Monday, December 29, 2008

I'm Going on the Ukrainian Pro-Bowlers Tour





We went bowling today. One lane for 4 of us for 2 hours, plus shoe rental and four sodas totaled about $16. Not too bad.

The coolest thing though was I was the best bowler there. By far. I averaged about 153 (better than usual I admit). But if the local skill was any indicator (the gutters were well worn; much more than the lanes were), I think I could qualify for the PBA in Ukraine.

Claire actually has a nice hook on her ball. I never could do that and gave up long ago, which is why I will never get into upper 100s. Nancy actually showed she is ambidextrous, making a spare with her left hand.

Her are a few shots.


Afterward we picked up a few groceries and the girls are out shopping. By the way, the old stereotype about grocery stores in the former Soviet countries is not true, or at least no longer is true. They have lots of real supermarkets with good selections. Not as big as a Harris-Teeter or Winn Dixie (about 1/3 the size), but plenty large, especially given the small flat and small refrigerators. We have to go every day to stay in stock. A bit of a time-waster, but there it is.

As I mentioned a few days ago, the food is inexpensive. Especially sweets and chocolates (which are excellent here). Also cheeses and various meats (you know, the typical European salami) are very inexpensive as well.

Anyway, just a few notes today. We were going a bit stir crazy and wanted to see more of the city. The boys are on their rescheduled trip to the circus.

We will visit them tomorrow for our last big visit before court. Please keep us in your prayers

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can see you are having the day off; busy at the computer. I hope the boys enjoyed the circus.

All my days are days off, being retired. That accounts for my frequent comments. Three or four times a day I go to your blog to see how everything is going. I notice the Hryvnia is inching up or holding it's own. (Not sure what the redletter percentages mean on the chart.) Made a comment about you on Nancy's bit. It must be something conveyed in the genes.

About bowling the hook. Sorry I never took you more. I was (emphasize WAS) quite good. Here's the secret of the hook. In straight bowling (using the three finger balls) the thumb is directly in front of the two middle fingers. For the hook twisht the ball counterclockwise as you are preparing to bowl. (You may need to strengthen your wrists slightly) Make your approach keeping the ball with your thumb now toward 10 oclock. The ball will take on a spin automatically as you release it. The thumb leaves the ball before the fingers do which starts it spinning. Automatically. Don't try to twist at that stage. Just smooth delivery. Do you bowl by the points or sighting on the head pin? Learn to use the points if you don't already. My game jumped ahead by 20 or more the minute I started using the points. The whole secret of the hook is in holding the hand the way I've described. Don't force it.

I have bowled a perfect game or two. But not on the score card since my run of strikes began in the middle of one line and went beyond the middle of the next. but I did manage an overall average of about 225 or so. Ask Nancy for her secret. I tried bowling with my left hand and it was gutter balls all the way.

Oh. The Big Ol' Dad signature is because I couldn't figure out what to call myself. I do not want to be called Big Daddy by anyone. I was a Burl Ives fan since I was four years old. But he was mean in that play (and movie.) Sympathetic toward the end but overall mean. So please,
no Big Daddy.

Darn it. I can't find my old Russian text book any where. I had the school one and a Berlitze one and they both seem to be lost. Let's see. The word for citizen is Gospoden/Gospozha, I think. Or was that only in the CCCP? I want to get ready for when the boys set foot on the soil of the good ol' S Cha Ah. Keeping positive thoughts, always.

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