Resurrection of the "DUMAS" Award

What is the DUMAS* Award?, you may ask. The "DUMAS" award was inspired by a club member who accidentally backed up their car over a coffee pot while on a Parrot Head camping trip. The "Award" has been out of circulation for a while now, but with a club membership of 130 plus, "we" decided that it was time to dust off the trophy and start the annual competition. Anyone can be a contender, so nominate a worthy opponent. You never know -- you could be one!

So when you see a fellow Parrot Head have a "Dumas" moment, make a note of it and submit it to Loralyne with "the story". Email:

Note: Nomination deadline has been extended to June 7, 2010.

We will present the Dumas Award at the Spring Phling. The trophy is actually a flattened metallic coffee pot with tire tracks on it.

* For those of you unfamiliar with French pronunciation, the name is actually pronounced as "Doo-mah".

2009 Spring Phling Report

Another great time was had by all who phlocked to our 14th Annual Spring Phling at Swigs Pub. We were entertained by the pH Unbalanced Band and were also treated to a visit by Calgary's Finest as someone complained about the noise... Most of us haven't been to a "cops-showing-up" kind of party in 25 years. Well done, Calgary Parrot Head Club! We also raised about $4100 for PADS Calgary which is the most that we have ever raised for an organization. A great job by all who helped out -- Thanks everyone! An event like this doesn't just happen -- it involves a whole lot of teamwork. We should all be grateful that we have such a great group of Parrot Heads here in Calgary!!

Big News!
Good News!!

Margaritaville
is Coming to Calgary!

Formally announced
on July 9, 2009.

See the News page
for more details!

Dis 'n' Dat:

A note from our PADS Puppy-Raising Program in Calgary:
With some certainty, we should be able to name 2 pups after the Christmas Charity Driv. And the 10 top selections are "Tully", "Cajun", "Buffett", "Utley", "Mango II", "Monday", "Tiki", "Gumbo", "Lulu" and "Sailor II". Although "Phin" was very popular, it can't be used, as there is already a pup in training named "Finn."

Looking for Lost Leis:
Be on the lookout for lei theives. One was last seen leaving our phlocking ground at Shucks with a handful of unattached leis. So best hang on to yours, they could be hard to find!

Thanks to Hosts!
Thanks to everyone who hosted club BBQs and other phlockings this past summer -- It does not go unappreciated.

Introducing...

Our New
FACEBOOK PAGE!

Click here (sign up for Facebook if you haven’t already), and in “Search”, look for "Calgary Parrot Head" and it will bring up the page.

Thanks goes to Mike D. for setting this up!

Lei'd Back Lifestyle in Hawaii!

by Vida V.

(January 2009)

Well folks, the phun began as soon as I arrived in Honolulu on a Wednesday afternoon. Went for a beer at Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber (in Waikiki) and ran into another one of us Parrot Heads: Nora from Minnesota. And she had just been to the Maui show, so we got all caught up on that.

Then on Thursday, there was the "private concert". (thank you again George for setting that up for me). All I can say was that it was an absolute experience. Only 500 people, and JB and the Coral Reefers, who played for two hours -- unbelievable!! One of those lifetime experiences that will stay with me forever.

Met some great Parrot Heads from all over, and have been in touch with all of them -- we really are a community!! Thank you to Kerry (the General Manager at JB at Beachcomber) and all his staff; they treated me wonderfully. Made a great friend in bartender Deb at the Surf Museum at JB's, which is a pool bar where a lot of Jimmy's surf boards are.

So then the was the official concert on the Saturday night at the Shell --fantastic as usual. It was so nice to be outside. Met up with one of the "land shark winners", Carol from Seattle. She was great and introduced me to Henry Kapono, who is a good buddy of JB and who plays "Dukes on Sunday" -- including that night and the previous Thursday night.

Also went on a catamaran a couple of times... just played in the water for a couple of hours -- again lots of phun. Then on Monday, I stopped by the Surf Museum to say to Deb -- and she says to me "Vida, 10 minutes..." JB had popped in to ask her to look after his bar. That's as close as I have ever come to meeting him, and that is the way I want to meet him.

