What do you do when winter hits, bringing dark evenings, chilly temps, and a dearth of festivals and other fun events?

Head to the bowling alley.

Jeff and I are in the thick of a Monday night bowling league through Recesstime Sports, a local organization that keeps old people like us moving in “alternative” sports such as kickball, ping pong, dodgeball and something called mushball. Where bowling leagues back in the Midwest usually stretch months and months, this league lasts a pint-sized six weeks at the east-side Hollywood Bowl.

The ball got rolling at a dinner at Jessica’s place in September, when Jeff, Jessica, Jessica’s friends Todd and Erin, and I drank delicious whiskey cocktails and proclaimed we need to join a bowling league. Jessica followed through and Jeff recruited our buddy Stephen to round out our six-person team. We’re three weeks in, and with everyone’s busy travel schedules we’ve welcomed a few fill-ins, including Carla the Barre3 manager and Nike fit model (look, this is her wearing the Nike Element Half-Zip!), Shannon the new Nike Global Procurement teammate, and Jessica’s budding romance-man Sean.

And of course, I stink. Although I had a breakthrough performance on Monday when I notched a 129. Whoo-whoo!

Our other latest obsession – besides the recently-remodeled Rams Head restaurant and bar down the road – is Uptown Billiards Club, a swank, 10-table pool hall and surprisingly good restaurant. For almost two years, we walked by the non-descript door on 23rd Street that leads to a second-floor oasis of pool-shooting fun. Our landlords are to thank for the introduction, and we’ve been back with neighbors, co-workers and other friends.

On an entirely different note, Cooper has been doing well overall, but we had a bit of a scare this long weekend. Bathroom problems, vet thinks it’s colitis – otherwise known as inflammation of the colon, he’s on yet another medicine, and he’s chomping down a bland diet of boiled chicken and white rice sprinkled with probiotics to get some good bacteria growing in his nether-regions. Third chemo appointment on Tuesday. Poor guy has been through a barrage of vet appointments, med mixtures and food changes but he’s still same ole tail-wagging, stuffed toy-loving Coop.