From A Bird's Eye View

Posted in opinion

THE MAYOR OF BALBOA

September 29, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:11 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Earlier this month I packed up Dooley and seemingly half of my worldly belongings and headed out to Balboa Island. Balboa is adjacent to Newport Beach and is a cute touristy town full of cute shops and restaurants. It seemed like the perfect retreat from the endless hot days of Scottsdale. Dooley had never been on a car ride longer than an hour, so the success of this trip was a crap shoot from the beginning. Plus, I soon discovered that my new car model is smaller than my old model. Or maybe it was that between Dooley’s crate, car seat, stroller, food, grooming equipment, toys and training tools it just seemed smaller. In any event, my friend Pat and I each rented homes on Balboa for the month of September and early on the morning of the 1st, we set out on our grand adventure. To my surprise, Dooley is a great long-distance traveler, and my rental house was perfect – recently updated, freshly painted, and right along the main street with a front patio that was ideal for Dooley and me to watch the world go by.

To be honest, in the weeks before the trip I felt I needed a break from Dooley. He is a very high-energy puppy, and I am, well, more of a sloth. But for various reasons I couldn’t find anyone who could take him, but to my surprise, Dooley’s presence turned out to be a blessing. On the second day of vacation, one of the people who walked by our patio was an elderly man, wearing a Panama hat and walking a golden retriever. He stopped when he saw Dooley, reminiscing about the two Cavaliers that he’s owned. I noticed that he had a patch on his shirt that indicated he was a dog trainer. Long story short, his name was Ed and had been training dogs for 30 years. I hired him on the spot and boy, was he the right guy. His methods were strict and no-nonsense. Apparently, I was failing at being the “alpha” in my relationship with Dooley, but Ed straightened me out with all the subtlety of a drill sergeant. Sure enough, within a couple of days Dooley was already walking better on a leash. Ed came over a few times, and I wanted to bring him home, but we agreed to work remotely on additional behavior issues – mostly mine.

Every afternoon Dooley scratched at the front door, just itching to get to the patio. He would sit up on the sofa, head resting on the porch railing, and greet everyone who walked by. Who could resist those puppy dog eyes? Apparently no one. Almost every person who passed by smiled or stopped to give him a pat and or ask me about him. I ended up talking with several people multiple times. Without exaggeration, over the three weeks I was there I probably met more than 300 people. Pat jokingly began referring to Dooley as “the mayor”, as he greeted his “constituents” every afternoon. Our multiple walks each day brought other opportunities to meet and greet, including a chance encounter with Kareem Abdul Jabbar. He was walking with two other people a few yards ahead of me and at 7’2″, he’s rather hard to miss. He stopped to sit on a bench, and he smiled at Dooley as we passed by. When I turned and headed home, we passed him again and he said, “That dog isn’t going to attack me, is he?” We both laughed. He clearly has some mobility issues, and it made me happy that Dooley brought him a light moment. I finally realized that without Dooley, I never would have met so many people, had so many engaging conversations, or walked the 13,000 steps he led me on every day. He is my calling card to meeting strangers and making friends. From now on, he will accompany on all of my car trips.

The biggest blessing of this trip was being able to spend time with family. I got to watch college football with Bob and Linda, had a wonderful afternoon and dinner on Balboa at the Village Inn with them, their daughter Dana, and their two grandchildren, Addison and Mack. And on my last night, they hosted a dinner with all three of their children and five grandchildren. We hadn’t been together in a long time, and it was the perfect way to end my trip.

As lovely as it was to be in cooler climes, I learned that a month is way too long for me to be away from home, especially with a puppy. Ed acknowledged that Dooley is a very smart, but very energetic puppy, who would better adhere to training at home. Plus, after three weeks I was ready to sleep in my own bed and have my own “stuff” at my disposal. I admit it, I’m a homebody. As it turned out, Dooley picked up a parasite at the end of our stay and luckily, I was home and near our vet before it hit him full force. So, leaving early was meant to be. But I’m already perusing my options for a vacation home next summer. My chief requirement? It has to have a spot for “the mayor” to meet and greet his constituents.

Posted in Social media

How Long Can We Tolerate Fraud on Social Media?

