From A Bird's Eye View

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January 20, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:4 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

On a summer day in July 1998, my husband and I stood on a dirt lot imagining our dream home -a home where we could live out the rest of our days. After a long construction period we were finally able to move into our home in the spring of 2000 and from the jump Alan was in love with the house. To him it represented more than lumber and sheetrock – it symbolized the culmination of our hard work. He always insisted he would only leave it feet first, and in fact, that is what happened. On the other hand, I had a much more practical relationship with the house. Twice I talked him into selling it, although both times we took it off the market shortly after listing it. I resented the time and maintenance that the house required, not to mention the pool that goes unused for years yet requires weekly visits by the pool company. But in the past eighteen months, as I have learned to live in the house by myself, I have come to appreciate it more. I have actually found myself talking to the house. Well, actually, it’s been more like begging, as in, “Please don’t let your pipes burst”, or “The A/C just has to keep going all summer!”. I realize now that the house has provided me a place of refuge, a source of pride and quite literally has kept my feet warm at night. I believe a home is much like marriage – it provides a sense of comfort, security and solace that you might not fully appreciate until it’s gone.

Owning a home certainly brings with it some responsibilities, but what you get in return is unmeasurable. Which brings me to the first reason for the blog today: the horrendous wildfires in Los Angeles. As of this writing, more than 12,000 structures have been destroyed, most of them single-family homes. The sheer devastation of such a wide swath of homes is hard to comprehend, and harder still to imagine that each of those homes represents a heart-broken family. Most possessions can be replaced, but the memories and family heirlooms lost in the fires can’t be filled by anything one can find at Target. Those homeowners now face the daunting prospect of a years-long rebuilding process, and it seems that many may not want to rebuild at all. One major real estate company has estimated that as many as 70% of the homeowners will move rather than put their families through the long process of reconstruction. I understand that. Even without the red tape that Los Angeles is known for, the building process is stressful. The conventional wisdom is that you get a bid from the builder and then plan on twice as much money and three times as much time to complete the project. In the meantime, the homes that provided shelter and comfort are gone and the sense of loss has to be enormous.

The second thought I had while watching the fires and evacuations was: what would I grab if I only had minutes to leave my house? I think I know what’s important, but I’ve heard numerous people these past two weeks lament that in their panic they grabbed useless things and forgot some essentials. When we lived in California, I had a “go box” that contained all our important papers, but I gave that up when we moved to Arizona. I’ve been reminded that regardless of where we live, we need to be prepared. So, I began searching for suggestions of how to plan for an evacuation and have compiled the following list of “Evacuation Essentials” from my readings. I hope you find these suggestions helpful:

People and Pets: make sure to gather everyone together in one spot. You don’t want any “Home Alone” situations in an emergency. If there is time, each person should pack a small suitcase with a change of clothes and toiletries. Pets should be crated, if possible, and their food, bowls, leashes and medications packed up with them.
Paperwork: These days, with so many of our documents online, we don’t have to worry as much about putting so many papers together in our “go bag”. Just make sure that you have online access to your bank, utilities and insurance companies. I created an account with my homeowner’s and car insurance carrier just so I can access my agent’s phone number and my policy documents at any time. What you might consider putting in the bag are passports, Social Security cards, birth certificates, and any other document that would be needed if you have to prove your identity.
Prescriptions: Medical supplies, including prescription and nonprescription medication, eyeglasses or contact lenses, and vitamins, should also be included in your “go bag”. A great idea I read was to have your doctor write out a prescription for any medication you take on an ongoing basis and then make a copy of it to keep in the “go bag”.
Personal Items: Thinking ahead of time about which mementos hold the most value can be helpful in an emergency evacuation situation. While you probably won’t be able to take everything, knowing which irreplaceable items matter the most can be helpful. Also, taking a video of your home, including what is contained in closets and cupboards, is valuable in the event you need to substantiate your insurance claim.
Photos – I read about a fair number of people who left their wedding and baby albums behind when they evacuated. You may choose to put photos that are irreplaceable in your “go bag”. Or you can take the time to scan them and upload them to the cloud. When I wrote my family history several years ago I did just that, so those photos are safely stored. But I’ve realized that between the “old” photos and the advent of the smart phone cloud storage, I still have hundreds of photos that need to be scanned. I guess I’ll add that task to my summer “to do” list.
Phones and Personal Computers: Of course, phones, computers, and chargers are critical as these might be the only way to get updates on your situation and provide a link to the outside world. Your personal devices are also great resources for storing copies of the previously mentioned documents, such as your passport and medical records.
Plastic: Last but certainly not least, take all of your banking and credit cards with you during the evacuation. Some cash can also prove helpful, as it might be the only payment method available if power goes out or ATMs are unavailable.

