bowling alley?

Melody Lanes rocks!! It's a tried and true bowling alley complete with $9 pitchers and cheap burgers and hot dogs.

Friday night is league night until 11:00, so if you show up right as the leagues are ending there is no wait for a lane. Take the lanes on the right, where they leave the lights up, and you won't have to deal with the teenage crowd.

Saturday night is a bit crowded, about half an hour wait for a lane depending on how many people you have. But you can wait in the bar and strike up a conversation with the very entertaining bartender.

Went yesterday with the boyfriend for some All-American Memorial Day fun and had a blast. Someone was definitely playing Back in Black in its entirety, plus I totally kicked his ass!

Subject: birthdays

I love Meloday Lanes, though I've been known to flip-flop on this. My great experiences involved two birthday gatherings there, one of which they let me reserve lanes ahead of time. When more people than we had room for showed up, they managed to secure the next lane in line, therefore keeping all of us together and happy. It's worth noting, I'm not 10 or 12, I was 26 at the time.

They kept the beer coming nonstop, and the bartender (Sal?) even made me a special, horrible, glowing green shot.

But, this was the flip: A year later, I was drinking with friends, and had left my card at the front counter (where they hang on to it until the game is done, in case you do several games). When we finished our drinks and paid the tab , I went to retrieve my card. The woman swiped it, I signed a form, and we left.

Turns out, she'd swiped it already when I had originally come in. And believe me, arguing that out, even with my bank statements there to prove it, was hell. Somehow I was charged $38 and $38.50, and they tried to insist we'd rung up a bar tab for that amount, that's why the second charge. We had paid the tab in full, in cash, that night. I feel like they're probably sinking, like all recreational facilities, and like their brother Marks Lanes in Bay Ridge. And I got the full brunt of that eventual demise. So I boycotted. But it's been about a year now...maybe it's time to go back.

I'm trying to organize a sizeable outting there in the coming weeks with some friends from out of town. i've been trying to go for so long but all my friends have been exceptionally lame lately.