Day 58: Why I chose a condor for my first tattoo

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 58: Why I chose a condor for my first tattoo

Yesterday I mentioned that I would explain why a chose a condor for my first tattoo as a condor is not an obvious choice. Let’s face it, a condor is an ugly bird, and if young girls are compared to pretty birds than older women are ugly birds. As such, I’m an ugly bird.

But there is another reason why I chose a condor tattoo.

Many years ago, I started playing ten-pin bowling tournaments. I was not exactly champion material, but I wasn’t a bad player either. My average was 175 with an occasional 200+ and a top score of 257.  

In tournaments, however, I went to pieces. All my opponent had to do was give me a dirty look, ignore me, or say “You’re gonna lose” and my confidence went from 100 to zero in two seconds flat.

How it happened exactly I can’t remember, but I came across a picture of a condor. As mentioned earlier not exactly a pretty bird, but definitely a bird to be feared. And for some reason, I started to identify with this bird.

From then on, whenever I stood on the approach, I was no longer Conny, I was ... the condor. Now, at the start of a tournament, or even just a practice game, I imagined the condor, waiting to take flight. 

As the condor, I might not be the most beautiful bowler, but I would soar to new heights and I was to be feared. 

And it worked. A few years ago, Dieter (a.k.a. Raven) and I took first place at a Halloween tournament and we took first place in the league.

Dieter and I no longer play league or tournaments, but we do bowl every Saturday morning. We have a mini-competition going, just for the fun of it. Do I beat him? ... hardly, he’s way better than me. He’s got a 200 average while I only have a 175 average. But occasionally, I do manage to snatch a game from him or manage to come close.

To learn more about the condor and see some great photos.

https://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2016/07/andean-condor/

http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-california-condors/

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Day 56: Writing - Should we listen to others?

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 56: Writing - Should we listen to others?

A long time ago, I was chosen to compete in a national ten-pin bowling tournament. The question was, did I want to play in the bronze or silver division. Bronze players played with a handicap, silver players played without a handicap.

“Choose silver,” Jean-Pierre, a friend said. “The last thing you want is to lose to someone’s handicap.”

“In which division are you playing?” I asked him.

“Gold,” he said.

In my opinion, he was overestimating himself. While he was not a bad bowler, he was nowhere near good enough to play with men who scored a 200 average.

“If I’m gonna be beaten, I want to be beaten by the best,” he told me.

This got me thinking.

Yesterday I posted a writing sample in a writer’s group and my work got slammed left, right and center. One or two people had something good to say, but the majority found fault with it.

Then today I saw a writing sample from another member. To say that it was awful is putting it mildly. Not only was the piece crawling with typos, the grammar was atrocious and the story itself seemed to be written by a six-year-old.

Here is an extract from what she wrote:

I went to bed last night. I lay in bed looking at the ceiling. I couldn’t sleep. I got up and watched the moon. I couldn’t sleep because my brother was snoring. I wouldn’t wait for morning to come. My mother was out with her boyfriend.

Do you consider this good writing?

The other members of the group, those who had slammed me the previous day had nothing but good to say about the childish writing. They found it fascinating, captivating and looked forward to reading the next chapter.

Thinking that I was perhaps a little biased, because of the bad feedback I had received on my work, I asked two other people to read the work of the other member. Both their reaction was more or less the same ... who wrote this crap and how did she dare publish this online for all to see. Did she actually think this was good writing?

When I told them about my experience of the previous day they laughed and said “Why you do even bother? If you want feedback, ask the professionals, don’t bother with amateurs, they don’t know any better than you do.”

So I did. I asked two well-known authors, who have sold millions of books how they feel about criticism. Both of them laughed and said, “If I had listened to others, I never would have finished my first novel.”

They asked me if I enjoyed writing. When I said yes, they shrugged and said, “Then keep doing it. Who cares what anyone else thinks?”

I guess those are words I have to keep in mind. From what I’ve gathered so far, for some people writing is fun, for others it’s therapeutic, a way to pass the time, or to hang out with their imaginary friends. Whatever the reason, if writing is enjoyable ... go for it.

