For some moments in life there are no words....

It has been a long time since I wrote one of these! But, a lot of people have been asking me to start writing again.. so why not!  A lot has happened since the US Open and Queens. Lets start with that and work our way up.  US Open, all I can say is heartbreak, every single time.  I honestly must say I thought this year I would be able to say, I am that girl you saw on TV!  Unfortunately, I was not able to reach my goal, but I came very close.  Hopefully next year I will be able to tell everyone, yep, that was me on Sunday!  After the US Open, I decided to go back to NY for my family.  

In September, my dad pasted away from a brain aneurysm.  I never had a chance to say goodbye to him, even though I spent every moment in the hospital by his bed side.  He was already hooked up to a ventilator and was unable to communicate with me.  I want to take this time to tell everyone how important it is to tell their family and friends how much they love them.  I wish my last words to him were, I love you.... but he knows I will always be his little girl.   After my dad pasted away, I won two tournaments in the same month, I do not think it was a coincidence.  He was able to see me reach my dream of bowling on tour, and now he will be able to watch bowl whenever he wants.  I am proud to be his daughter, he was a great man.  

Nationals, Women's US Open, and Queens.... Oh My!

Wow! My life has done a complete 360 in the last few months, and I cannot believe how much has occurred.  First and for most, I am no long a New Yorker, but I will always be one at heart!  Second, I finally feel independent for the first time in my life.  And lastly, I have found some success on the lanes.  Over the past year, bowling has really been a struggle for me, I have felt no matter what I did, I kept coming up short of my expectations.  I felt as though something was standing in my way, and finally I figured it out, me! I was standing in my own way, too afraid to make a mistake, that I cost myself a chance to win.

Queens

  Queens was held in El Paso this year, otherwise know as very far away from everything!  I was excited to hear from one of my best friends, Christine, that she would be joining me on the lovely drive (sarcasm).  She flew here from Michigan, spent the night, and then we were off on an awesome nine hour drive!  I will save you the boring details of the drive, but I will show you some of the great scenery (sarcasm).

Christine and I arrived in El Paso, after a run in with the law! Yes, we were pulled over for, get this, being in the left lane too long!  Neither Christine or I had ever heard of this law, but the officer was completely fascinated with the fact that we were bowling, even asking to see our balls!! (weird and sort of creepy!) We were tired and went straight to bed, well Christine did, I listened to her snore!!!! The next day I had team event for women's nationals and Christine came along to be my cheerleader!!! I love my team, and we always have a great time, does not hurt that we bowled great! After bowling, Christine and I had a chance to catch up with some of the other lady bowlers, I was excited to see Dee's pregnant belly :).  After leaving the convention center, we went to dinner at a Mexican place with my team, and had a great time.  The following day was doubles and singles, we all bowled great and Christine did a great job of rooting us on!  Right after doubles and singles, we all had practice for the queens!  By the end of practice we were exhausted and ready for bed!  The next few days were going to be long ones!

Qualifying Round

Qualifying was hard on me, I struggled early on to get into a groove, but just could not pull myself together.  However, I knew I could still make the cut if I just put forth a better effort.  On the last day of qualifying I finally pulled myself together to get where I needed to be!  After qualifing it was anyone's game!

Match Play

My first match did not go as I would have liked, I felt as though I bowled well, but just could not get anything going.  Lucky for me, it was double elimination, so I was placed in the losers bracket but still had a chance to make the show.  

My second match was a difficult one, I had to face Shannon O'keefe.  I respect Shannon and think she is an amazing bowler, she is also a dear friend.  I knew Shannon would be a tough opponent, so I put my noise to the ground and started out striking, my goal was to stay ahead of her the whole time and never give her the opportunity to get out in front of me, because that girl can strike!   I defeated Shannon and moved on in the losers bracket.  

My third match was against another friend Olivia, again it is always hard to bowl against people you have good relationships with.  I was successful and moved on in the losers bracket.  

On my fourth match I made one of the biggest mistakes a bowler can make, I tried to strike instead of just getting an easy spare! I will have flashbacks about this moment forever!  It came down to the last game and all I needed was to spare and keep the ball on the lane.  However, I chose to try to strike, well that did not work out as planned, I split, lost and was out of the tournament.  I wish I could go back in time, but I can not, so I must learn from that experience and never let it happen again.  

Christine.. Christine.. Christine...

I would like to take a minute to say how wonderful Christine bowled.  She is still young and has not had as many tournaments under her belt as the rest of us, but looking at her performance in the Queens one would never know.  She really bowled amazing and I was so proud of her.  

