Ummmm... I go to work for a day and you guys totally go nutso...
Yes, the surface beanie was injured in a freak tank rolling incident last fall. One side of the propeller was crushed, but I was able to locate all the pieces. I mended the propeller using... not quite duct tape- some of that clear tape that's similar (I was down in Florida staying at our friend's place- who was in the hospital- so I didn't have a whole lot of options). Anyway, the surface beanie is doing well- with a bit of a lean. The repaired side is heavier than the au naturel side so it doesn't quite twirl like it should.
Cudachaser was the first one to see the repaired surface beanie- though many others have seen it since.
The surface beanie is special. It can't just be replaced by any ol' beanie. It has a pig at the base of the propeller- I like pigs. Fake ones, anyway.
Nice title, btw, er!