September 22, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:8 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

When ‘thefacebook.com was first introduced in February of 2004, it was only available to students at Harvard. A month later it was open to students at other universities like Yale, Columbia and Stanford. In other words, average to stupid people were not allowed – very different than today. In 2005 it was open to high school students and the name changed to Facebook. In late 2006 it was opened to the public; so average and stupid people were finally allowed access. It caught on. By 2008 it had over 100 million users. I must admit to being one of them, as I thought this was a wonderful way to connect with family, friends, former classmates, etc. who were not local. So, I could see what they were up to on a regular basis, and they could see what I was up to. I thought it was a cool concept!

But something happens when you give EVERYONE access to EVERYONE else. Which is a nice way of saying that Facebook gave idiots a platform. So, content is not fact checked, in fact, it seems the less factual it is, the more hits it gets. Which is all Facebook cares about, because it’s free to the user and is paid for by sponsors.

Speaking of sponsors, recently an ad popped up, of course it was based on a previous search I had done looking for a particular health benefit. A well-known physician that I respected and had recently read on of his books, came on Facebook talking about a simple cure for my ailment. Yes, they wanted me to buy something, but it wasn’t that expensive and because it came from such a reputable source, I was ready to buy. But I knew enough to make sure it was legitimate, so I asked Google if it was a scam. It was. The image and the voice simulation was recreated with the help of Artificial Imaging and Artificial Intelligence. So this influential physician appeared to be saying things that he really was not saying and, in fact, didn’t believe. It’s not just Facebook, it’s everywhere. It doesn’t matter who you see or what they are saying, it all could be artificially generated, just to get you to buy a product that is not endorsed by anyone who might have any knowledge of the subject. We might catch on if we see a bodybuilding ad done by Barney Fife or marriage counseling done by Elizabeth Taylor., but they know we’re not that stupid . . . are we? Demographics today show that 74% of users that go on Facebook to connect with friends and family are seniors between ages 55-65; sellers know that this demographic is the easiest target to fool. (I’m so glad I’m out of that demographic!)

So, yes of course, I’m still on Facebook, as that’s where our blog posts every Monday; but when you juxtapose our low subscriptions with the multiple comments we get, it tells us that most of you read our blog on Facebook, as we only have about 225 ‘Followers’, meaning that those ‘Followers’ have our blog sent directly to their email and read it there, not on Facebook. And yes, we know who you are – THANK YOU! Just to compare our 225 number, the top person being followed on Facebook is Christiano Ronaldo, who has 170 million followers; so, we have a long way to go. He’s a soccer player from Portugal in case you aren’t one of his followers. The top U.S. person being followed is Vin Diesel (not even his real name) with 98 million followers. So, because most of you read our blog on Facebook, we feel like we’d be abandoning you if we took it off and delivered it only to our subscribers email. However as our disgust with Facebook grows, we still might consider the possibility of taking it off. If we do, we’d give you plenty of warning and plenty of opportunity to subscribe, so that the blog would come directly from our website to your email – no middleman or flimflam man, no Facebook.

To the right of each weekly post is a place where you can ‘subscribe’, it’s free! And don’t worry about Facebook getting along without us; they are currently valued at a little over $1 trillion.

Posted in opinion

THE FLOWER CHILDREN OF ARNHEM

September 15, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:12 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Every September, in the quiet town of Oosterbeek in the Netherlands, a deeply moving ritual unfolds among rows of white headstones. It’s not a grand spectacle, nor a political affair—it’s a ceremony of remembrance led by children. Known as the Flower Children of Arnhem, this tradition is one of the most poignant acts of gratitude and remembrance in Europe, honoring the Allied soldiers who died during Operation Market Garden in World War II.

The scene is simple but powerful. Hundreds of local schoolchildren, dressed in their Sunday best, walk solemnly through the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Each child is assigned a grave. They kneel, whisper the name of the fallen soldier etched into the stone, and gently place a flower—often a single chrysanthemum or rose—on the grave. There are no speeches from the children, no rehearsed performances. Just a quiet, personal moment between the living and the dead. The Flower Children ceremony is more than symbolic—it’s deeply personal. Some children return year after year to the same grave, forming connections with the families of the fallen. One such story is that of Willemien Rieken, who began laying flowers as a young girl and continued for over 75 years. She eventually met the family of the soldier whose grave she tended, forging a bond that transcended borders and generations.

