Week 4 - Day 1 - Oh What a Night

What a week! My beard grew briskly, in my humble opinion, and began its outward attack in earnest. Within a couple days, probably less than a week, I think I'll be able to proudly say that my beard is, in fact, a beard. It's taken a couple weeks, three, and a few to get here, but we're just about there. Anyway, with the quick approach, so quick in that's it's being celebrated somewhere at this moment somewhere here at home, of Halloween, I suppose I might as well unveil what costume I chose. It's that dude from the Royal Tennenbaum's, the one with the beard. I'm pretty sure it's the Luke Wilson character; He's the tennis player one. A beard, sunglasses and a headband.

From here, we have the next week to which we can look forward. A humble Halloween night begets a weekend of merriment amongst friends. And then November. We're starting to get to the appetizer of the winter season. November will lead to cooler air and brisker days. Even here in SoCal, the smell of wood burning in chimneys can be lassoed from the air. The season has approached quickly. It is upon us.

There is something about the seasons.

Week 3 - Day 2 - Happy Days

Sorry for the delay in posting my latest mugshot. What can I say in my own defense? This is my site and it happens, that's what. As for the hat? I can't provide a rational defense for it. I slapped it on before the fetching Mrs J snapped the picture and history has become indellibly demarcated with me wearing a hat.

As for my beard? Methinks it's coming along nicely. I really haven't found much to complain about up until now, but I have only been growing this thing going on two-plus weeks, so if there's time for anything, there's time for complaint. One of the things that worries me, looking ahead, is the cold weather. Not that my glorious beard won't provide great warmth for my otherwise inglorious face, it will. What worries me is getting out of the shower in a couple weeks when this thing starts to spread its tentacles and really latches on. You see, it will become water-soaked. It doesn't dry for a good 45 minutes and with a nip in the air, my poor mug will get the willies. It's not a pleasant experience. But like most trials, a steady hand is required.

The interview from yesterday was outstanding I must confess. Mr S was both artful and thoughtful in his responses. A more compelling interview subject will be difficult to find. My brother-in-law and his fu-man-chu should he grow it? Quite possibly. If that dude knows anything, it's giving a good interview. Actually, I have no idea if he'll be a good interview. That's just a guess, but a highly educated one, though it be. You will have mighty big shoes to fill good sir.

Interview with a Bearded Gentleman

Grab a snack and fasten your seat beats. The Glorious Beard Chronicles was fortunate enough to interview a fellow-bearded gentleman, of course that assumes that I am indeed one as well, who was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule doing what he does to provide some profound wisdom and insight into the machinations of life with a beard. Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present Mr S, the aforementioned fellow-bearded gentleman.

Now Mr S, your beard is great; it suits you well. How do you personally feel about it?
So far, I am pleased with the progress. As you know, when the beard first emerges, you're nervous about having bare spots. (Great point.) Through patience, all things come together. That's the stage I am at now. I am excited about what the beard will offer next.

Was there a particular reason that compelled you to grow your beard now?
Sure. I attribute my decision to my upbringing in the Midwest. As a youngster, the Fall season brought with it not only a nip in the air, but many scruffy-faced family members. Let's not forget about the functionality of a beard. It is there to warm the face. I assume that I am predisposed to facial hair when the calendar changes to October.

I understand that you and your wife are having a baby, and congratulations are in order. Was that taken into consideration when growing your beard? More specifically, did you want to greet your baby with a beard or a mustache?
You have done your research J. As mentioned previously, beards can be functional. As a secondary benefit, they can be celebratory. As a sign of posterity and good fortune to my child on the way, I felt it necessary to display my outward sign of jolly. I believe the beard will be there to greet the baby. (Gravy!) Of course, I will be reducing the beard to my favorite style mustache at the end (Outstanding!) similar to "The French Jazz Musician." You can Google Angelo DeBarre if you're not familiar. (I, in fact, was not familiar, and Google'd the aforementioned Angelo DeBarre.)

