From A Bird's Eye View

Posted in Holiday observations • opinion

DECORATING – THE UNOFFICIAL SPORT OF THE HOLIDAYS

December 8, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:2 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

**The turkey knows he’s yesterday’s news**

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that, as September rolls into October, while some people still haven’t taken down last year’s Christmas lights, others are meticulously plotting the precise moment their inflatable Santa will make his triumphant lawn debut. In recent years, the race to decorate for Christmas has become its own quirky, competitive sport—one that seems to start a little earlier every year. Forget the “Twelve Days of Christmas;” we’re headed for the “Twelve Weeks of Christmas,” and the starting pistol fires long before the turkey is even thawed. Apparently, Halloween is the new Christmas Eve. As the last trick-or-treater scurries home and the candy wrappers settle, you can practically hear the distant jingle of sleigh bells…or maybe just your neighbor testing his light-up reindeer. For many early birds, November 1st is the official kick-off: skeletons down, snowmen up, and peppermint-scented everything invading Target. Gone are the days when Christmas decorations politely waited until after Thanksgiving.

**Halloween and Christmas cohabitating**

In our family we always put the Christmas tree up on December 14th. Why? Because that is Bob’s birthday (and a happy birthday to my fun/great/fabulous brother this week!). But frankly, I think he got shortchanged. Rather that anticipating the celebration of his birthday, we were excited to see the Christmas tree go up and, more importantly, the presents underneath it. These days, December 14th is considered so late it might as well be the 4th of July. So, why do people start so early? Is it pure excitement? A desperate bid to outshine the neighbors? Or perhaps a coping mechanism for the shorter days and longer nights? Some experts suggest that early decorating is linked to happiness; apparently, those who string up lights sooner tend to be cheerier. That’s probably because they get a double dose of holiday cheer, plus bonus time for complaints about tangled cords. Retailers, of course, fan the flames with relentless holiday displays that pop up sometime between Labor Day and the first pumpkin spice latte. Walk into any store in early fall, and you’ll find candy canes elbowing aside cornucopias, and Santa glaring at a stack of Halloween costumes. It’s enough to make a person question the space-time continuum. Somewhere, a calendar weeps in confusion.

If you live in suburbia, you know that Christmas decorating isn’t just a tradition—it’s a competitive sport. There’s always that one house that goes full “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” by November 2nd, leaving the rest of the block scrambling to keep up. The result? A dazzling, blinding display that can probably be seen from space, and several confused delivery drivers who now need sunglasses for evening package drops. This escalation leads to what I call “The Glitter Wars.” You start with a tasteful wreath, and by mid-November, you’re frantically googling “giant inflatable penguin with top hat.” The winner isn’t declared until New Year’s Day, when the last blinking snowflake finally burns out in a blaze of post-holiday glory. Of course, not everyone is on board with this early decorating craze. There’s always that one neighbor who stands guard, ready to issue a stern “It’s too soon!” as you hang your first bauble. But really, isn’t part of the magic in getting swept up in the ridiculousness? Besides, if you can’t beat them, join them—grab a mug of cocoa (or pumpkin spice, we’re not judging) and bask in the glow of a thousand LED icicles.

In the end, the answer to “How early is too early?” is: Who cares? Life’s short, and if hanging up a Christmas star on November 1st makes you happy, go for it. Just be sure to warn the neighbors before you plug in your display—they might want to buy blackout curtains.

Posted in Holiday observations

Can Sophomoric Humor Cure Writer’s Block?

December 1, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:2 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Sometimes I have plenty of time to construct a decent blog on a subject that many people can relate to. Not so this week. Actually, I did have time, but sometimes no matter how much time I have, ‘writer’s block’ can make it difficult to say anything intelligently. This week I’ve ended up saying things not so intelligently. So, I’m offering this warning; if you have something better to do, which should be easy to find, do it!

Let’s begin with the pretext that you have someone on your Christmas list that is very difficult to buy something for, either because they already have everything or you’ve drawn a name in a ‘Secret Santa’ of a person you don’t really know or relate to. So, here’s some suggestions that center around what the Brits call the loo or water closet. When I think about it, there are lots of names for what we euphemistically call a bathroom, even though we’re hard pressed to find a bath in many bathrooms now-a-days. Other names include, restroom, where no one really go to rests; John, supposedly named after the guy who invented the flushed toilet; head, if you’re on a boat; privy, an abbreviation for private; outhouse, if it’s outside; toilet, from the French word toilette, referring to a cloth covering a dressing table (I don’t understand it either – it’s French!). Let’s not forget potty, for those who actually have a pot to piss in.

OK, I think I went to see a man about a horse and forgot to come back. I seem to have forgotten that we’re here to highlight some gifts that keep on giving and could finalize that diverse Christmas list of yours. So here you go . . .

These ‘Novelty Mugs’ in the form of portable out houses, will be a hit at your holiday party. The tops open to let the aroma of the drink inside fill the nostrils of the drinker.

If the Novelty Mugs seem a little crass for you, you can dignify your shot glasses by bringing them indoors with the ‘Gag Mugs’ – shot glassses that lets the liquid flow right out of the toilet into your mouth. Surely a hit at any holiday party.

Is that person on your list that’s so hard to buy for someone who likes to learn? If so, we’ve got just the thing, the book that Einstein always read while relaxing on the ‘thrown’, Poop and Learn.

For the golfers on your list who are bored when on the pot or just like when they’re playing golf, they take too much time over a putt – ‘Potty Putter’ may be the answer.

If after reading this, you’re feeling like you need a drink or a shower, you don’t have to decide, you can have both with The Shower Margarita Machine; yes, you can sip that tequila treat while taking a shower – salt optional.

I apologize for being a little blocked up this week (that’s ‘writer’s block’!!), but now that I’ve posted this, I feel relieved!

The obvious answer to the headline question: No!

Posted in Holiday observations

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING WHIPPED CREAM BATTLE

November 24, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:10 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

So, here we are, the official beginning of the holiday season. This week a lot of you will be either cooking, traveling, or if you’re lucky like me, bringing a dish to a friend’s house. I have hosted a lot of Thanksgiving dinners over the years and I’m very happy to turn the reins over to others at this point. I even gave my turkey roaster away as a definitive gesture of my surrender. But I have held on to a lot of good memories and traditions associated with Turkey Day. One of my favorites is the year our family spent Thanksgiving in Tahoe City at Bob’s cabin. There was a lot of alcohol involved and by the time the pies were served Bob and I were well into our cups. Then someone made the fatal mistake of placing a heaping bowl of whipped cream in front of us and it was game on! We got into a whipped cream fight that almost sent our mother into apoplexy. We were a long way from our traditional Thanksgiving table filled with the best china and silver, finger bowls and sedated conversation. But boy, did we have fun and it created a memory that still makes me smile today.

I have been looking at Thanksgiving traditions and have found some fun and rather interesting facts to share.

First, in Indianapolis, people have started an annual tradition of dressing their turkey in a baby onesie, dousing it in lighter fluid, attaching it to a long chain, lighting it on fire, and throwing it across the length of a football field. This tradition was basically started by a bunch of dudes who wanted to see a flaming turkey streak through the night sky, and now, it’s an annual thing.

Continuing in that theme, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the most popular Thanksgiving tradition is an event called Frozen Turkey Bowling, where people hurl frozen, oiled-up turkeys down a grocery store aisle at a set of large 7Up bottles posing as bowling pins. The event raises money to combat smoking, which is an awesome reason to throw a frozen bird at a bunch of bowling pins. Not that they really need a reason – in 2022 the Wall Street Journal rated Wisconsin as the drunkest state.

Something you may not know is that Thanksgiving inspired (if you can use that word) the first TV dinner. In 1953, the folks at Swanson didn’t sell as many Thanksgiving turkeys as expected. In fact, they had 260 tons of unsold turkey on hand. Inspired by the meals served in trays on airplanes, one of the Swanson employees used the turkeys to create the world’s first TV dinners. They sold for 98 cents each. These ready-made meals were an immediate hit. Who among us doesn’t remember those gummy mashed potatoes and rock-hard peas? We thought it was such a treat!

Most of us eschew TV dinners these days because they’re viewed as unhealthy. But before you get on your “clean eating” high horse, remember that even though our Thanksgiving meal may come from Sprouts or Whole Foods, it still contains a ton of calories. The average American can consume anywhere between 2,100 and 4,500 calories during their Thanksgiving celebration. Unless you throw the whipped cream at your sibling – that saves a few calories right there.

Black Friday isn’t technically a holiday, although it has become so entwined with Thanksgiving that it seems like it is. But can we all admit that Black Friday is the worst invention ever? It’s basically just an excuse for people to wrestle in a Macy’s parking lot over a discounted Keurig. Like Mother’s Day and Valentines Day, Black Friday wasn’t even a thing until we decided it was and started camping out in front of Target to buy TVs at a slight discount.

I’ll tell you who else doesn’t like Black Friday – plumbers! You will not find them at any stores on Black Friday because it turns out that enough people clog their sinks and garbage disposals on Thanksgiving to make it the busiest day of the year for them. Personally, I think it also has to do with all that high-calorie food clogging up the plumbing in the bathroom, if you get my drift.

No matter how you celebrate or what you eat, my brother and I wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. Go out and make some fun memories!

Posted in Historical

November Brings the Holiday Spirit

November 17, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:2 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Few months offer the interest and complexity of November. Most love the month as it unofficially opens the ‘holiday season’ as we come down from a sugar high from Halloween, then salute our veterans and finally devour some turkey. Additionally, there are lots of good football games to watch for those with a proclivity for such things. I’ll not mention the election days that kick off November as we try to avoid politics here at ‘From A Birdseye View’.

First, some detractors of the month of November. Author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, was not a fan, saying, “November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year.” But one must consider that Ms. Alcott lived in the northeast where Novembers can be rather harsh and she had no one to cuddle with on those fridged winter evening, as she never married. Emily Dickinson wasn’t much a fan of November either, saying, “In November the noons are more laconic and the sunsets sterner. November always seemed to me the Norway of the year.” Having never left New England, I assume Ms. Dickinson imagined Norway as a cold and foreboding place. To her point, it can be – Northern Norway’s average high temperature in November is between 28-35 degrees Fahrenheit!

That’s hard to imagine as we here in Orange County had high 80s, even low 90s in the first week of November this year. I’m sure Louisa May Alcott would have found it most disagreeably hot. The name November itself is a bit of a novelty as it takes its name from the Latin word novem, which means nine, as it was the ninth month in the Roman calendar. But then those pesky Gregorians came along with their own calendar and added two more months, January and February, making November the eleventh month. I understand that none of the above is probably going to help you get into the ‘Holiday Spirit’, although living in someplace other than northern Norway during this time of year, may help.

If you haven’t gotten into the ‘holiday spirit’ yet, here are some alternative events that perhaps you could celebrate.

For those into ‘boy kings’, King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in November of 1922. King Tut assumed the throne as a nine-year-old and died when he was 19, only a couple years sort of drinking age, but we can raise some spirits to him. Those who like Egyptians, boys or kings can now celebrate this.

For those pet fans, you can celebrate ‘Laika’ (which means ‘barker’ in Russian), a stray dog, who became the first animal in space as she was launched by Russia in November 1957. Unfortunately, she died just hours into the launch as insulation in the capsule tore and she overheated. If you’re surprised at hearing she died during the mission, it’s because the Russians claimed that she survived the entire trip. Celebrate your pet, or a pet near you, this month.

Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes first meets with Aztec emperor Montezuma II in November of 1519. Cortes kept the meeting friendly, but several days later he took Montezuma hostage. Celebrate famous explorer and conqueror, Cortes, or Montezuma’s Revenge.

Sadie Hawkins Day. While it technically was last week (November 13) not too many people know that so you can still celebrate this ‘holiday’. It was created in the Li’l Abner comic strip in 1937, where unmarried women would chase bachelor men and if they caught him, they would get married. Today, if the lady catches the man, she asks him to do the laundry.

Yeah, this is the kind of stuff you get from me when I’m not traveling. Hopefully it will give you more things to celebrate this month, or tell us what you celebrate in this ‘Norway of the year’.

Posted in opinion

HOME FOR A HERO

November 10, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:11 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

It’s not often that we get to witness the sacrifice of our wounded veterans up close. But two weeks ago, I was honored to attend a ceremony where the Gary Sinise Foundation turned over a custom-built home to a local veteran, Brad Ivanchan. Brad is a 37-year-old Marine who lost both legs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan. His journey through injury, multiple surgeries and recovery exemplifies the courage and resilience we honor this week on Veteran’s Day.

A little about Brad: he was deployed to Iraq in 2009, serving as a turret gunner and providing escort security for an explosive ordinance disposal team. He went on to become a machine gun team leader in Southeast Asia before earning the rank of Corporal in 2012. He became a squad leader serving in Afghanistan, carrying out combat foot patrols across Helmand Province, one of the most dangerous regions. On the night of June 13, 2012, Brad’s squad of 10 men and an interpreter were conducting a night patrol when Brad stepped on an IED. The explosion amputated Brad’s right leg below the knee and shredded his left leg to his lower thigh. His left arm and hand were also mangled. After his immediate care in Germany, he was flown to Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego for further surgery and recovery. Brad endured six surgeries to rebuild his left hand and treat multiple bacterial infections in both legs. And that is also where fate stepped in, in the form of Gary Sinise.

