When my son was younger, there were times I wondered whether he’d ever stop talking about his interests. From detailed stories of his latest “Minecraft” session to chattering about his favorite Marvel superheroes, it seemed there weren’t enough hours in the day for him to tell me things. But whoever said “the days are long but the years are short” was right, and in a blink I found myself facing my son’s 17th birthday — his last before technically becoming an adult.

My son and I still talk quite a bit, whether discussing horror movies or analyzing his dating life, but between his first part-time job and getting his driver’s license, I see and hear from him less these days. For his birthday, I let him plan the itinerary for a trip to California — just him and me.

For nearly a week, we hit the Universal and Disneyland theme parks, saw movies in historic theaters, and ate lots of cheeseburgers. It was pretty incredible, both to spend dedicated time with him and to see him embrace the things that interest him most.

Embracing his interests over the years helped shape the trip

I’ve learned the best way to stay close to my kids is to embrace what interests them. My son is very interested in film, so when he told me he wanted to “go to the restaurant David Lynch always went to” while we were in Los Angeles, I turned to Google. “Do you mean the Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank?” I asked.

Lynch, the director behind “Twin Peaks” who died earlier this year, was known to visit the iconic restaurant for a coffee and a chocolate milkshake most afternoons, so we did, too. It was a seemingly silly stop, but one that will be a core memory for both of us.

We’ve always enjoyed going to theme parks together

When my kids were younger, we visited Central Florida theme parks nearly every weekend. Now, they have their own lives and social schedules, so we go less frequently. Still, when we talked about a trip to California, my son said, “Can we go to Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood?”

It was a reminder that when you build memories with your kids when they’re small, those things stick. We had a great time on rides at Disneyland and doing a movie studio backlot tour at Universal, things we may not have added to our itinerary had we not gone when he was younger.

He’s developed his own interests, too

My son’s biggest request on our trip was to visit as many historic theaters in California as possible. While staying at Disneyland, we took a drive to Santa Ana to visit an arthouse movie theater he discovered while planning the trip. In Los Angeles, we saw “Sinners” at Universal CityWalk in 70 mm Imax, a filming style my film-enthusiast son said “was the way it was meant to be seen” and something definitely not offered in our small Florida town.

Film is my son’s passion, so I was content to tag along. Part of growing up is learning what makes you happiest, and seeing my kid delight in visiting historic theaters and seeing a movie every single day of our trip made me happy, even if my vacation preferences are more along the lines of lounging poolside and trying distinctive restaurants.

I’m proud I’ve raised such an interesting human being

Our trip wasn’t just movie theaters and theme parks. My son also requested we visit the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles and begged to visit stores that sold “physical media” (the film-nerd term for hard copies of movies) so he could add to his 4K Blu-ray collection. He ate 10 cheeseburgers over our weeklong trip, including two visits to In-N-Out Burger, a chain we love but do not have on the East Coast. Though I let him have the reins throughout the trip, I ended up having an amazing time, too.

Our routine has changed over the years, from storytime snuggles and Lego-building contests to college planning and navigating the teenage years. I’m so thankful I took the time to listen when he waxed poetic about video games and comic books for hours on end. Without those moments, he’d probably not include me in his interests today, and his interests are pretty cool, in my opinion.

Blowing-up birds are bewildering a Bay Area ‘burb.

Dozens of birds have met their sudden and violent demise in a California neighborhood in recent months, dropping out of the sky mid-flight and falling dead on city streets and in backyards.

Speculation is running rampant as to the cause of the mysterious deaths, from a serial bird killer on the loose to a rash of electrocutions caused by perching on power lines.

“So when they land and it happens, they just quickly explode and it’s really violent,” Richmond resident Maximillian Bolling told KGO-TV.

“It’s very traumatic,” he added.

A doorbell camera captured one of the unexplained fatalities. A loud popping sound can be heard moments before the bird fell to the ground dead, drawing shocked gasps from horrified passersby.

“It sounded like a firecracker, and a black bird — a starling — just plummeted to the ground,” witness Mark Hoehner told ABC News. “I’ve been under the birds when it happens, and I know where the sound is coming from. It’s coming from up on the pole.”

Neighbors have pointed the finger at a stretch of power line they think may be the culprit, prompting Pacific Gas & Electric to investigate, enlisting the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) to perform necropsies on several of the expired birds.

“They have shared that the birds show no evidence of electrocution, and that their deaths were caused by trauma, potentially from a pellet or BB gun, or slingshot,” the utility said in a statement.

But the explanation stuck firmly in locals’ craw.

“I feel like a BB gun doesn’t make a firecracker noise,” resident Heather Jones told the outlet. “This sounds exactly like a firecracker.”

Other neighbors, like Jan Solomon, also questioned the quasi-official explanation, saying she “can’t fathom” that someone could be so consistently accurate with a pellet gun.

Wildlife officials said in a statement that the investigation remains underway.

“CDFW also received photos of other dead birds found at the location that showed injuries consistent with trauma. The exact cause of the trauma to all of these birds could not be determined.”

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – Several suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of more than $1.5 million in cargo from various locations across Southern California, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. 

Investigators believe the suspects are linked to thefts utilizing “fence” locations to store stolen cargo before being transported to Tijuana, Mexico.

What we know:

Between December 2024 and January 2025, a Southern California-based cargo theft crew targeted Camarillo, resulting in over $500,000 in property loss.

An investigation revealed the theft crew used stolen vehicles to navigate Camarillo and targeted semi-trucks to steal large trailers filled with retail property. The stolen goods were transported to “fence” locations, with final destinations in Tijuana, Mexico. 

The investigation led to the recovery of stolen cargo valued at approximately $1.5 million. Victims of the cargo thefts include East Coast-based company E-Lo Sportswear, Amazon, Craftsman, Samsung, TJ Maxx, and Converse.

The suspects arrested are identified as Victor Alvarez, Brenda Alvarez, Mauricio Heriberto Gachicoa, and Otto Javier Rivas. They were booked on charges of auto theft, cargo theft, and conspiracy. Each is being held on $250,000 bail. 

Arrest warrants have been issued for Jose Antonio Hurtado-Bernal and Luis Rivera.

What’s next:

The investigation remains active.

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of related cargo theft is encouraged to contact Detective Ledesma or Detective Song at 805-388-5115.