Replacement Sun Visor

It was eighteen year ago this month that we moved to Capitol Hill from the Midwest. After I retired from the Library of Congress we stayed on another three years until we found a condo we liked and moved to northern Virginia. Because it gets quite hot and sunny in DC’s urban jungle one of the first things I did was buy a sun visor. I’ve had it now for eighteen years. It is made out of straw and it can not be adjusted. I prefer visors to baseball caps because the baseball cap squishes my hair flat and I just look funny wearing one. Lately I have been getting ridge marks on my forehead after wearing the visor - and they last the whole day and it looks like I have dents in my head. That’s something I didn’t have to worry about when I was younger. So I searched to see what the options are these days and found a Furtalk visor that was adjustable, but also foldable - not that I’d ever use the foldable option. I tried it for the first time this week. It looks fine and feels fine. Now the indentation is a solid line rather than here and there. At least it’s not as obvious. So I kept the old one anyway - for now. I can’t believe we have been here eighteen years and it’s even more remarkable that the straw hat still looks as good as new - except for the ridges. 

A New Baseball Cap

We haven’t bought any new clothes for quite some time. During the pandemic we just didn’t see the need since we didn’t go anywhere. Usually when I would get something new it was because we were traveling somewhere and I wanted to refresh my wardrobe a bit. Well that hasn’t happened either. Now that we have been a bit more out and about it looks like some things really do need replacements. And one of those items was my husband’s baseball caps. He has just three - a UVA cap from our grandson; a green summer one; and a light linen summery one. My husband does not like any kind of logo or emblem or anything on his caps. The linen cap really starting falling apart. The brim was almost in tatters along the front edge. So I told him it was really time to get a replacement. So I checked out a few places and ended up on Amazon and had him check out some of the options. He picked out one similar to what he had and it arrived today. It ended up being more of the green color than khaki - but it certainly looks better than the very worn cap that he loves. The old cap may still come in handy - because I know it will be difficult to toss it. At least now he has a replacement that at will look a bit nicer. 

A Day to Remember - Ida, Afghanistan & a Lost Hat

A lot of things happened yesterday - aside from the never ending pandemic. Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast - a reason I would never live next to any kind of water; the Afghanistan war finally came to an end - our son was deployed twice and once to Iraq as a cardiac surgeon; and the winter hat my husband lost last year was at last found! In the scheme of things the last bit is quite unremarkable, but that hat meant a lot to my husband. These days, even the smallest things can make a huge difference. When the hat was lost last year we tried to retrace where it may have been, including the Persian grocery store. First they said they had it, but when we drove over they didn’t. Then recently we checked the front desk to see if there was a lost and found. We described the hat to the guy, but when he brought the box out - no luck there. Yesterday, when we went to pick up a package, the front desk said they hat the hat. We weren’t sure how he knew it was the one. When he came out from the room behind the desk we couldn’t believe it. It was like finding a lost friend. How did it appear since we checked last? It’s funny how the small things mean so much. We got that hat when we lived in the Midwest even before we moved to Capitol Hill fifteen years ago. It’s been to a lot of places. I’m glad we found it because I wasn’t sure what my husband would wear this winter. Now I don’t need to think about it, and he’s very happy. 

The Lost Hat, Yas, and McDonald’s

It started out like a weird day. My husband couldn’t find his usual winter chapeau so had to make due with an old beret that I stole from here several years ago. Because it was unusually cold this morning he had to wear something for the morning walk. The only place we could remember it maybe falling out of the car from his lap was at Yas Persian grocery store and bakery that we stopped at earlier in the week. So he called and asked if they perhaps found a hat. They said yes so we headed over with high hopes. When he went in, no one knew what he was talking about so he came out empty handed. Since they don’t have our phone number they won’t be able to call in the event the person who said yes - it was there - materializes. Since it was getting past our usual breakfast/lunch time we decided to stop at McDonald’s on the way home. It was absolutely packed with drive through traffic, but they always have it under control. So we came home and had our Big Macs - the first ones in a long time - and French fries. We usually stop at McDonald’s when we are on road trips, but since there haven’t been any, driving home was the closest thing. In the end we didn’t find his hat and we didn’t have our usual breakfast - which my husband missed. We are creatures of habit and get all discombobulated when it is anything but. I am hoping the hat shows up somewhere but won’t count on it. 

LLBean Wardrobe Conversion

Since I retired in February, my wardrobe has significantly changed. A couple weeks ago I cleaned out my closets and removed all the work suits, heels and the like. What was missing were casual clothes to wear on "keep it really simple" road trips and for "hiking" the concrete jungle of Washington DC. We are not trailblazers, and we don't do any outdoor activity like kayaking, boating, golfing, etc - they are just not on our radar screen. But we do love to walk. So my husband and I decided it was time to check out LLBean as an option and for the assistance we needed. Who would ever think that polyester and nylon would become the fabric of choice? And because it is so hot outside right now, we both stocked up on essentials that we hope will last for a long time to come. We had extraordinary help from Diane, who really knew her stuff, pointed us in the right direction with several options, and kept us thoroughly entertained along the way. So today I put the "quick dry" method to the test by washing, ringing out, and hanging the shirt and shorts I wore today on this dreadfully hot morning walk. They are already almost dry as I'm writing this blog. The underwear that lasts for several days won't get here until Amazon delivers next week. Now that's something I'm really anxious to try! What have I been missing all these years? There really is a life outside of work! 

Woolrich Hat Number Two

Right before Christmas we were in American Plant buying a wreath. Of all places to find a winter hat, we did.  I've been looking for a lumberjack hat since we moved from the Midwest. I didn't think it could ever get as cold here as there. But I was really wrong! And I don't like to wear hoods because you can't turn your head. So we got a Woolrich hat that covers the head completely. My husband also left his big hat behind. He tried my new head covering once or twice and saw that it did the trick in keeping his head and neck very warm. So as to not be outdone and before the winter season ended, we searched for a hat for him. We found a great selection at Macy's - on sale - with another 25% off. We paid half price for his hat compared to what we paid for mine, and they are quite comparable. It has come in handy particularly in the last few days with temperatures in the teens and snow and ice today. So they both take a top spot on the hat rack that is already filled with scarves and summer hats. Who would have thought Washington gets so cold? Obviously we didn't. But I refuse to take a long walk without the proper gear. I wonder what my next excuse will be? 

The Woolrich Winter Hat

We thought it was funny when our son gave his Dad a lumberjack hat for Chritmas all those years ago. But it came in handy in the freezing Wisconsin winters - so much so that I got one for myself at Marshall Field's in downtown Chicago. When we moved to DC, we left just about everything behind - including those two hats - thinking we would never need them again. Well that was a big mistake. It gets quite cold on Capitol Hill. In fact it feels like the Midwest more than I would ever have thought. So, while we were getting a memorial wreath for my dad yesterday at American Plant, I saw a great lumberjack hat hanging on display. Since we do walk a lot, even in winter, it was the perfect solution to wearing a hood - which I hate because you can't freely turn your head. It comes from Pennsylvania. The company is called Woolrich. Now I'm looking forward to the cold just so I can try my hat. Not really. But at least now I have no excuse for not going outside. And I have a feeling my husband is going to remind me!