![\"Suz-Bob\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Suz-Bob.jpeg\")
<\/a>Suzanne & Bob at Desert Highlands<\/p><\/div>\n
Suzanne and Alan<\/strong>\u00a0had their turn in the barrel last weekend – it was their turn to host Alan’s golf group.<\/strong> \u00a0It was also a good excuse to celebrate our father\u2019s 101st<\/sup> birthday<\/strong> (although he\u2019s been gone for 14 years)\u00a0as well as Valentine’s Day<\/strong>. As it happened Linda and I were looking to go to Arizona<\/strong> to see her sister and mine. It was a chance for us to get out of this blustery winter in\u00a0Southern California<\/strong> (the temperature had dropped below 70 for two straight days!) After a short visit with Linda\u2019s sister, Starlet<\/strong> and husband, Donnie<\/strong> in Apache Junction<\/strong> (I\u2019m sure the visit didn\u2019t seem short to them<\/em>, they fed us dinner, gave up their bed for the evening and fixed us breakfast the next morning), we headed off to see Suzanne and Al in Desert Highlands<\/strong>. Thank you Donnie and Starlet<\/strong>!<\/p>\n Desert Highlands<\/strong> is a very exclusive gate-guarded golf community in northern Scottsdale<\/strong>, where they\u2019ve lived for the past 15 years. We\u2019ve been there a number of times before and it\u2019s always been great to get together with them, but this time it seemed particularly up-scale.<\/p>\n My view from the ‘transition’<\/p><\/div>\n The party on Saturday was exquisite \u2013 Suzanne and Al<\/strong> have a beautiful home on the 5th<\/sup> hole of the golf course with an expansive view of the surrounding mountains. They had enough food to feed an army and enough booze to sink a navy. But the highlight, as it should be with any party, was the attendees. If I was expecting a bunch of snooty multi-millionaires, who had little time for interloping relatives (which of course I wasn\u2019t . . . OK, maybe a little), I couldn\u2019t have been more wrong. Really, what should I have expected from classy people like Suzanne and Al<\/strong>? To the person, every one of the guests was genuinely friendly, interesting and engaging. I almost felt like I belonged there, which I had learned the day before that I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n The day before was one of those very memorable days \u2013 one that you\u2019d love to live over and over. We arrived at Desert Highlands<\/strong> golf clubhouse and were met by the golf attendants. They took our clubs and then they took our car! Before I could run after them yelling \u201cHey, my car\u2019s being stolen\u201d<\/strong>, Al let me know that the club offers a free valet service and that my car would be returned upon completion of the round of golf . . . and no tipping! I knew that!<\/p>\n The manicured golf course, nestled around Pinnacle Peak<\/strong>, is a visual spectacle; even the rough was like fairway, which is a good thing as I spent plenty of time there. I also spent a good deal of time in what they call the \u2018transition\u2019 area and quickly discovered that getting through the transition area was a kin to crawling with the French Foreign Legion<\/strong> through the Sahara Desert<\/strong>. Suffice it say that my game allowed me to see the entire golf course and way too much of the \u2018transition\u2019 area. It was nonetheless a beautiful golf course, the weather was perfect and I was with good company \u2013 I kept telling myself that the score really didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n I did managed to play the 19th<\/sup> hole<\/strong> well \u2013 the Desert Highlands clubhouse<\/strong>, which was very posh to begin with, had recently been remodeled and was now nothing short of spectacular, with new boulder-framed sitting areas and fire pits around a new, outside \u2018Sunset Bar\u2019<\/strong> over-looking the pool and the city of Scottsdale<\/strong> beyond. Add a cold beer and it doesn\u2019t get much better than this. But it did!<\/p>\n The Gett’s backyard<\/p><\/div>\n Friday evening after golf, we were invited to dinner at the home of a very fun couple, Bob & Liz Gett<\/strong> (pronounced jet<\/em>), friends of Suzanne and Al<\/strong>. The Gett\u2019s home should be called the Grand Desert Highlands Resort<\/strong>\u00a0– comparing it to a luxurious Ritz-Carlton <\/strong>would be selling their home short! \u00a0The 8,500 square foot, elegantly decorated home actually is only out done their beautifully appointed outside living area, with landscape lighting, pool, spa, multiple fire places, giant TV screen, covered barbecue area and . . .and . . . and . . .<\/p>\n Bob & Bob having a Cuban cigar<\/p><\/div>\n After a delicious dinner and engaging conversation about the Patriots\u2019<\/strong> recent Super Bowl<\/strong> victory (Bob & Liz are from the\u00a0Boston<\/strong>\u00a0open and they attended the game), we sat outside with after-dinner drinks and watched the city lights of Scottsdale<\/strong> come alive following one of those spectacular Arizona sunsets<\/strong>. Just when I thought the evening couldn\u2019t get any better, Bob asked, \u201cWould you like a Cuban cigar<\/strong>?\u201d Heaven.<\/p>\n Thank you Suzanne and Al<\/strong> for a weekend that our father would have really enjoyed, even at 101!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Bob Sparrow Suzanne and Alan\u00a0had their turn in the barrel last weekend – it was their turn to host Alan’s golf group. \u00a0It was also a good excuse to celebrate our father\u2019s 101st birthday (although he\u2019s been gone for … read more<\/a><\/a><\/a>