Bowling for #Migraines

I've always enjoyed bowling even though I've never been all that good at it. I'm the kind of bowler who gets an occasional strike or spare along with gutter balls. Frankly, I'm satisfied if my final score breaks 100. Despite all that, I keep doing it.

So what does this have to do with migraines? Well, I've come to learn that in many areas of the country bowling and smoking go hand in hand. Having grown up in a progressive, health conscious community, where smoking in public was banned when I was still very young, I was spoiled by being able to go anywhere. Needless to say, I've bowled a lot less since we left Minnesota.

We did find a bowling ally that is smoke free not too far from our current location. It is a very family friendly place with a restaurant, arcade and a really huge bowling area. In the two times I've been there, it's clear that family friendly means that they cater to kids. The music is tween music (Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez...) and it's played so loud you have to shout to communicate. Kids are all free range, running around all hopped up on sugar and shouting. Parties are celebrated with cosmic bowling. That's when they turn off the regular lights and replace them with strobes, fog, lasers and black lights. It's a migrainista's nightmare.

Having been given a gift card to this place, my husband and I decided to give it a second chance over the weekend. Having been through cosmic bowling hell before we called ahead to see when we could bowl and not have to worry about it. They said we would be safe between 3pm and 10pm for regular bowling. We went at 4pm and sure enough once we get going they announce it's time for cosmic bowl. Apparently they had a late birthday party and so they made an exception to their policy so they could still make the party money. We made a stink and they relocated us to a different part of the ally and only did the cosmic crap on the side with the party.

The whole thing just left such a bad taste in my mouth. As much as I want to bowl a game now and then I don't want to put up with the loud music, the cosmic bowling, smokers, or anything else for that matter. What happened to just bowling?

The final nail in the bowling coffin was the bill. It cost $40 for just my husband and I to bowl - $40! When did bowling get so expensive? In my head I think a regular bowling ally wouldn't be as expensive as this massive kid complex (the only smoke-free ally around here) but I don't know for sure. In addition to the money I also paid with a migraine and a fibro-flare in my bowling hand/arm.

Yep, I think I'm done with bowling. Just one more thing added to the list of things I don't do because of my chronic migraines and fibromyalgia.