It’s a lot to think about, but a bit of preplanning could come in very helpful. I’ve certainly realized that I’m not as prepared as I should be. Now that I know what to do, I just need to do it. Perhaps I’ll look up “How to Motivate Yourself into Making a “Go Bag”. In the meantime, I will continue to appreciate the gift that is my house, and I will pray that the thousands of people now standing on blackened ground will soon find a new sense of home.

Posted in Historical • travel

Hollywood, The Mob and Ghosts at Lake Arrowhead

January 13, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:10 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Yes, they’re all part of a most fascinating history of this pristine alpine lake that I had the good fortune of hearing about from an interesting character and owner of the Tudor House and Bracken Fern Manor, John Connor; more about him later.

Notorious mobster, ‘Bugsy’ Siegal got the Chicago Mob to fund the Atkins Brothers building of a resort in the mountains – Bracken Fern Manor, an alpine inn in the San Bernardino mountains just above Lake Arrowhead, which opened as ‘Club Arrowhead in the Pines’ in 1929. It catered to the rich and famous, including many film stars. Back in the day, many from Hollywood came to Arrowhead as Bracken Fern Manor offered gambling, illegal liquor, as this was during Prohibition, and ‘ladies of the evening’. The brothel continued operation through World War II. An interesting side note is that when authorities realized that many of the mafia men spoke Italian, they offered them a ‘get out of jail free card’ if they would use their language skills to spy on the Italians, who were part of the Axis powers.

Gambling continued as a profitable business with a move across the street to the ‘speakeasy’/casino, called the Tudor House and continued operations until 1955. This is the building where our group watched the football games on a big screen on New Years Day and were served drinks, pizza and desserts by John Connor and Bridger Zadina, more about him later too. The Bracken Fern Manor was turned into a 10-bedroom hotel which was said to be haunted by the ghosts of a ten-year-old boy, who was struck by a car and a prostitute who jumped from an upper-story window. Enough hotel guests had paranormal experiences that both OC Ghosts & Legends and Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures have broadcast from the hotel. Owner, John Connor gave us a tour through, what is today, the hotel, starting in the wine cellar and working our way up to the second floor where there was a secret window where one could ‘peek’ into the room and watch the goings on. The rooms were small and shared a Jack & Jill bathroom. We won’t be checking in anytime soon!

While walking back to the Tudor House from the Backen Fern Manor, (It is said there were secret tunnels connecting the two buildings to accommodate brothel customers stealthily moving between them), John showed us where the first power lines that brought electricity to Lake Arrowhead from San Bernardino were put up using live Ponderosa pine trees as telephone poles. Look closely at the photo to see the ‘make-shift ladder’ still attached to the tree. The grounds also include a wedding venue and an amphitheater seating four hundred for summer concerts.

OK, what about John Connor and Bridger Zadina?

John is an 80-year-old energetic man who was born on a farm in Maryland and worked on it until he was 17, then decided that he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do, but he knew it wasn’t working on a farm. As it turned out, he was quite brilliant and went to Drexel Institute of Technology and earned a degree in particle physics, where he unknowingly worked on a neutron bomb for the Department of Defense. He attended graduate school at Duke University, was recruited by the US Air Force to develop weapon systems during the Vietnam War (he gets pretty emotional talking about this), worked for the Environmental Protection Agency, worked on some of our very first computers, helped with the construction of the Alaskan Pipeline, was on Ronald Reagan’s transition team, started his own tax consulting firm, moved to Montana to retire and do some ranching, then moved to Arrowhead to open the Tudor House and Bracken Fern Manor, making it a theater, restaurant and hotel. During pauses in the action of the football game we were watching, he would sit down at the piano and play a few show tunes – a true Renaissance man and a real character.

