Last week the culture crew gathered for 3 days of brainstorming, eating, and...a new england classic...candlepin bowling!

Let me confess. I have competition issues. And I'm not alone. So while it was truly just for fun, we all paid attention to the scores. Culture's resident emperor of curiosity, Will Fertman, tells me that no one has ever rolled a perfect game of candlepin in a competition. Although this wasn't a competition, I wondered if it perhaps I had a chance to roll my way into candlepin history.

We went to Saccos Bowl Haven, where we ate pizza at Flatbread, then waddled to the bowling lanes.

When I first hefted the ball and peered down the lane, those candlepins looked close. AIl I needed to do was fire that ball so hard it would scatter the pins and they would knock each other down. Simple!

Turns out releasing the ball low to the ground is very important. Otherwise you're lobbing a 3lb clunker into the gutter. You see, you have to perfect your form. And perfecting your form requires concentration which is difficult when you're continually interrupted by "do you want something from the bar?" Hey, it's hot, and 3 games is a lot of work. You have to hydrate.

No one rolled a perfect game. We had a lot of spares, one strike, great forms, and were reminded that everything important is in the details.