Brad was in the section of the hospital reserved for servicemen injured in the Afghanistan/Iraq wars. It was a crowded ward back in 2012. One day as Brad was recuperating, Gary Sinise walked into his room and said, “I’m just here to see how you’re doing.” When Brad related that story, he noted how sincere Gary was and how much time he spent with him learning about his injury, recovery plans and what his interests were. Brad took comfort from Gary and from the other wounded veterans who had forged a new life, despite devastating injuries. He started walking just three months after he stepped on that IED. Five months after that he became the first double amputee in history to summit the highest mountain in South America, Mount Aconcagua—at over 22,800 feet. That astonishing accomplishment meant one very important thing to Brad – it proved that his life would not be defined by his injuries.

Still, his everyday existence was filled with challenges. Three years after his initial operation, Brad had to go undergo another surgery that further amputated his right leg, this time above the knee. By then, the war had wound down, and Brad found himself to be the only veteran at the Naval Hospital who had served in the Afghanistan/Iraq wars. And yet, even though he was the singular inhabitant of the ward, Gary Sinise arrived at the hospital to visit him again. He had heard that Brad was undergoing more treatment and wanted to check on him and provide support.

Despite Brad’s incredible resiliency, his life at home was a constant battle. He lived in a small house not suited to his needs. To make matters worse, not only was the home inaccessible to his wheelchair, but it was also built on an uneven lot, so it was filled with many stairs. He fell several times, and during periods when he could not use his prosthetics, he was not able to leave the house. And that is when Gary Sinise stepped in again. Through his foundation’s R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program, Brad was selected to receive a custom-built, mortgage-free home designed to meet his specific needs.

Brad’s home was built near me and as a long-time supporter of the Gary Sinise Foundation, I was asked to attend the dedication ceremony. The event was one of the most uplifting moments I’ve ever experienced. Brad was escorted to his new home by a squadron of police and fire personnel. When he stepped out of the van with his dog, Roscoe, he began the walk down his new driveway, which was lined by American flags and vociferous supporters. A few leaders from the Gary Sinise Foundation spoke and not only praised Brad for his perseverance and fortitude but cited the dozens of companies and contractors who donated their time and materials to make that home possible. I sat next to the young owner of the cabinet company that made all of the custom-built cabinets for the house. He was so proud to have donated to the creation of the home and welled up when he saw Brad’s reaction to them. The director of the R.I.S.E. program said this home was the 98th they have completed and noted how heart-warming it is to see so many people anxiously contribute to their efforts. He said in conclusion, “All who help build these homes, and do so with open hearts, are the real America. Don’t listen to the news – there are a lot of good people out there.”

I think everyone left the ceremony that day feeling inspired and optimistic. Many years ago, my husband and I decided to consolidate our gift-giving and chose the Gary Sinise Foundation. In all of those years I have never felt that my money was wasted or spent on frivolous junkets. Meeting some of the foundation’s executives in person, hearing them speak, and seeing the work they do first-hand confirmed that they are good people doing good work for the military and first responders who do so much for us. As Gary says, “while we can never do enough for our nation’s heroes, we can always do a little more.”

That is a good sentiment to keep in mind tomorrow as we commemorate Veteran’s Day.

Posted in Blog Info / Up-dates • Historical

Is China Watching You? We Know They’re Watching Us!

November 3, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:10 Comments

By Bob Sparrow

Several months ago, we started seeing a significant spike in the hits to our blog. We thought, Yippee!! More people are finally starting to follow us. As a reference we usually get between 50 and 100 hits on Monday, the day each new blog posts. The count typically decreases as we get further into the week. Recently we started to see hits in the hundreds, which, of course, we attributed to our spectacular writing. But then the hit numbers jumped to the thousands; our biggest one-day hit was over 4,000. We finally realized, we’re not THAT good of writers! So, I Googled what causes a spike like this and of course, Google had the answer, several of them in fact:

In terms of possible ‘positive’ reasons it said:

You may be doing some successful marketing. No
An influencer or news source may have mentioned or linked to your blog. No way
Your blog may contain content of specific interest to those who go to the effort of using a Virtual Private Network. Huh? No
You have a growing audience in a foreign country. Hell No

Since none of those answers seemed reasonable, I asked Google what some of the ‘negative’ reasons might be for this increase in hits. The short answer was:

The most likely cause of an unprompted and large influx of traffic from a specific country is bot activity. In recent years, China has been a significant source of malicious web bots. This bot traffic is often not from genuine users and could be a sign of security threats.

