How ya like my hat?
Cowgirl hat

One of my passions is going to yard sales, thrift stores and flea markets, but years ago I moved into a smaller home, that means most of my yard sailing is for fun – not for need or want. It’s also good quality time if I’m with with a friend, family or lady friend.

Typically what you do at yard sales, is casually pick an item up and ask, how much. If it’s a dollar, I’ll probably get it otherwise I wouldn’t have picked it up in the first place. If they say five dollars I will normally put it down and move on, while not looking at them.

George and I were out all morning and haven’t found anything of value yet. Well, he did get an eight milometer nut driver to complete his set. Then, as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted a picture of me wearing it. I could tell from a distance that it was in ratty shape and figured it would be cheap. I was inching towards the hat, when I noticed a lady at the other end of the tables doing the same. Somehow I knew she wanted it too. At first we were the same distance from the hat, so I started to move a little quicker than normal. She moved quicker though and was within yards of it, but I was closer to the lady collecting the money, so I asked, “How much for the hat?”

The proprietor said, “Two dollars.”

I said, “Sold.” And quickly handed her the money, then reached over grabbed the hat and put it on my head.

I didn’t know there was such a thing as a Cowgirl Hat, till the lady suitor told me, “You know that hat is for a girl, right?”

I said, “No way! What makes it a girls hat?”

She said, “Let me show you.” As she reached for it, while it was still on my head.

“No way!” I grabbed it by the sides, pulling it down tight and curled it up even more than it already was.

She said, “Three, four, okay five dollars, and that’s it!” She said all this, while my friend George took some pictures of me wearing the hat.

 

 

From the yard sale, we went to the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, where I had some photos hanging in an art show. She followed us and while George and I were in the hallway looking at the photos, she walked around the corner and offered me ten dollars. I realized all I really wanted was some photos of the hat for this story, so I told her, “Here it’s yours for free, if you take some pictures of me with my photos.”

She said, “Great, which ones are yours?” She took several shots of me standing next to my photography, then we started talking about them.

 

 

During that time, I told her, “I buy hats for cheap, then write stories about them.”

“What do you do with the hats after?”

“I normally give them to someone, like you. It worked out perfect, because I especially wanted these pictures with this hat.”

I gave her my card, just before she sauntered down the hallway and out the door, then she stuck her head back in and said, “I’ll take all the hats, that you don’t want. I’ll even meet you and take the photos for your stories.”

“Okay, call me.”

Well we ended up dating, married and divorced. It’s so sad, because now she doesn’t chase me anymore.

How ya like my hat? Fuzz ball hat

 

 

I was enjoying my normal Sunday morning at the White Plains Flea Market, when I came across this fuzz ball hat. I had no desire to buy it. But I did want some pictures for my, ‘How ya like my hat?’ gig.

I asked the vendor, Reggie, “Can you take some pictures of me wearing this hat?”

He said, “Sure.”

I took my Washington Redskin hat off and posed for some pictures. Figuring six photos were enough to choose from, I said, “Thank you.” as I sat the hat back in it’s place.”

“You can have it for a buck.”

I, “Stuttered” for a moment.

Then he said, “Just take it, it’s yours.”

While, putting the hat back on my head, I said, “Thank you.” then headed further into the market.

A friend of mine was staring at my funny hat, while saying, “That hat’s much better, than the one in your hand.” Anyone could tell he’s a Dallas Cowboy fan, by the hat he was wearing.

I sent him a sideways grin while saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll give you a dollar for your hat.”

“You have two already. What do you want with mine?”

“I have to use the rest room and there is no toilet paper.”

“Get out of here you fool.” So we hugged and went our separate ways.

Later at the La Plata, Starbucks, my barista kept staring at my fuzz ball hat. “Nice hat.”

“You want it?”

“How much?”

“Nothing, take it, it’s yours.”

 

Fact or fiction? What are your thoughts?

 

How ya like my hat? Lincoln hat

 

 

It was just last week that I got a terrible sunburn on my head. It was so bad, that it blinded me whenever I looked in the mirror.

