reality vs. the video game
As some of you know, we got the Wii thing, and have been having fun with it for about a month...and all that started when a neighbor got theirs and we had fun playing Wii sports with them. We got together (and still do) and played Wii bowling, maybe some golf and tennis. One of those evenings, the discussion turned to...we should all go out and do real bowling.
I was all over this concept. I used to bowl in a league in my 20's in the Navy. Had my own ball. Occasionally crossed the 200 line in score. Had an average somewhere in the high 180's. I was no pro, but I could bowl. OK, it's been 10...maybe 15 years since I so much as picked up a bowling ball, but how different could it be? I would absolutely rock! Yeah, we need to do that!
So I called home Friday just before leaving work, to see if I needed to pick anything up for dinner, and the wife says, "Yeah, we need something quick. I already called in the pizza. Pick it up on your way home. We're going bowling with the neighbors."
"Bowling? We going to their house or are they coming over?"
"No, real bowling...like at a bowling alley."
"Oh cool!"
Oh wow...what a wake up call. First there was the ball. When I had my own ball, it was 16 pounds. At this bowling alley, I couldn't find a 16 pound ball. The heaviest one I could find was 15 pounds, so I grumbled under my breath and figured it'd do. The score stuff is all computerized now, so there's no such thing as scoring on paper with a pencil or a practice frame. You just start right up and the computer gives you your score. Well, OK, if that's what we all do, I suppose it's fair.
So I'm last, and after everyone else goes, I get up there and I'm thinking...prepare to be impressed, folks. I start my approach, and the ball takes over. It's flinging me every which way but loose and I'm lucky I didn't fall on my ass. Two frames in, I'm looking for a lighter ball. Even after that, I barely break 100 and...it's just ugly. What's worse is, I won. None of us, who are quite capable of breaking 200 on the video game, were worth a damn on a real bowling alley. After one game, the wife took the shoes off an declared herself done. In the end, probably the smarter move, because the rest of us decided to opt in for yet another round of embarrassment. To be honest, it got a little better, because I could actually aim enough to pick up a spare or two, but with no consistency. 142, and I won again, but still...a little better wasn't pretty. I was outa control and searching for my balance, which I was constantly losing. Maybe if I practiced more I could get some of it back, but damn that was not at all what I expected.
So yesterday, I broke out the Wii again. Back in the 200+ range in bowling. 5 under for 9 holes of golf and a Wii age of 24. Life is virtually good.
I was all over this concept. I used to bowl in a league in my 20's in the Navy. Had my own ball. Occasionally crossed the 200 line in score. Had an average somewhere in the high 180's. I was no pro, but I could bowl. OK, it's been 10...maybe 15 years since I so much as picked up a bowling ball, but how different could it be? I would absolutely rock! Yeah, we need to do that!
So I called home Friday just before leaving work, to see if I needed to pick anything up for dinner, and the wife says, "Yeah, we need something quick. I already called in the pizza. Pick it up on your way home. We're going bowling with the neighbors."
"Bowling? We going to their house or are they coming over?"
"No, real bowling...like at a bowling alley."
"Oh cool!"
Oh wow...what a wake up call. First there was the ball. When I had my own ball, it was 16 pounds. At this bowling alley, I couldn't find a 16 pound ball. The heaviest one I could find was 15 pounds, so I grumbled under my breath and figured it'd do. The score stuff is all computerized now, so there's no such thing as scoring on paper with a pencil or a practice frame. You just start right up and the computer gives you your score. Well, OK, if that's what we all do, I suppose it's fair.
So I'm last, and after everyone else goes, I get up there and I'm thinking...prepare to be impressed, folks. I start my approach, and the ball takes over. It's flinging me every which way but loose and I'm lucky I didn't fall on my ass. Two frames in, I'm looking for a lighter ball. Even after that, I barely break 100 and...it's just ugly. What's worse is, I won. None of us, who are quite capable of breaking 200 on the video game, were worth a damn on a real bowling alley. After one game, the wife took the shoes off an declared herself done. In the end, probably the smarter move, because the rest of us decided to opt in for yet another round of embarrassment. To be honest, it got a little better, because I could actually aim enough to pick up a spare or two, but with no consistency. 142, and I won again, but still...a little better wasn't pretty. I was outa control and searching for my balance, which I was constantly losing. Maybe if I practiced more I could get some of it back, but damn that was not at all what I expected.
So yesterday, I broke out the Wii again. Back in the 200+ range in bowling. 5 under for 9 holes of golf and a Wii age of 24. Life is virtually good.
Labels: It's all about me
John put this out here at 6:52 AM
2 Comments:
I spit on my computer screen, I laughed so hard.
Some wake up call, huh? LOLOL
I recently went Wiibowling with my son, after several glasses of wine, I might add, and it was a laugh riot. The consolation was that I was no better OR worse than the real thing. :-) I suck at both.
I laughed pretty hard myself! Especially at the "two frames in, and I was searching for a lighter ball."
Nice.
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