The next few days -- hung out with Deb as she was off work, and explored Waikiki. Got home the following Thursday night.

- Vida

President-of-Vice

Dave A. will now (as of February 2009) be President-of-Vice / Treasurer.

Thanks to Dave for helping out!

Toy Drive 2008

On Saturday November 22, 2008, Friar's Pub welcomed us with open arms to hold the club's 13th Annual Christmas Charity Drive. This year's recipients were the Cerebral Palsy Association of Alberta. A huge thank-you to Pam and her gang, along with a lot of the regulars from Friars, and of course all the Parrot Heads that night. We collected approximately 240 gifts for the well-deserving group. The World Parrot Refuge on Vancouver Island received the proceeds from the 50/50 draw. The pH Unbalanced Band kept us going all night long, so there was a very thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning!

"A Virgin Looks at Jimmy"

A Longtime Parrot Head's First Jimmy Buffett Concert

(Anonymous; adapted from Calgary Parrot Head Club Newsletter)

I have been a hardcore Parrot Head ever since my first Jimmy Buffett album "A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean" was purchased in 1977. Having to use my calculator, that was 31 years ago. Much to my dismay, I had never seen Jimmy live -- until last month in Las Vegas. My wife Bev and I took the opportunity to phlock to Vegas with a group of about 20 from the Calgary Parrot Head Club. Since we joined the Calgary club 3 years ago, we have heard numerous stories and escapades about other member phlocking to see Jimmy. When Vida started to organize the 2008 phlocking to Vegas, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. This was going to be the trip to lose my Jimmy Buffett "virginity".

Thursday was spent shopping at Margaritaville (surprise, surprise), and was the "official" start of a weekend to remember. Friday was the "Last Man Standing" party hosted by the Las Vegas Parrot Head Club". They sold 1000 tickets to phlocking Parrot Heads, not just from the U.S. or Canada, but from around the world. The event was held poolside at Hooters. Vida brought a Canadian flag and we positioned it on a palm tree by the bar (where else??). Needless to say, it attracted many other Canadians and expats who came over and signed the flag. We made sure that everyone knew there were "Crazy Canadian Calgary Parrot Heads" invading Vegas.

There were three great bands, cold Landshark beer, cheeseburgers, and 1000 of the happiest, craziest people I had ever seen. The highlight was when five members of Jimmy's band showed up and played for hours. Michael Utley was having a blast, the girls were belting it out, and the slide guitar and steel drums were being played by the "real band." What a hoot!*

Saturday, we saddled up our sea-horses and headed to the Margaritaville Street Party. The blocked off the street beside Margaritaville and turned it into the biggest street party this Parrot Head has ever seen! If that wasn't enough to get the phlock primed for the concert, there was another party at the MGM Grand which we also attended. By this time, the Canadian flag was carried by many CalPH members, and the number of signatures was growing. More food, more drinks, more friends, more costumes ...

It was close to 8:00 PM -- the time I had been anticipating for more than 31 years was almost here. Gord and Cindy, Bev and I took our seats. It is tough to put into words the atmosphere of 1,000 parrotheads all in one arena -- what a concert!! What an event!! I couldn't believe how talkative Jimmy was. The band was fantastic, the costumes unbelievable, the crowd all singing every word to every song. Jimmy was phenomenal. The wait was worth it, the expectation, all so high, all met and shattered.

I still break into a smile when I think of the concert. The best thing about my losing my Jimmy Buffett virginity was experiencing the event with 20 or so other Calgary Parrot Heads. New friends were made, existing friendships made stronger. Thanks goes to Dave for the great advice about "Pace Yourself!". My word of advice: If you get the chance, go and see Jimmy while he is still doing this. I know for this Parrot Head, the second time will be better and I can't wait. Seeing Jimmy, well that's what living is to me!!

Tales from the Floating Margaritaville

In October 2008, while fellow Calgary Parrot Heads were partying it up in Las Vegas, I was on a week-long cruise on the west coast of Mexico with the kinfolk. The ship was Holland-America's “Oosterdam”, and we disembarked from San Diego, and docked at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.