This tradition began in 1945, just one year after the battle that turned Arnhem into a crucible of sacrifice. Operation Market Garden was an ambitious Allied plan to end the war quickly by capturing key bridges in the Netherlands and pushing into Germany. British, Polish, and American troops parachuted into the region, but the operation faltered, and thousands of soldiers were killed or captured. The Dutch people, who had endured years of Nazi occupation, never forgot the bravery of those who came to liberate them.

What makes this ceremony especially powerful is its intergenerational nature. Veterans who fought in Arnhem often attended, their eyes misty as they watched the children pay tribute. For many, it’s a moment of healing. The presence of young voices in a place marked by loss reminds us that memory is not static—it’s passed on, nurtured, and kept alive by those who never knew the war but feel its echoes.
The ceremony also serves as a quiet rebuke to the idea that history fades. In a world where attention spans are short and headlines fleeting, the Flower Children of Arnhem ceremony stands as a testament to enduring gratitude. These children aren’t just participating in a school event; they’re engaging in a ritual of remembrance that teaches empathy, history, and the cost of freedom.

Each year, the ceremony is held on the first Sunday after September 17, the date Operation Market Garden began so this year it will take place on the 21st. It includes a formal memorial service attended by dignitaries, veterans, and thousands of visitors. But it’s the children who steal the show—not with fanfare, but with their sincerity.

In a time when remembrance can feel performative or politicized, the Flower Children of Arnhem offer something rare: a quiet, heartfelt tribute that transcends nationality and ideology. It’s a reminder that gratitude doesn’t need grand gestures—it needs continuity, sincerity, and the willingness to pass stories forward. So, if you ever find yourself in the Netherlands in September, make your way to Oosterbeek. Watch the children walk among the graves. Listen to the silence. And know that in that moment, history is not just remembered—it’s cherished.

Posted in Writing

So Now I Have to Learn How to Write!

September 8, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:6 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

As is obvious from the last 14 years of this blog, Suzanne and I love to write. But just recently we decided we wanted to write something besides the blog. Those who follow us know that Suzanne has already written something besides this blog. As in two very good, non-fiction books, In the Enemy’s Camp, (2004) a riveting account of American civilians, her husband’s family, held prisoner by the Japanese in the Philippines, and Before All Is Said and Done, (2022) a book that everyone should read to prepare you for life after your spouse has passed. Both books are available on Amazon Books.

But I had a story rattling around in my head, with which I wanted to do something. I actually have several stories rattling around in there and I thought it was time to . . . I was going to say empty my brain, but it’s pretty much empty already. So, I asked Suzanne if she was interested in co-authoring a novel, novelette, short story, screen play, television series, something! I really didn’t know how the rattles in my head would shake out. Fortunately, she was on board with whatever we decided.

So, our story takes place in the South Pacific and I believe the germ of the idea came from an old television series called Adventures in Paradise, which was created by James Mitchner, yes that James Mitchner. It starred Gardner McKay, who was, by most accounts, a nice-looking, bad actor. It was on television for three years – 1959 -1962 (I know, some of you weren’t even born yet!). I went on YouTube and watched three or four episodes – it was in black and white, had weak story lines and was poorly acted; generally, it was awful! But it took place in the exotic South Pacific, and I saw potential for perhaps writing a television series that would be in living color, have interesting story lines and be well-acted. After several discussions with Suzanne, it was decided that I would write down the basic story and she would not just edit it, in terms of choosing the right words and punctuation, but helped create the ‘arc’ of the characters and story, as well as re-write parts of it to make it more interesting and believable. We each had our responsibilities; she is an excellent writer, who had experience in the book-publishing process and I . . . well, I just had a story and a desire to write it. But I found out, I didn’t really know how to write a story! So I searched Amazon for books on how to write and found two great ones, both by Sol Stein, Stein on Writing and How to Grow a Novel. When I was done with them, I had scribbled notes on almost every page, yellow highlighted sentences throughout, and dog-eared pages from front to back.

As Suzanne and I were writing this story, we thought it fit nicely as a six-episode television

adventure/travel series. So I asked my son-in-law, Jason Shomer, for some advice as he’s a good writer in his own rite and has had experience in this field. He bought and sent me a book called The Anatomy of Story, by John Truby, which is now also scribbled on, highlighted and dogeared. Jason also gave me some advice about writing a television series.

