Yeah, the sober part, not so much.

I had a 155 my first game. I started out decent enough: 3 spares followed by a strike. Then a missed 10-pin, a missed 7-pin, and another missed 10-pin sent me into the deep end. I finished out the series with a 213 and a 275 for a very respectable 643 series. I ended up high on the pair. The trouble is, that 155 killed all my brackets.

Anyway, I switched from Diet Mountain Dew to Michelob Ultra around the middle of the second game (9:30-ish) and quit drinking around 1:30. Somewhere in there was 4 slices of Papa John's pizza.

Today, we're going to Churchill to play the ponies.

I don't plan to drink much today. But then again, I didn't plan on drinking much last night, either.

I'm in Louisville right now, getting ready to head over to the lanes for my annual donation to the Louisville Derby bowling tournament. Earlier today, I played the Bardstown Country Club golf course and shot a 120. I'm getting better off the tee, but my game from 80 yards and in is horrible. It's a good thing I bowl better than I golf.

We bowl team event tonight at 8PM (which is about 40 minutes away as I type this), so I'll try to report back tonight on how my team and I did. Assuming I'm sober enough to type.

Wish me luck.

This post could also be titled, "Proof Chris has ADD."

Edwin Encarnacion has been at bat with the bases loaded and 2 outs 3 times in the last 2 days. He popped out all three times. I didn't mention his 4 throwing errors in 9 games. I never thought I'd miss Aaron Boone.

I thought Halo 3 was sweet until I started playing Call of Duty 4. No contest.

I lusted over Burnout Paradise when I started seeing reviews and trailers. I downloaded the demo and thought it was really good, but it didn't make me want to run out and buy it right away. Amazon had it for $20 off a couple of weeks ago, so I snagged it. I wish I had bought it the day it came out. It's that good. Haven't played it online yet. Gotta get that Xbox Live Gold card...

Rachel and Ruth are addicted to Lego Star Wars.

Cameron is addicted to his new train set.

I'm addicted to Chipotle. Why, oh why, isn't there one in downtown Cincinnati?

Winter bowling season is coming to an end. I'll likely finish with a 207 average on Monday nights (at Glenmore) and a 185 on Friday (Colerain on a sport shot). I'm pretty happy with my average on Monday. I'm pretty happy I won't be bowling at Colerain next year.

Two out-of-town bowling tournaments coming up: St. Clairsville and Louisville. Sometimes profitable, always fun.

If you use Windows and need multiple applications in view at any given time, may I suggest GridMove.

Someone needs to tell George Grande he's not on the radio.

Rather than eat his lunch yesterday, Cameron decided to put it in the toilet. Sorry, no pictures.

So, anything you want to talk about?

First the good news: I bowled a bit better Saturday. I had a 970 for 5 games, versus the 937 I had Friday.

Now the bad news: The cut to the top 32 was 994. 24 pins separated me and a real chance at the big money.

I improved my spare shooting Saturday, but I made another poor adjustment in the third game. Whereas yesterday, the correct move for me was to move outside, today was just the opposite. I went the wrong way and ended up with a 169 my third game. I moved back to the left and finished with a 233 and a 201 to sniff the cut. But alas, I came up short.

Sure, I'm disappointed, but it was a tremendous learning experience and now I have the confidence that I can compete on this level. Some of the city's best bowlers were there and while most of them made the cut and I didn't, I was close. Really close. And I didn't make it not because I don't have the ability, but because I stuck too long with a bad adjustment.

Lesson learned.

And that's the appropriate word — survived. Good grief, my spare game needs work. What's crazy is I'm usually pretty solid on spares. I'm no Walter Ray Williams, Jr., but I can hold my own. Yesterday, however, was not one of my finest spare-shooting performances.

I bowled a five game block of qualifying for the Hoinke Scratch Classic and I start out with a double and a Greek church (threw it slow), but picked the 9 pin clean. That cost me 4 pins. I threw another double, then missed a 10 pin to the left. Finished with a respectable (for the oil pattern) 191.

The second game, I made a bad adjustment, moving left with my feet when I should have moved a pinch right. I ended up with three or four washouts, none of which I covered. Somewhere in there I'm sure I whiffed on another 10 pin left. 145. Ouch.

Third game, I missed two tens. 180.

Fourth game, I missed yet another 10. See a theme developing here? 233. Somehow came up with a 6-bagger to post that number.

Fifth game (188 for a 5-game total of 937), I think I missed a baby split and probably something else. By this time, I was trying to forget about all the missed spares and concentrate on striking.

Apparently I did a good enough job, because I squeaked by the cut line, which was 914. Lord willing, I'll make a few more spares today and make the top 32.

I bowl at 9:30AM, starting on lane 6, at Western Bowl. So, if you are all shopped out, drop by and root me on. I'll be the one trying not to shoot myself in the foot when I'm supposed to be aiming for the 10 pin.

This Black Friday, rather than risk my life for the potential reward of a really cheap fondue set, I'm going to risk $200 for the potential reward of $6,000. I'm entering the Hoinke Scratch Classic.

The Hoinke Scratch Classic is a (hopefully temporary) replacement tournament for the Hoinke Super Classic scratch tournament that has been held annually the weekend of Thanksgiving for 20-something years. In years past, first place prize for this scratch tournament was a whopping $100,000. Previous winners include then soon to be PBA touring pros Mika Koivuniemi and Rudy Kasimakis.

Unfortunately, the Super appears to have met the fate so many other scratch tournaments have: declining entries. After only 86 entries with a little over a week left to register, tournament directors decided to shut it down and replace it with the first Hoinke Scratch Classic.

In order to do well this weekend, I'm going to need to bring something more than my A game. I'm going to need my A+ game. I'm not sure I actually have one of those, but I'm going to give it a go anyhow. I figure I've been bowling pretty well the last month or so on tough, tight shots (which is what I'm expecting this to be). I'm guessing anything around even (1000 pins for 5 games) will make the first cut.

At $200, this will be the highest fee I've ever paid to enter a tournament. However, at $6,000, this will also be the highest first place prize I've been chasing. The most I've won in a single tournament so far is $1,200 for taking first in a tournament in Tampa, when I used to live around those parts.

So, if you need to catch your breath from the Black Friday frenzy, stop in at Western Bowl around 11AM. I'll be the one looking to stay clean and throw a double or two along the way.

The King of Bowling is a 20-event scratch tournament in the Cincinnati area that is held most Sundays during the winter bowling season. Each event consists of three qualifying squads, followed by the eight qualifying bowlers facing each other in single-elimination match play. The first week of the tournament, the winner of match play not only wins the weekly $750 first place prize, but is also crowned the "King" for that week. Each following week, the winner of match play faces the reigning King for an additional $250.

The tournament is bowled in a different house and on a different PBA oiling pattern each week. I like bowling on PBA patterns for two reasons: one, it's going to keep the house bowlers at bay, and two, it should ultimately make me a better bowler.

The 2007-08 schedule began September 16 and this week's stop is at Harrison Bowl, where the Viper pattern will be used. The Viper pattern affords several angles of attack, so it doesn't necessarily benefit one particular style of bowler. I'll be hanging out by the dirt, but that's just me.

Why don't you come on out and give it a go? It's only $45 to enter for a chance at $1000!