THE HOUSE THAT JOEPA BUILT

Whatever the circumstances JoePa left PENN STATE in …. Did he do enough or didn’t he?? …. won’t be questioned by his supporters any more. I only hope that the evil disturbing man that initiated JoePa's untimely departure will get his in TENFOLD.

My ex-Bro-in-law is a PENN STATE alumnus who buys PENN STATE football season tickets every year and pretty much spends most of the game partying in the parking space he “donated” $5,000 for, right up against Beaver Stadium ….. PENN STATE’s football stadium by the way! He gave me his ticket to me once and my sister and I went inside to watch the football game. I'm not really a big fan of college football. I only went in for one reason: Just so I could say I saw Joe Paterno coach a game. Who knew how much longer Joe Paterno … who was 77 at the time … would be coaching afterall?

When we got to the “seats” ….. actually they are bleachers with painted lines denoting how much space you are allotted ….. I could not help but take in how immense Beaver Stadium is ….. give me a break I’m a civil engineer … I build things … I could care less about football game remember?? .... It was the structure that caught my eye. I had to ask someone … probably not my BIL. He had been in the parking lot too long by then & actually I think it was Sis … to find out it held about 100,000 people. Okay not the biggest ... the 2nd ... but 100,000 PEOPLE AT A COLLEGE GAME???? .... the entire population of State College PA is only 42,000+ .... As soon as the query popped in my head I knew what the answer was. Most were there for the same reason I walked in to that stadium. Beaver Stadium was built in the ‘60’s for 46,000+. Joe Paterno started coaching 1966. They have been making additions ever since. Will PENN STATE fans still fill it now that the major attraction is gone?

I’m should say I'm a PITT grad ..... now you understand my surprise to see 100,000 at a football game! .... Not so long ago the PITT vs. PENN STATE was one of the greatest football rivalries of all time. PITT football has always envied one thing PENN STATE had and now its gone. And most likely will never be seen again.

DOES ANYONE EVEN CARE ANY MORE?

There is a new MISS AMERICA ...... so what you say? .... Can you even name her or the woman behind her??? ... assuming its last year's Miss A ... I can't either. I remember when watching this was a big deal and just about everyone with a TV set tuned in to root for their home State " delegate". I was surprised to learn a few years ago its not in Atlantic City anymore .... from 1921 till 2005 ... or even on the weekend after LABOR DAY .... originally the pageant was a ploy to keep AC beach goers around for a few extra weeks .... the tradition is lost ..... Bert Parks and all.

This was early reality TV .... now if they would add some cat fights it would be as popular as JERSEY SHORE ... HELL .... its was the Jersey Shore of the 60's after all !!!!!!

HO HUM ..... Maybe its time to make this truly a "scholarship" .... $50,0000??? sign ME up! ..... program and have them all write a nice essay!

IRRITAGING CRAP MY HUSBAND DOES ……. Or THE ways NOT to use to sway your wife into watching the same TV Shows ...a working title

My husband …. the God Of Organization … GOO for short … has an obsession with a newer hit TV show called “The Walking Dead” ….. AND he wants me to watch it too!! He keeps trying to give me the low down on the episodes. I don’t need to hear about the “BARN” OR how the “Walking Dead” surrounded some “heroes” into a corner and now they are flesh eating zombies OR how people do desperate things to survive: a.k.a., the episode where 2 “heroes” running away from a pack of Walking Dead and one “hero” shoots the other “hero” in the leg so he can get away …. WTF???? I don’t want that vision in my head! This show sounds suspiciously like “Night of the Living Dead” only in soap opera form. I’ve seen “Night of the Living Dead” once .... and never again ... in my life …. mostly from behind a pillow …. even then I caught a glimpse of a ghoul eating someone’s intestines ….. how sick is that???? …. I still have that vision in my head from 30 years ago!

