Last weekend, I bowled for the first time in a couple of years. I didn’t have great scores, but I had a great time and realized I missed it.

I started bowling when I was about 10. In high school, bowling at Rockaway Bowl was a weekly staple for some combination of Greg, Dave, Johnny, Keith and I. I had my own ball, and I bowled in a few leagues.

The high point was probably when my team tied for first place, only to lose the title on total pins (which seemed to be a rule made up on the spot). I still claim we were the uncrowned champs! Then again, I have been known to be petty in that way.

I know Fran Gallagher will argue that golf is the businessman’s game. He might be right; I rarely hear business discussed in a bowling alley. I doubt anyone will ever write about the beauty of any specific bowling alley. I admit, inside, they are all pretty much the same.

I will argue a few advantages bowling has over golf. Bowling is not affected by weather or seasons. Bowling can be a solo activity. You never have to worry about learning the course in bowling.

I have heard about (although never experienced) the high of hitting that perfect golf shot. However, I have experienced the high of the perfect bowling shot, followed by the unmistakable sound of a strike. Now that is a thing of beauty as well as being very stress-relieving.

I know the popularity of bowling has declined in recent years, and I think it is a shame. Bowling might not be the businessman’s game, but it can be a great time for everyone.

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

On April 25, 1976, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs in a game that was overshadowed by an act of patriotism by Cubs’ centerfielder Rick Monday. Monday saved the U.S. flag from being burned on the field by protesters. This heroic act catapulted Monday into the national spotlight.

On June 10, 2008, my friends and I were in Los Angeles for a game between the Cubs and Dodgers. I took the opportunity to interview Monday, who ironically became a broadcaster for the the Dodgers. I used that interview to produce a GT blog during the week of July 4th. Much to my surprise, the blog was read on the air by David Stein of Sporting News Radio.

Last Thursday, I was in New York for GT’s annual awards event. Midway through the night, my pants zipper broke. I returned to my room to try and fix the problem. After a few futile minutes, I gave up and put on jeans. I figured it was dark in the party room and I wasn’t the main focus anyway.

As I re-entered the party, I heard publisher Fran Gallagher make a comment about a blog, followed by a recording of Stein reading my blog on Rick Monday. I had no idea what was happening when Kim Krol (GT wunderkind) summoned me to the stage.

I arrived at the stage just as Fran announced me as the winner of the Globility award. Then I promptly tripped going up the stairs, only to have actor (and awards presenter) Terrence Howard save me from tumbling off the stage.

If you see any pictures of the moment and I look a bit stunned and disheveled, I was. Two weeks ago I wrote about meeting Terrence Howard. I had no idea it would be under these circumstances.

Fran Gallagher defines globility as: the quality of being open to world of cultures and experiences. I can honestly say, writing this blog has definitely given me plenty of wonderful experiences.

In a former professional life, Laurie encouraged me to take opportunities when presented with them. I took her advice in getting the interview with Monday. The experience turned out to be magical, ending with me accepting the Globility award.

I admit, Fran has been open to some of my offbeat blogs, although he ribs me incessantly about them. I hope I have rewarded his trust. I plan on continually seeking out interesting stuff. I am grateful for every reader and all comments.

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist, blogger and Globility award winner

As Louie and I prepared for our annual January trip to New York for the GT awards event, the debate over luggage came up again. Do we check it or carry it on?

The question is more of convenience rather than cost. The $15 per bag charge wasn’t going to put a major dent into my 2010 budget. Still, it is always nice to avoid extra charges if possible.

The absolute worst-case scenario is to plan on carrying on my bag, only to be told as I am boarding that the overhead compartments are full and I need to check my bag. In that case, not only will I have to deal with luggage claim, but I will have to fill out the tags at the last minute. Plus, I could have used a bigger bag and just checked it at check-in. This has happened to me twice and is a major annoyance.

On the surface, it is easy to blame the passenger who brings on one bag (which is already questionably oversized), plus a personal bag (which is more like a gym duffel bag), plus a laptop case (which seems to be larger than laptops I have seen), plus possibly one more small bag for under-the-seat stowage. That’s four bags, by my count.

Don’t get me wrong, that person deserves some of your ire, but let’s put the blame where it belongs. The airlines need to enforce tougher standards for carry-on bags.

My longtime friend, Sky Torvis (former radio personality in Bisbee, Ariz.), once asked me why airlines don’t charge for carry-on bags. What a radical yet perfectly logical concept.

There should still be enforced limitations, but passengers should pay more for the convenience of carrying on a bag (or four). Wouldn’t that make more sense? At least I could get some satisfaction knowing that the luggage hog was coughing up some cash!

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

Next Thursday I will be in New York for the big, annual awards event for GT. While it is great to see the rest of the GT crew, since we are all spread across the country, to celebrate another great year for the magazine and to present awards to the reader survey winners, I am most looking forward to meeting the Guest of Honor, Terrence Howard.

As most of my friends know, I am always looking to meet a celebrity. I am not really a celebrity-hound because I don’t chase celebs. However, if the situation presents itself and I can meet a celebrity, I’m all over it.

GT’s annual awards reception has provided me the opportunity to meet several celebrities. In 2005, I felt privileged to meet Terry Waite. Waite is an incredible man who endured 1,760 days as a hostage after trying to secure the release of four other hostages.

At other GT awards receptions, I have met actress Cynthia Nixon and billionaire Donald Trump. Nixon was riding the wave of the massively popular Sex and the City, while Trump was doing the same with The Apprentice. This might have been the peak of both in their popularity.

Last year actor Patrick Warburton was the Guest of Honor. Warburton has been my favorite. Actually, he would be near the top of all the celebrities I have ever met, and I have met a lot. Warburton has co-starred on two of my favorite shows, Seinfeld and NewsRadio. I am glad to say that Warburton was extremely nice and talkative.

That brings me to Terrence Howard; I mean, the Oscar-nominated Terrence Howard. Howard has spent half his life acting, carving out an excellent career. It will be interesting to hear his thoughts. Of course, I will also be ready with camera in hand for a photo-op with Howard.

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

Earlier this week, my favorite publisher, Fran Gallagher, discussed Hawaii’s questionable marketing strategies. It is a bit surprising that marketing for something as important and big as Hawaii would be so misguided, but I have seen many inept plans on a smaller scale.

When I worked at (the now defunct) Lerner Newspapers, one of my responsibilities was the distribution of Visitor Guides for certain areas. These guides were jointly produced by Lerner and various Chambers of Commerce or Tourism/Visitors Bureaus.

I would think these guides were meant to attract others to these areas. Instead, most times, The Powers That Be felt the guides should be distributed only in the areas covered. This certainly made distribution easier and quicker, but I doubt it did anything for the economy of the area. Ironically, The Powers That Be would often complain afterward that they didn’t receive any response from the guides, nor did they see any spike in tourism.

Another failed project involved a shopper publication. The newspaper consisted entirely of ads for local stores, many including coupons. I was shocked to learn that The Powers That Be wanted the entire run of the publication to be delivered to local businesses. After a few minutes of this pointless exercise, the project was abandoned based on the lack of consumer response.

How does this happen? I understand there are knuckleheads in every walk of life, but why didn’t someone see the silliness in these two examples?

Of course, on their resumes and in their minds, these projects were probably classified as successes. They probably bragged about their brilliance in promotion and marketing. They might even have parlayed these experiences into better jobs, like maybe at the Hawaiian Visitors Bureau.

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist