By Dennis B. Roddy

A slightly abashed Susan Corbett was ushered into the ballroom a few minutes ago for a press gaggle where her major revelation turned out to be that, at this moment, the Republican nominee for governor is taking a nap.

"I think he's expecting it to be a late night and a celebration, so he's catching a little shuteye,"

For the record: should he win, Pennsylvania's new governor will be an aficionado of the "power nap," dropping into the land of nod for 10-minute intervals and emerging, by Mrs. Corbett's account, refreshed and reasonably cheerful.

"Actually he's a very even tempered guy; a really easy guy to deal with. The only thing that makes him cranky is if he doesn't get lunch and that happened a few times on the campaign trail."

Mrs. Corbett was clearly a bit thrown by the crush of reporters and the long lenses pointed at her like so many howitzers.

She said her own role as Pennsylvania's First Lady would consist of helping at-risk children and keeping them in school.

She is unaccustomed to press gaggles and faces the prospect of no private life.

"That was one of the main things we discussed when we made a decision together that he would run for office," she said. "I figure every once in a while I can escape upstairs in the governor's residence and close the door when it gets a little too crazy."

Mrs. Corbett also revealed that this morning she presented her husband, a man accustomed to cheap sports watches, with "a very special watch."

She declined to name the brand but only said it was Swiss.