Could this week BEE any worse? – Coldwater, OH Part 1

Last weekend was the “best regional in the nation.”  Brian Kretzer and the Hartings family host a regional tournament that is nothing short of incredible.  It is nearly a week long event and it consumes the small community in which it takes place.  There are golf tournaments, softball games, putting competitions, cornhole tournaments, and, by the way, a bowling tournament.

For those of you who are my friends on Facebook, you know that last week was crazy.  On Wednesday afternoon I was stung by a bee while mowing the yard.  That’s not a huge deal even though I’m allergic.  Earlier this season I as stung and was still able to bowl.  The problem was that I got stung on the LEFT HAND!!! 

I did EVERYTHING right!  Immediately, I ran inside, scraped out the stinger, and started treating the sting.  Part of that treatment is a shot from my Epipen.  Even still, by the next morning my hand was so swollen that I could not bend my fingers.  On Thursday morning I called the region manager and told him that I would likely not be bowling.  It seemed like a no brainer as my hand looked like a baseball glove. 

However, when I woke up on Friday I decided that I would contact my friend Dr. Mathison.  The doctor and I used to bowl league together and he is still a great friend of mine.  He told me that I would not do any further damage to my hand by bowling.  Doc also told me to add Pepcid to my regimen of allergy medicine and ice.  So, I went downstairs, stuffed my hand into a ball (it didn’t quite fit), and decided to go bowl. 

On the drive to Coldwater, which is about 4 hours, I got some Pepcid and kept the digits on ice.  After a couple of hours I decided to switch out my ice bags and what I saw was absolutely shocking.  My hand was easily half the size that it had been when I got in the car.  Obviously, there were still issues with the hand all weekend.  The main issues were stiffness and a slight lack of dexterity.  However, those things can be overcome. 

Of course, now the issue at hand (pardon the terrible pun) was that I was entering the strongest regional tournament in existence with a slight handicap and no practice in four days.  While many players can get by on talent, I typically practice for 2 hours on Mondays and Wednesdays to prepare.  Nevertheless, I was at the bowling center, in my name shirt, and the region director was at the microphone.  “PBA Central Region Bowlers, your lanes are now on for your two hours of practice at the PBA Central Region 4^th annual Lefeld Implement Classic.”

Well…here we go!