A friend sent me this screen grab (at right) of what looks to be the most amazing play ever in Words With Friends. I figured it had to be bogus and asked one of the game’s creators, Paul Bettner, about it. His response: “I think it’s ‘real,’ but there’s no way this just happened in the course of a regular game. To my eyes, this definitely required a concerted effort on the part of both players to build the required scaffolding.” Still, though. That’s some solid workmanship.

"Getting ready for game. It's 2:00 EST. Psyched."

UPDATE, 2:33 pm: It’s raining in Detroit.  We could be in for another delay.

Texas Rangers’ radio play-by-play announcer Eric Nadel is at Comerica Park in Detroit where the Rangers are getting ready to embarrass the Detroit Tigers. He sent a few pictures he took as he walked into the park. I urge you to turn off the sound on your TV and tune in to 103.3 ESPN Radio and listen to Nadel and (Tim’s buddy) Steve Busby call the game. First pitch at 3:19 PM CST. GO RANGERS!

Jump for more pictures.

"View from parking garage. Note red wing puck at Hockeytown restaurant in foreground."

"Check out the tiger heads."

"Mosaics all over the place."

For Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, bowling is a family affair. Her mother was a program director at her local lanes growing up. “I went from the nursery to the lanes,” she says. “But, my mom wouldn’t let me bowl until I could hold a ball with one hand.” No bumpers or ramps for her.

She says the bowling alley was her second home, where she felt most comfortable. By high school, she was being recruited by San Jose State for their women’s bowling program. She went on to be a four-time All-American and a 12-year Team USA player, win dozens of championships and awards, and make her living playing the game she loved.

To bring it full-circle, Lynda then-Norry married fellow pro bowler, Chris Barnes. They have twin sons who she says are bowling enthusiasts, watching mom and dad practice and sometimes touring with them. They’re itching to start their own bowling careers, but they can’t yet hold a ball with one hand.

I met Lynda at the kick-off to the Bowling’s U.S. Women’s 2011 Open at AMF Euless Lanes last Thursday.  I was one of a dozen media persons there to cover the event and receive a free, custom-fit bowling ball from the Open’s sponsor, Ebonite.

The seven Team USA players on hand to meet-and-greet and offer tips to throwing our new, professional-grade balls would join 286 other women in the tournament. That’s record-breaking participation for the event.

The final four of those 286 bowled in Cowboys Stadium last night in the finals on portable lanes straddling the 50-yard-line. Barnes was one of them; her first top-four finish in the particular event.

The event broke another record, with 6,000 people in attendance to watch. If one of the bowlers had a perfect, 300-point game, they’d win a million dollars. The Team USA members said that it’s a much harder, but not impossible, feat for women bowlers because they lack the strength and hand size to contort the ball’s direction just so.

The Open is going for one more record when it airs on ESPN2 on Saturday night—it wants 10,000 viewers. Did Barnes take home the big enchilada? Is one bowler $1 million richer? You’ll have to tune in to find out.

…GO!

DO skip work to watch basketball. Come on. It’s one day. If they fire you over that, there’s a pretty good chance you were getting fired anyway.

DON’T hold me to that.

DO go to your regular bar, if your regular bar has TVs. Otherwise, you’re going to be in some place you don’t even like, and you’re going to be nervous. Looking over your shoulder and such. Nervous people drink more, and, look, you’ve essentially already blown this by over-thinking it.

DO start off your day with a good breakfast or an early lunch. I’m not saying don’t have a bunch of chicken wings and everything nachos at whatever bar you go to. Well, I actually am kind of saying that. But what I really am saying is that bad food destroys a good buzz. PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION.

DON’T try to come up with a ridiculous excuse. The best course in these situations is to call no attention to yourself. If attention finds you, then don’t lie. Deflect. You’re not covering up a murder (probably). You’re explaining why you’re late coming back from lunch, and smell like a ranch dressing salesman. So you need to ask yourself, and your boss, “Why is Tim always stealing office supplies? And money? And why does he smell like prison liquor?” Not only did you just deflect attention away from yourself, you may have bought yourself enough time to pop out again.

DON’T go to a bar or restaurant that’s sponsored by someone as a place to skip work and watch the game. That means cameras and/or microphones. You might as well send out an internal memo to the entire company explaining your lunch plans.

DO send out an internal memo to the entire company explaining your plan. But make sure you add JUST KIDDING right before your signature. Then name some generically popular lunch spot and ask if anyone wants you to bring anything back. Take their order. If they offer to pay, magnanimously say, “Please. I got this. I owe you.”

DON’T actually bring anything back for anyone. This way, you’re known as the jerk who forgot everyone’s lunch, not the irresponsible jerk who spent three hours watching a sport he only pretends to care about two weeks out of every year, if that, and honestly just likes tying one on during the day in a marginally socially acceptable way.

DON’T think too hard about that. You’re okay. You’re going to be…okay.

DO actually try to do something nice for everyone you stiffed on that whole lunch thing. I’m not saying actually get them lunch. But something. I think a nice box of breakfast pastries — and granola  and soy milk for Greg in accounting, the health nut — should do the trick. Write a note with it. Nothing fancy. “Hey everyone — enjoy.” Something like that. They know you struggle with emotion and will appreciate the effort.