You may remember the angst I suffered over the loss of my son's uniform hat when he was reporting to Camp Pendleton in mid-August. It was awful....he misplaced the darn thing and needed it, since he was traveling in his Marine uniform. After much lost sleep, we finally gave up the search and he wore his other style hat. It made me crazy for some time, as I turned it over and over in my head. Where could that hat be? (By the way, I've been informed that it's NOT a hat, but a COVER. Sorry, military folks who might be reading this. No disrespect intended.)

Well, since all this happened back on August 16, it wasn't consuming my thoughts any more, but it still did occasionally cross my mind, Type A person that I am. So last Tuesday I carpooled with my daughter to work so that my husband could take my car. He works a split shift and was taking my mom for an appointment with the podiatrist on his break, and wanted my car because it's easier to transport my elderly mom in that vehicle. But because I was working longer hours this week, I couldn't ride home with DD, so DH came to pick me up later. As we were drivng, I started mulling over the hat--er, COVER mystery. I traced my son's steps that day. He had gone into the recruiting station in full uniform to speak to his recruiter. He knows he had it when he left there. He may have taken it off in the car, but he knows he put it on while outside. He came home. I got to wondering if he may have made any more stops. Gas station? Fast food? Then it hit me.....I remembered that one of the days he was home he stopped at Buffalo Wild Wings to surprise Grandma with her favorite chicken wings since they were home at lunch time and the rest of us were at work.

DH looked at me like I was crazy as I suddenly said, "Let's stop at Buffalo Wild Wings on the way home!" "You want chicken wings....now?" I quickly told him I had a feeling.....and so we stopped. I went in and asked if they had a lost and found. "Sure.....what did you lose?" I tried to describe the hat--COVER--and she said, "well, we probably don't have anything like that...." but she pulled a big cardboard box out from under the counter. She started pulling out jackets, gloves, scarves.....then....I saw it! The Hat! Or the Cover! Or whatever you want to call it....I saw it!! I must have given out a small shriek....because she pulled it out, and said "is this it?" "YES! YES! YES!" I hugged it to my chest and thanked her profusely....then ran out to the car waving it in the air as I went. I couldn't contain myself!

I grabbed my cell phone....had to call Jeff immediately. I knew I'd probably get voice mail...but nope, he answered. "Guess what I'm holding in my hands right now?" "Um, I don't know...Twins playoff tickets?" "No! Guess again!" "I don't know Mom...you better just tell me." "I found your hat!" Silence. He must not have understood me. "So, did you already go out and buy a new one?" "No." "So, do you want me to send you this?" "No, you can just keep it at home." Huh???? He clearly wasn't as excited as I was. I mentioned that to him. Then he said "What exactly are you talking about?" (Big exasperated sigh on my part) "Don't you remember the hat you lost the night before your flight to California?" (Lengthy pause on his part) That's the moment I was informed that he thought I was talking about a baseball cap or something--because the hat in my hand was NOT A HAT! No, it was a COVER!

And then he was interested, although yes, he had gone and purchased another one. I told him the story, and then he did remember that the day of the recruiting station was indeed the day he stopped at B-Dubs. And I was the hero, but more than that, my mind could finally let the mystery go.

Whew!