Celebrating success!

Who knew several months ago that when a handful of us started bowling in a Tuesday night beer league that we'd become such good friends as members of the Broken Taco Shells? Our chemistry is downright awesome.

Erin, Beth, John and I (plus our designated fill-in, Brian) wound up in second place out of 12 teams in the recently concluded summer league at Hollywood Bowl. (Even if we'd finished dead last, we'd have found a reason to celebrate.) And so we gathered last night at the home of John and his wife Andrea for a Mexican-themed dinner, featuring grilled fajitas, and the presentation of trophies, cobbled together with a little bit of imagination and a lot of embellishments following a trip to our local Goodwill store.

-- Brian couldn't attend, so he'll get his Super Sub Award this week, when we kick off the fall season.
-- Erin took home the Talk Like a Sailor Award, as she's been known to "mutter" when her ball winds up in the gutter. The attached bar of soap is there to wash out her mouth.
-- Beth received the Most Wardrobe Changes Award on the basis of her habit to pull various T-shirts and sweaters on and off during the course of an evening. In an emergency, she can now pull out her black T-shirt from Ketchikan, Alaska, featuring two grizzlies humping.
-- John was the hands-down winner of the Mr. Congeniality Award. No one engages in more conversation with rival teams or delivers more high-fives than this guy. Along with a "friendship candle," a tacky item requiring a small light bulb and an electrical outlet, he now has an "edited" photo of himself in the midst of a group of smiling monks, all appearing to hold bowling balls. Call them the Buddhist Taco Shells.

Beth, George, John, Erin

For the record, Erin had the high handicap game among the women for this past season -- the combination of her actual score, plus handicap. And with our shares of the team winnings -- $180 -- she and I met at the bowling alley yesterday afternoon to purchase a ball-and-shoes package that, even if doesn't improve our scores, will make us look even better on the lanes.

Sixteen weeks of the new fall season start this Tuesday. Can't wait to get started.

Image: http://www.fotosearch.com/