Martini and Rossi, on the rocks...say yes.

What began as a rainy Monday this morning has transformed into a sunny and lovely afternoon. Here, it is about 3:30 PM. Cruely, the sun will begin to set in about 1.5 hours, but that's Winter and there is no controlling that.

I had a rather busy morning with errands and I was able to get in a very enjoyable power walk about an hour ago. This morning, I was somewhat saddened by this news item:

Burt Bacharach’s daughter commits suicide
Nikki Bacharach suffered from Asperger’s Disorder

It's not as if I personally know Burt Bacharach or Angie Dickinson or their daughter. It just struck me as a sad story all around. Suicide is always just a sad thing. That is a very simplified statement for a very complex issue, but, ultimately, there is sadness involved in suicide regardless of the situation. I have known several people over the years who have committed suicide and I have also known several people who had family members who committed suicide as well.

Based on the article, the 40 year old Nikki could no longer deal with the complications of Asperger's Disorder and opted to quitely end her life. Tragic all around, really.

Burt and Angie, when I was a kid in the 70's, were the hip couple. There were these Martini and Rossi commercials that aired at that time featuring the two of them. I didn't even know what Martini and Rossi was at the time, but the way they warbled the impossibly catchy ditty praising the ruby colored liquor on the rocks with the breathtaking view from their enchanting Malibu home lovingly framing the ruggedly handsome Burt as his fingers gently tickled the ivories of his super-polished baby grand was enough to whisk me away from the impossible confines of my Kentucky lower middle-class blue collar childhood.



And when the sun-kissed Angie would glide over as if her feet weren't touching the floor in a billowy and sparkling evening gown that fit her like a wet watercolor sketch with her rocks glass filled with the shimmering M&R swirling in concert with the wind chime like clinking of the pristine ice cubes, forget about it!



So, there was some sadness in my heart when I read the article and I hope that they will be able to get through this troubled chapter of their lives as well as possible.