The Queen is Dead

I'm not a British citizen, but yesterday's announcement of Queen Elizabeth II's death felt like a kick in the gut. It seemed like she'd live forever. Just like the Queen Mum. But alas, all things pass, and she was in her beloved Balmoral Castle when she left this plain of existence.

With that smile, she reminds me of my paternal grandmother. Both ladies were classy, but didn't take anyone's crap, and they had a wicked sense of humor.

The Queen took her duties seriously. She was an ambulance driver during World War II. She spoke to her nation in times of crisis.

And she scared the piss out of the King of Saudi Arabia when she drove him cross-country over the Balmoral Castle estate in her Range Rover.

My sympathies go out to her family and the United Kingdom in their time of loss.

Long live the Queen!