So, Suzanne and I re-wrote what we had into what we thought was a television series, dialogue format. After reading it we decided that we really were over our heads in trying this, and that we should get back to being over our heads in trying to write a novel. The working title for this project is In Search of Bali Ha’i and we’ll keep you updated on any progress with this adventure, but don’t hold your breath, I’m still learning how to write!

Posted in opinion

A ROBOT TO UNPLUG MY TOILET

September 1, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:8 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Today, Labor Day, marks our annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in 1882, in New York City, and it became a national holiday in 1894. I usually don’t think about labor unions that much anymore. When I worked in human resources it was a subject that I thought about all the time and was a heated topic in many meetings. Long, tedious meetings. Invariably the discussions centered around how to keep the unions out of banking. But I’ve been giving unions a bit more thought lately, as I believe we are at a turning point in terms of how we view work and labor.

One of the reasons I’ve given unions some thought is I’ve been updating my wardrobe and have paid attention to the labels. Nothing I bought was made in the U.S. In fact, my clothes have been more places than I have: Indonesia, Vietnam, and Peru just to name a few. I realize this is not a new issue but find it sad that it’s really hard to find clothing made in the U. S. I am old enough to remember when we were advised to “look for the union label”, by the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union. In part, that union was formed as a result of a fire in 1911 in New York. The fire—likely sparked by a discarded cigarette—started on the eighth floor of the Triangle Waist Company, a manufacturer of women’s shirtwaists (blouses). The flames, fed by cotton filaments and tissue paper waste, quickly spread upward to the top two floors of the building, but in those days the fire truck ladders were only able to reach six stories. Many workers, trapped by doors that had been locked to prevent theft, leapt from windows to their deaths. Some were able to reach the fire escape, but it soon became so overloaded that it collapsed, killing those who were on it. The tragedy galvanized the city government to enact health and safety laws and helped shape future labor laws across the country. On the other hand, the owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company were indicted for manslaughter but were eventually exonerated. To add salt to the wound – they later profited from inflated insurance claims related to the fire damage. As I looked at the labels of the clothes I just purchased, I wondered about the working conditions where they were made. My fear is that the seamstresses may be no better off than the Triangle Shirtwaist workers 114 years ago.

The other reason I’ve been thinking about unions is the rapid advance of AI. Bill Gates in a recent interview said AI is moving at a speed that “surprises” even him, stating that AI will take over most jobs. We have already seen a major strike – by the SAG/AFTRA unions in 2023- whose complaint was not simply the usual request for more money, increased benefits and worker safety, but centered around protection from AI-generated images, writing and voice-overs. AI is evolving so quickly that 2023 seems like the stone age. According to numerous sources, the AI programmers can’t even keep up with it. In May it was reported that one of the OpenAI models disobeyed direct instructions to turn off and even sabotaged shutdown mechanisms in order to keep working. ChatGPT has experienced the same phenomenon: models will occasionally sabotage a shutdown mechanism, even when instructed to “allow yourself to be shut down”. In addition to the downright scary implications of these “disobedient” models, is the very real impact they are having on jobs. Last week the Wall Street Journal ran two articles in one day about this issue. Already workers in fields as diverse as software engineering, voice acting and graphic design are reportedly being replaced. I witnessed a real example of this when our grandson graduated from college. There was a large contingent of international students, so afterwards I remarked to our grandson how impressed I was that the person announcing the graduates could get the names right. He informed me that it wasn’t a human announcer – right before entering the stage each graduate said their name into a computer, and an AI model announced their entrance.

I worry about the future of work and what it will look like. Many entry- level white-collar jobs are already in jeopardy. Ironically, the workers we honor on Labor Day, the union workers using their hands and back and brains, should remain plentiful in the near future. At least until they can program a robot to weld a seam or unplug a toilet. I hope I won’t live long enough to see that.

Posted in travel

Alberta, Canada – Where My Golf Balls Go to Die

August 25, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:7 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

I never tire of losing golf balls in Alberta, Canada. This year’s golfing trip to Banff marked our fourth golf excursion to, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places on this planet – the Canadian Rockies. And while the scenery, weather and company were magnificent, the golf left something to be desired. But, hey, I didn’t go there for the golf, I can golf miserably at home, and, in fact, often do . . . on many occasions. I went there for the scenery.

