Day 9. This moustache mathematics malarky...

I went to an after hours lecture today to listen to Professor Marcus du Sautoy talk about mathematics, which was great although it would've been a faux pas if I had bumped into him with a hot coffee due to my teenage like reaction when I saw him. What wasn't great was the woman who sat on my left in the lecture. She was perched on the edge of her seat and spent most of the time enthusiastically nodding and shaking her head like a woodpecker with epilepsy, while saying ''yes, yes, yes..... no, noo, yes!'' in response to any statement Prof Marcus made as though we were watching an episode of Playschool. This woman was a pharmacologist, she proudly told us, although I kept my feelings on those who don't do engineering/maths/physics quiet to prevent a scene, unlike her excessive muttering later on. He was talking about the fusion of maths and art, and it reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend of mine several weeks ago. She is training to be a teacher and one of her projects is to 'design a school'. Her group is lead by somebody who has a degree in expressive arts, and wanted to include 'expressive arts' as a core subject for thier school. Which made the people in the group with science degrees, like my friend the physicist, snort with derision. When my friend told me about this I replied that ''I have never been asked to solve an equation using the medium of dance on an exam before'' and cue much laughing. Fast forward to tonight and I had the pleasure of watching a video of Marcus du Sautoy dancing like an ill advised love child of Louis Walsh and Kate Bush, expressing prime numbers with the medium of dance. In your face Paul, you maths snob.

Every day is now a milestone, each day is one day closer to getting over the incessant itching and irritation and one day closer to follicular glory. Although I am dangerously close to being classified as having a 'porno' tache, here what do you think?

Personally I think it looks like a proud and noble beast sat on my face, like a third eyebrow, majestic in stature and not at all like a 'porno' tache. Although the quizzical pose looks a bit weird, note to self - must improve my camera posing.

Day 8, The Itchy and Scratchy Show!

Apologies for not posting over the weekend, but a combination of driving Aerospace girlfriend about, Uni work and sheer laziness had kept me busy all weekend.

The itching has grown worse, so much so that I considered rubbing my face on the pavement. God only knows what horrors are stored for those who grow full beards. Another true story, in about 2004 I shaved my ahem 'gentlemans area'. Yes that's right everything went, no trimming, no pubic topiary, nothing left... Wow, the freedom, I felt like I was in a Bodyform advert, and if there had been sand dunes around, I would've run through them with a kite. Ahh, I thought, this is what the freedom to run about while unfettered in the nether regions feels like!  But that freedom was short lived, approximately two days later I was in perpetual agony when my body took it's revenge for all the abuse I had given it over the years by giving me stubble. It wasn't until over a week later that I felt comfortable enough to sit down again without looking like I had hemorrhoids. I had put that episode behind me and never thought about it again until today. Every word, twitch, sip from a cup is uncomfortable but I will not back down to my ginger stubble, just hurry up and grow!

One last word, thanks for all the donations!!! Our team at Movember

Day 5. Treasure Hunt!

It itches, just like that crap 90's film The Field Of Dreams with its almost Hippy like mantra 'if you build it, they will come' well I have decided facial hair should come with the caveat of "if you grow one, you will itch". It wouldn't be so bad, but its something that is constantly there, like X factor or Dancing on ice. Highly annoying but not offensive.

Keeping on the theme of hairy things, myself and Aerospace girlfriend were watching Autumn Watch, as opposed to watching Kate Humble's Badger. For those who don't watch this, you should, listening to Chris Packham say ''hoaaiiiii'' then watch him sniff a poo. Highly entertaining. Before I carry on with my ramble on the evenings televisual wonders, let me tell you a story....................... When I was a youngling, about twelve years of age I went into the garden armed with a small beach spade and began the 1992 summer search for treasure having been inspired by Time Team. I dug little holes here and there until I could resist no more and started 'the hole'. Deciding where to dig the hole was a task in itself, too near the house and I'd surely be seen by my mother and grounded as usual, too close to the mental neighbours and I'd be found out. Couldn't dig up the few patches of grass that I hadn't yet set fire too, previously dug up or destroyed with paint. Location found I started to dig, I found small bones buried by a long gone dog, interesting rocks and small pieces of brick. I carried on regardless and still the treasure eluded me. The next day I returned to my hole and carried on digging, and the next. The small beach spade was useless for the large scale excavation I was doing but my hole was soon as deep and wide as I was tall. I spent all summer digging in one form or another in the garden and I didn't find shit, and neither was there any in Autumn Watch tonight, Chris Packham you let me down!

I have also been told not to call She Who Must Not Be Named, Aerospace girlfriend. I did offer the following choices 'Fish wife', 'Shoe girl', 'Crazy cat lady' but all were met with a look that had my testicles running for the hills. So while I dwell on that let me remind you of Movember and to not only donate your hard earned cash, (or easy earned student loans) but to check your balls!