And as expected on a good tropical cruise, the Jimmy Buffett influence was omnipresent. For starters, there was a Jimmy Buffett Tribute event in the piano lounge. The pianist was actually the cruise director, who played most of the requests by heart.

There was also a Jimmy Buffett trivia contest on the Lido aft deck, with the DJ playing the Songs-You-Know-by-Heart album in the background. I did very badly in the trivia quiz --even though I was the one who created this website's quiz on the "Phun" page! In my defense, the DJ's quiz had too much emphasis on Jimmy's private life; e.g. "What is his eldest daughter's name?" (Answer: Savannah).

The grand finale show in the ship's concert hall was called “Escape”, a musical with guess-which-Rupert-Holmes-song as the underlying theme. The musical included 3 Jimmy Buffett songs: Margaritaville, Fins, and Changes in Latitudes.

My only complaint – and I wrote it in the guest comment card at the end of the cruise: Whoever was writing the daily schedules was spelling Jimmy Buffett’s name with only one “T”!

- Mark P.

Wasting Away Again in.... Las Vega$

Several CalPHC members had an amazing few days...  The Las Vegas PHC Last Man Standing Party was just great, with several live bands that played a lot of Jimmy tunes.  The setting was great, being around the pool with our Canadian flag draped over a  Palm Tree.  The street party on Saturday put on by Margaritaville was a long day with lots of phellow Canadians signing our flag with a few token wanna-be Canadians.  It was a huge hit and made it home this year.

Parrots of the Caribbean at the Calgary Stampede

Parrots of the Caribbean played 4 shows during this year's Stampede on the Coca Cola stage. On Saturday July 12th, a few of the phlock gathered to watch the show in full parrothead costume along with a few incognitos. We couldn't ask for a better day. The sky was clear, the sun was hot, and the music was great. The only thing missing were boat drinks! Cap'n Jack made an appearance, and after some horsin' around, he lead us in a conga line to "Fins". After the show we went backstage and met the guys in the band. Vida gave them all Calgary Parrot Head T-shirts.

Summer Phun

A huge thank-you to Bev & Derek, Cathy & Steve, and Gord & Cindy for making our summer here in land-locked Alberta fun with barbeques and golf tournaments.

The camping weekend in July were enjoyed by the more adventurous and "outdoorsy" members of our eclectic group of "people our parents warned us about". Thanks goes to Loralyne for making the arrangements!

River Clean-Up

On Sunday May 4, 2008, 14 members of the Phlock met bright and early at the Hose-and-Hound to participate in Calgary's 41st Annual Pathway and River Clean-up. After a quick cup of java, compliments of the Hound, we hit the banks of the Elbow River and spent a couple of hours picking up trash.

Nothing worthy to note of the trash found (save for parts of the Ninth Avenue Bridge found underneath the Ninth Avenue Bridge...); we didn't find a pop top but did find a pair of flip-flops.

All that trash-collecting made for a might thirsty and hungry Parrot Heads. We headed back to the Hose-and-Hound for a cheeseburger and a round or two. It ended up being a great day weather-wise, considering that we had snow on the previous weekend...

Well another successful toy drive is behind us. We delivered 275 toys to the Salvation Army Children's Village together with cash of $90. Thank you to all of you that contributed to make this our most successful toy drive yet. Sun Life Financial got on board with us this year and we are proud to say that they came up with 50 toys. Friars also got on board with us this year and Kim was able to collect, from staff and regulars, $600 with which she went shopping for toys. Thank you, Sun Life and Friars, for for your support of our 12th annual toy drive.

A huge thank-you goes out as well to all of the elves who helped with decorating, manning (or womaning) the door, selling 50/50 tickets and everyone who jumped in and helped!

Events like this don't just happen -- it is very much a team effort and we thank you all.

Thanks again to Friars for hiring the pH Unbalanced Band and taking on that expense -- as that makes a huge difference to the Calgary Parrot Head Club.