U.S. Open 

Photo Shoot

These Photos are for The Girls Only Centereach Clinic March 21, 3-8pm

 Hosted by Myself and Diandra Asbaty

Denver... A Surprise and a Realization

  I arrived in Denver on Valentine's Day, it was the best Valentine's day present ever, I really wanted to leave Reno :).  I have never visited Denver before, and I could not believe all the mountains in my view.  Denver is really an amazing city, however, it was absolutely freezing.  Sunday, I arrived at my hotel, unpacked and relaxed. However, Monday was a very fast paced day, those do not usually happen out on tour.  I was working with Diandra to plan a surprise get together for Kelly to celebrate her success, and my roommate Christine Bator was to arrive later on that day.  I had to go find balloons, party decorations, check on the status of the cake, and then pick up Christine.  

The next day Christine and I had practice session, but we still had a few errands to run for Kelly's party that night.  Diandra, Christine, and I all went to lunch and then to pick up the ballons at Party City.  After picking up the balloons, poor Diandra had to ride in the back with them and I think her and the baby were being sufficated, so I dropped her off at the bowl.  Then, Christine and I went to pick up the cake.  After picking up the most amazing cake I have ever seen, we were off to practice.  

After practice, we raced back to the hotel so I could change my clothes and then headed out to the restaurant, so I could set up for the party.  When I arrived I was a little worried about the location, but it all worked out.  Kelly was so surprise, everyone had an amazing time, and oh yeah I caught the whole thing on video!  

You can see the video and all the pictures from the party here:

www.amandasfavoritephotos.shutterfly.com

A big thanks to 

Christine

Megan 

Kayla and her parents

Missy 

Shalin 

Jessica 

Thank You for all your help! 

New Things on the Horizon... Or so I have been told...

So it is midnight in Reno, I just finished an amazing dinner with amazing people and I am in bed reading a magazine.  As I flip through the pages, for some reason I decide to read the horoscope, which I never do.  (I promise!)  I was born on March 24, which makes me an Aries.  My horoscope reads as follows, "Success and happiness are on the horizon, and this is the time to fine tune your life.  Figure out exactly what you want to achieve.  At work, you are due for a lucky break."  Now, that might have been the best news I have received in a while, definitely makes Reno look a lot better.  For me this is two fold, in my professional life there exist the ultimate achievement, a title.  Each week I feel as though I am getting better and better, I can almost taste success.  However, each week I fall just a little short, but that does not discourage me, I keep pressing on.  The second part lies within the word happiness, I found it, but it might be just beyond my reach, but again I keep pressing on.

A Personal Note

Mistakes are part of life, realizing the mistakes you have made and changing them are hard.  However, changes make a person better.  I have made important changes to improve my mental and physical game out here on tour.  I take each loss and mistake, and try to make the changes so I do not repeat them.  The same rules apply in my personal life.  Sometimes you do not realize a mistake until it is too late.  However, I try and take the mistakes I have made to make me a better me.  Everyday is a new day, the past becomes the past and the focus should shift to the present. I cling to this saying in both my professional and personal life that a person I cherish once said, "If it was meant to be it was meant to be", I just hope it is meant to be.

Everyone should be on a Mission

For the past month all the buzz has been about the new Ebonite Mission.  Kelly Kulick used the Mission to win her first PBA Tour Title at The Tournament of Champions.  The next week we watched as another PBA Tour player stepped up to win using a Mission.  Last week at the Megabuck Tournaments in Vegas, the winner of the TAT also used the Mission.  Does anyone else see a trend here?  Ebonite worked hard in developing this ball and hit the nail right on the head, if you do not have a Mission, you need to get one.  This week at the Masters in Reno,  I will be on my own Mission.  During my practice session the ball looked amazing, and  I am confident it will work phenomenal on the fresh tomorrow.  It had a great shape, taking out the corner pins, which can often be a problem in the stadium.  If it gets a little to strong in the back, I plan to hit it with 1000 abralon to have it pick up a little sooner in the front of the lane.

Take a Minute to Be Thankful... Then One More to Lend a Hand

These past few weeks we have seen the destruction that has descended upon Haiti. It has been in the news, in magazines, and on the faces of people all across the world. As I sit here writing this, I ask myself, what can I do to help? I have made donations to the red cross and other funds, but I am sure there is more that can be done. However, it also makes me appreciate what I have here at home. While life always throws a few curve balls at you, and you might not be as happy as you want, it is important to realize that you have something, when others may have nothing.

