Who's Calling?

Boy, what a yucky day it appears to be today -rainy, getting colder too. Two things I'm definitely NOT all that happy about in my life. Doggone weather like this just sets my old joints in an uproar.

A few things on my mind today -not many, mind you -as my pea brain can't handle all that much stuff all at once these days ya know.

This terrible scandal at Penn State University is still upper most in the news -well at least in this area it is anyway. But that does stand to reason considering where I live is only about 35 miles from University Park/State College, PA so certainly one can expect this to be big news around these hills, can't 'cha?

But, the most recent thing I've seen that raises more than a few more questions in my mind about this whole mess is the news yesterday of this big interview some reporter for CBS news was supposed to have had with Mike McQueary, a current-but-on-administrative-leave-coach at Penn State, the guy who told the Grand Jury that he saw Sandusky raping a young boy, estimated to be about 10 years old back in 2002. If you've been following this story at all you will remember that McQueary also told the Grand Jury that he left the scene of the alleged rape, calling only his Dad for advice and then, the next day, he is supposed to have gone and talked to Joe Paterno, the now deposed head coach of the Penn State Football team and told Joepa then what he'd seen the day prior. And of course, as we know now too, Joepa in turn reported this story to his superior, Tim Curley, the Athletic Director at Penn State who in turn, brought the news to the head of the Finance/Police Services on Campus and then, from there, the report also went on to Dr. Graham Spanier, the then President of the University and from there -well, the report stopped there, apparently.

Anyhow, that's a rough outline of who reported what to who -sort of -but now, according to the very latest reports, Mike McQueary is supposed to have sent an e-mail to a friend just last week in which he said oh, but he had done something to stop the rape and also, he had gone to the police then and discussed the situation with them -so yes, he was the "Mr. Nice Person" in this whole scenario -at least according to his words in his e-mail.

I'm wondering though why -if he really did do something, anything, to stop this alleged rape he witnessed and if he did in fact go speak to the police about this all having taken place, why didn't he say that to begin with while giving his Grand Jury Testimony? It's a bit conflictual, don't 'cha think? Or maybe I am reading this wrong cause sometimes my eyes do deceive me a bit. But this story now coming out -after maybe getting a whole hell of a lot of heat from the general public as to why he did nothing when he supposedly encountered Sandusky in the throes of lust -or, doing what Sandusky apparently considers nothing more than simple horseplay -perhaps the heat in the kitchen was getting a bit too hot for McQueary to contend with.

Ya think? I dunno -just discussing here what I saw on the CBS broadcast last night of this supposed big interview with McQueary in which he really said NOTHING, and then, reading the latest blurbs about this e-mail and then, reading the supposed e-mail too -just leaves me with more questions, more confusion too in my mind as to what the heck really did happen that day back in 2002 anyway?

On a more pleasant note -well sort of, depending on how you view this -I have been after Mandy and Ken to take a bag along with them when they walk Sammy down the Peale Road here and wanting them to pick some apples left on one tree along that road to bring home to me. This particular tree of which I know nothing other than it is apparently a darned healthy tree because it has been absolutely LOADED to the gills with nice non-worm-infested apples which are very tart, cook up nicely and make excellent homemade applesauce too -well, I just wanted a smallish bag of apples -didn't bargain for them to fill a 5 gallon drum-like container with apples for me! Granted this would make a really big kettle of applesauce which the grandkids -all three of 'em -really love -but I'm wondering now too if my hands will withstand the pressure of peeling and then cutting up that many apples -all pretty much at the same time, ya know?  Did I mention before that my joints in my wrist and in my hand and fingers also tend to stiffen up relatively quickly too these days?  Now, if they would like to volunteer to help with the peeling and cutting up of those apples, I'd be more than happy then to cook the whole kitt'n'kaboodle down into some yummy applesauce which I could then freeze for future use!

That does seem like a really reasonable thing for them to help me with that many apples, don't 'cha think?

And finally today -before I depart the computer for a few hours to work on my current embroidery project -I have something really exciting to report too. Well, maybe it isn't actually that exciting but rather well, just different but also a bit confusing to me too.

I received a phone call shortly after noon today from none other than Newt Gingrich! WOW! I am sooooo very impressed you just can't imagine the excitement within me over having been chosen by good old Newt to be the recipient of a phone call from him!

Actually, considering my base opinion of Newt Gingrich is not really very nice. Truth of the matter is I pretty much loathe, abhor and despise him as politicians go and I do wonder how/why his PR team would happen to cull my name and number out and phone me to let Mr. Gingrich -in a recorded message of course -start off his litany of charming things (I'm sure that's what was in this message) about himself by saying "I love America..." I didn't listen beyond that because you see, Mr. Gingrich, I too love America but I sure as Hell don't love it the way you see fit to do.

In other words, go take your message to someone who might actually be interested in hearing it -like maybe a Registered Republican for openers!

But just as yesterday I was grumping about retailers who insist on skipping over Thanksgiving completely and rushing into promoting the Christmas season as early as October or early-to-mid-November -now I'm wondering what on earth good old Gingrich is promoting this early in the political time line anyway!

 Isn't this just a tad early in the election scene to be hitting on folks with political diatribes? Especially those of us who are also NOT of that particular party?

Just wondering. 

Now, it's time for me to move on to thinking of how I'm gonna cook the boneless chicken breasts I set out to thaw for supper and getting back to my comfy recliner, tablecloth in one hand and embroidery needle and floss in the other to keep the production line in that area moving!