Annual Spring Phling 2007

The sound of the blender, the smell of fresh fruit mixed with thetequilaand the warmer weather could only mean one thing: Spring was finally there, and more most of us, it's five o'clock somewhere. 2007's Spring Phling phlocking was a great way to start of the year. Therewere many Margaritas served, along with Coronas and Tequila shooters, andeveryone was in the mood for our favorite band, the "pH Unbalanced Band" who have never let us down. Although there were afew dropped drinks and a few people who could do some very interesting dance moves by the end of the evening, fun was had by all.

The Spring Phling event raised $1500+ for the Salvation Army Children's Breakfast Program and we couldn't have done it without the help of a lot of Parrot Heads, Pirates, and Fruitcakes who pitched in and 50/50 tickets, raffle tickets, and just showed up to have fun. Again we would like to thank everyone who help out with the organizing, decorating, ticket selling, drinking, and dancing. Let's make more memories at the next Annual Spring Phling.

Parrot Heads Camp Out (2007)

This year's camp-out with the changes in lattitudes and changes in attitudes, turned out to be a big success. Our club may have found its own little camping Margaritaville and it's called the North Ghost Provincial Recreation Area (at least for the last 2 years). The weather was great, the water and the beer cold and refreshing, and we couldn't have asked for a better phlocking of Parrotheads.

La$ Vega$

The weekend of October 27th, 2007, was way too much fun! A phlock of Calgary Parrot Heads flew to Vegas to see Jimmy at the MGM Grand. Those of us that went to Margaritaville Friday night were in for a real treat. Many of the Coral Reefers performed with the bad that night. It was standing-room only on the dance floor as Nadirah Shakoor, Michael Utley and Mac McAnally, just to name a few, took the stage. they put on a great show. Roy and Eva were fortunate enough to meet Mac and get a picture with him afterwards.

Saturday was one party after another until showtime. We all met at the street party at the gigantic Candian flag that our fearlesss leader Vida brought. Not only did our group congregate at the flag, but we found many more Canadians in town for the concert. We met Canadian Parrotheads from Newfoundland, Winnipeg, and Campbell River, to name a few. We even found a few more Calgarians that had no idea that our club existed. We partied all afternoon long in great weather. We took overship of the sandbox with the shark fin and sign pointing to Margaritaville. There was the hat-decorating contest along with a hula contest. Roy "Cap'n Jack" Reid was on stage doing the hula along with three other women. Jimmy's videographer was out and about, and took tons of film at the street.

"Cap'n Jack" and Rob and Cathy's son Clint made it on the big screen at the concert. After the street party, we all taxied to the MGM Grand for the pre-concert party behind the arena. Lots more fun was had.

Finally, it was concert time, and all that can be said was he did not disappoint. He played many songs from his new CD, "Take the Weather with You", along with old favourites and stand-bys. He even played "Buddy Bear".

Needless to say, the huge sing-along ended much too soon. Oh well , we'll just have to wait until next year's tour, and until then, "Fins Up"!

Recap of the 2006 Christmas Toy Drive:

The Calgary Salvation Army was the grateful recipient of a truckload (literally!) of toys accumulated at Friar's Pub on November 18th, 2006. The focus of the evening was the gathering of toys, but the phestive and phun mood was enhanced by our lively and talented pH Unbalanced Band, who belted out the tunes. From start to finish, the evening was filled with merry-making and margaritas, conga lines and coronas, phriendship and phun! A huge thank-you to the members of the club who so generously donated toys--you certainly made a child's Christmas wish come true.

Parrots of the Caribbean:

A Jimmy Buffett tribute band from Ohio by the name of "Parrots of the Caribbean" was in town at Frank $i$$on's on February 16. A lot of fun was had (check out the "Photos" page!).

17-Jul-2010lished by Wendy D. and Loralyne M.)

