I want a new Gilligan hat

WHEN I WAS in high school, I somehow acquired a yellow "Gilligan" hat. I wore it all the time. It went with me on my Grand Canyon adventures, through my college years, and survived many a social event.

I loved my Gilligan hat. I put a Canadian flag pin on it. It was filthy and lopsided and turning more grey than yellow. It was everything I wanted in a hat.

It sat mostly unused for 30 years in closets. Every now and then I'd get it out. On my Lake Michigan beach outings, that hat was my friend.

This isn't my Gilligan hat - this one looks too good.

Last week, the unthinkable happened. Somebody ate my hat. I won't mention his name, but his initials are Angus The Young, and he is a little bleep. We have to be careful about leaving stuff on the floor, and I don't know why the hat was downstairs on the bedroom floor, but it was. And Angus ate it.

I was heartbroken. Not my yellow Gilligan hat! Ah, Angus, you adorable rodent impersonating a dog, you.

Fine. You can eat my hat. But you can't kill the memories. Sniff.

So I'm on a quest for a new floppy hat. I bought one a few years ago for Cheeseburger shows but it actually fits and looks good, and I don't want that.

I went to the new Crossing Thrift Store. It's big and neat and organized and has no floppy hats. Ugh.

I went to the Salvation Army Family Store, the new one at Fifth and Broadway. It's huge and neat and organized and has no floppy hats. Double ugh.

I went down the street to the People's Choice thrift store. It's crammed with stuff, has no aisle room and there are always interesting people in there. I love it. The employees said hello and asked if I needed anything. At the other two new places, the employees looked a little harried and busy - it can't be easy working in all that space.

Anyway, the place down the street had some floppy hats, but not the right kind.

So. I'm on the lookout for a good floppy hat, preferably used and without any shape. Yellow or orange would be nice. I'm doing some serious water activities this weekend (i.e., sitting by a lake) so I need it soon.

And there is no way Angus is getting anywhere near it.