A pleasant surprise is soon in store for you!

This was outside my building as I was leaving work for lunch.

I seem to be getting back to where I should be bowling. It's about time, I've been in a bit of a slump for a while. Besides the 691 series the day after I got back from Reno, my scores haven't been great. A few good games here and there, but very inconsistent and my series scores not where I want them to be.

Monday:

Last night:

I think more important than the scores this week, though, is the fact I feel like I actually know what I'm doing again. That might just be the beer.

It's my birthday today. I'm now 28. Tonight, I'm going out to dinner with my parents... which really isn't any different than any other night they're here, but will be nice.

A day early...

Saturday night, after my visiting parents were exhausted and in bed, I was talking to a friend of mine. A friend of his was having a few people get together for her birthday, his car was in the shop, and the guy who was supposed to drive him flaked out on him. I wasn't doing anything else, so I drove and went along. We went to a bar downtown, and then moved to a club. Not really something I normally do, but I had a surprisingly good time. If I didn't have to drive home and get up fairly early, I probably would have had more to drink and stayed out really late. I ended up getting home at 1:30.

It was worth leaving early, because yesterday I went to the Mets/Dodgers game with my mother. We were out the door by 9:30 for a 1:10 game, because you never know when there will be terrible traffic somewhere in LA. We ended up getting to the stadium about an hour and a half before the game, which was fine. The game was a lot of fun, a ten inning 5-4 win for the Mets. I've now been to three Mets games this season, two of which went extra innings. The Mets scored a run in the 8th, 9th, and 10th, to win. The bottom of the 10th was very stressful, even though no one was able to put a ball in play against Wagner. He walked two (one intentional) and threw a wild pitch, but struck out the side. My mother had never been to a stadium other than Shea, and hadn't been to a game at all in at least 15 years, so I'm really glad she wanted to go. We had a great time.

The Braves lost in extras last night, so the Mets lead in the division is now 3.5 games. Still too close for comfort, but they seem to be playing better lately.

Through the smoke from the Zaca fire.