Other than the classics, I cannot do the modern horror “entertainment” concept. “The Walking Dead” is the NO. 1 show on cable. Obviously, there is a good part of the populous that enjoys this entertainment. I cannot join them. Too much suspense?? Blood and gore?? …. putting myself in the actors place and imagine myself in that situation for real ?? Some kind of mystical power being hunting me down for supper???? … and if you finally kill the thing that is trying to eat you ….. IT COMES BACK …. AAAAAAAAAAAAAA …… if not at the end of the movie then in parts II, III, IV, V, VI VII …… it never dies … there is no hope …. I must have hope at the end!!!

GOO doesn’t get it … he thinks I also forgot how he tricked me twice into going to see the movies “Poltergeist” & “Creep Show” when we were dating ….. never again … I’m on to him !!!!!

NOW it is time to take down the Christmas decorations!

One of my holiday pet peeves … there are many! I’m only tackling this one … are people who rip down their Christmas holiday decorations the DAY AFTER Christmas. What is wrong with these people?

I have TWO things to preach here: FIRST, do these dim-wits even realize the “holiday” is NOT over? Apparently, not. Christmas has little to do with Christian religion as they may think but, more with ancient mysticism of incorporating a spiritual connection to nature and (wo)man. Hmmmmm…. sound familiar? ….. That’s right …. Christmas season actually follows the Pagan tradition of celebrating the winter solstice …. Man’s respect to the forces of nature. How did they become connected? FACT: ….. no one knows when Christ was actually born. There are however writings/ claims that it was a winter month. So, in the early organization of the Roman Catholic Church they adopted many of the established pagan celebrations to “fit” the established traditions of those they were trying convert.

The term “Yuletide” is actually a winter solstice festival that could last up to 2 months in some earlier Germanic Pagan cultures. Perhaps it was from this those early Christian leaders … who apparently had problems coming up with their own holidays …. invoked the celebration of the "Twelve days of Christmas", ...... FIIIIIIIVE GOLDEN RIIIINGS ..... which end on the “12th Night” ….. a celebration immortalized in Shakespeare ….. which ends coincidentally on the Christian feast day of the Epiphany. "12th Night" was actually the high celebratory night of the season in English tradition and became instilled into the early Colonial American culture. Somehow it has been lost through the stirring of the melting pot and we are down to only getting December 25th off from work.

So, if you missed it, yesterday was 12th Night/Epiphany. The holiday is now officially over. If you’re a Germanic Pagan however you have a few more weeks …… doesn’t explain the icicle lights in May though!

My SECOND point, it took me 3 weeks to put it all up all these decorations I have all over my house. For crikees sake, I would like to look at and enjoy my handiwork for a while!

2012 - A YEAR FOR REVIVAL

Ahhhhh ...... I plan to blog again ...... I had a semi-depressing year. My mom died but do not take mention of that for seeking sympathy. People die, parents die, friends die .... I pride myself on being the realist and being the strong reliable one.

I think what I have discovered over the last year is that my family (a.k.a., brothers, sister, father) are bad at the realities of life ... or maybe they are better at it than me ... hmmmmmm... CONFUSED?!?!?!? SO am I! My father only wants to talk about how much he misses my Mom. I'm the only one he has to talk about that though. The rest of my brothers and sister are no where to be found. They barely talk to Dad and rely on me (because I live the closest .... one of sibs said this to me) to see to his physiological needs. More later I'm sure .............
My career has been going pretty well .... almost afraid to say that since my last jobs ended in layoffs .... such is the way of construction.

My New Year's resolutions:

Lose weight ... duh ... of course !
Exercise more ... see sarcastic comment above
Be the better Person .... if you only knew the opposite my mom taught me ...... she was a "Sashide" girl after all!
Give it to my sis and bros in such a manipulative way they do not know they were insulted until after I hung up ... if I can get them on the phone however .... sigh!

A DYING HISTORY

I LUV the FALL!!!! Hubs and I have been taking scenic drives the last 2 weekends looking for pumpkin patches, picturesque landscapes and non-strenuous activities. SO, far we have been to 3 pumpkin patches and 2 battlefields …. Bushy Run and Fort Ligonier …… catching up on history. Which brings me to the fact that I … nor HUBS for that matter … ever heard of either of the battles fought here in school …… scratching head …… Moreover, I noticed not very many people were visiting these historic sites like they used too. Could this be because the years between the pilgrims landing and the Revolutionary War are glazed over in our classrooms? I know in my history classes, other than mere mention of the French and Indian War and Pontiac’s War, the focus of elementary school American history appeared to be on the coastal cities of the east.