I normally always wear a hat, but during my move to Virginia, I lost several boxes off my truck. One box had my socks and underwear, another one had shoes and pants, a third had most of my t-shirts and the last one had all of my hats.

I took a break from unpacking after I noticed the boxes missing, and went to the local Wal-Mart in my flip flops and same clothes I moved down with. I bought: underwear, socks, t-shirts and pants. However, I was not going to spend ten dollars for a hat, that I wasn’t interested in.

It was a hot, windy Saturday, and not good for outdoor shopping without a hat, I went anyway.

There were plenty of yard sales in this sleepy little town, but I didn’t find the flea market until hours later. Finally coming across a table with a large assortment of hats, I must of spent twenty minutes trying on one after another. Finding a few Washington Redskin hats, for a buck apiece was a prize in itself. Putting those aside, I kept searching for fun. While trying on an Abraham Lincoln hat, a big gust of wind blew it off my head. Before I could react a dog caught it and quickly ran off. I didn’t want it anyway, because it was too small and it cost ten dollars.

The lady said, “That will be ten dollars please.”

I said, “That wasn’t my fault.”

“You tried almost every hat and got your head sweat on everyone of them.”

Not knowing what to do, I said, “Okay” and gave her twelve dollars for the Lincoln and two Redskin’s hats.

Later that evening, as I was rubbing Aloe Vera on my sun burned head, there was a knock on my front door. It was the hat lady and she was carrying a fruit basket. As she handed me the fruit, she said, “I have something else for you.”

While taking the fruit basket, I said, “WOW! Wasn’t expecting this.”

At that time she turned to her truck and, “Whistled.” Out of the truck bed jumped a dog, sprinting to her side. She said, “Want you to meet Darby. I think he likes you.” Darby sat by her side with a bag, that hung from his bottom jaw. I realized Darby was the same dog that grabbed the Lincoln hat and ran off. “Think he was playing with you earlier, not sure though.” She took the bag from Darby, then handed it and ten dollars to me and said, “Welcome to the neighborhood.”

 

Just messing, bought it for a buck

How ya like my hat? Lowes hat

 

I was shopping in Lowes while wearing my Home Depot hat and when I asked for help I got mix directions. One employee said with a grin, “We don’t sell to your kind.”

 

 

Another pointed to the exit door and said, “Everything you need is right through that door.” Then a third man offered a trade, by giving me three brand new Lowe’s buckets for my hat.

 

Three buckets were set on my load of wood, while he said, “If you want these buckets, all you have to do is throw that hat in the trash.”

 

I took it off and replied, “What would I wear outside as my melanoma hat? Do you have a Lowes hat for my: how ya like my hat gig?”

 

“What do you mean: how ya like my hat gig?”

 

“It’s a thing I do on Facebook with hats. I buy used hats and write stories about them, some fact, some fiction.”

 

 

“Let me see if I can find you a hat.” Then he came back with two different ones to choose from. I chose this one and made a deal to not wear the Home Depot hat in there anymore.

How ya like my hat? Fan for life

 

 

I’m not trying to push a point, that I’m a Redskin fan. Oh, yes I am! I am a Skin fan and I’m not afraid to show it.

 

All too often, now a days we are inundated with fandom that cheer for a team only when they win. To each his own, but that’s not me. I try to make a point the day after a loss, that win, lose or draw, I’m still a fan.

 

Most days after a win, I don’t wear my colors, but every time we lose I wear my colors the very day after. You’re not going to see my Redskin flags extending up from my car windows only when we are winning or I’m not going to scrape my decals off of my windows, because I’m disappointed.

 

I’m not saying I’m not disappointed, upset or even mad, but I am still a fan.

 

Also, I root for all my local teams, that’s how my dad taught me and that’s how it will stay. I like to keep my little bit of money in my local neighborhood, county and state. I will not root for a high school in Alaska, where I’ve never been, I will root for the high school that I went to or where my kids or grand kids are going to.

 

A Skin fan win or lose.