The group that witnessed the passing of sleeve after sleeve of my golf balls included Jack & JJ Budd, Bud & Carol Laughlin, John & Judy VanBoxmeer and my lovely wife, Linda. We stayed in two VRBO condos in Canmore (more about Canmore later), which we can highly discourage anyone for ever staying in; its only saving grace was that it was a short walk to the liquor store.

We weren’t sure if we would even get in our first round of golf, as it had been raining for several days and was still sprinkling as we traveled to our first course, Silvertip. It is a visually spectacular golf course, nestled beneath the majestic mountains and cut through forests and valleys; even the scorecard is beautiful (see photo). I thought twelve balls for the three rounds of golf we were scheduled to play would be plenty for the trip. My supply was half gone by the end of the first round. But I take some consolation in knowing that they are resting in peace in a beautiful place.

The next day we took a break from golf and scheduled a gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain, just outside of Banff. Once at the top, we had spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies, Bow Valley, the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and the Bow River, where in a couple of days hence, would provide a watery grave from several of my golf balls. After the gondola ride we had lunch at a rooftop restaurant/bar in Banff. After lunch there was some differences of opinion about what to do next, so they guys got in one car and drove back to Canmore looking for a place for dinner, which was code for bar hoping, while the girls stayed in Banff and shopped.

As I mentioned, this was Linda’s and my fourth trip to Canmore/Banff, and we thought the city of Canmore was nothing more than a couple of restaurants and gas stations along the road to Banff. But we discovered that ‘downtown’ Canmore has a really cute main street, filled with quaint, local art shops, restaurants and bars . . . and a great ice cream shop made from an old yellow school bus. We all walked back to our condo with an ice cream cone.

Our next golf experience was the following day at Stewart Creek Golf Club, which provided plenty of flora and fauna to hide several balls from various errant shots. If you’re thinking that by losing so many balls I must have shot some really bad rounds of golf, you’d be right, but it was beautiful. I found solace when I lost balls that son Jeff had given me for Christmas with a photo of their daughter, Brooklyn, on them. Jeff, please know that she is resting in a most beautiful place!

Bow River a little higher due to the number of my golf balls in it

Our final day of golf was at the Banff Springs Golf Course, which is a beautiful course with magnificent views of the Banff Springs Hotel and the Bow River. The round of golf for both Linda and me, and a top for Linda and a Banff ball marker for me (she told me they were of about equal value!), the round cost us over $1,000.00! But I was told that that was in Canadian dollars, so I was reminded of how much I saved not being in America! On this course it was the Bow River and the surrounding pine forest that collected the last of my golf balls, but Hey, I was going home the next day anyway, so I was just making my golf bag lighter . . . significantly lighter.

Posted in opinion

DO NOT DISTURB UNTIL JANUARY

August 18, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:3 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Finally, after the sports wasteland that exists between January and August, college football is returning this week. Earlier this year a friend mentioned how depressed she gets when the holidays are over. I responded that I am usually relieved when the holidays are in the rear-view mirror, but the day after the College Football Championship game? I’m close to slitting my wrists. I’ve been a college football fan since I can remember. Growing up with two brothers who were star football players in high school and college, I think it was probably a sink or swim situation. Dinner table conversations at our house always centered around sports, and never more so than in the fall, when football season was in full swing. I recall once protesting that we should talk about something “girlie”, but that dog just didn’t hunt. So, I learned to love football. I wasn’t immediately attuned to the game, however. I was a cheerleader for our local Pop Warner team and on returning home from a game one afternoon my dad asked how it had gone. I replied, “Great! We had a LOT of 4th downs!” Needless to say, I’ve increased my knowledge of the game considerably since then.

The first slate of games this year occur on Saturday and as typically happens, the games scheduled this early in the season are not really barnburners; Sam Houston vs. Western KY is one of the afternoon games. But whether by luck or good planning, the morning starts with a game between two ranked teams: Iowa State vs Kansas State. I’m not particularly invested in either team, but you can bet that I will be planted in front of my TV watching it. Hopefully eating something entirely fattening and non-nutritious. A chocolate Long John springs to mind. My husband and I used to joke that we loved our “Saturday pants” – sweats with a very forgiving waistband.

