Parrothead Jeff & Friends

2012
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2011
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2010
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2009
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2008
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2007
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2006
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2005
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Preview – Picture A Day – 26 December 2009

By Parrothead Jeff, on 26 December 2009

Folks, it’s nearly time for me to go get some sleep again. Christmas with my family has been good, but I’ve got to drive back to Vegas tomorrow

26 December 2009 - Looking east from Jerome, AZ

Mom and I went for a short drive to Jerome, AZ today for lunch and sight seeing. There’s a whole bunch of pictures to be posted and I just don’t have the time tonight. So, I figured I’d give you a sample – one of the best pics from today’s travels

Have a great day and I’ll see you tomorrow after I get home

Prescott, AZ on Christmas Night

By Parrothead Jeff, on 26 December 2009

Folks, I have one last post today. Mom took me for a drive to go see some Christmas lights around town and I figured why not test out my new camera and post the rest of the pics for y’all to enjoy ?

25 December 2009 - Christmas lights on the home of a family friend in Prescott, AZ

25 December 2009 - Christmas lights on a home in Prescott, AZ

25 December 2009 - Christmas lights on the courthouse in Prescott, AZ

25 December 2009 - Christmas lights on the trees around the courthouse square in Prescott, AZ

Here’s one last Merry Christmas to everyone

Picture(s) A Day – 25 December 2009 – Merry Christmas!

By Parrothead Jeff, on 25 December 2009

Let me begin by saying Merry Christmas!!!

Yes, it’s Christmas time again I’m hanging out in Prescott, AZ with the family. There’s still snow on the ground in a few places, but nothing that would get in the way

Gifts? Yes, very good ones this year There was a new digital camera, a new wallet and lots of other very good stuff under the tree this year

I’m trying to spend as much time with family as possible, so I’ll keep this short and let the captions do the talking again

25 December 2009 - Merry Christmas - The Family Christmas tree

25 December 2009 - Merry Christmas - Yes, there was a fire in the fireplace

25 December 2009 - Merry Christmas - Still a bit of snow in the pasture and on the mountain

25 December 2009 - Merry Christmas - The driveway to Mom & Dad's

25 December 2009 - Merry Christmas - Checking out the Chevy dealer with my brother

25 December 2009 - Merry Christmas - My brother's awesome Accord

25 December 2009 - Merry Christmas - Tony Tenille (of Captain and Tenille) lives here in Prescott

25 December 2009 - Merry Christmas - Watson Lake in Granite Dells

25 December 2009 - Merry Christmas - Somewhere near Granite Dells

Here’s wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas

Picture(s) A Day – 24 December 2009 – I’ll Be Home For Christmas!

By Parrothead Jeff, on 24 December 2009

Well, I finally made it Actually, I got here about 1900 local time or 1800 Pacific. It only took about 5 hours to get here, but I learned a bit more than that on the trip. Thanks to the computer brain in my HHR, I was able to learn that I averaged 64 miles per hour, 31.5 miles per gallon, and was reminded of just how awesome an invention cruise control is

For those of you who don’t know, I’m in Prescott, AZ to spend Christmas with Mom, Dad, and my brother I think it must have been at least 20 years since I spent Christmas in Prescott – we used to come here for Christmas to visit Grandpa and Grandma when we lived in San Diego. Mom and Dad are originally from here and are pretty glad to be back

Of course, I did remember to take pictures and I’ve managed to secure some time online while everyone else goes to bed (it’s 2312 here, but it still feels like 2212) so that I can keep up with the posting Still, I can’t spend too much time on this, so I’ve decided to let the captions tell the story about the pictures.

