Only 48 Hours Left.

     Looks like once again, this cursed year has reigned upon us with horrid despair, Debbie Reynolds has risen above us to join with her daughter Carrie Fisher in the ether. Normally, I would say that this isn't a tragedy, but a triumph. She was 84 years of age at the time of her passing, but that small phrase is terribly wrong. This is one of the tragedies that supersede all tragedies. This is clearly a case of dying from a broken heart. She outlived one of her children. It is a parents worst nightmare to do so.

     Todd Fisher, the son of Debbie Reynolds, and the brother of Carrie Fisher posted this in response to his loss.

This is a beautiful love story to witness in my 58 years. I miss them both so much. Love is everlasting pic.twitter.com/AeIVGaGl9k

— Todd Fisher (@tafish) December 29, 2016 You will have to click on the link to see it, but your heart will melt. It is a drawing of Princess Leia and Kathy Selden (Debbie's character in Singing in the Rain) from behind. Debbie is another of those people who you never heard a bad word about, with the exception of Gene Kelly blasting her for not being able to dance, but she found a way to work it out. 

     This year is going out the way that it came in, and that is with a multitude of deaths. As I look at the clock now, we only have 48 hours and 44 minutes to go of this miserable no good year. I don't normally celebrate the New Year, I call it amateur night, but this year, I think I will cheer as loud if not louder than anyone else when this year is gone. I hope you do the same.

     I managed to go on my ride yesterday. I made it to Stuart Florida. I was already out on Saki for about 2 hours at that point, so I turned into a 7-11 to get something to drink and maybe a small nibble. I found one of the new Reese's Cups, with Reese's Pieces in it. I know that it shouldn't happen, but since it did, I decided to take advantage of it.

     For the sake of honesty, I was a little disappointed. I really didn't expect much, but with the little candy shell bits inside, it kind of messed up the natural deliciousness of a Reese's Cup. Well, I know now, and I don't have to try it again. While I was sitting there on the corner sipping on green tea and having my Reese's, I looked up at Saki, and thought, that would be a great picture, so I took it, and I think I was right. What do you have to say about it?

    Once I finished, I began the two hour ride back. The ride back always seems to go faster, and the good news is, I was only nearly run of the road 4 times. It always seems to be the same person too. It's that person that is on their phone not paying attention to what they are supposed to be doing. Defensive riding is a real and good thing. I like to ride on the side of the road nearest the inside lane, that way, if I have to move quickly, I have the room to do so. I know other people that like to ride to the outside of the lane, so that they have time to stop when I car barrels into their lane. It is all personal preference, and no way is wrong. Ride the way you feel the most comfortable. It will save your life, on numerous occasions.

     Speaking of people talking on their phone or texting, or whatever they are doing while they are driving. A friend of mine was in an accident recently. I found out about it last night. She was beaten up pretty bad, and it was in no way her fault. She wasn't even moving in her car at the time. Here is what happened. She was sitting at a light waiting for it to turn green so that she could go, and out of nowhere, a car comes speeding into her. Hitting her in the front corner of her car, and spinning her around completely, to where she ended up finally stopping facing the opposite direction. That is a full 540 degree turn. When the other driver was asked what happened, he replied. I was looking at my phone and missed the turn. He was going 69 mph, when he missed that turn, and still tried to make that turn, which sent him into my friend. Stay off your phone when you are driving. What ever is on your phone can wait until you get somewhere to stop and look at it. That is my morality lesson for the day.

     I made it over to the Dali Museum today, to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit, and it was quite fantastic. Frida Kahlo didn't have the easiest of lives. When she was young she was in a massive bus accident, that lead to numerous surgeries throughout her short life. She died at the age of 46. She was a free spirit that didn't care what others thought about her. At a time when being a lesbian wan't even a thought, she was sleeping with women. It wasn't thought of as evil at that time, it was simply not thought to be even possible. She was an atheist, a communist, a feminist, an anarchist, and most of all, someone that painted because, in her words, she had to. She painted what she felt, and since most of her paintings were self portraits, you would think that she was shallow an narcissistic. You would be wrong. She said of her self portraits, that she painted what she felt, and since she mostly felt lonely, the only thing she could think to paint was her self, because herself is what she knew best. Her paintings are miraculous. One of the things I love about the Dali, is that even though the works are behind glass, or the large scale paintings are roped off a bit, you can still get close enough to see brush strokes and details you would ordinarily see. Frida Kahlo had an incredible ability to paint faces and hair. Her stokes in hair are unbelievable. It is as if she painted each strand at a time. The faces have so much depth and emotion. One of the paintings there, was one of the rare non self portraits. It was a portrait of an old woman, and there was a melancholy sadness to it, that if you stared too long, you yourself would begin to cry. It was magical to see.

     If you are somehow in the St. Petersburg, Florida area in the next 3 months, I beg of you to go see this exhibit. You won't regret it, I promise you.

     Before heading home, I sat outside in the garden and stared at the building. I love the architecture of the building, with it's glass, steel and concrete layers. I think if Dali were alive to see it, he would have been very proud of it. It is a marvel. This was the view I had while I sat on a stone slab on the edge of the garden.

     It is one of my favorite sights. I will return to see the exhibit again before it is over, and maybe I will get some more time to look at her brush strokes. Peace in and goodnight.