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January 13, 2009

Thank you, Steve & Ji


Great thanks to Steve & Ji for putting up with me this past weekend.

Yes, Steve & Ji took in a homeless person for the weekend -- a noble act of charity, indeed!

I certainly had a good time. If the weekend had a theme, it was round objects: pizza, bowling balls, a tire and a big bowl of Vietnamese cuisine.

While Ji was working hard earning basketsful of money Saturday night, Steve and I were entertaining the cats and gorging ourselves with an enormous Round Table pizza. We watched A League of Ordinary Gentlemen which is about a pivotal time in the Pro Bowlers Association, when it nearly collapsed in ~2003, and which profiles four bowlers that year, including Hall of Fame bowler Wayne Webb whom Steve knows rather well, who has coached Ji, and whom, like Steve, Ji and me, lives in Sacramento.

Next morning, Steve, Ji and I went to famous Fireside Lanes where, the good news is, I bowled a 260. The bad news is that that was over the course of three games. Athletic Steve beat that score in his first game -- the pins running in fear before the ball was halfway down the alley. Ji displayed her amazing bowler form and grace, threw lots of strikes and spares and finished second in all our games.

Dinner at Hoa Viet was quite excellent. I declined having a durian milk shake with my meal, a very large bowl of tasty pork, vegetables and noodles. Steve and Ji ate something similar.

At one point in our adventures, there was a flat tire. Unhappily, my expertise fixing a flat was unnecessary as Steve had AAA coverage and all types of high-tech gear at the ready to take care of the matter. Included in the high-tech arsenal was a GPS device where the 'woman' who gave directions became very rude when we intentionally left the proscibed route she'd laid out. But, a good time was had by all, later, roving the aisles at Blockbuster and Trader Joe's while the tire was replaced at Firestone.

Thank you, Steve, Ji, Tao Tao and Jai Dee for the swell weekend.

3 comments:

They call him James Ure said...

I'm so glad that you had a good weekend. I love bowling.

Unknown said...

Thanks, James. Bowling IS GREAT. The documentary, "A League of Ordinary Gentlemen," Steve played began by showing what a bad reputation bowling has [or had in 2003] with the public.

I've never believed that bowling was crass or low-class. Indeed, that would be ridiculous, and all the more so nowadays will all the different lane conditions and high-tech bowling ball configurations and wild approaches to getting a high score. [There are guys who get tremendous spin, lofting the ball through the air half the distance of the lane. And guys whose balls curve so severely they have to release their ball in the neighboring lane. And then there are two-handed releases and guys who hold the ball with only two finger tips.]

Steve said...

Tom,
You are most welcome. I always enjoy your company, and last weekend was no exception. As a matter of fact, your moral support during the flat tire episode was particularly helpful. It was also good fun watching the movie with you and then being able to put what we learned to good use the next day out on the lanes. With a little practice, you'll be nonchalantly tossing 260 games with the best of 'em.