Take for example Fort Ligonier. When I was young kid I remember visiting this place at least twice ... I've been there 3-4 times as an adult .... but never put much importance in it since my history classes were void of mention. Both times ….. it had to be the late ‘60’s early 70’s ….. this place was packed with adults and loads of other kids. Not yesterday. Apparently, the disassociation of it continues in schools.

It’s sad really because of the importance both of these sites had on shaping the city I grew up in as well as the colonization of mid-western America.

Visit these sites AND CATCH UP! Hey, its where George Washington got his start! FYI - He crossed the Monongahela 21 years before he crossed the Delaware ………………………….
French and Indian War, Pontiac's War, Bushy Run Battlefield, Fort Ligonier

THE BIG BASHES

Catching up on all the birthdays/events this month …… Happy Birthday to Daddy …77 …. HUBS …. 51 …. Daughter …. 22 … Baby Brother ….. 43 ….. “Scott” Nephew …. 30(?) …. “Craig” Nephew …. 19 ….. “Lewis” Nephew … 14 …. “Carson” Nephew …. 9 and Happy 28th Anniversary to my Friends V & J …. Did I miss anyone??????

I'm YOU ??????

I saw snippets of Christine O'Donnell's new "campaign" ad where she says, "I'm not a witch, I'm you ...... shiver ... NO ... you are not me! ..... you're weird and creepy. I don't know much about Ms. O'Donnell but, I CAN tell she likes to mug for the cameras. Look Christine, let's get something straight I like my lying politicians to look me straight in face and try to act sincere, not all pouty and bobbling their head around like a flirty little teenager. Geeze ... she reminds me of Bristol Palin!!!

MY BAD ...........

I can’t believe it's almost been a month since I wrote something !!! Got a little side tracked.

Let’s see I went to New Jersey to see my brother’s new baby …… T-bird (my younger brother nickname) jr is above. Oldest daughter and my mom came and we hung around Cape May a bunch. Hit the beach, shopped, took my mummy to the lighthouse for a photo opp …. Mummy loves lighthouses ……, bought fudge, lunched and of course went on a ghost walk!!! Eeeah, it was okay. That’s alright, because a few of my Ghost shows premiered this past month too so, I get my Ghost “fix”. I’ll review the first and second week of “Ghost Advntures” in the next few days ….. I PROMISE!

ANOTHER REASON TO HATE (and not shop at) WALMART !!!

THE GREED OF THIS COMPANY IS UNMEASURABLE!

Today, I was searching some information on my car accident and insurance paying for hospital bills and I came across this story about a little practice of “Balance Billing”:

“One of the more unsettling cases happened in 2007, when Walmart successfully sued an insured employee whose car was hit by a semi-truck, leaving her with brain damage and permanently in a wheelchair. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the woman received a settlement of $417,000, after attorney fees and expenses, which her husband planned to use for her care. But when Walmart sued for recovery of $470,000 it had made in medical payments, a judge ruled for the retailer.
Walmart's health insurance coverage, like many companies, allows the company to recoup the medical expenses it paid if the person receives a settlement in an injury suit. The judge agreed, and the woman and her family lost its settlement.”

The story appeared in major media (click: CNN ) AND I somehow missed this story .... talk about silly and dim as a nightlight ....... as the decision to side with WALMART went all the way to the Supreme Court and greedy, greedy, a scourge on our American society, greedy Walmart won each an every time ....... who is running this company???? I'm not religious but if there is an evil Satan anywhere he has to be the CEO of Walmart.

By the way Walmart made 90 BILLION the year before! 90 BILLION !!!

CAN YOU GUESS WHICH ONE IS ME?

I saw this story today about the FBI reopening a case on a little missing girl named Beth Gill. I looked at the picture of the little girl at 2 years old before she went missing and thought "huh ... that almost looks ......... like ................. me." NO, NO .... its NOT me folks and the years do not match but, my heart stopped for a minute though. The one on the right is me at 2 years old and the one on the left is Beth who the FBI now believes is a victim of a kidnapping.

