Gray

That would be the day, Gentle Reader, as one can plainly see by only a casual glance at the two pictures accompanying this post. Methinks there will be no cigars and adult beverages on the verandah today. OTOH, things might change, weather being weather and all that. “Don’t like the weather? Wait 15 minutes…it’ll change” is a truism, no matter where you live. But I doubt a change is in the works today, what with Happy Hour’s traditional start time being only three hours away, as I write. And the fact that it’s been like this all day.

But… rain is good in this part of the world, no matter how much or how little we receive. It’s ALL good. I especially enjoy rain at this point in life, because anything other than a bona fide gully-washer makes very pleasing sounds on the roof of El Casa Móvil De Pennington, and those sounds are most conducive to sleeping in, or taking a nap, etc.

―:☺:―

I’m kinda-sorta responsible for today’s rain, as I got the car washed yesterday. “Washing the car” is a mundane sort of experience, but yesterday was something special. I found out last week that an acquaintance of mine’s sister-in-law was recently diagnosed with breast cancer at the tender age of 29. But there’s more, as if this isn’t bad enough… which it most certainly IS. The woman in question doesn’t have health insurance. Breast cancer isn’t an automatic death sentence these days, given the strides our medicos have made in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. As a matter of fact, there are two breast cancer survivors in my immediate family, so I know a little bit about the disease… enough to know that survival is common these days.

But part of what I know about breast cancer is that treatment, while effective, is also horrendously expensive. So while a cancer diagnosis my not be literally life-threatening to the woman in question, it most assuredly IS a death sentence for family finances in the absence of health insurance. But here’s the great part: The woman’s extended family is rolling up their sleeves and helping as best they can… and one of those ways was holding a car wash yesterday to raise money for the family. No complaining, no “poor me” victimology, just a family getting together to raise money as best they can.

That, Gentle Reader, is America at its best… from my point of view.

―:☺:―

So. Aside from getting the car washed and running a couple of other errands, yesterday was a typical Fall Saturday here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington, which is to say: all football, all the time. There weren’t any huge match-ups yesterday that may or may not affect the great scheme of things in college ball, barring a massive upset. And there weren’t any upsets, really. The closest one could come to that would be Vanderbilt’s win over Auburn, but that was the 19^th ranked team defeating the 13^th ranked team… hardly earth-shaking (outside of the SEC). But: that game was arguably the best game I watched yesterday. With the exception, of course, of Notre Dame’s win over Stanford. That game looked like a rout at half-time, but Stanford mounted a comeback in the second half that almost… but not quite… resulted in a win. But Hey! ND is 4-1 now… which is a MAJOR improvement over last year’s performance. Not quite deserving of a Top 25 berth yet… but who knows?

Oh yeah… I DID watch Big Blue get thoroughly thumped by Illinois at The Big House. And I watched Missouri similarly thrash Nebraska at home, too. O! How The Mighty Have Fallen! Those two games were MOST embarrassing for the home teams… so much so that Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said:

"I'm not used to losing. I'm not used to getting beat soundly. It's my fault," said first-year Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. "Damn right, yes, I'm embarrassed. I apologized to the team. I apologize to the state of Nebraska. I apologize to everyone associated with Nebraska football.

"It's my responsibility. I was hired to do a job and I didn't do the job tonight. Anything else need to be said?"

Ummm… nope, Coach. I think that sez it ALL. Dontcha wish “real life” were like football, if only occasionally? When it comes to “personal responsibility,” I mean. Think: politicians.

In other football news... a certain service academy lost to another service academy yesterday. But I don't wanna talk about it, self-inflicted wounds being the worst sort. Aiiieee.