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.