Splitzter - September 5, 2003

 Gheesh… where did the summer go? There was so much I wanted to accomplish. Get the new website ready for the fall bowling season. Beat Hoops on the golf course. Install XP at the counter at the alleys. Beat Hoops on the golf course. Do a web search of bowling equipment and select the newest addition for this year’s “A” ball. Beat Hoops on the golf course. Well, actually, I did better ol’ Hoops’ score once but he said his 2-iron had a crack in it so he was severely handicapped that day. Uh-huh. He couldn’t hit a 2-iron square if Tiger gave him lessons for a month.

Scoring has been a bit down these first two weeks of this young season. I can’t understand it. It seems everyone has been out at least twice in August practicing for the season’s kick-off. Uh-huh. I have to admit. I haven’t seen this many single pins missed since Paulie decided to re-do the pattern a few years back (that’s tongue-in-cheek boys and girls).

River City had an interesting first week with both the Hernandez Scratch fellas AND the Party Mart scratch ladies being the first two leagues out of the blocks in August. That explains how Candy Altherr and the Eggman had high series posted for the first week of the year. Candy led the ladies with a 563 set and Egg posted the season’s first 700 with a 714.

The last week of August saw many more of our fellow bowlers get the equipment out and scores improved. David Dill bested the 714 set with a 715 of his own in the Kurtz Ace Hardware league. His 290 final game last Wednesday helped a lackluster start of 211-167 to nab the 715 score.

Marilyn Horner came just a few pins shy of scoring the ladies first 600 of the season in the Napoleon Party Mart Classic. Her 189-191-211 set added to a very solid 591 series. Donna McGhee set the early ladies high game for the year with a nice 234 game in the Party Mart league that same evening. Right behind her was Linda Kinder with her final game 231 with a cool 570 series.

J J Westhoven has the only other 700 for the fellas thus far. Bowling last Wednesday in the Hernandez Insurance Classic JJ started slow with a 186 tally. He found the stroke in games two and three, however, and posted some very fine scores of 269-245 to just get to the 700 mark.

On a side note: I guess Lenny Clark, the Town Tap Killer, made a showing last Wednesday night. Our geriatric buddy had a reputation in years past of giving Boxer’s boys fits when they faced him. It’s been a while, but Lenny was back in form in sweeping one of the top five bowlers in the county, 225 average John McClure, all three games last Wednesday. Rumor has it John was overheard mumbling, “Get that 77 year old guy out of here.” John’s a good guy, so I’m sure it was said with a smile and a wink. I’m just glad Len got it out of his system before we face the old coot.

Hey Junior Mohler…. Get well soon, buddy. Your bowling buds miss you….. both of ‘em.