Bowling: So Underrated

I am not going to lie, as much fun as heading to the mountain and spending all day riding can be, there comes a point in the Vermont winter when another winter activity is needed, just to spice things up a little.  Otherwise, we run the risk of turning into hermits, held up in our homes, dreading the wintry mess that has become our yards, driveways, and sidewalks. 

This weekend, a group of us decided to give bowling a try.  The verdict?  Bowling is way underrated!  We had a blast!  Being a thrifty crew, we decided to wait for Cosmic Bowling to begin ($15 all you can bowl from 10:00pm to 1:00am at Champlain Lanes on Shelburne Road), so we killed some time in the arcade.  I don’t know the last time I was in an arcade, but let me tell you, there’s something so satisfying about watching those tickets spit out of the machines, collecting them, and turning them in for crappy prizes.  We walked away with mini gold-fish playing cards, purple wonder woman-like bracelet, rubber snake, and a spongy dinosaur. 

Once the bowling started, I am not sure if I was more entertained by the game itself, or the stellar people-watching.  Either way, a good time was had by all.  Some of us struggled with the bowling ( I scored a whopping 74 in my best game; I am way better suited for wii bowling), while others should just turn pro (we had one guy in our group score a 228, and another scored 235!!), and then there were the cosmic bowling prizes (yup, one in our group scoreda one dollar bill for getting a strike with a red pin).  The night wouldn’t have been complete without a couple rounds of jello shots, and of course, some classic selections on the juke box . . .Paradise City, Beast of Burden, and a little Proud Mary. 

All in all, great time!  If you haven’t done the bowling thing in a while, winter’s the perfect time to give it another try.  Hmmmm . . .maybe a it’s time to join a winter league?