One more thing to remember ... what’s good for the goose isn’t necessarily good for the gender. There’s no accounting for taste. Do you think Stephen King, James Patterson, Lee Child or Dan Brown care about amateurs’ opinion ... no, they have an idea and set to work. We should do the same.

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Day 162: Toronto Cat Rescue Bowl-a-thon

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 162: Toronto Cat Rescue Bowl-a-thon

It’s that time of the year again. The Toronto Cat Rescue (TCR) is hosting their annual Bowl-a-thon to raise funds for the cats and kittens of Toronto.

Since Dieter and I love both cats and bowling, we registered for this event and are active fundraisers.

The first year we took part, our group was very small, and the organization barely raised $6,000. Last year, the group counted over 200 people and we raised over $40,000.

How does the Toronto Cat Rescue? It’s not a cat shelter in the traditional sense of the word. Cats are not housed in cages, but rather with foster families, their picture is taken and displayed on the TCR website, after which the cats are up for adoption.

The organization needs money though. Before each cat or kittens goes to their new home, they are spayed/neutered. If a cat or kitten is sick, it’s taken to a veterinarian.

If you can spare a few dollars, I would kindly ask you to make a donation. This can be done in three ways:

Canada Helps:

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/toronto-cat-rescue/p2p/bowlathon2019/team/paws-claws/captain/conny-manero/

My PayPal account:

conny.manreo@gmail.com

or via a bank transfer.

A donation of $20 or more will get you a tax receipt.

The cats and kittens of Toronto are counting on you and thank you in advance.

Day 122: The good, the bad and the bloody

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 122: The good, the bad and the bloody

The past 24 hours have been eventful, to say the least.

First, I had a rather bad dream. I know, hearing about other people’s dreams is about as interesting as grating cheese, but this dream of mine was nothing short of extraordinary.

I was bowling at Kennedy Bowl, practicing my game, when an unusual visitor showed up … the queen of England. (Don’t ask me where I come up with this stuff). At some point, the queen was getting a guided tour from Kevin Arsenault who took her behind the lanes. Not in the safe walking area where the ball boys do their work, but on the lanes where the pins are. I threw my ball and missed the queen’s legs by a few inches. She was not impressed.

A few hours later I had an accident while preparing lunch. After moaning for weeks that my potato knife was getting blunt, I bought a new knife in the Dollarstore. Dieter didn’t agree with my purchase, said that you can’t be a good knife for $3. Yeah, well, if this knife wasn’t up to the task he could find me a better one in Canadian Tire, but for now, this Dollarstore knife would have to do.

Today was the first time I used it and … I nicked the tip of my left index finger. Blood everywhere. I rushed to the bathroom to wash my hands with soap and water while yelling at Dieter to bring me a towel. However, when presented with the requested item I didn’t really want to use it as it’s hard to get blood out of a towel. So, I asked for paper towels instead. After a few minutes, the bleeding stopped sufficiently for a band-aid to be applied.

Next up … the Belgium vs. Japan soccer match.

I didn’t watch the match because as mentioned in a previous post, if I watch the game, the Belgians are sure to lose. So, I went down for a nap instead.

I had barely rested my head on the pillow when I heard cursing from the living room. “Did Japan score?” I asked. “Yes,” Dieter said. A while later I heard him snap his laptop shut. This could only mean one thing … Japan had planted another one in Belgium’s goal. This time I didn’t even have to ask, Dieter uttered a frustrated “It’s over.”

I knew that napping was now out of the question. I was too agitated. This had happened time and time again. The Belgians had done well in the qualifying round, they had won all the games in the knock-out round, and now they allowed themselves to be beaten?! I was utterly disgusted with my team.

One way or another I must have drifted off though because I was awoken with a very enthusiastic “WE ARE IN!!!”

I can’t say that I was very surprised as this is typical of the Belgians. They play a relaxed game, passing the ball around without seemingly a care in the world. When Japan scored their first goal, they must have been surprised. When Japan scored their second goal they finally, finally shot into action. The Belgians need a good kick, so to speak, for them to wake up.

And they didn’t disappoint. Not only did they score and score again, in the last four minutes of overtime they scored the third goal making it 3 – 2.

