Movember Madness!

Earlier today, Squee and I were watching a hockey game in Langford - or rather, we were watching the Victoria team play hockey, and the Cowichan team perform some sort of improv physical comedy routine involving skating into walls and tripping over the puck.  But I digress

About halfway through the first period, completely out of the blue, Squee turned to me and said "I'm going to shave on October 31st and then not shave for the entire month of Movember."

I looked at him, stunned.  "Holy crap!" I said.  "I was just about to tell you I'm gonna do the same thing!"

For those that don't know, Movember is sort of a show of solidarity among men in support of Prostate Cancer and other men's health issues.  Basically, men across the globe decide to grow silly moustaches for the month of November, and, if able, raise money while doing so.

I've decided to throw my hat into the facial-hair-growing ring.  However, I suck at growing a moustache;  if I started today, by November 30th, you'd only be able to see my moustache via an extremely powerful electron microscope.  Therefore, I'm going for the beard route.  The problem with growing a beard is that there is nothing to differentiate  A Movember beard from, say, hockey playoff season beard. 

So I'm gonna go for silly beard.  Exactly what sort of silly beard, I don't know, but these are the ideas I have so far:

1. Mutton Chops.  Like, actual, honest-to-god Mutton Chops.
2. Full beard, no neck beard, and shaved chin.  A perfectly shaved chin.
3. Tiger-Striped beard - i.e., it alternates between rough beard and bare skin.

Place your vote in the comments, plus any other recommendations!  Let's make sure Dave looks even more like a complete ass than he already is for the entire month of November!

Of course, it's not just about making me look like a total fool.  It's also about raising money.  I make this pledge:  if I shave the movember beard before December 1st, I will make a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society. That donation will be in the amount of $300 in the first week of November, $200 in the second week, $100 in the third week, and $50 in the fourth week.  In addition to these penalties, I will also be making a $50 donation to said agency at the end of the month, win or lose. 

 
Now, at most, that's only a three hundred dollar donation - that won't even buy the researchers an Xbox 360 for the break room!  So I'm asking that anyone who wants to get in on the fun to make their own pledge in the comments.  Just say an amount, name your charity, and send the money December 1st to the appropriate address - it's sort of an honour system dealio. 

My made-of-awesome brother has donated an old camera to yours truly, so I'll be able to document the silly beard's progress week by week... each photo will be taken with a date stamp of some sort so you know I'm not cheating.  I'm thinking we call it "Movember Monday" or something.

If anyone else wants to join in on the fun, by all means do so!  Make sure you give me a link to your blog/myspace/whatever, and I'll use this blog as a central relay station of sorts.  It'd be handy if you link here on your blog, but it's by no means necessary.  Of course, I'll post any photos that get sent my way every week - make sure you send them in with you holding a relevant (and original!) time stamp of some sort!

Any women that want to get in on the fun - I recommend you find some way to grow facial hair.  If, however, you're unable to do so, fear not!  All hope is not lost!  You can bully your male friends into raising some money by growing their own horrid moustache.  You can spread the word by providing links to this blog or even the Movember website (I'll have a page there soon, and will provide the link ASAP!).  You can also buoy our spirits with frequent comments to the effect of "Dave, you look like an ass".  Or, even better yet, you can make your own bet/pledge in the comments!

Here's looking forward to an awesome Movember!