Calgary Parrot Head Club News

Kaffa Coffee House: "The Homestead"

15 Years Young and Still Cruisin'! But How Did It All Begin?

by Joyce B.

Although we would like to think of ourselves as Parrot Heads since we were three feet tall, and who knows, maybe we were, both Tom and I have enjoyed the lyricism and musical accounts of Jimmy’s for far too many years to even count. Amazingly enough, we had heard of a Jimmy Buffett Party at a bar named Green Street (Oh Canada) which was hosted by a university student(s) in the spring of 1995. We took a couple of our friends, who also enjoyed Jimmy’s tunes, and off to the shindig we went. A musician by the name of Chuck was playing guitar and singing some of Jimmy’s songs. I also knew the lyrics to the songs, and joined him on stage. The party was full of costumes of all kinds including a shark eating a person, cheeseburger hats, flowers in hula dancers’ hair, and an array of tropical flowered shirts. This setting was perfect, and the party was a blast!

We waited for the next one to be advertised, but nothing happened for the next year or so. We can remember sitting around with friends on a Friday night wishing we could go to another Jimmy Buffett party. They actually suggested to us that we should start up a club here in Calgary and have our own parties. Coming to the conclusion that we didn’t really know where to start, I called Green Street and spoke with Chuck, the musician. I told him what we were thinking and we set up a meeting with him. All three of us, Chuck, Tom and I knew that we wanted to do something more with this idea.

In June 1996, I called Key West’s Margaritaville to find out how to form a club. They, in turn, directed me to Donna in Virginia. She gave me some suggestions and names of who to contact. Later on that month, Tom did the paperwork, paid the fee, and sent the materials to Pat in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We, at that point, had formed the “Calgary Parrot Head Club”. Between Chuck, Tom and me, we organized a party at Hose & Hydrant for May 19, 1996 (a long weekend) called First Flocking of '96.

A fantastic 155 people turned out at the first flocking and we raised $710.00 for Easter Seals Camp Horizon through the 24 hour Relay. This charity was chosen because of it being near and dear to an inaugural member’s heart. Tickets were $5.00 per person and we were able to get in advance an audio tape of Banana Wind from the MCA Records representative, Terry. While it was being played, one comment was, “The title song sounds like something from Sesame Street!” The entertainment was Chuck playing his guitar, and I had sung some harmonies. We had a sign up list at the door for interested flock members. They could leave their name, address and/or e-mail address in the appropriate column.

After the showing of significant interest in Calgary, we chartered with the PHIP (Parrot Heads in Paradise) in July, 1996. Officially, we were Parrot Head Club # 90. At that time the “First Canadian Parrot Head club” was in Parksville, BC. It ceased to exist a couple years later.

Our first organizational meeting was at Kaffa Coffee & Salsa House, August 26, 1996. A group of members established a membership package and discussed upcoming events, our first being the September 22, 1996 Alzheimer’s "Thanks for the Memories" walk. PHIP also picked up on Memory Walks from other communities.

At last, our first Calgary Parrot Head Club happy hour was on September 25, 1996 at the Hose & Hydrant Pub. We had a fantastic turn out and new friendships began to form. Meeting other parrot head friends was one of our main goals.

On September 28 & 29, 1996, the Gorge at George, Washington became the incredible backdrop for the Banana Wind Concert. The “Order of the Sleepless Knights” (members from our club) was in attendance. A few of our club’s members met up with the Spokane flock the night before the concert. A larger group of Calgary Parrot Heads got together at O’Doherty’s Irish Grille to share our excitement about the upcoming concert. The weekend was a blast and everyone enjoyed themselves far too much.

The next Happy Hour was on November 29, 1996. Once again, the turnout was fabulous. It seemed too good to be true that we could actually listen to Jimmy’s music in a public setting other than Come Monday and Margaritaville which was played sporadically on the radio.

The club organized a Christmas Toy Drive which was attended by many parrot heads. A group of musicians got together and formed the first pH Unbalanced Band (members were Chuck, Darryl, Joyce, Perry, Roger & Ross) and they entertained the Hose & Hydrant’s patrons and club members. We had asked folks to bring a toy for the Salvation Army Children’s Village charity. We also, at that time, offered a Charter Membership Package for $25 which included club launched tee shirt, the Christmas Island CD, and a 1996/97 membership.
On Sunday May 4, 1997, the first River Clean Up was attended by our club members. This was our first exposure to the press. We were on T.V. for the first time on CBC Sunday News. We felt it was great exposure for the club.

So that is a brief history of the early days of the Calgary Parrot Head Club. It truly has been a lovely cruise!

- Joyce B.

(From newsletter published by Loralyne et al.)

River Cleanup 2011 Recap...