So, what is a bot? A computer program that performs automatic tasks.

As I was learning about bots, I looked further into Google Analytics that support our blog to see where in the world these hits to our blog were coming from. Past analytics for this data would show that the majority of our hits come from the U.S., followed by the some from the United Kingdom and then a few scattered around the globe from places like Brazil, Australia, South Africa and other countries. Currently our analytics showed two things, 1) China by far had the most hits – in the thousands, and 2) the hits were mostly on one particular blog, Suzanne’s Loyalist or Patriot? that she wrote in July 2023. Why that particular blog? Interestingly enough, is about Ben Franklin’s son, William, who, while his father was busy helping the U.S. break away from England, William remained a loyalist to the crown and ultimately moved to England to live out his life and never spoke to his father again. If you’re interested in reading or re-reading, her entire blog, go to our Archives on the right and click on July 2023.

So, what is the Chinese’s fascination with this story that shows an iconic American family divided over which country to support? Of all the blogs we’ve written over the past 13 years, this one about divided patriotism is the one they’re hitting. They could just as easily have landed on her blog about Dash the Wonder Dog. OK, maybe not, but it’s just a little spooky that the Chinese have a particular interest in that blog. And why does the bot keep hitting it?

So, I’ve done a little research into ‘bot protection’ and while there are some good programs out there that would hopefully eliminate the bots, I’m a little hesitant as I don’t want to lose thousands of our readers. But I will caution you that if you ever comment on our blog, make sure you’re not saying anything that will jeopardize our national security.

Posted in Family

BURNED AT THE STAKE? TWICE?

October 27, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:10 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

**Our great-grandmother, Effie**. **A barrel of laughs, no doubt**

Facebook is often a cesspool of trivial and inaccurate information. However, once in a while something redeeming stems from it and such was the case a few weeks ago when Bob and I were re-connected with a first cousin, Mark Whitman, who we have not seen in many decades. We enjoyed learning about his life and accomplishments and as luck would have it, he is also the keeper of a great deal of our mother’s Whitman family history. He shared with us a photo of our great-grandmother and her sister who were apparently quite active in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Wow – she would not be happy to see how far the family has fallen when it comes to alcohol! I sent Mark the history of the family that I wrote back in 2011, and after he read it, he told me that I stopped short by ending it in 1632. Two generations prior, our 10th great-grandfather, Edward Wightman (name changed later to Whitman for reasons that will become obvious) was the last person burned at the stake in England. So, to add to our already august ancestors who were horse thieves, we can now add heretics.

Clearly, I had to learn more, and it turns out that Edward was not only burned once, but twice! He was born on December 20, 1566, in Burbage, Leicestershire, England. By all accounts he was first exposed to the Puritan movement while serving an apprenticeship in Shrewsbury. We do not know how or why he became such an ardent Puritan, but it came to pass that his particular views differed radically from the local Puritan leaders. Like cray-cray radical. Most salient among his philosophical musings was that there is no Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost), that Jesus Christ was a mere man, not God, and that Christ was never incarnate and did not fulfill the promise of salvation. Edward’s most outlandish claim was that HE was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. Although King James I was tolerant toward Catholics and helped liberalize the Church of England, he saw Protestant dissenters as a major problem and challenge. Edward, foremost among them.

By 1611, now completely deluded, believing in his own righteousness and persuasiveness, Edward delivered a manuscript detailing his radical theology to King James I. This was a dubious move to say the least. Edward’s family was prominent in the community and because of that, local clerics tried to hush him up before the king could take action. But Edward continued to interrupt local church services, convinced he was the anointed one. Finally, the local bishop reported Edward’s actions to the king, who was determined to deal once and for all with this bothersome heretic.

In April 1611, Edward was arrested. His trial took place in November of that year (the wheels of justice ground slowly back then too), where he was found guilty. Having refused to change any of his views, he was sentenced to be excommunicated and condemned to be burned at the stake. But first he was placed in a public open place each day for months as an example to others who might harbor similar beliefs.

