"The Long and Winding Road"

I shall be leaving Long Island at 7 PM with an ETA of between 9 and 10 AM. I-80 is probably one of the most boring roads in the Interstate Highway System......especially Pennsylvania......nothing personal but from Bartonsville to Dubois is BORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRing.

I am looking forward to enjoying each and every moment while I'm on tour..........especially the last 2 weeks in Michigan when Marti is with me.

Not much more to say........getting in the van within 15 minutes....sleep well whilst I travel.

G

Why I Hate Packing and traveling

I always pack too much of what I don't need; and not enough of what I do need.

No matter how neatly I pack, anything I want to wear winds up needing to be ironed.

No matter how much I love competing on tour, I am already lonely, being away from the few hours I spend with Marti each day.

No matter how much I move things or throw things out, the van ALWAYS is a mess.

No matter how much I like to drive (its a control issue) I wish I could push a button and be in my chosen destination, van, clothing and bowlingballs included.

So many people would love to do what I do..........and I sometimes question what is it that I do?

Leave it to me to complain about doing what I love to do!......(what is it I love to do?.....lol)

Now that I got all this off of my chest, I'll pack, load the van (if I can find room in there), and leave tomorrow morning for a 13 hour drive to Hammond, Indiana, where I will continue to chase the dream!

Even with all this bitching, I'm a damn good bowler and will handle the process while the outcome will be what the outcome is!

Speak to you from Indiana.
G

Ready of Not, Here I Come!

Of course, I'm ready......lol. Physically and mentally, I am probably in the best shape of my bowling career......I say this why?

1. All of the bowling balls react the way they were mapped out and planned......which in layman sense means, I am able to repeat shots no matter what I am using,which makes the unique qualities and attributes of each ball present.

2. A "deep inside"excitement and anticipation of what is to come......looking forward and truly feeling "NOW IS MY TIME".

3. Truly understanding that I am only responsible for the process and whatever it entails; I cannot control the outcome, although positive thinking and visualization certainly helps.

4. There is no pressure on me to succeed; I am already a success for winning by competing rather than quitting.......you don't have to win a tournament to be a winner; positive steps forward are significant wins.

5. I have nothing to prove.....other than proving to myself I have made it all the way back. As far as the rest of the bowling world, there are some that have made it back with serious illnesses and injuries, and, unfortunately, those who could not. I have been in that area betwixt and between and am finally stepping out of the darkness, into the light! My making it back and getting a title will be the penultimate comeback from 2 bouts with major cancer, emotional and financial upheaval, lots of personal doubt and all of the emotional baggage that goes with it.

So, my readers, I will get in my loaded van on Thursday and drive the long night's journey into day (apologies to Eugene O'Neill") and enjoy the career I have chosen in retirement.....and compete with the Greatest Senior Professional Bowlers in the World, who also happen to be comprised of the greatest, coolest friends in the world.

I will be in touch throughout the tournament play and the sightseeing because, after all, we only bowl 5 hours a day.........lots of time to fill. Hammond and Decatur.....2 of my favorite tournaments.

Speak to you from Indiana.