the reason you do math

When I was growing up we had this stack of addition and subtraction flash cards and since we didn't have cable, during the summer we would amuse ourselves by seeing how fast we could call out the answers to each of the cards. Because of that I was pretty good at doing quite a bit of math in my head, though at times I find that skill waning a touch.

Like tonight, for instance, I was 1 point away from a 500 series. And maybe if i had known that going into the last frame that I would have concentrated a little harder to knock down 9 pins instead of 8. But no matter. Other than that shortfall that only seduces my hunger to break that ceiling, tonight was a very good night.

Tonight I got my first ever pin/patch for a 400 series I bowled a couple of weeks ago. I remember when 400 seemed such a high ceiling when I barely getting to 120 and now 500 is just so close to my fingertips. The hubby already has 3 patches for a 200, 180 and 160 game this season. P from the other team was saying how every week it seems like the hubby improves. P watches him as the hubby, after each frame, writes what he did on that frame. And though the hubby didn't bowl so well in the first two games, it was that notebook that allowed him to see his pattern and make the correction to score a decent 3rd game.

Our team managed to win all 4 games tonight with a stupendous effort by RC, we thought we might watch him roll a 300 or 290s, he did get to 263 which was phenomenal to watch. He just got better as the night wore on. And I, managed to prove that last week's 188 game was not a fluke and was able to string together 3 solid games 164, 140, and 192! We may be upping my "ice cream" score soon. And while my average only jumped 3 points to 120 from last week to this, if I keep rolling like this, that 120 will be no more.

Usually, when our games are close, I'm doing the math to figure out what we need to win the game. It wasn't even close today as the other team was having an off day and we were rolling 50-60 points above average, so I didn't even stop to think about how many pins I personally would need.

Having rolled decent first two games, for the third I thought to myself, "I want a 200 game." Plus, I had set a goal that if I got a 200 game in league, I would go and buy the Wii. And I seem to be edging my way ever so close to that. I still feel an air of surprise when I hit a strike, as if I was holding my breath for the moment. A bit of relief and a bit of awe that all the pins fell. Even when I rolled a 1 for the first ball in the 8th frame, I just thought, keep going, get the rest. One ball at a time. Go for 200, but don't think about 200, just remember to take each frame, each ball, be in the moment. It seemed to work and while I thought I was behind in the 7th, I remained consistent and next thing I know I'm closing out a 192! My highest score since the Jubilee tournament (195).

Alot of the things we've been doing to get through these games, to improve through the season are simply repetitions of things that we've been doing for the past 6 years in our prosperity group and for me the last 12 years in Kali. The Fire, Ready, Aim. The looking to improve bit by bit. Get one more pin, one more spare, one more strike each progressive game. The focus to be in the moment now to do the things that need to get done, yet have the ability to be reflective about becoming more efficient, learning and improving. Creating support system to help each other improve. And to remember where you were yesterday to know that today is better than before. The kind of skills that repeat in each endeavor we pursue.

I have always been competitive. It comes from my mom's side. And oh finding out that I was 1 pin, just 1 pin shy of a 500 series, made me hunger for and get excited about next week's league. That if we continue to build bit by bit, it's just a matter of time.