24 December 2009 - Heading south towards Searchlight from Boulder City

24 December 2009 - Just north of Searchlight, NV

24 December 2009 - Getting close to Laughlin

24 December 2009 - Crossing from Nevada to Arizona over the Colorado River

24 December 2009 - Somewhere between Laughlin, NV and Kingman, AZ

24 December 2009 - Kingman, AZ

24 December 2009 - Somewhere between Kingman, AZ and Seligmon, AZ

24 December 2009 - It's literally FREEZING out there !!!

Here’s hoping your day went as good as mine and that tomorrow’s even better

How NORAD Started Tracking Santa

By Parrothead Jeff, on 24 December 2009

OK, one last post before I leave work

Just about everyone knows that NORAD tracks Santa every year, but how many of you know how all that got started? I heard the story on the radio this morning while driving to work and just about laughed my head off

From Wikipedia:

In 1956, a Colorado Springs-based Sears store ran an advertisement encouraging people to call Santa Claus on a special kind of telephone hotline. Due to a printing error, the phone number that was printed was the hotline was actually for Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). Then-Colonel Harry Shoup received the first call on Christmas Eve of 1955, from a six-year old boy who began reciting his Christmas list. Shoup then didn’t find the call funny, but after asking the mother of the second caller what was happening, then realizing the mistake that had occurred, he told his staff to give Santa’s position to any child who called in.

Now that’s how it should be done, folks Kudos to Col. Shoup, the U.S. Armed Forces, and now to or Canadian allies to the north for having a sense of humor and some Christmas Spirit

Christmas Eve – Have a Safe Journey!

By Parrothead Jeff, on 24 December 2009

Probably heading home for Christmas 8)

Yes, my digital camera’s automatic plane tracking mode is still working

I happened to see this while I was getting a bit of fresh air during my break and it got me to thinking about all the people up in the air, riding the rails, and traveling the roadways on their way to be with family and friends.

I’ll be on the road shortly for the drive from Las Vegas, NV to Prescott, AZ to be with family this year. It’s about a four to six hour drive depending on many factors, but it’s not that bad. Funny thing, I’ve never made that trip at night before.

Here’s wishing everyone a safe and happy journey on Christmas Eve

Foreclosure mistake

By Parrothead Jeff, on 24 December 2009

Foreclosures seem to have been going like gangbusters lately as lots of people find out what a variable interest rate can do to a mortgage payment without easy access to alternative means of refinancing the loan. Normally, this is something I tend to side with the banks on as the people involved are adults and signed legal contracts.

Unfortunately, there can be collateral damage which I find abhorrent and completely unacceptable. I just saw this article about a woman who became a victim through no fault of her own.

From lasvegasnow.com:

LAS VEGAS — A Las Vegas woman says she was the victim of a horrible mistake that left her with an empty condominium and a lot of questions.

Nilly Mauck lived in her condominium for two years and said she never had problem until a series of strange events eventually led to a company coming into her home and throwing away everything she owned.

As Mauck walks around her now empty condo, she can’t help but remember how things used to look. Every room in the home is empty and Mauck says the reason is a mistake of address numbers. Her address is 1157, which is right next to 1156, a condo that is in foreclosure.

This kind of thing is one of the rare times when I agree that it’s time to cry HAVOC! and unleash the dogs of (legal) war. I’d unleash a fury the likes of which could be compared to a woman scorned. As far as I’m concerned, this is burglary and grand larceny.

Here’s hoping she winds up with as much as she asks for.

Picture(s) A Day – 23 December 2009

By Parrothead Jeff, on 24 December 2009

Sorry for the tardiness here, but I took an unintended nap last night and it was just too late to continue by the time I got the pics uploaded and all. But at least it’s here now

I’ve said before just how windy Las Vegas can be a times. But this puts it into a bit better perspective

23 December 2009 - Yeah, I think it might have been a bit windy...

23 December 2009 - I'm sure glad my car wasn't parked there

It appears everyone got lucky this time and nobody’s car was damaged. This is still minor damage compared to some of what I’ve seen around this town since I moved here. Think of that whole sun shade blown over. Uh huh. Now, who wants to go play with a few kites ?