How does your wife feel about your beard?
Hmm. I'll start by saying that growing a beard comes with sacrifice. First off, my wife grew up with a father that sported a first rate beard. That being said, she had an unconditional love for him and never knew him without a beard. Not the case with me. She is tolerant, but you can certainly feel restraint when I pull in for a smooch. (I can certainly relate.)

Now, the intriguing part of your beard pertains to its color, a reddish shade if you will. Yet, shockingly, your hair is blonde. How do you account for this?
I tell ya J, I nearly lose sleep thinking about that one. I do have a red-headed brother and some Scottish/Irish family roots. I just don't quite understand how the beard can choose to define its color in such a defined and distinct way. In a near perfect line, my normal hair changes color at the side burn. Of course, that is the beauty of a beard. Without letting it develop and grow, you don't what you have hiding. They certainly are like fingerprints, aren't they? (Yes, they most certainly are.)

I have noticed that you've committed to your beard for well more than a month at this point. Has there been a time in the past that exceeds this? How much longer do you intend to go?
Absolutely. Few people know that I wore a beard for years in college. It started at 19 years old. At first partly inspired by the Notre Dame leprechaun and partly afraid of the cheeks not filling in, I grew my beard along the jaw line and added the mustache connector. That style suited me well at the time, but I prefer the more dignified look of the full beard now. This particular beard will probably see its end after the baby is born. This, of course depends on the baby's reaction (which will undoubtedly be a combination of excitement, wonderment and full-on joy.)

Do you trim your beard with regularity?
Funny you mention it. I have made a vow to only trim the neck line. My wife recently pleaded with me to trim around my lips and I said no. Unfortunately, as a plea bargain, I now am not able to enjoy runny eggs, stews or chili. It goes without saying that when you don't trim around the lips, your beard gets first taste of everything. That includes my lunch time yogurt.

And finally, was there anything that you'd like to comment on, specifically, regarding your own feelings towards beards and growing one?
Patience. J, people just give up to soon. In my book, give it your best effort before any drastic decisions are made to trim it up or shave altogether. Different parts of the beard develop at their own pace. On another note, I am pleased to see more and more bearded fellows. It is hard to describe the joy of sipping a good pint (like Guinness) and having the hoppy aroma linger as it sits on the mustache to someone that has not shared the experience.

Thanks for the interview J. It is always a pleasure.

(Bold italics are my own, meaning J's.)

And it was certainly a pleasure on my behalf as well Mr S. Your insight and perspective are not only invaluable, they are welcome. Well, that wraps up our very first interview. What have we learned? That I am not nearly as dilusional as previously thought. There are others out there who share my passion and love of all things, or most things, beard. We have learned that weather plays a large part in growth; that babies enjoy being welcomed into the world by a mustachioed dad; and that our wives are only so accepting of their husbands growing a glorious beard.

Week 2 - Day 1 - Moving Right Along

So, yet another week ends as another enters the scene. And what do we have to say for ourselves? Well, the first week was rigorous. It certainly felt like a good time to begin. The air was cool and fresh; the sun shone with a tender smile. (Then, needless to say, came the Santa Ana's, but I digress.) My beard began its journey in earnest. So, where do we go from here? First, we have to make it to week 3, but beyond that? Nowhere out of ordinary.

My wife doesn't seem to mind so far. That's a relief. I probably have about another week, an outside shot at two, before the fetching mrs. j begins to put up a fuss. But until that happens, it's smooth sailing. Now that Halloween is sitting on the horizon, I suppose the time has come to focus on my costume. It goes without saying that my beard will be an integral part of said costume. By that time, 3 weeks in, it should be gravy. There are only so many characters out there who would happily don a beard, so the costumes are limited.

Until next week, this week is all we got.

Oh, we may be lucky enough to have our first beard-related interview in the next week or so. I couldn't be happier.

