Shave Day

So it was essentially one month ago, November 1st, that I shaved for the last time until November 1st of 2010.  I had been planning The Yeard for several months, and I felt that I had considered all the important factors.

I decided to do the Yeard sometime around May of last year, but I had to wait.  By starting on November 1st, I was able to start my Yeard in corelation with Whiskerino 2009.  This is a four month long competition/exhibition where about 500 guys from all pver the world post pictures of themselves on a daily basis to grow a camaraderie  among beard-growers.  (see http://www.whiskerino.org)

And so despite having several months to prepare and plan, I managed to bungle the first day.

My final shaving should have been epic.  I should have had facial creams, and a hot lather with one of those fancy brushes.  I should have gone to a freaking barber and had them give the straight razor and wrap my face in a warm towel.  I should have.

On the day in queston, I was traveling with several members of my family to attend an Indianapolis Colts game.  So I stayed the night at my parents’ house the night before.  And somehow, against all odds, I forgot not only the facial creams and the barbershop and the warm towels… I forgot to bring shaving cream.  Or my razor.

I was forced, in the end, to borrow a razor from my mother.  So for my last shave in a full year, I shaved with a disposable pink lady Bic.   (previously un-used… the alternative would be disturbing at best.)  I’m pretty sure that this dainty razor had some sort of moisturizing strip, but I promise you, it was not designed for a man’s face.  It didn’t feel like a moisturizing strip.  It felt like I was stripping the moisture (along with several layers of skin) from my face along with every wayward whisker.

It’s not the way I would have drawn it up.  Instead of celebrating my last day of clean-shavenness… I had to hold pieces of toilet paper to my face for several hours as I was bleeding profusely.  My neck had rips and tears in that made it look like the topography of a particularly dry and cracked section of asphalt.

Thus began my Yeard.

Stay tuned!