It gives added thought to the saying 'but for the grace of God it could have been ......'

I remember when I was kid all the many, many little girls gone missing in the '60's. This was before the exposure of pedophiles, high tech-CSI, and the numerous security cameras around. Seeing the return of missing children of late, lets hope Beth finally comes home!

IRRITATING CRAP MY HUSBAND DOES with my stuff ...the working title..

The God of Organization (or G.O.O.) drives me up a wall every pay day. We … unlike many married couples I am surprised to find ….. do NOT share a checking account. We each have our own in which our respected pay checks are directly deposited to. We do share the household expenses. He pays his assigned bills, I pay mine. There are some “unexpected” expenses he takes care of and he puts the money in the savings account so, I pitch in a little cash on pay day. AND I MEAN PAY DAY! I think he believes if he does get it out of me fast he won’t see it at all ……. Geeze, you would think I was going on a trip without him …hmmm …..well I guess he does know me!

If I don't run to the bank and withdraw the cash for him to hold on to, he badgers me and then I have to tell him to STFU till I do. His answer to this martial strife: give him my bank card and he’ll take it out. SO, he has taken the liberty of removing my debit card and “helping himself”. The last 2 pay days he did just that but, guess what he forgot? TO PUT IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I pay everything with my debit card …. I mean EVERYTHING! So for two weekends I have been standing at a check-out in a ditsy blonde, heart thumping, pressure rising, emptying my purse on register counter panic. Last Saturday I drove home to get my debit card sitting on the entertainment center while my groceries were de-thawing in a closed grocery aisle …. Why was the card there? ….. Oh it was so I could take the card and check my check register …… this is when I “gently” .... as in gentle as a riled tiger .... explained that is what the little white slip under the card was for …. Let me introduce you G.O.O. its called the receipt!!!!!!! My card is in another place in my purse.

I'm NOT one of the "People of Walmart"

That's right ...... NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD, do not look for me on that web site you will not catch a glimpse of me!
I WON'T, DON'T, CAN'T, SHOULDN'T, WOULDN'T shop at Walmart. As a matter of fact, Walmart could close down and I would not miss them. They came to my area about ten + years ago and the first time I went in .... Christmas season no less ..... I could not wait to get the hell out! Since my harrowing experience that one Christmas season in the late '90's, I could probably count on one hand ... okay maybe a few fingers on the other hand too ...... the times I've been in a Walmart. My apology to those that shop there on a regular basis ..... but I never felt so high class flutin' in all my life. I know, I know .... BEEEOTCH! .... I gladly accept the diva crown and title.

MORE REASONS I DISLIKE WALMART ..........
By the early 2000's I was in an engineering school ethics class .... yes we engineers have ethics .... part of the class was a mid-term paper on an chosen ethical subject within the construction industry. I chose commercial and residential urbanism fleeing to the suburbs ..... I was channeling my influence from a Harvey Milk speech, I know, I know.... In my web searches for fault w/ structural designers stripping away virgin forests while brown sites vacated by former industries sat empty and forlorn in cityscapes ..... I'm getting off my soap box now ...... information of another recently exposed wastefulness in the construction industry caught my eye termed: "disposable architecture". The term was derived by the building practices of Walmart. Walmart may have not invented "disposable architecture" but they sure perfected it. In case you are unaware of the term, disposable architecture refers to the commercial practice of building structures to last roughly 20 years. 20 years is when the life cycle of significant ... i.e., expensive.... building components need replaced. Instead of replacing them Walmart tears down the whole building, throws it in a landfill and constructs another usually close by. Have you noticed the incomplete nature of the warehouse edifice of your local Walmart? Little drywall and paint, no completed ceilings, inexpensive flooring, exposed steel framing, electrical wiring, ducts, and pipes, and when was the last time your local store remodeled the public restroom? Probably never and they don’t plan on it either because the toilet warranty has long expired and using yellow caution tape over the door of a stall is much more cost effective. Of course other Brands now subscribe to this practice too since it works so well for Walmart.

