Spending Time With My Dad.. And An Old Flame

Last night after dinner, my dad decides he wants to go have bowling practice. I usually go with him if he goes and practices on Wednesday.

But it was Thursday. But I was looking for activity, so I agreed to go.

I figure it couldn't do too much harm to bowl two days in a row. So we arrive at the bowling alley and get down to bowling practice.

Practice is different from bowling for recreation or bowling on league night.

On league night, the only thing you want is to get lots of pins. You don't think so much and if you haven't perfected an addition to your game, you let it go for that night.

For recreation, there's even less thinking. It's just fun with your friends, not so technical.

For practice, it's all about thinking. You're planning out your entire shot. Feet, arm, swing, speed, carry, etc.

So I'm up to the lane trying to convince myself that I have come a long way in my bowling practice.

Just because I had just rolled a strike did not mean I was automatically going to throw a gutter ball. Those days were behind me.

Just when I had decided I was maybe thinking too much, out the corner of my eye, I think I see an old flame.

He was never a boyfriend. But there was an extended involvement that overlapped more than one other guy.

This guy and I had a tumultuous "relationship" because I told him we'd never be boyfriend and girlfriend because he smoked.

I'm sorry I have no link to a previous story, but I've never mentioned this guy before.

The best I can do is link to a story about PT when I was trying to get my princess DVDs back. At that same time, I was trying to get my camera back from this guy.

I'd left my camera with him when we went to a wedding together down in Champaign-Urbana earlier this year (I know, what it is with me and weddings?).

And even though I'd been out with him a number of times since then, I kept forgetting to get it back.

Getting that camera back, for me, signalled the end of our involvement in any romantic capacity. Just like getting the DVDs back signalled that for PT and me.

But getting back to this guy out the corner of my eye. I ignored him at first because I wasn't sure it was him and I wasn't sure how to react.

I needed to figure out a couple of things first. Was he on date? Was he with his boys? Was he with his family?

Determining which of these questions had the answer of yes was crucial because that would determine how I said hello.

I figured out within a couple of frames (and without ever looking directly over there) that he was on a date.

By this time, it was pretty clear he'd seen me because his head was facing every way but in the direction we were. Which was weird cause there was only one lane separating us.

So I waited until the date chick was bowling while I had just finished. I turned his way, registered surprise, and headed over to say hello.

I was almost right in front of his face before he seemed to see me approaching. Which confirmed that he was going out of his way not to look in that direction.

After suppressing a smirk (after all I was doing the same thing), I smiled and said hello. We had a quick conversation and exchanged a hug.

Our convo lasted exactly long enough for her to finish bowling and then I was back on my lane with her watching me curiously.

Since I could look over there, I had to size her up. I simply had to. I could say with confidence that although she was pretty, I was prettier. And I wasn't a fan of her shape.

Was that catty of me? I dunno, probably. But, hey it's what I do. I like to know that an old flame could be doing better.

And it's not just about looks, she seemed kind of boring. Or maybe they were just new to each other and didn't have a whole lot to talk about.

The guy I knew would have been laughing and talking and affectionate the whole night.

Okay, now that I've got that out of my system (I know, shame on me), I hope he finds a good girl for him. Better than that chick. I just wasn't a fan of their lack of chemistry.

Even people who withhold emotional complaints, smoke, have questionable ambitions, and really weird fingernails deserve to be happy.

We ended up leaving the bowling alley around the same time. I'm very glad we used different exits. That would have been super awkward to walk out together.