Parrot Nation

The last few days I’ve been preparing for Parrot Nation’s Chopalooza!- The 2012 Tour. The event is to raise funds for Florida Parrot Rescue. Crazy idea, I know, but it seems to be coming together. I get a weird idea and all of a sudden I end up having to fly somewhere or create something. It’s happened over and over, but somehow it seems to work. This thing is no different. However, there’s a lot going on right now. Janet is flying down from Charleston for the event this afternoon. I can see by her Facebook status that she’s already at the airport while I’m still on my first cup of coffee and trying to get it together to face the day. I rather relish the hour or two before I get the Greys up. It’s quiet and I can think once the “sleep cloud” clears from my head.

I can get my day sorted out and get a handle on what needs to be done before the cheeping commences. If I had a brain in my head I’d get going right now, go out, gas up the car for the three hour drive to Port Charlotte tomorrow, run to the ATM, and a do a couple of other quickie things before I come back and feed the Greys their breakfast. But I’m not quite ready to face that. I pretty much know what I need to bring and do. The only thing I’m concerned with at this point is getting Parker’s suitcase packed for the trip. And as always, he has more stuff than me.

I’m not really too concerned about it because we’ll be spending most of our time at Bonnie’s Birds, where the event is taking place and well, it’s a bird supply store, so if I forget something, it isn’t an issue. The hotel is waving Parker’s pet deposit because he doesn’t have a tendency to pee in corners or scratch up the doors but I am bringing a stack of newspapers and some 409.

Janet and I aren’t leaving until tomorrow and she gets in about one p.m. today so that gives us time to get the car packed with Parker’s stuff, the auction stuff and any other crap we might need. I’m always concerned when I bring Parker places. I know he enjoys it. He’s in a carrier in the car when we travel so that’s not a big deal but I still try and think of everything. Parker really is a good bird but he tends to get rambunctious and he’ll be meeting a ton of people. Old hat for him really. He’s quite used to it. But nevertheless, I get concerned.

We’ll be making 200 pounds of Chop for the event and I’m concerned about that as well. Did I get the shopping list right? Did we plan on enough stuff to make the Chop? All this is running through my head and I just flew to St. Lucia and back yesterday so I’m a little bushed. But I’ll scrape it together long enough to get cranking in a little bit and rev up the day. I’ll be a little busy in the next couple of days, so I may not have time to post.

Janet will be shooting video and photos of the event and probably the trip over, so if you’ve never seen “Alligator Alley,” the highway that cuts directly through the everglades over to the other coast of Florida, you just might get your chance. I’d love to prepare a little travelogue so you can come along on this little trip. It’ll be fun but the fun we’re going to have was the result of a about six weeks of planning and work. It’s worth it. Keep your eye on the blog and my Facebook page for updates. As for me, it’s time to hit the shower and get the day going…