When we brought GeeWhiz into the shop we weren’t sure what our next steps were so we decided to unload as much of our personal belongings as we could in a couple of trips. Instant house move out! As I started pulling hats out of the large storage space over the couch and putting them into a plastic storage bin, I felt like the sorcerer’s apprentice. the more I pulled out, it seemed, the more there were to grab. I knew as I was doing this that I was going to have to leave many of these off the coach when we moved back in. 🙁
I never thought of myself as a hat collector. There must be many people who have many more hats then I do. But then, here is the oldest hat I know of in my “collection” (not as old as the head its on):
The receipt for Saks Fifth Avenue shows that I paid $40 for the Stetson plus $10 for a Kangol that no longer exists. I won’t say that this is my first hat which I think was a brown fedora. Baseball caps were not so much in fashion then. The one size fits most hat not been invented.
I pulled out the bin of hats from the motorhome and spread them on the bed:
I think there are 34 hats there counting two kippahs. Many of them a salt and dirt encrusted from wear and really ought to be retired – Carol says pitch ’em, but where am I going to get another Alaska hat or that wonderful eagle hat in the front row. Back in the bin, but the bin stays in Rochester and a select few will come along 8 or 10 anyhow and one of those will be
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| That’s Yiddish for Grandfather |
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| In Japan, just when I had given up on finding a great hat, I found this beauty.
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Now I had to go into the closet and see what was lurking there. I found four bins of assorted hats and this wonderful Baileys western hat:
and these hats with brims
and these mostly winter caps. Those two hats in the top left that say Lester Lanin are from a birthday party my Dad threw for my mother. She wanted a big band and Dad hired this group from NYC a part of the Lester Lanin Orchestra. The hats were party favors. Just next to them is the Pink Cap my Dad wore when driving his white BMW convertible. I wear it now on special occasions.
and finally some baseball caps, many collected in our travels.
I have not bothered to count all these hats. If you want to do that, note that the hats I pictured on my head are included in the group pictures.
I must admit I am slowing down on purchases recently. the only hat from our Africa trip is in the picture immediately above with the Zimbabwe flag colors and bright red sides on the bill. Oh and “B” is not Boston, or Buffalo it is from my 50th Reunion at Brown University, two behind it is another reunion hat. Dare I say 25? Many of these hats bring back memories from many years ago and I expect they will be in the apartment or some deep storage for years to come.
On the news side: Carol and I made a trip to Colton RV on Wednesday Octber 26, to see how work is coming along. Everything has been trued up and the major parts are there to be installed. With any luck and continued persistent effort by Jesse we should be able to move back in by the 15th. The crew at Colton have been wonderful and if any RVers reading this are in the northeast needing bodywork I have no hesitation recommending a conversation with John the body shop manager.
