Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Hat Trick

My girlfriend spent $20 on a pirate hat for me to wear to a party. I gave her crap because I didn’t think I’d ever wear it more than once. Then, three months ago, a guy named Daniel, who’s involved in lots of cool parties, had a “phat hat” party in the Clairemont area. A couple weeks ago, I had the chance to wear my hat again.

At the phat hat party, I walked in and noticed a few guys wearing Afro wigs. There was also a guy with an In-N-Out Burger hat. People danced in the living room. I saw some kegs and bottles to make drinks on the kitchen counter.

A few guys were playing “flip cup,” the popular drinking game. Someone joked that it wasn’t a “regulation flip-cup table.”

I talked to a couple in the kitchen. The guy was wearing a Chewbacca mask. He said he’d bought it in southern Brazil. The woman with him had Minnie Mouse ears. I said, “You didn’t get those in Brazil, did you?” She smiled and replied, “Nope. Got ’em at Disney for the kids I babysit. I borrowed them for this.”

Someone nearby wondered aloud if John C. Reilly made the Chewbacca mask popular because he wore one in Step Brothers. His friend said, “I doubt it. Did more people buy ‘Hulk Hands’ after the Christmas scene? I don’t see anybody wearing either.”

One guy had a Trojan-style hat. He said he got it from his brother, who ran in the Rock ’n Roll Marathon. A guy next to him had an Uncle Sam top hat, with politicians’ names written all over it.

Sponsored
Sponsored

One person had on a crazy outfit based on Dan Aykroyd’s character in Spies Like Us. He told me, “These pants are so heavy, I needed suspenders. Some of this was made at a leather shop in Afghanistan. It was done for a Halloween costume. Even with this real sheep fur, the whole thing only cost me ten dollars.”

A drunk guy came up to me and said, “Are you supposed to be that cartoon character?” I replied, “No. I’m just wearing a pirate hat. I figured it was better to wear a weird hat than to wear one of my baseball caps.” He said, while slurring, “I know what character you are. You’re Captain Hook Nose Jew.” He laughed before stumbling off. I leaned into the woman next to me and said, “My nose isn’t that big, is it?”

I walked to the backyard to smoke a cigar. A guy walked by me with a soccer-ball hat. I lit up and someone said, “What are you smoking?” His girlfriend elbowed him and said, “It’s a regular cigar. Calm down. Do you have to smoke pot every day?”

A guy with a hat made of newspaper walked by. Someone said, “If you get too close to that cigar, you’re going up in flames.”

A few guys had on do-rags. One of the guys who wore one talked about Obama playing basketball. I said, “Richard Nixon had a bowling alley put into the White House. Do you think Obama will get a basketball court in there?” Someone else added, “Presidents can do that? So…if a president likes archery or wants a shooting range, that will be put in? What about a president that likes Pac-Man or Donkey Kong? Will there be an arcade made out of the Lincoln Bedroom?”

The other hat party was at the Ould Sod on Adams Avenue a couple of weeks ago. Local musician Sara Petite was filming a video for one of her songs. My girlfriend was going out with some friends, and I told her I’d be getting another day’s use out of the pirate hat. She then suggested I wear the raccoon-head hat that she was given from her grandmother. I thought it would be a better fit for Petite’s type of Americana music.

I wasn’t wearing the hat as I walked down Adams. And I’m glad I didn’t have it on when I walked into the Ould Sod. Most of the crowd was sans hat. I saw a few baseball caps. A bartender had on a funky multicolored cowboy hat, but that was it. As I walked to the bar for a whiskey sour, I noticed a few other cowboy hats.

I took my drink to the back of the place and slipped my hat on. It took about an hour for the band to get going. At one point, Petite apologized for the technical difficulties.

I asked bartender Tony Finglas why he wasn’t wearing a funny hat. He said, “I’m not a hat guy.” I said, “I am. Anything to cover up my receding hairline I’m all for. Especially this thing of fur. It feels like hair.”

