the wreck of the ol' brown fedora

i made a quick run to washington for a national institute of justice study group meeting -- my first post-election visit.

winds were heavy, so it was a white-knuckle ride into d.c. national. the iowan next to me looked a bit seasick, but i was ok -- humming a familiar tune always quiets my stomach.

in the confusion after landing, i'm afraid i left an old friend on the plane -- a vintage brown fedora, picked up on state street a couple decades ago. it went something like this:

When the service cart came, the old flight attendant on deck,
Saying fellas it's too rough to feed ya.
At 7 PM, my main hat brim caved in,
She said, fellas it's been good to know ya.

The Captain wired in, he had wind shear coming in,
And the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night, D.C. lights now in sight,
Came the loss of the Ol' Brown Fedora.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes,
When the gales of February come stealin'?
Northwest 1710 never gives up her dead,
When the Baggage Service closes at 11.

okay, so maybe i'm just a little concerned about the potential loss of hat-related mojo. i'll check with northwest's baggage service before tomorrow's flight home. if the ol' fedora is no longer with us, i'll take it as signaling a new and hatless era of hope and change.

UPDATE: WASHINGTON-REAGAN, 7 PM, EST
mojo is back in play! when i arrived at the airport tonight, the ol' fedora was waiting at the baggage service office. she's been through a lot the past 24 hours, but we both are so excited to be reunited.