Jimmy at Bankie Banx Dune Preserve (Anguilla, BWI):

The party started Thursday night in St. Maarten, where Mo and Rob (our St. Maarten parrot heads and members of CPHC) had arranged a party for a phlocking of Parrot Heads; there was a great turnout; well-done Cheeseburger Hat, Mo! On Friday, our group of 15 ferried over to the beautiful island of Anguilla, where we check into apartments right on the beach and proceeded to provision.The pre-concert party was that night at Frangipane's on the beach with cheeseburgers and corona's, and lots of phun!

And then it was finally here -- Saturday March 24th, 2007: The day of the concert, right on the beach. We proceeeded to the show (in costume of couese!); the gates opened at noon and the show started at 3 PM sharp. It was hot, hot, hot! Wow, what a day! There were lots of Parrot Heads from all over the US, some Ottawa Club member (Nat and Erin), and some Toronto Maple Reefers. Our whole group became Canadian for the day with phins sporting Canadian flags. A DVD was made of the show, and you will certainly notice the Canadian presence! Jimmy acknowledged us several times, and even sang "it's not the Canadians' damn fault!" in "Margaritaville".

It was an event that I am so thankful that I was able to experience. Thanks to Mo in St. Maarten for looking after the arrangements for our phlock. If Jimmy does this again next year, I suggest that the opportunity not be missed.

Phins to the left!

- Vida

The Alzheimer's Run and Walk
October 9, 2005:

The Alzheimer's Run and Walk on Thanksgiving Weekend showed a 100% increase in participation in 2005! Yes, it may be an early morning for some of you, but for the past 4 years the weather was here, wish you were beautiful. Vida and Loralyne were the banner bearers this year for the walking part of the event, followed closely by libations on the outdoor patio. So mark it down for 2006 on your list of club "to-do's" and come along... Let's have some fun -- the turkey will be there when you get home!

Jimmy Buffett Concert in Toronto - June 13, 2005

Recap from Vida, Cathy, and Rob, with parakeets Clint and Garret.

Phun tickets in hand, we arrived in T.O. to some high temperatures in the late 20's-30's on the Sunday before the concert. The Valhalla was the host hotel of choice of the Toronto Maple Reefers PHC. Upon settling in, signs of Parrotheads were everywhere: Cars with "Corona-Fed" gas tanks proclaiming "Buffett or Bust", many disoriented tropically-dressed people, beer stores sold out of Coronas, and a group of "gypsies in the palace" partying by the pool. We felt right at ease!! Settling in with [with "CARIB" as a "sub" beer] we met Parrotheads from all over Canada and the U.S. Although we may have missed some of the "all-weekend" events, we did manage to partake in the "mermaids-of-the night" party at the host hotel that night. We sang and drank and played our hearts out on the various drums and instruments provided. We met most of the T.O. "Bored of Directors" who were quick to commend our club for being the longest standing in Canada. Yay us!! The pre-partying set the mood for the best day yet to come...

Concert Day!

Donning our best Hawaiian gear and our newly made "Tropical Cowboy Hats" (see this website's "Photos" section"), we proceeded to catch the last "tiki" bus to the tailgate party at South Beach in Ontario Place. The tailgate party was a big hit where the band "Northern Harbor" played Buffett tribute and were joined by Michael Utley for a song or two. The pre-concert torrential downpours at the tailgate did not dampen any spirits, just a few grass skirts!! The rain tapered to a few drops through the concert on the sold-out crowd of 16,000; Jimmy's awesome line-up was 23 songs and 3 encores! Jimmy referred to the Maple Reeferes PHC often and a concert highlight was bringing Maritimer Lenny Gallant on stage to join Buffett in "Mademoiselle Voulez Vous Danser". We never sat down thru the whole concert, and after wowing us for an amazing lengthy concert of over 2 hours of playing time, Jimmy vowed to return to T.O. Although we never ran into phellow Calgary Parrotheads Kevin and Laurie, they did say that they had a phantastic time as well, despite the rain.

Well... the songs in our heads went well onto the night, the next day, and the next week; the vision of Jimmy and the Lighthouse Set are forever stored in those "one of" memories. Even Clinton and Garret sang the songs locked in their heads for days to phollow.

Cheers! Let's do it all together next time! (It'll save me the concert review!)

