It has not been the best of times.

Former Inmate No. 40892-424 (former Gov. Rod Blagojevich) has not stopped talking since being released from prison Tuesday on political corruption charges.

Former Inmate No. 16627-424 (former Gov. George Ryan) who preceded him in office and in prison on political corruption charges, has something to say about that.

“Rod kicked the hell out of me the day he was sworn in,” said Ryan. “Talked about corruption and how he was going to clean up the government!

“Well, I haven’t talked to Rod since his release and have no plans to do so,” added Ryan, who thinks President Donald Trump was right to commute his sentence. “It took guts; Trump could have done it after the election.”

“Although I’m glad for Rod; I’m actually happier for his daughters because they need their father.

“I don’t know what another five years in prison would have done for him,” said Ryan, who lost his wife of 55 years, Lura Lynn, to cancer, and his brother, Tom, to pneumonia, while serving 5 years in a federal prison.

“I’m just surprised Rod spent so much time talking on and on to the press when he got home — on and on about his innocence ... and not using that time initially with his family because he’s been gone a long time,” said Ryan, who now has 17 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

“Nothing more important than family and transition time is important,” said Ryan, who turns 86 on Monday.

The ashes of Ryan’s wife are now in an urn on his mantel in his Kankakee home, where he just completed writing a book on his battle to end the death penalty titled: “Until I Could Be Sure.”

The book is scheduled to be released June 10 — honoring the day of his wedding anniversary. It contains a foreword written by mega author Scott “Presumed Innocent” Turow.

Then Ryan chuckled.

“The day I left office, I left behind two notes for Rod on my desk,” said Ryan.

“One note he was to open when things got tough. It contained my best personal advice, which is: ‘When things get tough, blame me.’

”The second envelope contained my final advice: ‘When things really get tough, get two envelopes.’”

Ryan also claims he left Blago a can of spinach at the Governor’s Mansion “just in case he needs a little bit of Popeye’s strength.

“I wish him well ... and his wife did a helluva job getting him released. I hope he settles down enough to realize that.”

Sneedlings . . .

I spy: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spotted at Q eatery Tuesday evening. . . . Brrrh! Uber weatherman Al Roker and his NBC’s 3rd Hour of Today buddy have pledged to take the Chicago Polar Plunge at North Avenue Beach on Sunday, March 1, to benefit Special Olympics Chicago. . . . Stargazing: It wasn’t just a slew of celebs and athletes who passed through Chicago during NBA All-Star weekend. Rappers Quavo and G-Eazy, DJ Khaled and Guy “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” Fieri all showed up at TAO. . . Saturday birthdays: Drew Barrymore, 45; Rajon Rondo, 34; Julie Walters, 70. . . . Sunday birthdays: Emily Blunt, 37; Aziz Ansari, 37, and Daymond John, 51.