Finally, in March 1612 Edward was tied to a stake and his execution commenced. But once tied to the stake, Edward began to review his options. As the flames reached his feet and legs he screamed and began to recant his beliefs. In those days a beheading or burning at the stake was equivalent to an NFL game today, with lots of cheering, booing and calling out the refs. Apparently, the crowd assembled for Edward’s burning was a benevolent one and once they heard his screams and recantations, they pleaded for his release. A written retraction was hurriedly prepared and Edward, in pain and weakness, orally agreed as it was read to him. Later, however, no longer fearing the flames, he refused to sign the retraction and blasphemed louder than before.

King James re-approved his execution and a few weeks later on April 11th, he was once more led to the stake. Again, on feeling the intense heat of the fire, Edward cried out in recantation but this time the sheriff told him he would “cost him no more” and commanded additional bundles of thin sticks to be thrown on to make the flames roar. Edward was burned to ashes

King James I lost faith in burning heretics shortly thereafter, as the proliferation of them continued unabated despite the threat of death. After the case of Edward Wightman those found guilty of heresy were instead silently and privately left to waste away in prison rather than excite others with a public execution.

Edward’s grandson, George, emigrated from England to Rhode Island in the late 1700’s. The Wightman name was commonly interchangeable with “Whitman” and perhaps to avoid association with his grandfather he changed the spelling. Or it was a clerk at the registry office who couldn’t spell. In any event, that is how my mother’s family ended up as Whitmans. Unfortunately, no relation to the candy company. But having an ancestor who was the last person burned at the stake is less fattening and entirely more fascinating.

Posted in Family • Historical

The Amazing History of Cal-Neva Lodge

October 20, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:18 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

I must admit that I am somewhat obsessed with the Cal-Neva Lodge and Casino, as it was part of my young adult experience in a most idyllic place. For those unfamiliar with Cal-Neva, it is a hotel, with an additional 11 cabins on the property, built in 1926 on the sparsely populated, north coast of Lake Tahoe’s Crystal Bay, directly on the California-Nevada border. In fact, the main dining room had a line down the middle that shows one side in Nevada and the other side in California – same with the swimming pool outside.

While gambling was not legalized in Nevada until 1931, part of the reason for the hotel’s sparsely populated location was that gambling was going on at the hotel before that. A story about silent film star Clara Bow says that in 1930 she had a gambling debt of over $13,000, which in today’s dollars would be about $250,000. She claimed that she thought she was playing with chips worth fifty cents each, when they were worth $100 each! In 1935 a 13-year-old Judy Garland performed for the first time at the Cal-Neva Lodge.

Fast forward to the 1950s when Cal-Neva was sold for $1 million (about $13 million in today’s dollars) and was frequented by Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable as well as the Jack and Bobby Kennedy, who weren’t going there to gamble, but rather to enjoy the ladies. Cal-Neva was also frequented by Frank Sinatra, who eventually was part owner of the resort and added the ‘Celebrity Room’ where he and his friends, “The Rat Pack”, performed.

My interest and connection to Cal-Neva comes from spending parts of every year at Lake Tahoe from the time I was about 10 years old (mid-1950s) to after graduating from college. My Dad’s best friend, ‘Uncle’ Dick, was a life-long bachelor and sort of adopted our family as his. In 1952 he bought a cabin just outside of Tahoe City, at the north end of ‘The Lake’ and we spent every vacation, every season, every year at that cabin, despite the six-hour drive at that time from Novato to Lake Tahoe. The routine was, we’d leave home on a Friday night after they got home from work, get there very late on a Friday night, spend Saturday there, when, that night, Dad and Dick would dress up in coat and tie and Mom in a formal dress and ‘Go over to the line’, referring to the California-Nevada state line and spend the evening at Cal-Neva dining, dancing and gambling. We’d then get up early Sunday morning and drive home. Years later, brother, Jack, bought a home and a restaurant (Off Shore Bar & Grill) on the lake in Tahoe City and lived there for several years. Roommate, Ken Poulsen, who you may have seen a couple of weeks ago here in a photo at Kezar Stadium, and I, bought a cabin in the 1970s, right next to Dick’s cabin. We sold it years later after a tenant had left a couch on the floor furnace and went skiing; when they returned, the house was burned to the ground. Ken managed the rebuilding of it and then we sold it.

Yes, I got to park fancy cars like this!

Another personal note is that when the Rat Pack was performing at Cal-Neva in the mid-sixties, they needed to hire more valets to manage all the cars. A friend of mine, Dale Aman’s mom, worked in the accounting department at the hotel, and she called Dale and Dale called me to go to Cal-Neva and valet for the Rat Pack show. It was the first and only time I worked as a valet. Fortunately, there were no crashes! We made rather good money (about $25 – Hey, that was like $325 in today’s dollars!), but after we were done valeting, we went into the casino and gave it all back!

