Hats of October 21

Hats of October 21, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

It was my wife's birthday, and we had a little get-together in celebration. Our friend showed up with a pretty snazzy hat, and I didn't even think about my daily photos. I had not yet stopped thinking about cleaning, welcoming people, and helping the dog navigate. Finally, Jon brought up my hat photos, and I remembered what I meant to be doing every day of the month. I took a few frames of Jon, and here we are.

Hats of October 20

Hats of October 20, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Saturday night at the soccer stadium, we watched the US Women's National Team take on Germany's Women's Team. The game ended in a draw, but was a well-fought game nonetheless. I knew I'd find a hat, but it got even easier with these soccer ball hats being passed out at the game.

Hats of October 19

Hats of October 19, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

This is Prince, also a photographer, that I ran into outside a camera store. We chatted for a while, and I finally remembered that I'm supposed to be taking hat photos every day. Prince let me shoot a few photos, and I got something approaching the quality I had hoped to maintain throughout the month. With twelve days to go, I better get my eyes and camera focused on those hats.

Hats of October 18

Hats of October 18, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

The interesting wardrobe choices of the mannequins at The Ark thrift store in Wicker Park frequently find their way into my camera.

Hats of October 17

Hats of October 17, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Maybe if fans stuck to navy blue Yankees caps, they wouldn't have been swept by the Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series. Despite superstitions, fans' wardrobe choices probably don't affect the outcomes of games, but I still wear the same jerseys on my teams' game days if they've been winning and avoid other shirts, jerseys, or hats if they've ben losing. Silly enough, but it feels less silly than sports apparel being sold in colors the teams never wear.

Hats of October 16

Hats of October 16, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Here's the kind of hat I thought might figure prominently this month. This one hardly counts, for me, but a snappy dresser in a sharp hat would be wonderful to reoccur in better photos.

Hats of October 15

Hats of October 15, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Big Tex Fair for greeted visitors to the Texas State Fair for sixty years. He was reincarnated from a giant Santa Claus and installed at the fair in 1952. Four days after I shot this photo as my hat photo of the day, he went up in flames on the final weekend of the 2012 Texas State Fair, on his 60th birthday. Already forty-nine feet tall and sporting a 75-gallon hat, fair officials claim a new, bigger and better Tex will be ready for the 2013 State Fair of Texas.

Hats of October 14

Hats of October 14, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Hats, as a theme, gives me a great number of possibilities, but I'm finding it difficult to pull off. On the one hand, my motivation has been lacking a bit lately. On the other hand, when I am out shooting, I'm finding myself not wanting to engage with people the way it might be necessary to do photographs of hats. Here's a hat on a table, from a particularly lame couple of days in my hat project.

Hats of October 13

Hats of October 13, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Tijuana Jai Alai played in Waukegan at the Burgundy Room, and Joel here, in his splendid hat, has us coming back to Waukegan in December for a show in another club (the other club?)

Hats of October 12

Hats of October 12, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

I went to the annual Open Studios art show at the Hubbard Lofts and saw some pretty cool work. I saw several cool hats, too, and I'm presenting you with personless helmets, part of an installation in Gerda Meyer Bernstein's studio, called "Exercise in Futility."

Hats of October 11

Hats of October 11, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

A beret, a trenchcoat, and a camera around the neck. I'm certainly going after that shot. A few hours later, I saw an older lady with a walker also wearing a beret. I didn't get her picture though.

Hats of October 10

Hats of October 10, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

While driving Malicous to the surgeon this morning, I spotted this hat-wearing texter at a bus stop. I snapped, then drove, as the light changed during that second and a half that I was sitting still and taking a photo. I got a different photo when I came home, but it's almost the same. Different woman, but she's playing Bejeweled while sitting on the couch wearing a black knit cap.

Malicous is doing fine and spending the night at the hospital. He had a large tumor removed from his shoulder and will be home tomorrow morning. If I were going to get him at the same time, I might have seen this woman waiting for the bus again.

Hats of October 9

Hats of October 9, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Tijuana Jai Alai played our second show with Democracy Burlesque at Mary's Attic. We collected tips in this hat. We're not rich yet, so come to a show and help us out. Thanks.

Hats of October 8

Hats of October 8, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

I've got to pick it up with the hat photos. Here's a hat rack hanging by our front door, with only Shereen's hats on it. I hung something of mine up here once. I was actually asked why my hat was hanging on Shereen's hat rack. Now my hats are in my closet or a cabinet I use for my backpack and camera bags.

Hats of October 7

Hats of October 7, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Sunday night I spotted this hat on the street. I was looking to close the space some, but I didn't get the chance at a better shot. I had to settle for choosing my setting and letting her walk into it. It worked out well enough, though, I think.

Hats of October 6

Hats of October 6, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Our good friend Amy came over Saturday night, and I grabbed a quick couple of snaps while she was in the kitchen in a fetching knit hat.

Hats of October 5

Hats of October 5, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

My third coworker in five days, Chris leaves the store without blocking the fire exit.

Hats of October 4

Hats of October 4, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Wilfred, borrowing my hat, gives a computer a glimpse of his fist-shaking fury.

Hats of October 3

Hats of October 3, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Hat season seems to be in effect at Akira. Every mannequin in the place was sporting a hat.

Hats of October 2

Hats of October 2, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

Tijuana Jai Alai has a gig playing with Democracy Burlesque, a political comedy show, through the month of October. Here is producer Joseph Fedorko at the end of the October 2 show at Mary's Attic, with a grey top hat in hand.

Hats of October 1

Hats of October 1, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

I wrote out a list of themes, and settled on October's - hats. Here, for October first, is Mallory and her mustardy colored knit cap. The next two months are tentatively night photography for November and clerks or servers for December. We'll see how that pans out after 31 days of hats.

Cycle September 30

Cycle September 30, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

On the last day of the month, there were trucks on nearly every street being loaded up for a move. This pink metallic flake lowrider was about to go into a truck in
Wicker Park. Also on the last day of the month, I finished the cycling theme. October 1 will see the introduction of something brand new to be seen daily.

Cycle September 29

Cycle September 29, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

As cycling September was winding down with a beautiful Indian summer day, I came across this very flowery bike on Milwaukee Avenue.