Next Saturday, August 30th, begins the “real” season, if for no other reason than “College Game Day” returns. I think Game Day is one of the most fun ways to start a weekend ever invented. There is humor, knowledgeable discussions, irreverent signs waved by a (mostly) drunk student body, and, maybe best of all, Kirk Herbstreit’s golden retriever service dog. Last year his dog, Ben, was the highlight of every college campus he visited, even receiving field credentials. When Ben died in November, Kirk gave a tribute to him that reflected just how much Ben meant to him, and to the entire college football community. If you can watch the video of that tribute without crying, then you aren’t human. Late last season Herbstreit brought in his second stringer, Peter, who will continue in Ben’s honored position this season.

The 2025 Game Day cast will be without Lee Corso, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Corso has been on the program since its inception in 1987. He is a quirky figure, to say the least, but he has grown on me over the years. Each week he ends the program by selecting the mascot headgear of the team he believes will win the featured game. His antics got more elaborate as the years wore on, but somehow he became more beloved. My husband used to swear that he was biased against USC (a mortal sin in his opinion) but in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Corso has donned the USC headgear 17 times and boasts a flawless 17–0 record when backing the Trojans. Game Day has already announced that the tradition of donning the headgear will retire along with Corso. And if you can’t wait until Saturday for your Game Day fix, on Friday night ESPN is broadcasting a special tribute to Corso called, “Not So Fast, My Friend”, which is one of his signature phrases.

It’s an exciting time and I’m almost (but not quite) as excited about the NFL games. I foresee a fall and early winter that will be chocked full of football from Thursday nights through the following Monday nights. I know that I will have to make time for friends and family and I’ve done so – I’ve penciled in all of my catch-up phone calls for Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Depending on the schedule, I’m willing to forfeit an NFL game to chat, but on Saturdays I’ve got the “Do Not Disturb” sign up until the end of January. Unless you’re bleeding out, I’m not available. Fight On!!

Posted in Neighborhood

Remembering ‘The Trail Boss’

August 11, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:14 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

For those who read our blog regularly, some of this will sound familiar, but last Saturday was such an emotional event that I simply couldn’t ignore it. It’s the annual ‘Patrick Hike’, honoring our dear friend and neighbor, Patrick Michael, who passed away in April 2021 at the age of 61. He was an integral part of our amazing neighborhood that he helped build. Everyone thought of him as their ‘best friend’. I never heard him raise his voice in anger, and he was just always there to add a humorous note or to help fix something with the assortment of tools he had in his garage. He was never boastful but had every right to be, as he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and was the owner of a very successful business that had something to do with pipes (the kind that transport stuff, not the kind you smoke!). He rarely talked about his success in business, so very few, including me, knew much about his business, which is now run by his daughter, Britney.

As I’ve mentioned here before, he was also our ‘Trail Boss’, getting several of us guys in the ‘hood to do a few hikes, culminating in 2008 with the climbing of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the Continental United States at 14,505 feet. Patrick and I went on to do several other hikes, including a week in the Himalayas in Nepal and a four-day hike to Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountain Range in Chile. For last week’s hike, the five remaining Whitney hikers didn’t call each other, but each of us separately decided to honor Patrick by wearing the shirt we purchased when we hiked Whitney. The photos of us together show us leaving a space for our Trail Boss and including Patrick’s wife, Pam.

This year’s ‘Patrick Hike’ included thirty participants, counting kids and dogs, who took off at 8:00 am, on a three-mile hike in Peter’s Canyon Regional Park in the Orange County foothills. Those unable to do the hike, met with the hikers at Marc & Lisa Webb’s home, next door to the Michael’s, for an amazing potluck breakfast that was served along with Mimosas, and the famous Marc Webb Bloody Mary, which are the best I’ve ever tasted, so I think I had more than one!

We have started a charitable fund to honor Patrick and will be working with Habitat for Humanity to help build something in the area for a family in need of shelter. Patrick would have been the person running this kind of project, so we’ll all be thinking, “What would Patrick do?” as we work with this charity.

Patrick’s wife, Pam remains a solid member of our neighborhood community and often hosts parties which bring us to an amazing table in her dining area that Patrick built. I literally tear up when I rub my hand over its smooth redwood finish.

We should all be so well-remembered.