Spring Phling 2006:

In light of the recent cold snap, it may be difficult to remember the last Spring Phling. So think back to May 6, 2006, and remember tank tops and flip-flops, cut-offs and Hawaiian T's, Coronas and Margaritas.... It was all there at the Key West Bar & Grill as we celebrated our 11th Annual phlocking to raise some funds to support the Breakfast Program for the Salvation Army Children's Village. It was an evening of fine tunes belted out by our favourite pH Unbalanced Band to a full house of new and old (original?) Parrot Heads and phriends. Congratulations and thank you to all who supported the Spring Phling and a big thank you to all who helped with the organizing and selling of tickets, decorating the venue, organizing the raffle prizes and draws, selling 50/50 tickets, memberships, T-shirts, lanyards, etc.. Outstanding job, you know who you are!! Apart from all the fun and frivolity, a lot of hard work goes into this event. We had some new members join the phlock, so our membership is around 75--which is just awesome!

River Clean Up:

Pat yourselves on the back for this one, Parrot Heads! The phlock showed up in record breaking numbers (16!) for this event, even though a few of us were flying a little "under the radar" after having ruffled our feathers on the dance floor the night before at the Spring Phling. Colleen made her PH TV debut when the CTV news crew singled her out (didn't we "volunteer" her?!) to be interviewed for the evening broadcast. Opening headliner on the 6 PM news (contrary to Al's thinking) and several minutes long, she did us proud; she's a natural! They got an excellent shot of Wendy's back sporting a CalPHC T-shirt logo, as they filmed us picking up styrofoam, newspaper, cigarette butts, and other interesting items from the river and bank. The morning concluded with the happy hoard phlocking to the Hose-and-Hound Pub for a round or two of beers and cheeseburgers on the patio. This is annual event, so join us next year as we make this important contribution to our community and city.

Camping Trip:

Once again, the annual camp out on July 21-23, 2006 was a huge success! Thanks to Loralyne for organizing this event once again and getting us some great sites at the North Ghost River Recreation Area (and thanks to Kevin and Lori for suggesting it!). There were at least a dozen parrot heads and parakeets, and probably the same number of 4-legged friends! We were a short stumble down a very steep hill to the river, which was lucky for Robbie, as the boys took great joy in filling his shorts with mud. The weather was hot, the sites were fantastic, and a good time was had by all. We all participated in all of the "B's": Buffett, BBQ, and Boat drinks, in addition to Big food, Bonfires, Bad jokes, Bailey's shooters... The only thing lacking was more parrot heads. Maybe next year?... Phins up.

Golph Tournament

We had a date! Saturday September 23, 2006 at the Wintergreen Golf and Country Club at beautiful Bragg Creek, Alberta for the First Annual CalPHC Charity Golph Classic!

Well, the phirst Golph Tournament turned out to be a modest but enjoyable affair. A grand total of eight golphers signed up for this soon-to-be-classic round of golph; Bill S., Allen and Wendy D., Len and Shannon S., Brian and Karen R., and Dave A. The first tee time was at 12:25 and we were off. As we finished the first 9, the sun was out in full force, and found the players shedding some feathers. By the time the final 18 were finished, the afternoon heat was positively tropical. The players flockd to the clubhouse patio to sooth scorched throats with beverages and rations, and to relive a fine afternoon in the country. This year's format was every parrot for themselves! Brian R. took the best score of 86, then Len at 88, Allen at 91, Shannon at 101, etc. etc.. Shannon took longest "phlight" and closest to the "roost, Wendy took the longest putt (the only time that she didn't double-par on the green!), and Bill & Wendy could not keep their golf balls out of the ocean, or off the beach!

We would like to thank Wintergreen for hosting our event, and our sponsors for the prizes and helping us put on a great tournament; Colleen D., Dave A., EnMax, and an anonymous donor. Thank you for your generosity in making this a great start to what will be many more tournaments to come. We would appreciate any feedback and ideas for future fund-raising tournaments; let's make this an annual event!

Note: The above news articles were adapted from the newsletter published by Wendy D and LoraLyne .