With spring here, and winter fading rapidly into memory, the time had come to say farewell to my full beard. I started growing it the day before Christmas, and I think my favorite part of having it was the double takes I got from people who hadn't seen me in a while. The comments also gave me quite a laugh. A couple of weeks ago, one friend likened me to Fiddler on the Roof, and at last week's DC United game another person asked me if I'd joined the Taliban. A co-worker gave me the half compliment that I looked much better with the beard. Kathy liked it, but I think she would have preferred me to keep it a little more groomed. And while I did a little bit of trimming (mostly to keep the moustache out of my mouth), I didn't do a whole lot to it. I had no interest in making my facial hair a high-maintenance thing, which it would have if I trimmed it regularly, or shaped it, or turned it into a goatee.
Still, there have been moments when I thought about those options, and when I finally shaved it today, I did so in steps, to see how I'd have looked. Kathy took photos for posterity, and for everyone's general amusement. As a bonus tribute to Spring, the photos are taken in front of our cherry tree, in full bloom. Let me know what you think.