I talked a little to Petite before things got started. I said, “What’s the better ‘Sara’ song? Hall & Oates or Fleetwood Mac?” She responded, “What about Jefferson Starship?”

The fur of my hat was making me scratch my head. I was sure Petite thought I had lice or something. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone wearing a train conductor’s cap. I looked over and saw a fuzzy leopard-print cowboy hat.

A woman walked up and told me she liked my hat. She added, “Raccoons are fun to play with, but you wouldn’t want to keep one as a pet.”

I overheard a couple trying to decide whether to see Milk or Defiance. The guy said, “A movie about Milk? That just seems weird.” His friend said, “You know that’s the name of a politician; it’s not a movie about the dairy product.”

The bar was packed as the musicians tuned up. A guy with a huge camera was set up behind the bar.

My racquetball partner Wayne showed up with a Wayne’s World cap on. He told me Petite sometimes works behind the bar. He said, “When things get busy, I’ll try to confuse her with weird, bogus facts. I once told her the Dalai Lama has an extensive shot-glass collection. She said, ‘Really?’”

Petite told me Loretta Lynn heard her CD and said nice things about it. We talked a little about Dolly Parton, someone whom Petite gets compared to (because of her songwriting!).

They started filming, and the band mimicked playing the instruments along with the music. Someone nearby made a reference to Ashlee Simpson, who was caught lip-synching on Saturday Night Live. I think when it’s a video shoot, people understand why it’s necessary.

It was a nice treat not to have to listen to the same song 20 or 30 times while they shot different camera angles.

The song “Little House” was a lot of fun. The crowd started dancing, and the band was really into it. Between takes, the fiddle player would go up to her husband and cuddle with him.

The crowd was asked to pack in closer together. Before walking out, I took one last look at the band. I couldn’t believe they were able to get a drum set, stand-up bass, and all the other instruments into the tiny corner of this bar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

March is typically windy, Sage scents in the foothills

Butterflies may cross the county

My girlfriend spent $20 on a pirate hat for me to wear to a party. I gave her crap because I didn’t think I’d ever wear it more than once. Then, three months ago, a guy named Daniel, who’s involved in lots of cool parties, had a “phat hat” party in the Clairemont area. A couple weeks ago, I had the chance to wear my hat again.

At the phat hat party, I walked in and noticed a few guys wearing Afro wigs. There was also a guy with an In-N-Out Burger hat. People danced in the living room. I saw some kegs and bottles to make drinks on the kitchen counter.

A few guys were playing “flip cup,” the popular drinking game. Someone joked that it wasn’t a “regulation flip-cup table.”

I talked to a couple in the kitchen. The guy was wearing a Chewbacca mask. He said he’d bought it in southern Brazil. The woman with him had Minnie Mouse ears. I said, “You didn’t get those in Brazil, did you?” She smiled and replied, “Nope. Got ’em at Disney for the kids I babysit. I borrowed them for this.”

Someone nearby wondered aloud if John C. Reilly made the Chewbacca mask popular because he wore one in Step Brothers. His friend said, “I doubt it. Did more people buy ‘Hulk Hands’ after the Christmas scene? I don’t see anybody wearing either.”

One guy had a Trojan-style hat. He said he got it from his brother, who ran in the Rock ’n Roll Marathon. A guy next to him had an Uncle Sam top hat, with politicians’ names written all over it.

Sponsored
Sponsored

One person had on a crazy outfit based on Dan Aykroyd’s character in Spies Like Us. He told me, “These pants are so heavy, I needed suspenders. Some of this was made at a leather shop in Afghanistan. It was done for a Halloween costume. Even with this real sheep fur, the whole thing only cost me ten dollars.”

A drunk guy came up to me and said, “Are you supposed to be that cartoon character?” I replied, “No. I’m just wearing a pirate hat. I figured it was better to wear a weird hat than to wear one of my baseball caps.” He said, while slurring, “I know what character you are. You’re Captain Hook Nose Jew.” He laughed before stumbling off. I leaned into the woman next to me and said, “My nose isn’t that big, is it?”