Posted in opinion

MY FREEBIE BIRTHDAY

August 4, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:13 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Whelp…this week I will celebrate another birthday. Actually, a rather large birthday. I won’t say how old I’ll be, but when I mentioned my age in my Pilates class last week the other (younger) participants looked at me like I was a relic from an archeological dig. They could hardly believe that I was still roaming the earth, much less making it through a 50-minute exercise class. In fairness, twenty years ago I would have thought the same thing, but somehow the years creep up and although I’m certainly not in the shape I was back then, I’m still able to move with a minimum of creaking. There are lots of reasons I’ve been able to stay in reasonable shape, foremost among them Dooley, who is a greater task master than my Pilates instructor. He goes to the dog run door multiple times a day, sometimes for good reason but mostly for the fun of watching me hoist myself off the couch to let him out and then stand there with a look on his face that screams, “Hah! Made you get up again, you idiot!”

Because of my impending birthday I was especially interested in an article in the Wall Street Journal last week about people who make a game out of collecting birthday “freebies” from businesses. They are otherwise known as “birthday freeloaders”. Their objective is to collect as many freebies as possible within the 24 hours of their birthday. The Journal story featured a Southern California man, Clint Svatos, whose goal was to break his record from last year of collecting 35 freebies. This year he dragged his children along to help eat some of the more sugar-filled gifts. Even he admits they were embarrassed by his antics. But by early evening he had set a new personal record — 40 freebies. His freebies included 10 free beverages, 14 free desserts, 12 free food items including wings, burgers, tacos and popcorn, and four other discounted products.

Another person, Eva Larson, approaches her birthday as a marathon. She discovered that some places allow you to collect your birthday prize up to 30 days after your birthday, so this year, she spread her freebie crusade over nine days in June, which allowed her to grab 61 deals. She makes Clint look like a piker. She admitted that her birthday freebie grab has become almost a full-time job for a week, estimating that she spent at least 40 hours driving around Southern California, scheduling five to eight stops a day. And because some of the deals require that you purchase something in return for the gift, she ended up spending $258.17 to receive $509 in freebies. That’s a “profit” of $250.83 but when you add in the time spent driving around Southern California for 40 hours…well, I think Eva came out on the short end.

I don’t know…the whole birthday freebie thing seems like a lot of work to me. The sugar content alone would be enough to take ten years off of my life. This year I plan to get my hair cut, take Dooley to a “Brain Game” class (I’m not sure if it’s his or mine), indulge in a lovely dinner with friends, and then eat cake like I am “going to the chair”. I think I’m going to have to spend extra time in Pilates class next week, but unlike driving for 40 hours, birthday cake is always worth the price.

Posted in travel

Ship Chef: “Hey, It’s Hard to Cook for 5,000 People!”

July 28, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:11 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Given the interest there was in readers wondering about my sanity, booking a cruise with 2,500 kids on board, I thought I would report back to let you know just how everything went and if my sanity is still intact.

Let’s first discuss the positives. No, let’s do the negatives so we can end on a positive note.

The obvious is there were lots of kids, but there were also so many kids’ areas – kids’ pool, kids’ clubs, kids’ games, etc. So, yes, lots of kids, but I never felt they were under foot/in the way.

The food could have been better, much better. There was plenty of it and a good variety, but, based on other cruises, this was below expectations. When we mentioned something about food quality at one of our dinners, the chef came out and explained to us that it was difficult to cook for 5,000 people. Duh!!! Isn’t that what you signed up to do? Isn’t that your job?

The only other disadvantage that I experienced, was when I went back to the ‘adults only’ section of the ship and looked for a place to sit down, by the pool, anywhere on the deck, with a view, any seat! – all were taken. Apparently, a lot of parents were looking for some ‘quiet time’ away from their chaotic kids.

What I liked about the cruise was . . .

The ship, Royal Caribbean’s Ovations of the Sea, was much better than I expected for a large ship with 5,000 passengers. Great layout, lots of restaurants with a variety of cuisines, lots of bars, lots of shops, excellent show venues, did I mention lots of bars?
Lots of things to do, especially for kids, basketball, pickleball, bumper cars, roller skating, rock climbing, surfing, various rides, arts & crafts, arcade, ping pong, etc., etc., etc.
Fun casino that both giveth and taketh away
We had a nice room that allowed all 13 of us to gather a few times
The staff, the Filipinos, were especially nice
Heard the gym was very well equipped.
We didn’t get off the ship in Ensenada
The thing I liked most was that we had our whole immediate family on board with everyone enjoying all the activities and the adults enjoying the kids enjoying all the activities . . . and the drink package!

Some family photos . . .