In case you have not heard or read about the devastation that the earthquake caused please read the exerpt from BBC America

A massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake has struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The extent of the devastation is still unclear but there are fears thousands of people may have died. Haiti's worst quake in two centuries hit south of the capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, wrecking the presidential palace, UN HQ and other buildings. A "large number" of UN personnel were reported missing by the organisation. Many people have spent the night outside amid fears of more aftershocks. The Red Cross says up to three million people have been affected. Describing the earthquake as a "catastrophe", Haiti's envoy to the US said the cost of the damage could run into billions. A number of nations, including the US, UK and Venezuela, are gearing up to send aid. The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude. The tremor hit at 1653 (2153 GMT) on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said. Phone lines to the country failed shortly afterwards. There is still no official word on casualties and the extent of the devastation is only now becoming clearer with dawn breaking. China has already indicated in reports in state media that eight of its peacekeepers are buried and feared dead, with another 10 unaccounted for.


Simple Ways We Can Help

Donations to the Red Cross www.redcross.org

Simply Text Haiti to 90999 to donate 10 dollars

Simply Text Haiti to 52000 to donate via the Salvation Army

Visit Google Disaster Relief website www.google.com/relief/haitiearthquake/

Purchase Hope for Haiti Now CD www.itunes.apple.com/us/album/hope-for-haiti-now/id352210151

Please do something small to make a difference

Catch 22

After landing in San Fransico, I was eager to take all my bags off the carousel and start my week in Dublin. However, things did not go as smoothly as I had intended. After getting a cart to put all five of my bags, yes five bags and one little me, I started the trek to the rental car center, It was two floors up and seven stops on the tram. After arriving at the rental car center, I had to go outside to the curb to take a shuttle to actually arrive at MY rental car place. (I had rented from the one place that was not directly located in the airport) Well turns out they cancelled my rental car reservation and would not rebooked it for me. Needless to say, I was a little upset that I had dragged five bags down stairs and outside, but I was not too worried, there were plenty of rental cars. After paying double what I had wanted to pay, I was on my way to Dublin in my awesome mini van! (It was the only cars they had available) I arrived at hotel at midnight and tucked myself in.

The following day I arrived at the bowl to put all my balls in the paddock and practice. It was nice to be able to see all the girls and catch up. In practice session I found that I had the best look with my Total Bedlam, Reign, and Mutant Cell to start. Towards the end of practice session I found that my freeze looked best. I left practice feeling confident that I would have a good look to start the first day of qualifying.

My first block did not go as well as I would have liked, but I looked forward to the next day. I made some ball surface changes and discussed a plan of action with some of the male players on tour. I thought that if I moved everything left, I would be able to have more hold then I did in my first block. After a long day of bowling, I decided it was best to go back to the room and relax, because the women had the morning block.

My second block of qualifying went well, I wished for a few pins more (I missed the top eight by 3 pins) but I was happy with my overall performance. My last game I was in a catch 22 situation, I was in the cut and knew I need to have a clean game to make the top 8. The lanes were tough and I did not want to risk making a mistake and split. However, as I watched Kelly throw strike after strike I knew I was in trouble. I made a slight change and struck in the ninth frame. I was not sure what the cut was going to be, but I knew I probably needed a double to go plus to stay in. As I let the ball go in the tenth frame, I knew I threw it the best I could. Unfortunately, I left a ten pin and missed the cut. Sometimes, even when you feel that you have performed at your best, you need to go back and reevaluate what you could have done better. While I only missed one spare, I did miss some key moves and ball changes that could have changed my outcome. However, now I have learned this and will not make the same mistakes next time.

On the Road Again

The past few months since I have been home from tour have gone so fast, and now it is time to pull out my suitcase and pack for another exciting adventure. Since I have been back from the road, I have grown and had some amazing experiences. First, I have realized how important friends are, I will miss those that I will be leaving, but they will always be with me. My friends have been so supportive, coming out to watch me bowl, calling, sending emails, and just being there for me, Thank You for being Amazing!!!!

Second, I have had the opportunity to become close a family who adores bowling. They are my biggest fans, and I am theirs, I know one day I will be watching them bowl out on tour. Mentoring youth bowlers is an amazing feeling, watching them succeed makes me incredibly proud. I have had the chance to bowl two adult junior tournaments with my mini me, and she makes me proud every time. Her drive to win and be successful inspires me to be better. Winning is extremely important, but seeing the look in her eyes when she strikes is what makes everything worth while. I am excited to see what tour brings, excited to start a new life, and excited for my friends Kimberly and Jason! Kimberly just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl Aria Rose!!!! With this New Year, I look forward to a new beginning! I hope you will be watching!!!!