Thank you, Red Devils for nearly giving me a heart attack.

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Day 106: Toronto Cat Rescue Bowl-a-thon

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 106: Toronto Cat Rescue Bowl-a-thon

Some time in March, the invitation arrived to register for the Toronto Cat Rescue’s 14^th annual Bowl-a-thon. I immediate replied and registered Dieter and myself with the team name ‘Alley Cats’.

The only requirement to join the Bowl-a-thon was that each participant had to raise a minimum of $100. That’s not much, you might think, but you’d be surprised how tight-fisted people are where it comes to donating.

Other than that, I hate asking people for money, especially people I don’t know. But for the good of the cats, I bit the bullet and in the end, I raised quite a considerable sum.

Then last Saturday was the big event. Over 100 cat lovers made their way to Kennedy Bowl for the Bowl-a-thon. Everyone handed over their donations, were issued a purple T-shirt, along with a tail and cat ears and made their way to the lanes. What a sight it was, purple as far as the eye could see.

The goal was to raise $30,000. In previous years we fell short of that goal by a few thousand. This year we not only met the goal, we exceeded it and raised over $37,000 for the kitties.

As for the actual Bowl-a-thon … Dieter took 1^st place while I came in 2^nd. We received prizes that are kitties are very pleased with. 

Gabriel, Charlotte, Holly and Halley now have two brand new cat baskets, plenty of toys scented with catnip, and a variety of cat food. For us humans, there was a bright pink tote bag, a cat book, coffee, coffee cups, and other goodies.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, let these speak for themselves:

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Day 104: Let’s go Bowling

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 104: Let’s go Bowling

Those of you who know Dieter and me know that we are dedicated bowlers. There was a time that we bowled three times a week: league on Thursdays, practice on Saturday mornings and more practice on Sunday nights. Whether it rained buckets, blew a gale force wind or froze the balls off a brass monkey, we walked to the bowling alley.

A serious illness forced me to drop out of the league and after a painful back injury, I couldn't even practice anymore. For five months I didn’t see the inside of a bowling alley.

Now I’m back though and to commemorate my return Dieter bought two T-shirts, a blue one, and a red one.

  

The blue T-shirt is typically me … bowling, cursing when I leave the 7 pin, 10 pin, or worse a split, then praying for a spare and doing the whole thing over again. My highest game ever … 257.

The red T-shirt suits Dieter as he makes a lot of strikes. In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time before he makes a 300. That is if he can keep his eye on the ball (so to speak). Whenever he has a good run, with five, six or even seven strikes in a row, he makes a mistake. He then comes off the lane, looking like a thundercloud, moaning ... “I forgot to lift” or “I went too wide”. When I asked him why he forgot to lift or why he went too wide, he merely shrugs.

I often wonder what Dieter thinks about when he stands on the approach. When a bowler gets ready to throw the ball, he/she is supposed to gather his/her thoughts about what he/she is about to accomplish. But what does Dieter think about … lunch, dinner, what to watch on TV, how much money he has in his account … who knows. Still, I’m confident that he will get it right someday. His highest game … 289.

It seems like yesterday when we started bowling. A new bowling center opened in Dalcrest, South Africa and since we knew the city planner, we were invited to the grand opening. I’d never bowled before and the idea of standing on the approach, being watched by everyone terrified me. So, I chickened out.

One year later I got the same invitation to attend the first anniversary of Dalcrest Bowl and this time I did go. I threw my first ball in the gutter, my second ball followed suit. The third ball rolled quite promising, but near the end, he veered to the left and once again ended up in the gutter. I adjusted my standing and throwing position, threw the ball and once again it looked good, only this time, near the end of the lane, my ball veered to the right and … you guessed it, fell in the gutter. I thought it was the most frustrating game I’d ever played.

When a lady approached me and asked if I wanted to join a league, I thought she was joking. In my first game, I hit … oh I don’t know, 25 or 30 pins, in my second I managed to knock down maybe 50, and in the third game, my score was rather similar. What would a klutz like me do playing with seasoned bowlers?

She convinced me though, I joined a league, started working with a coach, and … well, the rest is history. A few years later I was invited to represent Eastern Transvaal in the Interprovincials three years in a row.