Of course ... warning .. hopping back on the soap box.... the long laundry list of Walmart atrocities that happens behind those cheap doors in that disposable building is probably more shocking to the general public: Low wages, preventing full time w/benefits putting a strain on public welfare healthcare system, contriving on how to close small local businesses, sexual and racial discrimination, child labor violations, uses of known foreign sweatshops ..... THE LIST GOES ON ..... all of it to provide cheap products while maximizing profits. WHAT OTHER COMPANY CAN YOU NAME THAT HAS MADE SIX PEOPLE BILLIONAIRES AT THE SAME TIME? Which brings us to the Bill Gates billionaires pledge .... yes I know it took me a long time to get to this point. There was much background to my dislike .... not one of these six billionaires have signed it. Think about it: Half of 22 billion (Christy Walton's est. fortune) is 11 billion .... she would still have 11 BILLION !!!!!!!

No ... Christy I know I'm done with Walmart .... gee I still hope you can still buy that next non-essential thing.

BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO JOHN CAZALE

Now, if you have to ask WHO? ... then you are giving away the fact you are not much of a 1970's classic movie buff ... and you will not be on MY "Phone a Friend" list ...... Look at the face you know you know it.

John Cazale co-starred in five feature films in his movie career: “The Godfather”, “The Godfather II”, “Dog Day Afternoon”, “The Conversation”, and “The Deer Hunter” …... actually 6 if you count the footage used of him in "The Godfather III" …. all best picture Oscar nominees. Often cast as pathetic, paranoid, feeble character he was praised for being known to entice audiences into believing him as a pitiful loser in the depth of instability beyond his control. One of his best friends … since they were teenagers …. was Al Pacino who described him: "When I first saw John, I instantly thought he was so interesting, everybody was always around him because he had a very congenial way of expressing himself." Though …. in my opinion …. not the most handsome of '70's film stars, in person his attractiveness was known to be in his kind, caring and gentle manner not shown in his movies.

At the age of 42, the height of his illustrious short-lived movie career, engaged to a then relatively unknown young Hollywood beauty and "Deer Hunter" costar Meryl Streep, he was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. He died before the film was released in 1978 with Streep by his side. The roles he could have created .... and we will never see.

"P.A. CUPCAKES" ... OR you won't see this on TLC!

I read on YAHoO! a few days ago that the cupcake fad is waning. About time! I never got this fad. Cupcakes are just little cake. WHO WANTS little CAKE? I mean, I consider myself a cake connoisseur. Cake is MY dessert of choice. Not really cookies, pies, ice cream or even … yes get ready to feel the earth shake …. Cheesecake. Oh, don’t get me wrong I’ll eat all that stuff but, I’m really hoping for a 2 inch slice of 4 layer cake with an inch of icing on top.

Yesterday, I went to two picnics and I thought what could I make. You guessed it ….. if the fad is hitting the skids I’ll make sure it goes out with a bang! Now to start I couldn’t just buy 1 box of cake mix. I bought 3 PLUS 8 container of icing …. Yes 8! That is NOT a typo. I found out early that a can of icing only covers 10 cupcakes iced gourmet style …... a bag of toffee pieces, instant coffee packs, colored sugar, confectioners sugar, cream cheese, chili laced chocolate bar, gourmet chili pepper, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, food coloring, peanut butter, raspberry fruit preserves, and flavoring extracts. I mean isn’t the many varieties you can create part of the craze? So, between two days, and 10 hours …. including the shopping for the ingredients …. I created:

• Red Velvet & Cream Cheese


• Chocolate & Chocolate


• Espresso & Toffee


• Vanilla & Peanut Butter


• Vanilla & Orange


• Sunset Red Velvet & Orange


• Vanilla & Chocolate


• Almond & Raspberry


• South American Hot Chocolate

…. Now I really hate this fad! But to my surprise when I brought these confections to my two events everyone swarmed over them like I just set down a platter of jewels and said help yourself. I think the fad is still going strong YAHoO! Me on the other hand, am officially over it!