Week 1 - Day 1 - Homer Simpson

Yes. The long and much anticipated day has finally arrived. You would be hard pressed to find a happier person than me right now. It's like Christmas morning, sprinting down the stairs to find the Christmas tree buried with presents. You anxiously wait for your parents to wake up, sweat pouring down your face, so that there is a modicum of order. However, as is always the case, it's impossible to wait. You tear through the wrapping paper, a heaping tornado of color whipping around the air as you move from one present to the next, hardly cognizant of what you just opened. You know only one thing, this is pretty freaking great. And it was. And that's kind of what it's like when the day has finally arrived when your beard can bare the fruits of its labor. Actually, that analogy is really off, because it's nothing like opening a present on Christmas morning, but it could be kind of like opening a card on your birthday. Maybe.

Now, why is Homer's name evoked in the title? Well, that's kind of a tricky question. The reason, primarily, stems from my scruff sprouting like the wings of a bird, much like Homer's shaved-self, to his brown-shaded scruff self only moments later. That makes no sense whatsoever, but it will have to suffice. One of the things that will have to be broached going forward is the shape of my beard. One of the essential elements, though this can be corrected well after it begins, is the neck part. How far down your neck to you grow? Do you shave an inch below your jawline? Do you stop halfway between your jawline and where your neck starts? Do you go all the way to the neck/chin divide? Or finally, do you let it creep across that rubicon? For me, I generally tend to call a halt right where my neck crease meets the beginning of the chin. You'll see as the weeks progress, I promise. Once that decision has been made, it's all downhill.

Going forward, the intention, the honorable intention, will be to provide weekly updates of my beard-growing. There will likely be intermittent posts detailing my struggle with finding the appropriate cleansing agent, be it soap, conditioner or shampoo; the unforeseen bare spot that terribly renders the beard helpless; or pretty much any other mundane fascination.

Until then...Pic will be uploaded Friday morning for your viewing pleasure.

The First Time

So, I finally got around to scanning the photo of my first beard grown in Spain. Not, if it needed be said, the "first beard in Spain" but more so the first beard I ever grew while I lived in Spain. You'll notice a couple things, if I may be so bold. First, the connectors are weak. Up until that age, I could never get the connectors right. I needed the mustache part of my beard to grow long enough to cover the corners. Needless to say, it made me very self-conscious. I would soon come to conquer that fear by forcing it to grow glorious connectors.

Anyway, per the photo, only 1 of the 2 aforementioned bearded-mates of mine over in Spain appears in the photo. The other had since departed the country on his long trek home. The rest of us picked up where he left off and kept it going. The other thing about the photo is that my hair is considerably longer than it is now and has been for the last couple years. Now, when I grow my beard, I grow my hair in conjunction. Generally, the hair is trimmed with a No. 1. With the beard, I let it go freely into the night, wild without restraint. So, I suppose this site will also chronicle the hair growing, too, and its many incredibly awkward stages. As for the beard, it was a great beginning, a portent of many more to come. The day is approaching...

Some Eye Candy

I'm not quite so sure that the above is an appropriate heading in this case, or any case, that involves pictures of my bearded self. However, a momentary bout of weakness prevents me from doing anything about it for the time being, or any future being. I'm going to go against every instinct I have and post a couple pictures from years' past of me that include the glorious beard that I launched last winter and the refined mustache that I carved out of silk which followed it (my wife would likely complain that it was carved out of bristle, but I digress). Another one includes the pair of buddies that accompanied me through the month of December two years ago following that year's admittedly slightly less-than magnificent beard. I just wasn't feeling it in aught-6 for some reason. It was painful, but you can't fight it.

I have another picture that I dug up of my first beard from back in Spain, but I have to scan it, and I forgot to scan it earlier today. My wife was kind enough to remind me of that when I spoke with her today and she mentioned that it had been sitting on our coffee table when she left for work. My beautiful wife had trouble concealing her glee. So, hopefully, tomorrow that can be added as well.

On with the pictures. And by the way, I think we're looking at less than a week until the party beings.