver Streak SE), and her first night out with it, she was +50 to her average in league.

With it being early May, bowling is off the tube and that stinks. I sort of wish the PBA would go to a summer schedule, even though bowling isn't a summer sport.

Our league season ends next week, roll-off/payout is the following week and then it's on to summer leagues.

If someone can tell me how to shoot the 10-pin again, I'd be grateful.

Jess