23 December 2009 - Bowling with coworkers - I won

As a token of their thanks and gratitude, the management at my place of employment decided to take everyone in our Las Vegas call center bowling at the Santa Fe Station hotel/casino yesterday. Being on the day shift, I got out of work at 1500 hours and the night crew got to start late, but everyone got to go bowling who wanted to

You’ve all seen Shawn and Aaron around here before from trips to the desert – that’s them on the score board along with me. The other person is Kelly from our voice team. Somehow I didn’t know until last night that she’s also a fellow shooter with a few fine firearms of her own. And yes, it looks likely that she’ll be out in the desert with the rest of us sometime in the new year

Shawn’s wrist is killing him right now after three games of bowling, but not mine. No, for me it’s just the middle finger on my right hand that feels like it was wrenched backwards. Why can’t I have the opportunity to explain this in person to some politicians ???

So yeah, it was a pretty good day 8) I’ll be driving down to Prescott today and I’ll try to keep up with at least a post a day while I’m down there.

Have a great day today

Merry Christmas from the Antelope Valley

By ORPO, on 23 December 2009

The Good Ship Kitty Hawk dressed for the Holidays, Yokosuka, Japan

Sentimental Value with this fine lady

It isn’t a shot of Christmas lights in Cal City or anywhere else in the Antelope Valley. I have, as it says, sentimental reasons. This fine ship was the last one I made a deployment on……………a long time ago, now.

But from Glenn and Sharon out here in the Desert, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

Especially to Kath, Jeff, Buck, kc, dc, swampie, Pinch, Wyatt, Miss Mary, Chrissie, Joy and all those whose comments both here and at Old Retired Petty Officer have brightened a day or two this year. Especially with the outpouring and prayers during my go around with the cancer. And for that, ALL of you have my most sincere gratitude and thanks.

May God keep you all well in the new year.

Next Gun Related Project – Repairing Grandpa’s Marlin Model 60

By Parrothead Jeff, on 23 December 2009

Marlin Model 60 - All I need is part number 51 - Click to visit Numrich Gun Parts

One of my guns holds a bit more sentimental value than the others. It’s not the first gun I bought for myself – my AK-47. It’s not my K-31 that I wanted so bad. And no, it’s not my first handgun, either, even if I think the Hi-Point is a great and fun piece of equipment.

No, that gun is the Marlin Model 60 that I received as a Christmas present shortly after I turned 18. That’s because my Marlin used to be Grandpa’s gun. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s my first real gun as well

I’ve been meaning to send it in for repair for a while, but it’s $140 including shipping to have it fixed. The problem is that the top part of the bolt release lever broke off and now it doesn’t hold open on the last shot. I’d looked at it before with an eye on fixing it, but it’s not the simplest mechanism and I didn’t have nearly the skill I do now. I thought I was going to have to buy some special pliers for the C clips and I wasn’t too sure about how to go about the rest of the repair.

It’s been sitting in my gun rack and collecting dust which made me feel pretty bad. It was so sad and forlorn over there. So tonight, I took it down to being “field stripped” and cleaned it all out for a second look. After studying it a bit, I figured out I can get the C clips off with a very thin screwdriver on my Gerber Clutch and the pliers will put them back on. Having figured that out, it’s not a big stretch for me to take the side plate off and replace the part myself. After checking a couple of sources, I’ve found what I need at a good price at Numrich Gun Parts and it’s only going to cost $8.75 for the part and $4.95 for shipping. I’m going to wait until I get paid again, but it looks like I’ll have another fully functioning .22 rifle for a grand total of $13.70

I think my fun time in the desert is about to get even better I’ll have three guns that are actually affordable to shoot – my Heritage Rough Rider, the Ruger 10/22, and Grandpa’s Marlin Model 60 8) Add in a few friends and it’s gonna be a really good time

Next I’ll have to stock up on .22 LR ammo – I’ve only got about 700 rounds per gun