Picking up garbage has never been so much fun thanks to a whopping turnout of 34-plus ParrotHeads (Not to mention a couple that thought showing up after the event and picking up a bar bill contributed to the cause -- hee hee). With a welcomed addition of a kilometer or two of our assigned River Reach, our club worked hard for a couple of hours enjoying each other's company and the sunshine, while cleaning up the Banks-of-the-Bow.

Volunteering in such causes as this that contribute to the betterment of our community--we've proven that we are more than a bunch of people wearing funny-looking tropical attire with a margarita in our hands!! Well done, ParrotHeads!

Jimmy Won!!

Jimmy Buffett won CMT Performance of the Year at the CMT Music Awards back in June.

He, with the Zac Brown Band were nominated for their CMT Crossroads episode performance of "Margaritaville" -- and won!

Our heartiest congratulations to Jimmy Buffett and the Zac Brown Band!

15th Annual Christmas Charity Drive

On November 20th, 2010, Parrot Heads phlocked to Shuckaluck's for the 15th Annual Christmas Charity Drive. Again, this year, the club decided to support Calgary's Veteran's Food Bank. A van full of non-perishable food items was collected, along with $200 in cash donations. The Silent Auction raised $2,000 for PADS, and another $200 was raised through 50/50 ticket sales for food for our Crimson Rosella parrot at the zoo. Despite the inclement weather, we Parrot Heads sure know how to party with a purpose!

Brian Neale from Northern Harbour and DJ Rocky came to town from Toronto to provide the evening's entertainment. They found out real quick what a Calgary cold spell was all about. But it's a dry cold! They kept the dance floor full with great tropical and Buffett tunes. Chuck Rose was in attendance and we were all treated to a couple of tunes by both Chuck and Brian. That was awesome!

The Dumas Award was presented during the evening festivities. Ashlea L. is the 2010 Dumas Award recipient (Details).

Many boat drinks were consumed while we partied like it was the end of the world. We did not quietly make noise as we crossed the thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning. And yes, we are the people our parents warned us about! Thanks, phlock, for another successful fundraiser!

Living-the-Life-in-the-Keys: MOTM 2010

I was asked to write a few words on the 2010 phlocking to Key West for the Meeting of the Minds, and for the first time in a long time feel at a loss for words.

I had been counting down for months with the anticipation of all that was to come, just knowing that this was the year Jimmy was going to show. Our first night in Key West we went on a sunset cruise with Eric Stone and Jerry Diaz, music and beers were flowing. The party continued on for some at the Island Dog bar, where Eric Stone joined us for a few more drinks.... I will leave it at that for fear of incriminating fellow Parrotheads (okay, for fear of incriminating myself).

Thursday was the big day at the Casa Marina, and I couldn't wait for the show. The morning brought feelings of regret for the tequila from the night before. Some of us were a little slower-moving, with naps on the beach in much need. The setting couldn't have been more beautiful, with the ocean at your feet, palm trees swaying in the wind, and white sand worthy of sinking your toes into.

The concert was amazing: Mac MacAnally, The Boat Drunks, Mr. Utley, Tina Gullickson, Robert Greenidge, Peter Mayer, Doyle Grisham, and Ilo Ferreira all came together to put on a show that Jimmy would be proud of, and the 3,000 Parrotheads in attendance were in awe of. They played some original material, mixed in with some of Jimmy's greatest songs.

The rest of the week was spent touring around the island, checking out tourist hot spots and local haunts. For me, one of the greatest thrills was getting to see the places that inspired so many of Jimmy's songs. We went down to Captain Tony's, saw some crazy woman on Caroline Street, and went down to Fausto's to get some chocolate milk.

I believe that a great time was had by all, and some are even talking about a trip again next year...

(Anonymous author)

2010 DUMAS Award:

The Contenders And

The Winner!!

Chuck Rose: “Don’t Take Life so Seriously”

Riding his bike along Ninth Avenue S.E., through a construction zone, trying to keep up with the traffic, when his pedal caught on a curb that was cut off as part of the construction. The bike stopped, but Chuck didn't, at least not until he hit the pavement!! Fortunately none of the cars that he was trying to race had actually hit him. Bruised from head to toe all down the left side of his body, a sprained ankle, compound fracture of his radius and ulna (not sure on this as Nurse Loralyne put this together), didn’t stop Chuck from laughing at his hand facing backward!! He spent all of August in a drug induced haze (some people spent all of the 70’s in that state, ha!, ha!) The cast came off, and Chuck practiced his guitar and played his first gig less than 6 weeks later.

Lesson Learned: Slow Down; Don`t take life seriously!! Get a dog; take long walks; live in the moment; life is good!!

