The joy of Wii

The Wii arrived on Thursday in a slender box with an Amazon logo. I never really wanted one, but so many people told me I'd like it, that when the opportunity came, I bought a console.

In the two weeks leading up to the purchase, I had cleared out and cleaned up the finished part of the basement. Once that job was finished, the open space needed a purpose. Since I'm not a teenager and have no close friends here, partying downstairs wasn't very appealing. Exercise is boring, although we're all set up to do it.

I took stock and made a list of the reasons I don't need to join a gym:

• Pilates reformer


• yoga mat


• 2 thick exercise mats


• complete set of hand weights, 2-12 pounds


• weight bench


• set of stretchy resistance straps


• ankle weights


• 2 fit balls


• small inflatable therapy ball


• Step


• Foam roller


• 15 fitness workout DVDs

Alas, look as I might, I couldn't find my missing ambition or interest in exercise in general to add to that list.

It took some figuring out to get the Wii installed. There was an old TV, an RF splitter, a digital signal converter, an antenna, and a DVD player to configure so all would work in a friendly and compatible manner. Lots of wires in multiple directions. Once the hookup was successfully completed, I set out to see what Wii was all about.

I created a "Mii" and named her Bovinia. The Wii Fit Plus is not that interesting to me. It's really just a lot of work, and the animated trainer is not only not very animated, she never smiles.

I pulled out the Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort discs and popped one into the machine. Games, games, games. And me without a partner. I chose the one sport I knew I could do alone: bowling.

Bowling turned out to be fabulous. Back in the day, I was such a blue-collar kid, I actually took bowling lessons in fifth grade, and then was in a youth bowling league. When I was 30, a friend and I took advantage of the local bowling alley's summer special: For $90, we got six weeks of lessons, nearly unlimited play, and a custom-drilled bowling ball with our respective names engraved just above the finger holes.

I can bowl.

Push, swing, back, release. As I finished my first round of bowling in almost 20 years (score = 150), I looked through the other games and realized that Wii was the perfect thing for me. There are no friends required. All of the games can be played in isolation, just me vs. the Wii.

I may move into the basement.