Sinatra’s friend, Dean Martin, was also a shareholder in the hotel as well as another Sinatra friend, Chicago mobster, Sam Giancana. When Sinatra built the Celebrity Room, he re-utilized Prohibition-era smuggling tunnels beneath the property to allow mob members to move around the property without being seen by the public. One tunnel led from the main building to Sinatra’s private chalet overlooking Lake Tahoe. In 1962 Marilyn Monroe was in one of Cal-Neva’s private cottages and overdosed on drugs, but was found in time to save her life. A few weeks later she was found dead in her home in Los Angeles.

During the early and mid-60s, Sinatra’s Cal-Neva had lots of visits from celebrities such as Liza Minnelli, Kim Novak, Shirley MacLaine, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Richard Crenna. During this time, Giancana was spotted on the premises and Sinatra’s gambling license was suspended. So, Sinatra had to sell the property; he tried to sell it to Howard Hughes in 1967, but that didn’t go through. The property was bought and sold a number of times to real estate investors but ultimately closed in 2010.

It sat dormant for eight years, then Oracle owner and billionaire, Larry Ellison purchased it in 2018 for $35.8 million. After not being able to rebuild due to being held up in bankruptcy court by creditors’ protests, he sold it in 2023 for around $55 million to Denver real estate developer, McWhinney, who plans to open it in 2027.

So, why has it sat dormant for so many years? In addition to bankruptcy issues, the three magic words in real estate are, location, location, location. Cal-Neva is in a remote location; Reno, the closest, largest city (less than 300,000 population) is about 45 miles away and Reno already has plenty of places to gamble. During the winter, North Lake Tahoe can get severe storms that can drop several feet of snow in 24 hours. Additionally, there is only one two-lane road leading to and from Cal-Neva, so often it’s not very accessible.

Because of my history and interest in this iconic place, I have sent an email to Troy McWhinney of the McWhinney company letting him know some of my history with their property and my interest in being among the first guests at the hotel when it opens in 2027. I mentioned that I am 81, so I am hoping that the opening date of 2027 is achieved. I also let them know that I would be available to valet if needed.

Posted in opinion

A SPIRIT LIKE NUN OTHER

October 13, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:8 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

In the 13 years that Bob and I have been writing this blog there are a few posts that stand out. For me, one of them was the piece I wrote in 2023 about Sister Jean, the Loyola basketball “good luck charm”. That fall the college sports world was obsessed with conference realignments and the effect they would have on the future of the sport. When a few journalists wrote columns about a nun at a Catholic university, their stories were buried by articles speculating about NIL, travel schedules and unfair scheduling. But they shouldn’t have been. Because that nun, at 104 years old, seemed to be the only person in college athletics who had her priorities straight. Sadly, Sister Jean passed away last week at the age of 106. Now, more than ever, we need the wisdom, spirit and good humor she sent out into the world. So today I am once again telling the story of Sister Jean, and the inspiring message she left us with in the final weeks of her life.

Jean Dolores Schmidt was born in 1919, the same year as our mother. She was raised in San Francisco, just 18 miles from our mother. I’d like to imagine that she and Sister Jean crossed paths at some point, but that seems unlikely since our mom loved a good gin rickey and I don’t think Sister Jean frequented many bars. Sister Jean attended St. Paul’s High School at the beautiful St. Paul’s Cathedral in San Francisco and played on the girls’ basketball team. After graduation in 1937 she entered the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Iowa. She eventually returned to California to further her education, earning BA and MA degrees. She taught school in California until 1961, when she moved to Chicago to teach at Mundelein College. She was hired by Loyola in 1991 when it merged with Mundelein. She planned to retire in 1994 but was asked by the administration to stay on as the team chaplain to the men’s basketball team to help student athletes keep up their grades so they could maintain their eligibility to play. Imagine that.

She steadily provided counsel to the students and cheered on the basketball team without fanfare. That is until 2018. That year Sister Jean became a household name when the team made a Cinderella run to the national semifinals — the farthest Loyola Chicago had made it in the NCAA Championship Tournament since 1963. Sister Jean’s spirited antics on the sidelines attracted national media attention and won over the hearts of viewers across the country. She became a star along with the team – orders for Sister Jean bobbleheads broke records, and she got a shout-out from former President and Chicago resident, Barack Obama. Afterwards she quipped, “It only took me 98 years to become an overnight sensation.” In March 2021, at the age of 101, Sister Jean traveled to Indianapolis to watch Loyola beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and eventually make it to the Sweet Sixteen.