Not only did the team do well, but together with Lorraine, I won first prize ladies doubles.

And so now on Saturday, I'm bowling in a fundraiser for the Toronto Cat Rescue. Donations are needed for medical care: spay/neuter and general health of the cats and kittens.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/toronto-cat-rescue-bowl-a-thon-9/

Day 94: Toronto Cat Rescue Bowl-a-thon

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 94: Toronto Cat Rescue Bowl-a-thon

It’s that time of the year again. The time when the Toronto Cat Rescue (TCR) organizes a Bowl-a-thon to raise money for the cats of Toronto.

The Toronto Cat Rescue is not a cat shelter in the traditional sense of the word but rather a series of foster homes where cat lovers care for kittens and cats, waiting to be adopted.

After prospective parents are interviewed and evaluated and before the kittens and cats go to their forever homes, they are spayed/neutered. TCR also traps feral cats, have them spayed/neutered before they are set free again.

When I first started fundraising for TCR, 11 years ago, we were a small group of bowlers who barely took up five lanes and raised + $6,000. Last year the group had close to 200 participants and we raised just under $25,000. This year our aim is $30,000.

This year, for the first time since the start of the Toronto Cat Rescue Bowl-a-thon, the event takes place at Kennedy Bowl on May 5th. Other years the Bowl-a-thon was held in Toronto's west end, in bowling alleys where we had to take two or even three trains, followed by a short or long walk.

Several times I suggested to the organizers to give Kennedy Bowl a try and this year I finally got my wish. Goes to show that perseverance pays off.

If you care to help simply visit https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/toronto-cat-rescue-bowl-a-thon-9/ or if you prefer, you can donate via my PayPal account at conny.manero@gmail.com

For Kennedy Bowl bowlers there will be a donation box at the control counter shortly.

I'm not asking for a fortune, even $1 or $2 will make a difference. That’s less than a cup of coffee and your donation will help save a life.

The kitties of Toronto and I thank you.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/toronto-cat-rescue-bowl-a-thon-9/ 

Day 87: Suffering from back pain? Go bowling

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 87: Suffering from back pain? Go bowling

As some of you may remember, on November 4^th I hurt my back. It started with a tiny pinprick in my lower back, the pain progressed throughout the day and by 10:00 p.m. I was in agony. Everything I did, whether it was sitting down, getting up or moving around, I did slowly and with utter care as the slightest wrong move caused me excruciating pain.

Today, three and a half months later, the pain is much better, but my back has not completely healed. Standing for an extended period of time or walking a distance still causes me discomfort. Not just in my lower back but between and under my shoulder blades.

According to my doctor, I had to go see a physiotherapist. At this point I would do anything to get rid of this pain so off I went.

A short conversation with the clinic’s receptionist told me that a session with the therapist would cost me $90 for 40 minutes and every session afterward would be $65 for 20 minutes. Since I don’t have insurance, this would come out of my own pocket. Fine, if that’s what it took I would pay.

I looked forward to my appointment the next day, but it was all rather disappointing. The therapist asked me a lot of questions, followed by some stretching, pushing and poking. Aware of my discomfort she offered a 3-minute massage and a 10-minute heat treatment.

I must admit, my back felt better after the massage and the heat treatment but later that day everything went south. OMG, I was in so much pain I actually felt worse than before, much worse.

According to the therapist, this was normal. This was why she would have to see me 3 times a week for the next 10 weeks. I did a quick calculation … $65 x 3 x 10 would come to $1,950. That was quite a shock to my finances.

On Saturday morning I went bowling. I was more than a little hesitant given the state of my back, but I felt I had to try. If I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t do it, but I would at least have given it a shot. Rather than bowling full-out as I usually do, I threw my ball with care, ever conscious of my spine and surrounding muscles. After three games I called it quits though. The games had gone fine, but I didn’t want to push my luck.

Today, some 36 hours later my back pain has all but disappeared. No more pain in my lower back, no more pain between or under my shoulder blades. Price of the games … $6.

Conclusion … before you see a physiotherapist and spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars, GO BOWLING!!!

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