We crafted a challenge around something new for our Back to School Challenge. Last week, we got a chance to live that out. Balls are NO part of life a la MOde, unless you're talking Swiss balls. Team sports and hard round objects aren't our fitness picks, though props to those who do that. So, finding out a corporate event included bowling meant that we were WAY out of the comfort zone. Too bad it was was mandatory, so no bailing. Read on to find out what happened when had to step up to the lane.

Mary: Just the thought of this made me wince about the endless possibilities for embarrassment, but I was a woman on a mission. I'm sick of being seen as "the intellectual." I hate living in my head. I'm more worn from concentration than hours of working out. I may have gone in with a chip on my shoulder. Just maybe. I started with a ball that was too heavy. Lesson learned by frame 2. With a few choice pointers from our team captain, I worked up to sequential spares and ended up second to said captain, despite his junior high school bowling team training time....

Oriana: I was just plain scared, OK? I haven't touched a bowling ball in 20 years--even though Mary says I was good at it then (I don't remember). I forgot everything about bowling. And, it went just like I expected. I was my team's worst player by a long shot and my big moment was throwing a ball so badly it was in the gutter FOR THE NEXT TEAM over.

I don't expect to rock anything I try, but this was a good grounding to leave my ego at the door. I tend to get way competitive with myself and I'm not used to flat-out flunking. Embarrassing? You bet. Time to let it go? Um,yes.

What did you do outside your usual?