Wishing you a happy new year from the Lake Arrowhead Hotel

Bridger Zadina is a 30-year-old, who was very unassuming and always had a smile on his face. He mentioned that he helped put on and act in some of the local theater shows that are done at the Tudor House theater. Other than just being a nice guy, he just smiled and made sure we had plenty of food and beverages. What we found out later is that he was born in Wisconsin and came to California to be an actor and model. He’s had TV roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Bosch and Better Things; he also starred in the 2014 movie Sins of Our Youth.

An alpine lake, beautiful mountains, memorable characters, and a fascinating history made this a most memorable start to the new year.

PS: The last time I was at Lake Arrowhead was about 30 years ago and it was dead, with vacant buildings and empty streets. No longer – the place was happening; stores opened and lots of people.

Posted in opinion

WITHER OUR JUNK FOOD?

January 6, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:2 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Here we are in a new year, which means we are all on a diet and exercise plan again. At least until this Friday. The second Friday of the year is known as “quitters’ day”, a day in which all healthy new year’s resolutions fly out the window. And little wonder. In large swaths of the country the weather is wet and/or freezing, which makes long walks impossible. Going to the gym this time of year risks exposure to every known respiratory illness known to man. If, as my brother suggested last week, we reorganized our holidays and made New Year’s Day in July, this wouldn’t be a problem. I’m guessing we could postpone “quitters’ day” until at least September, when football season starts. Which brings me to the second reason resolutions go out the window this week: it coincides with prime football watching. Sure, we could indulge in carrot sticks and celery while watching a game, but I think it’s almost a law to eat pizza, wings and potato chips, lest you risk your team not making it to the Super Bowl.

If you are one of the millions of people who are taking one of the new GLP-1 weight loss drugs (Wegovy, Ozempic, et al) to boost your new year’s weight loss goal, you are actually having a detrimental effect on the economy. Last week the Cornell SC Johnson school of business released their latest research on the nation’s eating habits. As a result of these drugs households with at least one GLP-1 user reduce grocery spending by approximately 6% within six months of adoption, with higher-income households reducing spending by nearly 9%. These reductions are driven by significantly larger decreases in purchases of calorie-dense, processed items, including a 11% decline in savory snacks. In contrast, they observed directional increases in nutrient-dense purchases, such as yogurt and fresh produce. They also examined eating habits at fast-food chains and coffee shops and found reductions at breakfast and especially during dinner times. They concluded that their findings highlight the potential for GLP-1 medications to significantly reshape consumer food demand, a trend with increasingly important implications for the food industry.

Okay, people, can we all see where this is going? Clearly these GLP-1 drugs are a great treatment for people who are obese and/or diabetic. But I know some people who are only a touch overweight and are taking them so they can lose the 15 pounds that have been sitting on their hips since the 80’s. If everyone who is just slightly overweight starts taking drugs and eschewing junk food, pretty soon we’ll live in a world without hot wings, Big Macs, or cookies! And then where would we be? Do your part and buy a bag of Oreos this week and enjoy a good football game.

Of course I have my tongue in cheek with this, and I thoroughly subscribe to healthy eating and exercise, but beware of unintended consequences. Who wants to live in a world where we can’t buy cake at the grocery store?

Posted in Holiday observations

We Wish You a Merry Twixmas

December 30, 2024By Sparrow/WatsonComments:4 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Yes, here we are again at “Twixmas”, the week between Christmas and New Years, when I always find myself between “Mi Tu Phat” and “Yes, I’ll have another helping”. I’m not sure who was in charge of setting up our holidays, but they should be fired! The basic issue is that we’ve bundled three of our major holidays, where eating and drinking takes center stage, in the last five weeks of the year. So, let’s see if we can reasonably move some of those special holidays around so it allows for proper celebration for each, without putting an undue strain on the stomach and liver.

Let’s start with Thanksgiving, it is supposed to be a celebration of harvest in the fall, so let’s move it from the end of fall to the beginning of fall; after all, the first Thanksgiving was celebrated between September 21 and November 9 – so let’s move it back to the last Thursday in September. Yes, I know Labor Day is around that time, but we can just move Labor Day maybe to sometime in August, a month that currently has no legal holidays. Few are even sure what we’re celebrating on Labor Day, as we certainly don’t ‘labor’ that day, unless you’re having a baby. How ever you celebrate it, it’s probably not a holiday where people stuff ourselves and are over-served, so let’s move it closer to Christmas.