But Sister Jean didn’t let the fame and attention alter her in any way. She kept the door to her office open for students to drop in and chat and she retained her position as the team chaplain. She even went so far as to email scouting reports, encouragement and advice to each of the players after every game. She attended every home game and opened them with a prayer, in which she urged the refs to make good calls, the players to share the ball and God to nudge the Ramblers to a big W. In 2022, at the age of 103, she published a book, “Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First 100 Years.” It was filled with her trademark sense of humor and good-natured observations about her century of life. On her 104th birthday students celebrated her by gathering in her office and bringing her one of her favorite foods – CAKE! Later that week she threw out the first pitch at a Cubs’ game and was honored with a block party at Loyola’s Water Tower Campus.

In August of this year, on her 106th birthday, Sister Jean wrote the following message to the Loyola community — directed at students as they began a new academic year:

“It has been wonderful for me to be with you these years and to watch you grow spiritually, intellectually, and socially, and to see the friends you’ve made. And to see the progress you’ve made in your academic life. I’ve always been happy to share my time with you. Let your dreams become reality. Don’t let anybody stop you. You are the future leaders of our churches, our schools, our country, and our world.”

This past September 25th Sister Jean retired from her job at Loyola due to health concerns and on October 9th she passed from this life. The world is a lesser place without her. In these times of overwhelming news and division it is good to let the spirit of Sister Jean guide us: live life with joy, encourage others, and maintain a sense of purpose. And, of course, eat cake.

Posted in travel

The ‘Why?’ Cruise, continued

October 9, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:6 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Well, no jumping overboard for me – Alcatraz is too close! Fortunately, there was no need to jump as the trip was ready to get more interesting. Wednesday morning, we woke up in San Francisco Bay, opened the curtains in our cabin and looked out on the best view I’d had all week: the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower and Alcatraz. It was overcast, but what did we expect in San Francisco? However, temperatures were in the 70s, which for this time of year in ‘The City’ is ‘HOT’! We walked over to Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square then decided to take the hop-on-hop-off bus around the city. It was awesome! We never hopped off but just enjoyed the views from the open upper deck of the bus, of places like North Beach, the Golden Gate Bridge, Union Square, Haight-Ashbury, the Financial District (Where Suzanne used to work) and Golden Gate Park, where we drove past old Kezar Stadium, where at somewhere around 8 years old, I watched my first 49er game. It was also the place where I played my last game of college football. The whole tour was very enjoyable and very nostalgic. We got off the bus at Fisherman’s Wharf and had an awesome dinner at Fog Harbor Fish House – clam chowder, Linda had lobster, and I had crab and just to stay with the theme of the cruise we both had some California wine. I have to say ‘The City’ looked awesome, and Newsom didn’t even know I was going to be there!

Teammate and roommate Ken Poulsen and me at our last game in Kezar Stadium

The ship’s entertainment was generally pretty good; the program I enjoyed the most was an interview with Taj Jackson. No, I didn’t know who he was either, until I did a little research before going to his on-stage interview. He is the first of three sons of Tito Jackson, member of the Jackson 5 and brother of Michael and Janet. Taj and his two brothers formed a group years ago called 3T, (All their first names start with ‘T’ – Taj, Taryll and Tito Jr.). They were mentored by Uncle Michael. Taj says that the group is more popular in Europe than here, but they are still touring and selling lots of music here. We had a chance to personally meet Taj after the show, and he is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He took time with everyone to answer questions (mostly about Michael) and was just a super person. I’m not familiar with their music, but I’m definitely going to give them a listen.

Meanwhile, it’s another day at sea as we head down to San Diego. We did get to watch the 49er-Ram Thursday night game on TV – Yay 49ers!!! We had such a good experience in San Francisco with the hop-on-hop-off bus that we decided to try it in San Diego. But don’t call it a hop-on-hop-off bus, it’s a ‘trolly’! While the venues weren’t as memorable or nostalgic for me as San Francisco, we did hit the high spots of San Diego, which were interesting – Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado Island and the Del Coronado Hotel, Balboa Park, Little Italy and Old Town, where we got off to have a delightful Mexican lunch . . . complete with margarita! We decided that since we live so close, we need to get to San Diego more often and spend some time at some of these fun and interesting places!

Back on the boat for our final night and the short cruise up to L.A. (that took all night). So, our plan of flying to Vancouver and taking a boat ride home turned out to be surprisingly good, once we got to San Francisco.