chuckography

30 Days Hath Movember....

 The Movember Movement started 13 years ago when men were invited to grow a mustache as a sign of support for a fund raiser to help men's health.

I recall when Rob Fowler, a local weather forecaster, announced he would shave OFF his mustache to support the cause.

Meteorologists are funny that way - do the opposite, sort of like the weather often  turns out.

That was a few years ago and I see that Rob grew his dark, thick upper lip ornament in about 4-5 days.

Well, this year I decided I too would grow a sign of support but, with a full beard.

How hard could that be?

I wore a full beard for 5 years and that was only, uh, about 30 years ago.

Hmm. I remember it being more of a blonde color.

It was just going to be a 30-day beard. No big whoop.

Not like the elaborate one featured by a local brewery to honor Charleston.

Or, as we natives sometimes call it - Chucktown.

There is a sad story about that particular man, his beard, the beer can and its corporate image.

Although he never wore it styled like that, his bosses at a Christian college fired this adjunct professor or suspended him.

The thinking on campus was something about it "seemed" like he was  supporting the idea of getting slicked up and drinking beer.

I mean, look at the picture. He's NOT drinking a beer. He would have had foam on his 'stache.

It is possible to not have a time limit on how long you'll have a beard nor how long it can grow.

A band named ZZ TOP has quite a trademark with its two frontmen.

And they've been doing this for about 45 years!

Billy and Dusty - same two hairy guys for almost half a century.

The drummer does not have a fuzzy face but, his name is Frank Beard.

 And, it looks like he has a mustache.

I saw this fellow checking his phone on the deck at The Windjammer last year.

By the time I got my camera up to my eye, he had finished texting or checking his email and had turned it off.

When I asked him to turn it back on, I had to explain how it looked from a distance.

He seemed puzzled.

I took a few shots and showed him how it looked. He asked me to email it to him so I did.

I also congratulated him on his full beard. He said it was 6-years old.

Then I noticed the symbol on his shirt and we talked a bit about his brewery.

Beer and beards. Yet another connection!

I see a lot of beards when I travel overseas.

Can't remember if this fellow was in Berlin, Prague or Slovakia.

Whichever it was, he kept it trimmed neatly across the bottom.

I didn't mention it of course but, at first glance, I thought he was holding a mop.

He had an umbrella with a handle hooked over his left arm.

Some people  just let them loose to grow however long, wide, rounded off or scraggly.

For mine, it's too soon to tell.

It's filling in pretty good and I keep a close eye on it but, so far, it hasn't turned blonde yet.

Saw this fellow in San Antonio, Texas at  a Mardi Gras celebration on the banks of the Riverwalk.

I had flown there for my grandson's graduation from basic training in the U.S. Air Force.

Every week there is a new class of graduates and families so the city has a ready crowd of tourists, eager to see the Alamo and other sights.

I actually spotted this guy's white beard before I even noticed his colorful shirt.

Who knew that before the year was out, I would be sporting my own "newbie" beard.

Gauging how slowly mine is taking shape, he has had this carefully groomed look for quite a while.

Little more mustache wax and he'd be ready to be pictured on a can of Lone Star.

Only a few days left to decide if I'll shave or keep it for a while.

It IS kind of nice not to have to shave every day. And it's not as prickly as it was at first.

(Click on the images and photos for more details.)

Thanks for stopping by. Maybe I'll still have this on my face next Movember.

Labels: Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Chucktown beer, Mardi Gras Texas style, Movember Movement, mustache time, no big whoop, Rag Mop, The Windjammer deck

posted by chuckography @ 11:12 PM