I walked to the backyard to smoke a cigar. A guy walked by me with a soccer-ball hat. I lit up and someone said, “What are you smoking?” His girlfriend elbowed him and said, “It’s a regular cigar. Calm down. Do you have to smoke pot every day?”

A guy with a hat made of newspaper walked by. Someone said, “If you get too close to that cigar, you’re going up in flames.”

A few guys had on do-rags. One of the guys who wore one talked about Obama playing basketball. I said, “Richard Nixon had a bowling alley put into the White House. Do you think Obama will get a basketball court in there?” Someone else added, “Presidents can do that? So…if a president likes archery or wants a shooting range, that will be put in? What about a president that likes Pac-Man or Donkey Kong? Will there be an arcade made out of the Lincoln Bedroom?”

The other hat party was at the Ould Sod on Adams Avenue a couple of weeks ago. Local musician Sara Petite was filming a video for one of her songs. My girlfriend was going out with some friends, and I told her I’d be getting another day’s use out of the pirate hat. She then suggested I wear the raccoon-head hat that she was given from her grandmother. I thought it would be a better fit for Petite’s type of Americana music.

I wasn’t wearing the hat as I walked down Adams. And I’m glad I didn’t have it on when I walked into the Ould Sod. Most of the crowd was sans hat. I saw a few baseball caps. A bartender had on a funky multicolored cowboy hat, but that was it. As I walked to the bar for a whiskey sour, I noticed a few other cowboy hats.

I took my drink to the back of the place and slipped my hat on. It took about an hour for the band to get going. At one point, Petite apologized for the technical difficulties.

I asked bartender Tony Finglas why he wasn’t wearing a funny hat. He said, “I’m not a hat guy.” I said, “I am. Anything to cover up my receding hairline I’m all for. Especially this thing of fur. It feels like hair.”

I talked a little to Petite before things got started. I said, “What’s the better ‘Sara’ song? Hall & Oates or Fleetwood Mac?” She responded, “What about Jefferson Starship?”

The fur of my hat was making me scratch my head. I was sure Petite thought I had lice or something. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone wearing a train conductor’s cap. I looked over and saw a fuzzy leopard-print cowboy hat.

A woman walked up and told me she liked my hat. She added, “Raccoons are fun to play with, but you wouldn’t want to keep one as a pet.”

I overheard a couple trying to decide whether to see Milk or Defiance. The guy said, “A movie about Milk? That just seems weird.” His friend said, “You know that’s the name of a politician; it’s not a movie about the dairy product.”

The bar was packed as the musicians tuned up. A guy with a huge camera was set up behind the bar.

My racquetball partner Wayne showed up with a Wayne’s World cap on. He told me Petite sometimes works behind the bar. He said, “When things get busy, I’ll try to confuse her with weird, bogus facts. I once told her the Dalai Lama has an extensive shot-glass collection. She said, ‘Really?’”

Petite told me Loretta Lynn heard her CD and said nice things about it. We talked a little about Dolly Parton, someone whom Petite gets compared to (because of her songwriting!).

They started filming, and the band mimicked playing the instruments along with the music. Someone nearby made a reference to Ashlee Simpson, who was caught lip-synching on Saturday Night Live. I think when it’s a video shoot, people understand why it’s necessary.

It was a nice treat not to have to listen to the same song 20 or 30 times while they shot different camera angles.

The song “Little House” was a lot of fun. The crowd started dancing, and the band was really into it. Between takes, the fiddle player would go up to her husband and cuddle with him.

The crowd was asked to pack in closer together. Before walking out, I took one last look at the band. I couldn’t believe they were able to get a drum set, stand-up bass, and all the other instruments into the tiny corner of this bar.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
Next Article

How to Get Legal Assistance When Your Car Accident Insurance Claim is Denied?

Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.