Year of the Beard

What happened to November December 1, 2009

Well it’s December all of a sudden. I don’t know when that happened.

I guess I should probably announce the party that’s happening this Saturday. That’s right, short notice. If you’re my friend on Facebook you may have been aware a little earlier, but the fact is that our next fundraiser is going to be at McCarthy’s Downtown (same place as the March Fundraiser). The address is 1231 Main Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113. It starts at 7pm sharp. There is going to be food so bring your appetite. We’re also going to be raffling off prizes like we did last time. There will be cool baskets and gift cards, just like last time, but this time we have an even cooler prize. A 40″ Flatscreen HDTV! Yep, we got an amazing donation for the raffle, so come on out and try to win that thing! Party starts at 7pm, raffle will be at 10pm sharp! (but we’ll take donations after that if you just want to donate)

I really hope to see as many people as possible on Saturday.

In other news, a buddy of mine at work was in NYC recently and found something amazing. Why try to explain it when I can just show a picture?

Here Come the Reinforcements! April 8, 2009

As many of you loyal readers are well aware, a major concern of mine lately has been “flying solo.” The initial thrill and wonder that started the Year of the Beard has long faded and I’m scared that I’ll be doing the majority of the rest of the year not only on my own, but also with less and less support. Yes, I am fully aware that the longer I let this beard go, the more like a freak I will look, and the less people will be thinking “hey that’s a good idea.” I’m guessing most thoughts will quickly turn to “he really needs to shave.”

But as Harvey Dent said in The Dark Knight, “It is always darkest before the dawn(TM).”

Well Harvey Dent must be a soothsayer because that statement couldn’t be more true. Three things happened in the last two days that have lifted my spirits. I will detail them below.

1) Words of encouragement were left in a comment on my last post. I won’t spell it out and if you are really interested you can go look, but Glenn, who was the major player in the Year of the Beard Fun(d)raiser, left a very inspirational and motivational comment to my last post. I think he recognized my hour of gloom, and was able to kick me in the butt and say “chin up, kid.”

2) I looked at my roommate and realized he hasn’t shaven yet this year either! Some may find this odd that I just realized it today but I want to point out the fact that my roommate actually stays at our house once, maybe twice a week. He works weird hours at his job so sometimes he’ll just sleep there, or he sleeps at his lady-friend’s house, and sometimes I have no idea what he does. Regardless, that’s his business. But I don’t see him very often. When I saw him on Monday though, I noticed his beard was looking pretty good. And then I realized that he hasn’t shaved either! I suddenly have a partner!

3) Year of the Beard is officially a family affair. Family can be your biggest critic. Some people in my family like what I’m doing. Others like the idea of helping the Domestic Violence Center but really don’t understand why growing a beard for a whole year is necessary (a criticism I can accept). I’m sure there are others who think I shouldn’t be invited to Thanksgiving this year. It’s great news, then, to hear that my cousin Seth has decided to grow a beard to support me… all the way out in California! That’s right, beard fans, Year of the Beard is now coast-to-coast! I guess it’s technically “midwest-to-coast” but I have a friend or two on the east coast who at least have beards so we’ll just say coast-to-coast. Plus we already went international when we found out about Beardie Weirdie over in the UK. None of that’s important, though. We now have a delegation in California.

So Seth, thank you for the support. Thank you for telling people about the Charity if they ask. And while you may find it frustrating to explain to curious bystanders why you have a dark brown beard and light blond hair, just be happy that you don’t have a neard. That’s an explanation and a half. (Oh, and if you’re wondering why he’s wearing sunglasses while he’s clearly inside, the answer is actually quite obvious – he’s a vampire)

And Then There Was One… March 17, 2009

Hello beard fans. Can’t do much of an update today, a little busy. Here’s what I got.

Most of the people at work doing the beard challenge have backed off and let me continue on my own. Even Albeardo has given up: he was back to his pleasant baby face today. But I’m really not all alone.  I still have my roommate Jon, he’s got quite the facial hair. And there is also the “new” guy at my job, Charlie. He’s got a serious beard and I really doubt it’s going any where any time soon.

But what I really want to talk about is a great band I saw on Sunday night. Now, not all of them had beards. In fact, only 33% of them had beards, and that guy wasn’t even technically in the band, he was sort of just filling in on the drums. But hey, a beard is a beard, and a beard in a band is even better.

If you want to check out the band, head over Quote UnQuote Records where you can download the record. The name of the band is Cheap Girls. I can’t offer any sort of explanation as to what that means or what the deal is with that, but I can guarantee you that the band is great. If you need proof just listen to the song “Her and Cigarettes.” Solid gold.

In other beard related news I found this awesome website where one man is attempting to grow every type of beard that he can. I’d say this is even more ambitious than Year of the Beard, because this guy has been doing this for years. He’s got pictures of every successful beard style he’s accomplished, and he even gives a brief little description of what each one is. I highly encourage you check out The quest for every type of beard. It’s nothing short of spectacular.

And now, because it’s been a while. The Year of the Beard. March 17, 2009.

The Party’s Over… March 12, 2009

Greetings Beardos!

