Bowling for Barbie

Last night, I met Helen and Diane at El Dorado Bowl for a few games. As usual, we had an amazing time. I won't bother you with my scores on this particular post. Let's just say that I am suffering from a bad knee and foot which in less than two weeks will be getting surgical intervention, my fibromyalgia is flaring, and I was fully loaded on Neurontin. They were less than stellar.

That's not the point, though. I was bowling. What's not to like? Good friends and a game who's whole point is to throw things and knock things down. I had fun.

I don't own any bowling shoes though, so I rented them from the alley. The poor guy behind the counter wasn't sure how to respond when I told him that I wanted the particularly ugly ones, and that I would pay extra if they came with a fungus. Unfortunately, this particular bowling establishment claims that they don't have fungi shoes. But that's what they all say.

At any rate, we bowled without incident except for the one shot I took where the ball went into the gutter (we bowled without bumpers) and then popped back out again to knock a few pins down. I had no idea that was possible. At the end of the evening, as we waited to turn our fungusless shoes in, I saw it. It was scarier than a Stephen King novel. It was a flyer for a "Barbie" bowling ball.

"Come On Girls! It's time to bowl with Barbie!" Oy. In pink, of course.

And look, it comes with a matching bowling ball bag.

Now, the flyer in pink was enough to stun me, but then I didn't quite believe it. As I moved up the line, my mind adjusted to the issue and I went into classic denial. But when we reached the counter, I was confronted with a sight that I could not deny.

A real Barbie Bowling Ball on display. I would say in the flesh, but it was such a bright pink that there's no way that any person was ever that color. "Girls Rule" it said.

As I adjusted to the idea that there is not one facet of life that Barbie has not insideously permeated, I made another brain adjustment. Maybe a Barbie Bowling Ball is not such a bad thing. After all, it is a chance to throw Barbie, to roll Barbie, to drop her on her face.

Hmmmmm. Maybe, if I ever get me a bowlin' ball, I might have to go for the pink one.