Head Warmers

With winter on the way it is time to break out the cold weather gear, which includes keeping the old melon warm. Growing up in California I'd never worn anything but baseball caps, but as I've gotten older I've come to really appreciate keeping my head warm. The problem is we are not a hat culture in this country other than baseball caps, which I personally think are pretty lame. Somehow they've become fashion accessories for guys, don't ask me how or why. And they're pretty useless for keeping your head warm. I do wear them in the warmer months or when it rains, however, so I shouldn't talk, should I?

Now it's getting cold out and we've even gotten some snow. I used to have a winter hat that said HOCKEY on the front. It had ear flaps with braided straps and was kind of dorky but it sort of suited me. It was also a tad bit small, adding to the dorkiness, which my kids were more than happy to point out. The hockey community came to identify it with me because I always wore it on the bench during games, so naturally they saw me with it all the time.

This year I lost the thing. I wore it for 3-4 years and for some crazy reason this year I couldn't find it. I had mixed emotions about this development because on the one hand it was my hat, and on the other hand it was really pretty dorky. After my brief period of mourning, I knew I had to go out and get a new hat, the only problem was, I wasn't sure where to look. You see, the problem I run into is that my head is on the bigger side, so 95% of the hats out there are too small. This is especially true with baseball hats, but even with soft and flexible beanies, my head tends to stretch them to the limit. This makes them uncomfortable, as well.

I began to search around with no luck. One option was going online but you can't try them on. It's a bit of a leap of faith and sometimes it pays off while other times you crash and burn. Well, I was at EMS the other day and as you can imagine they have hats for as far as the eye can see. I found one similar to the one I lost (no HOCKEY on it) and not only was it warm and comfy, but it fit. I couldn't believe it. I bought it on the spot. It was more than I would usually pay for a hat ($30), but sometimes you have to bite the bullet when the stars align.

This of course got my OCD to kick in, and I started thinking that maybe I should get another one as a backup. After all, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky, and I lose hats all the time. If I lost this one, who knows when I'd find a replacement that fit and made me look like a male model? It could take years. I decided that I would get another one and just keep it in storage. When I went to EMS, the hats were on sale for 20% off. Say no more. I got another one, and the cashier, who noticed that I was buying the same hat that I was wearing, asked me if this was my backup. It sure was, I replied. I was pretty stoked because not only was I set up for the future, but I saved some money.

However, the story doesn't end there. EMS has killer customer service, and they are constantly sending me coupons and cash bonuses. A week back I got a $10 voucher for anything in the store, and I was bummed because I forgot to use it on my hat. This is not an issue at EMS, because when I went in and explained my tale of woe, they gladly gave me the extra discount, so I ended up paying $13 for my backup hat that originally cost me $30. Don't you just love when that happens.

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I'll tell you, it's the little things in life that make you sit back in smile. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to noramunro for the pic.