I’m sorry Carhartt, whassat?

And if this isn’t real proof that I came from a big city I don’t know what is. When my hubby came home from work on cold ass day after working in the tower for the first time he realized why they had told them all to dress warm every day. The tower is that tower they have at prisons where there is a gun and they watch from above, you know what I’m talking about right? I’m just going on what I see on tv because, believe it or not, I’ve never actually been to a prison. Nor do I intend ongoing anytime in the near future. Still I know what he’s talking about when he says tower and I’m assuming that since he also mentioned ‘ice’ that it was kinda cold up there. Yeah so, jacket anyone? He doesn’t have a heavy one, we’re from So Cal, we moved to south central Texas, who needs a heavy coat?
So I tell him he should get a nice heavy Carhartt jacket. He says “A what?” I say “You know, a Carhartt.”. He has no idea what the hell I’m talking about. I told ya’ll he was a blue blood didn’t I? And for awhile there I was thinking I am just so blue collar compared to him. And then his mom came to visit for this past week. We went to Bass Pro on Sunday because it’s fun and entertaining for the kids (damn it’s like Disney’s California Adventure in there) and, more importantly, it’s free. Well as long as you don’t buy anything, which we didn’t. Anyway I pointed out the cute little children's Carhartt duck coveralls (bibs?) in wee little sizes. And she asked me what Carhartt was and was it a Texas brand. Oh see now I know I married above my station now. Hello? Her husband’s parents used to own a dairy farm for crying out loud. Not like she’s seen it mind you, it was gone awhile before they were married, but she is married to a man that I am absolutely 100% sure has something Carhartt in his closet. Not a lot, maybe just a few items but I know he’s got some.
Now I decide that maybe it’s a San Diego thing, we don’t have a whole lot of ‘country’ out there but there is some. No really, I know there are cowboys out there, we city folk just don’t associate with them. Hey come on, my house was walking distance to the beach. The town was called Ocean Beach, just how many cows and horses do you think I’ve run into in my childhood, much less those who play with them? Alright but I know what Carhartt is and I still have never touched a cow in my life (and no, I’ve never worked on a farm, gah!). I’ve touched a horse but that was in Maryland and they were dressage/hunter jumper horses (my instructor and her horse is located here). I don’t think anyone with Carhartt clothing ever touched them. Really, they were snob horses. Thanksgiving morning their owners would dress up in these frou frou outfits, red riding jackets, white riding pants, black velour hats, and white gloves, tall black riding boots. They would then, no lie, get up on these horses, grooms would be serving hard liquor on trays, hounds baying, and then they go fox hunting through the woods. No shit people still do that. In America. We’d have those damn hunt hounds running about the neighborhood (ranch homes, several acres each, not mine) for like a week afterwards and have to help round those dumbasses up. No I don’t think anyone out there wore Carhartt. I know I didn’t and who do you think was taking care of those horses? Yeah me, the lowly help that lived in the basement with the propane tank.



So I ask a girlfriend of mine in San Diego, do you know what Carhartt is? NO? OK then, maybe it’s a San Diego thing. But you know, we all know what Wrangler is and we don’t wear them either. No self respecting San Diegan would wear Wranglers, oh hell no. The fashion police would have a coronary. So the fact that she didn’t know what Carhartt seemed to be more indicative of the fact that it’s a San Diego thing and not a blue blood thing. Of course we chat a bit longer, I send her the Carhartt link and she says ‘oooohhh, those’. Ah see, she does know it! But (you knew there was a ‘but’ coming right?) her bff from high school happens to be a cowboy and she said he wears that stuff. Cheating right? Now how many kids from San Diego high schools grow up to be cowboys? 1? Yeah I think he’s the only one, really.
Which brings me to the end of my post, a question really. How the hell do I know Carhartt? Yes, I’ve lived in a couple of different places and driven across the country a few times but never real country, no cowboys to speak of. Hey I live in Texas and I’ve never met a real cowboy, man that’s sad. But my friend with the cowboy bff, she lived in Colorado for many years. Now my hubby? He lived in Florida for like 6 months and has driven across the country once or twice. Still he hasn’t really lived anywhere other than San Diego and now San Antonio. And just for the record, none of our neighbors are actually from Texas so we may live in suburbia but not in the country by any means. Our subdivision used to be a ranch, no country here anymore though so it’s not something we’d be exposed to out here. Sure we see a cow ever now and then wandering on the property around us but we're still city folk enough to moo every time we do see them.
Oh and if you’re wondering, no Texas has no cowboys in the cities. I don’t think they even come to visit anymore. We have a rodeo but it’s cheesy. We’ve been once and it’s pretty lame, the San Diego Fair (i.e. Del Mar Fair) is waaay better. Speaks volumes huh? And I do see the occasional guy that is what is called a ‘drug store cowboy’, gawd they look stupid. HUGE hat, belt buckle and belly. Stupid boots and they walk with this duck footed swagger, it’s hard not to laugh when you see one. I mean you know they’ve never gotten up on a horse much less touched a cow. Ever. In their lives. But I also bet they do know what Carhartt is right? OK maybe not.

And here I thought the Carhartt name to clothes is what John Deere is to lawn mowers. Ya’ll know John Deer right? Right? Hello did anyone last this long? No? Alright I’ll try to ramble less next time. HAHAHAHA, not.