No Shave Movembeard

No Shave Movembeard: A compilation of all things manly, or in other words, a clash between No Shave November, Movember (Mustache November) and NobemBeard. November is a month to remember those who have suffered through cancers more prone to men, such as prostate cancer and testicular cancer. As such, I decided to join the party this year- not by getting cancer- but by growing out my beard. I went the whole month without shaving and was quite pleased with the outcome. It's been a lot of fun, and I think the shaving off will be just as artistic. I have many ideas for how to shape my face next. ;0 (Did I really just produce an emoticon on my blog?)
One of the great blessings of having a beard is that I am now a doppleganger to hordes more people. Last week some skaters stopped my on the street in Princeton, NJ (no joke here) to take their picture with me because they thought I was the professional skater Chris Cole.------------->
 I have also been compared to 'the guy on the Dairy Queen commercials' and the guy from 'Covert Affairs.' My most common doppleganger by far, however, is Ashton Kutcher. My students refer to me as "Mr. Kutcher" and ask me how I'm dealing with my divorce from Demi. Speaking of my students, I had one child tell me he wanted to do some research into what kind of beard I had. He came back the next day and said "Mr. Bennett, what's a dirty Sanchez?' I ended the conversation right there.
There are many more reasons I love a beard, such as the following:

• I get to rub shampoo into my face and feel clean about it.
• I get to look down and see hair. Sometimes it even creeps onto my lip.
• At school an adult told me I looked 'professorial' with my facial hair.
• I can stroke my beard when I want to look intelligent, and put a skull cap on when I want <-------- to look like a thug.
• I feel wintery and mammalian because I have fur on my face.

Yes, there are many reasons I am grateful for facial hair on men. I would just encourage the women to think of a better way to support men's cancers then by abstaining from shaving for a month.

What's My Name?

I've been called quite a few things in my life- some of them I'd like to be remembered by and some of them I shan't repeat. However, as a middle school teacher I have never received such a variety of names before. Below is a partial list:

• Mr. Benny
• Homeslice
• Professor
• Mr. Man (this student totally forgot my name and in a moment of panic just blurted out- "Excuse me Mr. Man!")
• Shaggy
• Mr. Margolis (another teacher at my school who looks nothing like me except for lankiness and skin color.)
• Senor Bennett

All of these names have been received with gratitude. There's really nothing quite like being a middle school teacher for a living.

Annual Tribute to October

Relaxing with Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.

It's been confirmed- Autumn is still my favorite season! The weather over the past three October weekends has been phenomenal in DC and I have taken as much advantage of it as possible.
Three weeks ago I went to Monticello and Charlottesville with Anne and Peter. The drive was beautiful, the sights were gorgeous, and the University of Virginia was stately. But even still, the highlight had to be our trip to Waffle House. We had a classic, Southern experience there... and then walked straight over to Taco Bell afterwards without even moving the car. I'm pleased to report that I have now been to a Waffle House and been called "dear" by our septagenarian, African American waitress no less then four times.
The next weekend I went on a motorcycle ride like no other. For years I have dreamed of owning a motorcycle and riding it down a windy, leafy parkway on a warm, sunny day. Last Sunday I made that dream come true. It exceeded my expectations. I found a route and rode leisurely along under the quiet overhanging, colorful trees. Even though I don't always fit the motorcycle stereotype I felt no anomie on this occasion. In addition to the wonderful ride I also went pumpkin picking. I enjoyed the marketplace with all its spicy, sweet smells and the appearance of freshly-picked-and-therefore-not-perfect-apples. Pumpkin flavored goodness abounded and we filled four wheelbarrows full of pumpkins.
The next weekend (this current one) I went out and played softball with some friends. To me you can't talk about Autumn without discussing baseball (and softball). I have been enjoying the MLB playoffs (Though not as much as I could...) and being able to play softball under the canopy of fiery trees was just the icing on the cake. I can't safely say it's been a good week, but at least the Autumn atmosphere has helped alleviate my mood.

Pumpkin Picking in Maryland.