OK, with that settled, let’s move on. Even though the exact date of Jesus’ birth is unknown, I think I’d get a lot of push back if I suggested moving Christmas from its’ December 25^th date. Although, as I look at the host of holidays in December – Immaculate Conception Day, Bodhi Day (Buddhist), Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Day (Patron Saint of Mexico), Hanukkah, it seems like everyone was trying to squeeze in a holiday before the end of the year, maybe it’s a year-end accounting thing. But OK, let’s leave December for our religious holidays and annual write-offs.

So, we really need to get New Years further away from all the December festivities. Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, but, for example a country like China, still keeps their holidays from their old calendar; so Chinese New Years starts on January 29 – the end of January is a big improvement over the last day of December. As we look elsewhere, we see that the Jews were only slightly smarter than the Christians, holiday-wise, as Hanukkah moves around from November to December. In Vietnam, Tet, the lunar new year, is celebrated this year for nine days at the end of January to the early part of February. That’s getting better, although nine days of partying could be detrimental to ones health. Islamic New Year is at the end of June! Well played Muslins!

I know moving the holidays is a low priority on anyone’s agenda, or most likely not on the agenda at all, but perhaps when Trump is buying Greenland, taking back the Panama Canal and making Canada the 51^st state, he could change a few holidays around to better suit our social life. I’m not holding my breath.

Suzanne and I wish you all a happy and healthy new year!

Posted in Holiday observations • opinion

CHRISTMAS GRACE

December 23, 2024By Sparrow/WatsonComments:11 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Once again, we come to the season of Christmas. The time when the world slows just a bit, when we stop to count our blessings and reflect on the passing of another year. We enter the season of Christmas grace. On Wednesday morning children all over the world will delight in the presents they receive; their belief in Santa reinforced and hopefully they also learn a bit about the reason for the holiday. Of course, as we age, our priorities shift. No Tiffany blue box or set of golf clubs can take the place of the present we appreciate most: the presence of the people we love. There is something almost magical in the gathering of close friends and family this time of year. The hugs always seem to last a bit longer and the laughter is just that much sweeter. And, of course, we miss the presence of those who are too far away to join in the festivities or who are no longer with us. I hope, like me, that if you are missing someone this year you have a reservoir of wonderful memories to draw upon.

I received a Christmas letter this year that contained an anonymous quote about Christmas grace that perfectly describes the uplifting spirit of the season. It says: “Christmas is an unexpected gift of grace; grace to conceive at this time and place, a new dream or plan, to overcome an old fear, to discover a new strength, to find a new friend, to live boldly and honor the changes that are happening, to care for my soul as well as those I love, to elevate the discourse around me with laughter and hope.”

My brothers and I are lucky that we have we had a wonderful upbringing, with a dad that was the epitome of Christmas grace. As is my custom each year, I am sharing his Christmas Ice Cream Fizz recipe to hopefully add a bit of cheer to your holiday celebration.

POP’S CHRISTMAS ICE CREAM FIZZ

Fill a blender 1/4 full of ice cubes

Add 6 jiggers of gin

Add 4 scoops of French Vanilla ice cream

Add 1 small bottle of soda water (the size you get in a 6-pack)

My brother Bob adds an egg, so the white adds some froth, brother Jack doesn’t add an egg. Personally, I’d add it just because you can then claim it’s a protein drink.

Just blend it well and – voila – you have a concoction sure to put a positive spin on everyone and everything!

Our mom served them in a wine glass with a dash of nutmeg. As we got older, we would conspire with Pop and ditch the wine glass for a chilled beer mug from the freezer. Saved having to go back for seconds…or thirds.

My brother and I wish all of our readers a very happy holiday season, blessed with all the presence you could ask for.

