Setting 'em up and knockin 'em down

So, last night (and this morning) we had the Great Twilite Bowling Extravaganza, marked by the arrival of a new face and the return of an old face.

The evening started when Dar-Dar Binks brought her new beau, Mr. T., up to the Phinney digs. Judging from the giggling &c. I could hear as they made their way up the stairwell, I think the festivities for Dar and T had started already, with a little dance-hall telegram). Welcome aboard, Mr. T.! We were joined by Jen Forceful for apartmently conversation, but met the rest of the crew shortly before 10:00 pm up at Leilani: Melvin, dragging down from Bot-hell after grading-hell; Soapy, roaring up in the Batmobile to park in the very shadow of his new building (except that it was dark by then, but you get the point); and Mary Bee, not seen in these parts since Oscar Night One, I believe, all brushy-teethed and sunny-smiled after a nap. Good to have you back! (Unfortunately Do-or-Di was on the losing side of a battle with a cold and had called me to cancel out. Get Well Soon!)

Mr. T. proved himself a stand-up guy from the get-go: he hit it big on pull tabs while we were still waiting for lanes and generously shared the wealth, mostly in the form of adult beverages (which are acceptable currency nearly everywhere). Glass candles and liquid sandwiches all around!

Jen Forceful intimidated everyone with her custom ball and styling footwear (while the rest of us made do with off-the-rack balls, mostly round, and nifty but uniform orange and green rental shoes that glowed in the dark).

Otis made it by the middle of the first game, after a late class at Grope School. She jumped right into the swing of things, and was even coaxed by Soapy into giving a pole-dancing demonstration.

We thought we were going to be disco bowling (with the lights and loud music and dry-ice mist and whatnot) but twilite bowling is different: subdued lighting, no blinking lights, moderate music, and you win ca$h dollar$ if you strike or spare out when certain color pins are up. I hit for a total of $5 and a free game, Soapy got a buck more, and I don't know who else got what. Mr. T. had a chance for a $100, but couldn't convert a 7-10 split, imagine that.

I was bowling in my tan kilt, and it was great, except that I have a little alley-burn on my right knee, where it would hit the floor on my follow-through. On the other hand, I did get to meet a genial drunk Scotsman who wanted to know what clan I was from, so there you go. I think I bowled 151, 148, 127 (Jen had the high game of the night at 153).

When we wrapped up at 12:30, Mary Bee went off to sleep, Jen Forceful went to feed a cat, Dar-Dar and Mr. T. went off to who knows what, and we stalwarts went to Denny's for pancakes and an oil change. Otis and I got back to Phinney at about 2:30, I think. Good times!