Here we are on March 12th. The Thursday following the big party and I can’t help but get the feeling that a lot of loyal readers are wondering “What’s Next?” In fact I am inclined to wonder that myself. The Year of the Beard Fun(d)raiser was an absolute smashing success and here we are, only in March, looking on towards the rest of the year. Most of my bearded colleagues have now shaved, Year of the Beard has again turned into one man’s mission against grooming. I still have Albeardo, of course, who will be growing his beard for a few more weeks, but after that, I continue on my journey alone. It’s sort of like in Lord of the Rings when Frodo and Sam had to go off on their own. Except I have no Sam.

I HAVE NO SAM!!!

Speaking of Albeardo, if you were at the Fun(d)raiser you saw my wonderful little montage of his facial hair growth. Not my best work. I’ve determined that the transitions were a little slow and the whole thing could have been a little faster, but I am pleased with it. Some people have posed the very excellent question “But why Surfin’ USA?” to which I respond with an equally excellent question of “But why not?”

Back to more pressing matters: Year of the Beard forges on. And while I currently do not have any more fun(d)raisers ‘officially’ planned, I do have some in the works. Also, never forget that I am accepting donations for the Domestic Violence Center all year. The gift we gathered on Saturday was phenomenal, but we can give more, and Year of the Beard plans to raise more! I’m still growing my beard, so if you are still able to help, check out the DONATE page to see ways you can do that.

As for future plans… well here’s some teasers. First up will most likely be the Year of the Beard t-shirts. These are being drawn by one of the most talented artists I know, and an all around great guy, Jeff Finley. I have been working with him lately and I expect to get the first draft of a design very soon. After that, I’m looking towards summer to have another fun(d)raiser, but this one a little less official. I’m actually going to use an idea I’ve had for a while, and turn it in to a benefit for Year of the Beard. That idea is the First Annual Cleveland Decathlon! 10 grueling events testing your mind, body, and spirit. More on that to come. Finally, we’re looking to throw another raffle-based fun(d)raiser in the fall or winter. Obviously there aren’t really any plans for that, as of yet, but there is no hurt in thinking ahead.

That’s all the news for now, beard fans. Keep checking out Year of the Beard for updates, and don’t forget, the Domestic Violence Center needs support all year, so donate early and donate often!

And now, a picture that comes up when you google image search “year of the beard.” In fact, the first picture. Looks like someone took on this challenge before me.

Day 60! We Have Entered Fundraiser Week March 1, 2009

Can you believe it? Day 60! There were nay-sayers out there who never thought I would make it this far but we are officially into March and officially at the 60th day since a razor has touched my face. To be honest I’m feeling pretty good about this. Two months down and only ten more to go. I feel strong, healthy, pumped up. Now let’s raise some money!

Speaking of raising money, this Saturday is the big Fundraiser. We’ve figured out what we are going to be doing with the raffle, so here’s the deal:

You buy raffle tickets. All that money is going to the Domestic Violence Center. There will be a certain number of “prize baskets.” If you want a chance to win a particular basket, you put your ticket in a bin that corresponds to that specific basket. At some point we’ll pull one ticket from each basket, and there is your winner! There will also be a “general” raffle. If none of the prize baskets appeal to you, or you have your eye on something else, you can put your ticket in a “general” bin, and after the baskets are raffled off, we’ll randomly raffle off some of the general prizes.

I want to take this time to actually thank Matt over at Melt for donating a gift certificate for the raffle. It’s one of my favorite places to eat and I can see a gift certificate there being a hot prize. So if that sounds tempting to you, you might want to get down on some raffle tickets.

We’re also still trying to figure out a good time to have the drawing for this raffle. I’d like to do it somewhat earlier, so any one who wants to leave at a decent hour is able to participate. But knowing my friends, none of them are going to show up until later, so I don’t want them to miss out on the raffle either. I’m thinking maybe the baskets could be done early, and then maybe the general raffle could be done later? That seems like a good compromise to me but I’ll have to coordinate with some of the other people involved to hear their opinions on that.

And that about wraps it up for this weekend’s update. I hope everyone had a relaxing few days off. I know I did. You may be thinking to yourself, “What does Andy’s beard look like at day 60?” Excellent question.  It looks like this:

Can’t Grow a Beard? February 25, 2009

Are you like me, and you can’t grow a nice, full beard? But also unlike me, because you’re somewhat embarrassed about it?

Or are you a lady who feels like she’s missing out on the bearded fun? Well then I just found the solution for you.

Just check out Beardhead.com for a winter hat that not only keeps you warm (probably, I did no actual research into this product) but also keeps you in on all the beard-loving good times we’re having!

Two of the Best Bearded Drummers I Know February 24, 2009

This is an old one I found…

Day 50: The UK Doppleganger! February 19, 2009

Day 50! 13.5% of the way through the year. My roommate was talking to our friend out in New York today and he kept asking about my beard. He was asking “Is his beard just crazy?” and “I mean, is it out of control?” and even “His beard has to be HUGE at this point, right?!”

The answer to all of these is, of course, no.

