TacoBell anyone?(A gutter catastophy)

#1Ricky Petersen -Little Neck,Queens-2004 #2 Tammy,Ammba and Ricky-Little Neck,Queens-2004

This is Ricky. he is Ammba's god father and my best friend. He is a guy who, no matter what, will be there when you need him. We've known each other for over 22 years. I have hundreds of pictures of him, but this is all I could find today. I didn't end up writing yesterday, so I am starting the story of this fine lad today. After 15 years I decided to start bowling again. This decision was my attempt to start to move away from the gymnastics world. I was saturated and becoming burnt out. Not with anything specific, I just had no other friends other than gymnasts. I was feeling a little inbred. I went to a bowling alley in Commack off of Jerico turnpike. I asked if there we any leagues available, and this nice girl set me up with a team that night to bowl. I was the youngest member by at least 30 years. The team was very encouraging and I bowled relatively good that night. I left feeling good that I was doing something for myself that didn't involve gymnastics and being around people who didn't know me was very freeing. The next week there was this very cocky, arrogant guy , who I didn't like on sight, and was bowling on my team as well. I asked "Where's Roy?" and " who is this guy?" Well he jumped right in and said "hi, I 'm Ricky Petersen, are you on my team?" I said "So, what happened to Roy?" He said "ask them I have no idea who Roy is. I was told you guys needed a bowler." Meanwhile league is starting and this guy is taking charge and giving orders. So much for liking all my team mates was my 1rst thought. I asked the other guys what happened. The told me Roy died and Ricky was his replacement. "Don't worry this guy is even better than you . Now we won't finish last." Wow! That was a shock, well if everyone else was o.k. with it thought I would be too.
It turned out Ricky was an incredible bowler and like no one I had ever met before. Late that night we hung out and talked. I found he was pretty smart, a little goofy, but pretty smart and wow! he really could bowl. That paved the way for our friendship, he felt about bowling the way I felt about gymnastics and our differences were refreshing for both of us. He started to bowl in more leagues and tournaments and he was doing amazing. He spent time teaching me and introducing me to the bowling world of Long Island. He warned me of all the dangers and mistakes people make. Being even more arrogant than he was, I went ahead and made all of them. Looking back it much of been very frustrating for him to watch. There is a lot more to tell, but that lays the ground work for this very colorful character. You will be hearing more Ricky stories as we go on. One quick story I will tell is the one of "Ricky's gutter ball" after 10 stike in a row. I was with Unc {I've mentioned him briefly before, he was my mentor, protector and role model.} And Ricky was bowling . Unc loved to watch good bowling, he started bowling at 70 years old and became very good. The whole bowling alley was behind watching Ricky about to bowl 300. In walks my ex-wife Diane, who had a voice like nails on a chalk board. She screams "Hey Jody! I brought Taco Bell" at the top of her lungs, meanwhile the bowling alley as so quiet you could hear a pin drop.{Ricky, did you like that pun?"} He was in the middle of his backswing and he throws it right in the gutter. Now in his defense he was playing the gutter line and Diane's voice is unsettling, even to the dead.{maybe Roy heard her} Ricky spins around and looks at her and yells "what the fuck is wrong with you? You stupid bitch oh my god!! Jody is she with you?" I shake my head, shrug my shoulders and plead " Ricky , I didn't know she would show up in fact I don't know how she found me." Diane yells to Ricky " Hey asshole I am glad you through it in the gutter and for you information, I am his wife!! So there!!" She then stomps out of the bowlng alley in a dramatic huff.. Ricky fires me a glaring look that says "This is very far from being over." Unc is just about falling out of his chair with laughter, Ricky then finishes the 10th frame I can't remember what he shot, but it wasn't 300. Unc stands up and goes to Ricky and says something and they become friends instantly. I am however in the doghouse. This time justifiably so. Well I am off to practice bowling! Submitted for your approval. Jody