* * *

Lorrie and Kevin: “So Eager, but They Never Showed Up”

"When is the Spring Phling??"
"When can I get tickets?"
"When can I get tickets?"
"When is it?"
"When can I get tickets??"
Over and over! "Don’t want to miss it..." "When is it??" "Don’t want to miss it!!" "When can I get tickets??" Lorrie and Kevin couldn’t wait for the Spring Phling; so excited... So finally, the tickets went on sale, they purchased two right away!! Couldn’t wait for the party to happen. When the day finally arrived, guess who forgot to show up!? Like two little kids asking…….”are we there yet”?? They didn’t even realize that it passed without them knowing it!

Lesson Learned: “Be careful what you ask for” -- but if you do, just try and remember what it was!!

* * *

Vida and Company: “Who Keeps Playing that IPod Tune?”

It was a great party; a fantastic evening. No one wanted it to end, so the après-festivity party continued on at Vida’s house! We left the bar in a flurry! Decorations and door prizes were flung into vehicles, along with coats, jackets, purses and shoes. Everyone and everything made it there, to the party and then safely home -- except for someone's purse...
The next day arrived and with it, ”the morning after the night before” foggy brain. “Hey dude …..where’s my purse??” That was Deanna’s chant. All morning into the afternoon. Meanwhile, back at Vida’s everyone sitting around. Vida kept hearing “Brown-Eyed Girl” every few minutes, continuously. ”Who’s IPod keeps playing that tune?” Vida kept wondering throughout the day as it never ended.
Deanna, frantic now, couldn’t find her purse. No one has seen it. This kept on and on until Deanna showed up at Vida’s. ”Has anyone seen my purse”? “Who’s IPod keeps playing Brown-Eyed Girl”? Put two and two together, it was Deanna calling her cell phone in her purse; guess what it played?? Deanna found her purse, and Vida got her hearing back.

Lesson Learned: Hearing is the last sense to leave us before we lose consciousness. So when you are awake, maybe pay attention to it!!...

* * *

Ashlea: “Sucked into the “Vortex” -- Again

It happened late one summer evening after a PH BBQ. It was dark, and there was liquor involved (all this should be your first clue!! Hee…hee…..red flag!!) Shane & Ashlea finally decided it was time to leave, so went out the back door to the back yard, they went to collect the lawn chairs and cooler. With Shane leading the way and Ashlea following they walked along the path at the side of the house. Shane reached the front of the house and hear “SHANE, SHANE”. Quickly turning aroun, he realized: no Ashlea!! Had he lost her?? He couldn’t see her; she was just there a moment ago!?! He could still hear “SHANE” He walked towards the backyard and there she was!! Ashlea had fallen (stumbled) into the "vortex!!" (the window-well on the side of Steve & Cathy’s house). Shane (a.k.a. loving husband) helped her out, and they proceeded home. Upon arriving, their youngest child, noticing the cut and scrapes on her mommy’s leg, asked “what happened?” Ashlea replied: ”I fell into a “vortex” and was lucky to get out alive!! But it was a great party!!”

Lesson Learned: “Heads up Rookie”... and avoid the vortex!! Life is full of them.

* * *

Ashlea: “Getting Autographs in Key West”

It was a great boat ride with Eric Stone & Jerry Diaz – one of these “all-you- can-eat-and-drink” events . A great time was had by the Calgary phlock. Then we ended up at “Island Dog”, where tequila and jagermeister started flowing. Eric Stone (A Jimmy Buffett tribute artist, and also writes a lot of his own music that Gord, Cindy, Kevin & Sonja absolutely fell in love with last year in the US Virgin Islands) happened to sit down with us and partied with the Canadians. Next day, Ashlea has an autograph, “somewhere” that she doesn’t remember getting –- let's leave it at that. (thank God she didn’t go for a tattoo that evening.)

Lesson Learned: Be careful about whom you ask for autographs, after Tequila

So Parrot Heads: all great stories – however – the winner, hands-down, is Ashlea L. The Dumas was presented to Ashlea by Loralyne (the last recipient) at the Christmas Fundraiser. So Ashlea, congratulations from all your phriends in the phlock, and may you carry the Dumas proudly over the next year.

Remember the 2011 Dumas will be up for grabs. So if you see/hear/are a part of anything crazy like the stories above, write them down and submit them to Ashlea as she will be presenting the award next year.

Thanks to Loralyne for so brilliantly putting the submissions together on a poster board, which was up at the Christmas Fundraiser. However not everyone took the time to read the stories. Your writing is very clever, Loralyne.

[And those of you unfamiliar with French pronunciation: Pronounce the award's name as "Doomah", not "Dumbass"!! Although we didn't actually name the award after the French author Alexandre Dumbass... uh... Alexandre Doomah! - Ed]

Unless otherwise noted, most of the articles on this page were adapted from the newsletter, published by Loralyne M., Eva R. and Deanna L.

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