It’s still pretty tame. The beard hair I have is rather long but it’s just not full everywhere. The neck is getting rather bushy and the mustache is starting to creep over my upper lip. I think the mustache might turn into my greatest enemy. It’s already annoying and I have to sort of brush it to the side when it starts to get to me. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in June, let alone December!

The biggest news of the day is that Year of the Beard has gone International. I was doing a little research on the site (basically I wanted to see where it comes up on Google) and I found a british Year of the Beard. This guy is pretty much doing the exact same thing as me: Not shaving for a whole year and collecting money for charity! It’s like Bizarro-Andy, except not bizarro! More like British-Andy. I was really hoping there was some fun British term for beard, like face’air or something, but it appears he just calls it a beard too. Oh well.

And since it is day 50, it’s probably time for another photo update.

Beard World, Cleveland February 10, 2009

Welcome back, loyal readers. I know I haven’t had an update in a few days. It was a hectic weekend (involving getting a ticket for a missing headlight, realizing I was the oldest person at a party by about 7 years, and giving the “most dishes done that weren’t yours” record a run for it’s money), and an even more hectic Monday. What happens when you work at a company that relies on the internet to communicate with its customers and then all of a sudden the internet stops working? Well let’s just say my blood pressure is up a few notches.

It’s about 10:15 and I just got back from the gym. I’ve been going for a few months now, just to run a few miles, get back in shape. I used to run in high school and about six months ago I realized that I might be better at some things (like playing drums) if my endurance were up again. So I go to the gym just for a brisk jog. Nothing serious. Best part is, I think I’m the only beard there! I walk in, I look around, and I say “Make way for the neard. The neard needs a treadmill.” Not really. But it is surprising how few beards are there.

I think it’s because of the cleanliness factor. I’m never sure what the proper method is for washing this thing. Do I shampoo? Or just use the loofa? I shampooed on Monday, but when I walked into lunch my friend Fran said “Andy, your beard looks longer than usual.” She immediately started laughing, so I couldn’t tell if it was some kind of joke or she just realized how funny what she just said was. Of course it’s longer than usual. It’s getting longer every day, and it’s not getting shorter until Jan. 1st, 2010 (Year of the Mustache?). I think at some point it’s going to definitely require shampooing, but I’m not sure if I’m at that point yet.

There has been quite the interesting development at work. A supervisor was challenged to make more sales than his entire team (which he has done in the past) and if he didn’t, he had to grow a beard. Well, he lost, and now our boss has told him that from now until March 7th (more on that date later), he’s not allowed to shave. While I appreciate the fact that another person is going to be joining my bearded voyage, I will be somewhat embarrassed when, in about 6 days, he has a beard that makes mine look like child’s play. But hey, that’s life. I’ll be sure to post a picture of Beardo ‘Berto when he develops that lumberjack look.

My beard, on the other hand, is really starting to get scraggly. The person who sits across from me at work asked if it was okay if I just trimmed off some of the hairs that seem to have a mind of their own. The answer, of course, is “no.” I have a feeling she’s referring to this patch on the lower left side of my neck that just does its own thing. Most of the neard on that side of my neck goes down and to the right, but this weird spot goes back and to the left.

Back.

And to the left.

Back.

And to the Left.

Big news on the party front. We’ve settled on a date. So open up your calendar, grab a pen, and write “Year of the Beard Bonanza!” under March 7th! The venue is still yet to be determined but we have decided that we’re going to have a little fund-raising party on that Saturday (so none of these “I have to work the next day” excuses. Unless you have to work on Sunday. Then I’ll accept that excuse. But I’ll still probably hold a grudge). Tell your friends, it’s going to be great fun. We’re going to try to have a portion of the night’s drink sales go to the United Way, and I’m sure we’ll have some other fun things planned. So save the date! I will keep you updated about where it’s going to be at. As soon as I know, you’ll know.

And now, because you MUST be wondering “But how does the neard really look?” A picture, dated Feb. 10, 2009. I know I look really bummed out, but at 7:45 in the morning I just can’t force a smile on my face for the life of me.

The “Neard” February 4, 2009

While doing some research on beards, I came across a pretty interesting fact. My style of beard, which I have always just called Amish or a Neckbeard, is also referred to as a neard. So there you have it, I have a neard. I can’t wait to use that word in casual conversation.

“Man, my neard really itches.”

“I think I got some guacamole stuck in my neard.”

“If you touch my neard, I’ll rip your hand off.”

The possibilities are, literally, endless.

Here’s a quote from the most trusted website on the internet, Wikipedia: “While never as popular as other beard styles, a few noted historical figures have worn this type of beard, such as Henry Thoreau.” Wow! Hank Dave Thoreau was a big fan of the neard! What a role model to have! Walden. The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. The man is a legend! And don’t forget Honest Abe! The President of the Neard Club! Frankly, I kind of like that the neard has never been as popular as other beard styles. Sure, you can have your full beard, but it takes WORK to have a neard*

* not actual work for me, more of just a gift of genetics

And now, a look at one of my favorite neards (sort of) of all time, the king himself: