my extreme bowling team: Jacqueline, me, Kathy, Peter

I don't know whether to commit suicide or go bowling
- Florence Henderson

Last night I mentioned having gone "extreme bowling" with our sales team; that's me at right (in my Curt Warner jersey, of course), flanked by the colleagues on my bowling team.  We had a great time.  Bowling is something I do about once a year, and love it, but once a year is approximately enough.  (I think if I had to do it every week I'd commit suicide :)

As a team building exercise extreme bowling has many virtues; first, pretty much anyone can bowl, regardless of athletic ability, previous experience, alcohol level, or commitment.  Second, pretty much everyone sucks; good bowlers are rare, and they generally choke when confronted with the flashing lights, colored pins, disregard for rules, and abandonment of courtesy featured in extreme bowling.  It is a great leveler.  And bowling is a fundamentally co-ed activity, unlike say golfing or visiting a spa; everything is just more fun with both sexes involved, go figure.  And finally - crucially where salespeople are involved - it is a competition; there is some reason to believe skill or effort or luck or joss will decide that you are better than someone else.  And what could be better than that?

In case you're wondering, my team didn't win, but we did have the most fun.