When I was asked to go to Las Vegas for the Nationals, as well as a 9-no-tap tournament called the Primetimers, I had a 137 average. This was in February 2016. That's the average that I would be bowling under during the two tournaments.
But, after three months of practicing, I was averaging 150 (with a few hiccups thanks to switching to a fingertip grip midway through the fall/winter season) and was feeling pretty confident about bowling well.
Oh, I'll say it - I expected to win in the 0-140 division! Or at least place in the top 10.
That did not come to pass as you will see.
Saturday, 4 June 2016
Cheyenne to Denver via carI used to love to fly, but I stopped taking planes about 10 years ago. The hassles of going through security was just too annoying. Besides, I've been concentrating on traveling around the US and you see more of the scenery if you drive.
But everyone else wanted to fly - and a flight to Las Vegas is only an hour-and-a-half or so as opposed to a 17-hour drive!
I'm not afraid to fly, but the news for a couple of weeks prior to our departure had been full of the long lines at airports because the TSA (security) didn't have enough people. (And the people they did have were apparently inept - in tests they never found bombs, etc.)
So I wanted to leave as early as possible for the airport.
My friend Jacque, our team captain, has an SUV, and we were taking that down to Denver. Originally she was going to meet our two other teammates at a gas station near her house at 8 am (they'd be dropped off by their husbands), she'd then pick me up as my house is on the way toward Denver, and then we'd just keep on going.
The day before we were to leave, Friday, I took my bowling ball bag and my suitcase to Jacque's house and put them in the back of her SUV. In my bowling ball bag was a Brunswick Mastermind (a reactive ball) and my Viz-a-Ball plastic ball (with a cool image of a skeleton pirate on one side and a treasure map on the other).
This way, when she arrived at my house to pick me up since my house, I wouldn't have to waste time fitting my luggage into the back of her SUV. I was carrying a shoulder bag that I would use as my carry-on, as I was sure there'd be room for that.
Jacque - with teammate Linda driving - arrived about 10 minutes later than the 7:45 am time that I had expected her. They'd had to fiddle wiht all the bowling bags and luggage to get them to fit.
I stuffed my carry-on bag into the back, and we set off.
Long-term parking
One of Cheyenne's marketing schemes is to send out a packet of coupons to all residents. Within this package are coupons for long-term parking at Denver International Airport. (Cheyenne has an airport of its own but flights are more expensive than from DIA).
So when we got close to the airport, we headed for long term parking and chose USA Parking. Because there's occasionally hail here, even in late spring, Jacque elected to pay for under-cover parking. That's the joy of traveling as a team of four and splitting costs - what would have been an exorbitant five-day charge for one person was reasonable when divided among four people.
The shuttle driver who picked us up our parking space gave Jacque a slip identifying the location where she'd parked her car (ESENTIAL IN ORDER TO RETRIEVE IT) and then drove us to the Southwest gate.
Curbside luggage check-in
We took advantage of curbside check in to put our bowling ball bags and large suitcases on the plane, so once we got into the airport itself all we'd have to do was go through security with very light over-the-shoulder bags.
Security Check in, and First time travelers - how easy is it for them?
We were a couple of hours early, just early enough so that there was very little line in the huge section cordoned off for security. We got through in about 20 minutes or less, I think.
I had brought my laptop with me, and knew from previous travel that I had to take it out of its case and put it on the conveyor belt along with my cd player in its fanny pack (which I use instead of an iPod or smartphone for music!) and so on.
I tried to look at signs to see if there were instructions telling people to do this...I don't remember seeing them.
We made it through security.
Linda had printed out boarding passes for me, Jacque and herself the night before. (Laura - a friend of Jacque's and Linda's who was a sub because our original teammate had passed away just a week before - more on that later - had handled her own boarding pass.).
Linda and Laura had somehow received pre-TSA screened boarding passes and Jacque and I had to go through the regular line.
We met on the other side and proceeded to our gate.
Then we took turns watching luggage - purses and my carry-on - while others went to the bathroom, restaurant or explored.
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| The distinctive "circus tent" roof of Denver airport |
I'd been in the Denver airport before, but never in the passenger area, I wandered around taking photos.
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| Moving walkway toward Southwest's departure gates |
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| Greenery in the airport |
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| Image of the huge blue horse outside DIA, with unnervingly red eyes |
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| Southwest Flight 1800, Denver to Las Vegas |
We boarded on time.
There are no first class seats on Southwest, or assigned seats. You board according to your boarding pass number and find a seat you like.
Jacque and I were in the B seating group, so there were plenty of seats when we got on the plane.
Jacque sat on the aisle, I took a window seat, and eventually a 30-ish guy took the middle seat. Laura and Linda sat somewhere in the back of the plane.
I spent the hour-and-a-half trip listening to the soundtrack from The Rock (Hans Zimmer), and taking photos out the window. We were not at 30,000 feet, we were only at 20,000 feet, I think, and I managed to get some interesting shots.
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| Above the clouds. Clouds casting shadows on land below |
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| Gorge with river |
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| Bright blue water in the corner... what it is I have no idea! |
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| Las Vegas homes near the airport |
When we landed in Las Vegas I saw the Sphinx in front of the Luxor but didn't have my phone/camera out in time to take a photo.
Here's a photo of the buildings beside the airport, once I got my phone out and ready, with the High Roller in the distance.
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| Just under the wing tip is the High Roller - an observation wheel |
We landed on time.
We came out of the Southwest gate and I saw slot machines along the walls of the airport.
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| The ubiquitous slot machines in Las Vegas airport |
We went to Enterprise and picked up our minivan.
We had all agreed that I was to be the only driver, and would put the car on my credit card. (It would cost several dollars a day for any additional drivers.)
I bought full insurance coverage, we were taken out to the car - a regular-sized SUV - a silver Dodge Journey with a license plate from Utah! - and shown how to start it - there was no key, just a fob, and you pressed a button to start the car.)
I thought I had placed my GPS in my fannypack but it wasn't there. Rather than dig for it in my carry-on, we just asked the Enterprise guy how to find the South Point Resort and Casino - where the Women's Nationals was being held.
It was quite close to the airport, and I found it without trouble.I drove us to South Point, with much-needed backseat driving from Jacque and co-piloting from Linda.
MORE ON SOUTH POINT and our first three games in my next entry.
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