It's a wrap

Clockwise from left: Erin, Beth, George, John, Brian

After 16 weeks of Tuesday night bowling, our season is officially over. The Broken Taco Shells wound up 8th out of 16 teams (including a couple that didn't finish the season) with a record of 32 wins, 32 losses. There was a free bowl and beer tasting Tuesday night, with local breweries offering complimentary tastes of their IPAs, and each team received a cash payout based on their win-loss record.

Of course, for us, it wasn't about where we finished or what scores we bowled -- it was all about camaraderie, good sportsmanship and knowing that the bowling alley was a place to just unwind among friends.

Erin, Beth and I formed the core of the team, and Ellie was our most reliable sub. John and Brian lived up to our team's nickname with medical issues that kept them from playing a full season. John messed up his shoulder and ankle when he fell on some rocks at the beach. Brian survived open-heart surgery after he left a zumba class one day, feeling queasy, and drove himself to the hospital. Talk about a scare for all of us.

We all came together for the last month of the season, though, and extended last night's season-ender by gathering at a tavern for more drinks and a few games of pool. We sucked -- but it was fun.

We're going to forgo a season-ending "banquet" -- no faux trophies and potluck this time -- and just do something spontaneous after next Sunday's final bowl, the long-awaited bowling fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

It's been a blast, bowling every Tuesday for a year over three consecutive seasons. We'll take the summer off and see if we can pick up where we left off in the fall.

Postscript No. 1 -- If we'd given out trophies, Lori would have earned one for Most Supportive Spouse. She came several times during the season to cheer us on, including last night.
Postscript No. 2 -- This is blog post No. 555 since I began in 2009. Love to see the numbers line up like that.