.
Handlebar Mustache

Since I am not currently teaching, I decided to have a bit of fun with my appearance for at least a few days. I have been due for a haircut and beard and moustache trim for roughly a week now. All are a bit longer than I typically wear them, but not tremendously so.

Last evening, I decided to start coaxing (twirling) my mustache into a traditional "handlebar" shape that typifies the look of many men in the early 1900s. Like the fellow in the link shown, the look gives me a perpetual sort of grin on my face. My mustache stands out well from my beard so the look is pleasantly noticeable. My wife laughed when I showed her and told her I was planning to wear it this way at least through Wednesday of next week (when I may have time to get a haircut). She told me I look like I should be singing in a barbershop quartet.

I like throwing a bit of eccentricity into my manner. A large number of people equate "eccentric" with oddballs, but for me being a tad eccentric is all part of the benefit of being a professor. There are many ways in which I am likely unintentionally eccentric... my pipe smoking (some say), being a professor in the first place (again some say), being a scientist (again a stereotype). I have typically found people that society proclaims "eccentric" to be amongst the most interesting and entertaining people I know.

The next option, again, probably on Wednesday, may be to have my barber leave my mustache alone when I have my haircut and facial hair trim. I often do this as he is rather aggressive with the mustache and I prefer to trim it up myself. The last several times when I had him leave it alone and trim my beard, he cut around my moustache and left it in a manner that gave me a very "agressive" biker mustache sort of look. I laughed each time and then trimmed it carefully back into submission at home. However, perhaps this time, I shall leave the "biker" look intact at least for several days. Perhaps I should find my pair of perscription sunglasses and also find a bandana to wear atop my head like the fellow above (Paul Tuetel Sr.). It would be entertaining to observe the looks of people on the street, and hell, it would be even more entertaining to see how the people at the University react to my new appearance. I think I shall.

I will end this post now, for I do think I shall head down to the University and see how people respond to my "handlebar" mustache.

Have a grand weekend folks, and please if possible, leave me a comment. I miss hearing from all of you.

PipeTobacco