Posted in travel

Hong Kong and a Photo Phinish

December 19, 2024By Sparrow/WatsonComments:5 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Hong Kong

Our ship arrived in Hong Kong on a Tuesday morning and the regular schedule was for us to fly home the next day, but we wanted a little more time in the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, so we extended for another day. We were sad to leave our ship, as it was our first time cruising with Celebrity and our first time in a suite; it was great to experience a great ship at a luxury level. Our hotel was right on Victoria Harbour, so we had a great view, although we spent little time in our room. We took about a 30-minute walk to Temple Street, a place Linda had to get to for some shopping, but as we learned later, it was mostly a ‘night market’. We did return the next night and had dinner – again, not sure what we had, but it was very tasty!

Squinting man with attractive blonde at Peak Tower

We scheduled a full-day tour the next day that included a trip on the world’s longest escalator, a ferry ride, a delicious lunch, a visit to the old police station/prison/museum, which displayed the history of Hong Kong, and then a ferry ride from Hong Kong Island to the sky tram to the Peak Tower. At the top of the tram, Hong Kong spreads out before you. Just spectacular!! Back to our hotel, we walked through what seemed like miles of mall to get to the pier for the ‘light show’. The mall had every high-end fashion store in the world, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent,, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tiffany & Co., and many more; and it went on for what seemed like miles. We knew we weren’t in Vietnam anymore! The ‘light show’ occurs nightly at eight o’clock and features all the tall sky-scrappers on the water lighting up their building in various colors – it was nice, but a little unspectacular.

Hong Kong is a great, modern, bustling city, even the airport has all the high-end shops in the world.

Final word . . .

I have to say, this cruise exceeded our expectations, which were fairly high to start with. Great cities, Singapore, Bangkok, Saigon, DaNang and Hong Kong – each a great city in its own right. Singapore stands out as a favorite. It’s a city that is so clean and so diverse. Linda and I both thought that with a trip of 18 days, we would be so ready to get home, but that was not the case, we loved every day, but it is great to be home!

Because we were traveling alone, we ended up sitting with and befriending a variety of people – a traveling circus owner from Quebec, an interesting couple from Ireland, a Korean couple that lives next to Debo Samuel of the 49ers, and many others, mostly from the UK. Oh yeah, we also met a couple from Yorba Linda!

Unsurprisingly, I reinforced a belief that you can’t diet on a cruise. I did get to the gym fairly regularly, but when the food is so available and good and you get in the habit of having dessert not only for dinner, but for breakfast and lunch, your pants will be much tighter. So, I learned a new phrase on this Asian cruise: Mi Tu Phat

Thanks for coming along!

Photo Phinish

Hoa, our Saigon tour guide (on the left)

Dinner on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok

Top of US Embassy – Last helicopter out of Saigon – 1975

The same US Embassy today – small brown building in the middle

Posted in travel

Good Morning, Vietnam!

December 16, 2024By Sparrow/WatsonComments:4 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Our first port of call in Vietnam is Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City. I asked if it mattered which name I called it. I mistakenly assumed that people from South Vietnam called it Saigon and those from north Vietnam called it Ho Chi Minh City – not so. Our guide for the day, from the north, called it Saigon. I learned you don’t insult anyone by calling it either name. But Saigon is not a ‘port city’, so we had to take a van from the port to the city center, which was about an hour-and-a-half drive. We scheduled a private jeep tour of some key highlights of the city, so Linda and I toured the city in an old Army jeep, with a driver and a guide, Hoa (Who-ah). I’ve often said, ‘Your guide makes or breaks your tour’ – Hoa made it! He was about five feet tall and looked to be in his thirties – he was 57 and hilarious!

We first visited the requisite Buddhist temple and learned the importance of incents – the smoke takes your prayers to Buddha. We then visited Independence Palace, which is the president’s residence, like our White House. We passed by Ho Chi Minh Square and the Opera House as well as the Saigon’s Notre Dame – we see a lot of the French influence in the architecture here. Our most memorable stop was at the War Remnants Museum, which was quite graphic in its depiction of the devastating effects of the Vietnam War. I have to say that walking through that museum was very gut-wrenching. We finish our full day tour with a great meal at a downtown Saigon restaurant – delicious! No, I don’t know what I had, I just pointed to a photo that looked good – and it was!

Our next port was DaNang, and again we had about an hour and a half drive from the boat dock to the city, and while we drove through the big city of DaNang, we continued on to a smaller town called Hoi An. We spent time visiting all the ‘tourist shops’ looking for bargains – Linda found some and I was able to purchase another mask for my back-bar collection. I have to say, for a communist country there sure are a lot of entrepreneurial capitalists trying to sell us stuff!

Back on the boat and heading north to Hanoi, where we will arrive, through Ha Long Bay, the next morning. We are in the harbor at Ha Long Bay for two days and we decide to take the tour of the bay to see the amazing islands that are formed and a spectacular cave where we hike up to the entrance and entered – spectacular!!!

For our second day in Hanoi, we looked at the tours to go into the city and perhaps visit the ‘Hanoi Hilton’, but we discovered that the tours were 10-11 hours in length and that the ride into Hanoi from the harbor took three-and-a-half hours each way! That’s 7 hours on a bus for a 3-4 hour tour, so we passed and did a fascinating tour of Ha Long City.

What made Ha Long City so fascinating is that it’s a city right on the water with awesome beaches, five-star hotels, and lots of high-end condos . . . but, everything was empty, not just no people in the buildings, but no furniture, just empty beautiful buildings. We asked our golf cart driver what was going on in this Vietnam ‘ghost town’ and because he spoke very little, we didn’t get much of an answer. So, I Googled it and discovered that a Vietnamese lady investor, basically bilked billions of dollars out of the government to build up the city, but she did it all on false promises and is now in prison and may be sentenced to death.

We get back to our boat that pulls out of port that evening heads for Hong Kong, our last stop of this awesome trip!

Thursday: Hong Kong and a ‘Photo Phinish’

Posted in opinion

R.I.P., DASH THE WONDER DOG

December 9, 2024By Sparrow/WatsonComments:38 Comments

The Dash Watson family is saddened to report that Dash left this world and reported to Rainbow Bridge in the early morning hours of December 5, 2024. He died peacefully, in his mom’s arms, wrapped in his favorite blanket that she knit for him.

Dash was born on November 16, 2012, in Scottsdale, Arizona, part of a litter of five boys. His official AKC name was Spice Rack Divine Dash but later earned the nickname “The Wonder Dog”. He was adopted by Alan and Suzanne Watson on February 3, 2013, which also happened to be Super Bowl Sunday, with the 49ers playing the Baltimore Ravens. To commemorate the special day, Dash was outfitted with a 49er collar. It didn’t matter – the 49ers lost. The fact that Suzanne, a life-long Niner fan, let that roll off her back offered a glimpse into how much Dash would change their priorities and their lives.

Dash was educated at PetSmart (he said it was the Harvard of dog training) and received his degree in Canine Good Citizen. He promptly leveraged his education by going to work for Pets on Wheels in Scottsdale where his chief assignment was to visit the Care Center at Vi Silverstone each week. He was roundly loved by all who encountered him, from former TV host Hugh Downs to a WWII veteran who looked forward to snuggles with Dash, while recounting his 50+ missions over Europe. Dash’s bag of tricks included his ability to twist, turn, lie down and give paw. His routine brought smiles and delight to the residents, who never tired of seeing his act, no matter how repetitive it was. After three years of work Dash decided to take early retirement.

In retirement Dash loved to accompany his parents everywhere, from Sunday brunches at their favorite restaurant to long car drives to Sun Valley, Idaho and Mammoth Lakes, California. He particularly enjoyed Sun Valley, where he charmed everyone he met and remembered from year to year which stores offered dog treats. Dash’s hobbies included sleeping, eating, begging for treats, and looking cute. His true passion was lying on the couch. Alan, who resisted getting a dog for 25 years, was smitten with Dash from Day One. He loved having a buddy to keep him company, insisted on being the one to feed him, and against all previous promises and agreements, brought him into bed each night. You could always find Dash and Alan on the couch, sitting hip to hip. This ability to turn Alan into mush is what gained Dash his nickname of “The Wonder Dog”.

Later in life Dash’s main job was taking care of Suzanne. In part this entailed pouncing on her at the crack of dawn each day and giving her face a good licking. Not an easy job, but he was up to the task. He tolerated it when she nestled into his fur each night at bedtime to regale him with a recap of their day together. He was always a true and loyal companion and brightened her life in immeasurable ways. He lived up to the reputation of Cavaliers being the “comfort Spaniels” over this past year.

In the end, he was struck down by heart disease and cancer. Even a “wonder dog” couldn’t overcome these two diseases. He was predeceased by his father, Alan. It is now strongly believed they are sitting together on a couch, hip-to-hip, with Alan once again explaining the finer points of hockey to Dash. He is survived by his devastated mom, Suzanne, but will always be curled up in a corner of her heart.

Contributions in Dash’s name should be made to your dog of choice in the form of A-level treats, extra belly rubs, unlimited toys and quiet moments enjoying the best company known to man.

Rest in Peace, Dash the Wonder Dog. You were truly the best boy.

Posted in travel

The Celebrity Solstice Heads to Thailand

December 5, 2024By Sparrow/WatsonComments:4 Comments

(I believe a user error occurred and parts of this blog were previously posted for a few minutes. It’s confusing being on the other side of the planet!)

The Ship

A few days before we left for this trip, Linda got on the Celebrity website and saw that bids were being accepted to up-grade our ship’s cabin for a suite. She decided to give it a try and so she made a bid. The indicator that shows your possibility of getting the up-grade showed “slim to none and Slim just left town”. But apparently Slim came back into town as we got the up-grade. This up-grade put us in the front of every line checking in – they treated us as if we actually had money! Then we got to our room. “Oh, my goodness!!” There is a desk by the entry, that opens to about a 12’ x 20’ living area with two large couches, an easy chair and TV. There is a master bedroom with a king-sized bed and walk-in closet and a large TV. The bathroom has two entries, one from the master bedroom and one for guest to use by the entry. Needless to say, we love the room!

The rest of the ship is like most cruise ships, lots of bars and restaurants, a large event theater and a staff that is very helpful and friendly. I understand they have a gym here as well, hopefully I’ll be able to find that over the course of the 13 days we are on board.

At this writing we’ve only been on board for two days, so I’ll keep you posted on any of the other features of the ship as we learn more ourselves.

Koh Samui

Our first port of call is Koh Samui, a Thailand island just off the coast of Bangkok. We tendered into shore and we had a tour set up of the ‘Highlights of Koh Samui’. We are met by a very nice Thai girl, with a great sense of humor, who will be our guide for the day. Our bus takes us along the coast on the only road around the island of Koh Samui, stopping at several Buddhist Temples until we arrive at our luncheon destination, a very nice beachside restaurant and hotel, where we have lunch, that consisted of , , , well, I’m not sure what it was, but it was good! After lunch we are back on the bus and headed to a cocoanut plantation. Once there, we walk out into a cocoanut tree grove and one of the workers there gives us a demonstration on how to pick, shave, split and harvest the meat as well as shows us how to make cocoanut water. We are let off by the tender, where I am able to purchase a ‘Thai mask’ for my back bar collection.

When we get back to our room, our butler has placed a nice fruit basket along with some champagne on ice and beer in the refrigerator – this must be how the rich people live! I could get used to this!

A typical two-bedroom condo in Bangkok. NOT!

Bangkok We have an all-day tour set up and it’s literally all day, starting at being picked up at 8:00 am and returning to the ship at 10:00 pm. It is about an hour-and-a-half drive from the port into Bangkok, and we are lucky because we arrived on a Saturday and if it were a week day, the drive would have been at least three hours!! Our first stop is at the Royal Palace, which is quite spacious and aesthetically beautiful, in a colorful, albeit garish, to us. Our guide tells us about the history of the kings of this land and some interesting history. We get back on our bus and drive through the very big, very busy and not-to-beautiful city of Bangkok. We stop at a nice river-side restaurant for lunch, then get on a boat and visit the royal boatyard where all the past king’s river craft reside on display. We get back on the bus and visit a few Buddhist temples, and to be honest, we’re not all that impressed with Bangkok . . . until.

We have a night dinner cruise on the river, Chao Phraya, that runs through the heart of all the fancy hotels and restaurants. We are on an open-air boat, where we enjoy a delicious dinner, while taking in the spectacularly lit buildings along the river – music and fireworks are included. A breath-taking evening. We felt that this portion of the tour literally saved the day and made the long trip to and from the port into the city, worthwhile. Although it was a long bus ride back to the ship and the driver did get lost on our way, but eventually we arrived back at the ship at 10:30 pm . . . exhausted.

We spent all of the next day in port and on the ship as we didn’t have any other Bangkok tours planned. It felt good to relax and explore this wonderful ship.

Next: Good Morning Vietnam!

Posted in travel

THE ROAD TO SINGAPORE

December 2, 2024By Sparrow/WatsonComments:4 Comments

By Bob Sparrow

No, this is not a review of the old Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamor ‘road movie’, although I believe I did get some of my wanderlust from repeatedly watching them growing up. Rather, this is about our first leg of getting to our Asian cruise beginning in Singapore. We departed LAX around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night for a 7,300-miles, 15 hour and 40-minute flight to the Philippines. And apparently we were flying so fast that we flew right through Sunday and arrived in Manila on Monday morning at 5:40 We then had three-and-a-half-hour layover before our four-hour flight to Singapore. Linda and I have had a longstanding practice of not up-grading to first or business class, as we reason that the significant amount of money we would spend to up-grade would be better spent at our destination. I’m thinking that that practice may need revisiting! Actually, it wasn’t that bad as we did have a seat between us on both flights. As always, those of you who are coming along vicariously, have the most comfortable seats!

Singapore: As we watch the weather report prior to coming, we were expecting nothing but rain, but it was clear and warm, and this city is beautiful. Tall, beautiful business buildings surrounded with lots of greenery. When we landed, we were anticipating getting to see the ‘famous’ waterfall in the airport, but the person picking us up said we were ready to go as soon as he saw us. We pleaded for just a couple of minutes to run over and see the waterfall; it was just a few minutes away. The driver said OK, so we got a chance to see the uniquely spectacular airport waterfall. We arrive at our hotel after about a 30-minute drive through the city, which is not only beautiful, but exceptionally clean. We check into the very nice, Dorsett Hotel, then decided to take a quick walk-through neighboring Chinatown (it ended up being about a four-mile ‘quick walk’), which was a most interesting spot for eateries and souvenir shopping. We stopped at a famous food court, called Hau Pat Sat, filled with dozens of great food places and had dinner. I’d tell you what I had, but I don’t know, it was.

We cannot get over how clean this city is; in fact, it is known as “A Fine City”- you get fined if you litter,

you get fined if you spit, you get fined if you smoke in the wrong place, etc. The next day, our only full day in Singapore, we had dedicated to cram in seeing all the ‘famous tourist attractions’ in the city – and there are plenty. We started with a Hop on, Hop off bus. We tried to buy passes, but the bus driver just waived us in – not sure why and we wondered if he would let us get off! Maybe he knew something, as within the next few minutes as we were riding on the partially covered roof seats of the bus through Little India, the rain started, and let me tell you, Singapore knows rain. It came down in buckets, reminding us that we were here during monsoon season! It’s no wonder everything looks so green here! So, we “hopped off” for good and had lunch. After lunch, with me trying the local Tiger beer and Linda appropriately having a Singapore Sling, we tried our hand at the local subway system. Fortunately, we got some help from the very friendly people here and managed to make our way to Marina Bay, where many of the tourist attractions are. Our first stop was the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Oh my gosh!!! It is truly one of the most magnificent, no it is the most magnificent, hotel I’ve ever seen. While wandering through the lobby, we met a couple who was staying there at $1500 a night, and they said the breakfast, at $100 each, was amazing! I would hope so! We wandered through the hotel, now festooned in Christmas décor, with our jaws dropped. We then took the elevator to the 57th floor observation deck. The weather had cleared so the view of the city was magnificent. There is a pool on top, but only guests of the hotel are allowed into that area.

We then headed over to two other amazing attractions in the area, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. I could try to describe how beautiful these two botanical domes are, but I wouldn’t do it justice. I would encourage you to go on YouTube and take a look for yourself – truly amazing! We hop on the subway (now we’re experts!) and stop in Chinatown again for dinner, then walk back to our hotel. Tomorrow we will be boarding the ship. Interesting side note about Singapore: Earlier this year at the United Nations climate talks, Singapore, who has been a leader in water management, introduced a new product, NEWBrew, a beer made from treated wastewater. I had to try one, if for no other reason than when I’m back home and taste a bad beer, I can honestly say, “This beer tastes like piss.” 肆

See you in Bangkok