The Haircut, Part I

My wife had cancer in 2004. Five operations of varying severity. (Up to and including "severe"). She is fine now, thanks. Or, as fine as any cancer survivor can be.

In the wake of this horror, I resolved to embark on a path that might create some small humor, but also be a symbolic homage to Donna's struggle. We saw a lot of women with no hair, as they went through chemo and radiation.

I resolved to grow my hair out, and donate it to "Locks of Love." That organization creates
hairpieces for children whose hair follicles are severely damaged by chemical
treatments for disease, or by some disease itself.

So, to all of you who have wondered about, or openly mocked, my hair....that's why I grew it out.

Anyway, it was finally long enough to harvest. I am going to post, over the next three days, installments that show the process of harvesting. Several of the photos are, I am sad to say, hilarious. But while you are laughing at me, laugh with me a little also. And let's try to find a cure for cancer in our own lifetimes, before those lifetimes are cut short. Breast cancer, in particular (and that is what my wife had) is an epidemic.

Now, let's have some fun....Installment I: The Horror

My hair had at this point been washed, and is being dried. You can get an idea of how long and curly it is.






















After the drier...well, pictures are worth 1,000 words. Also worth hiding from the children.






















Then I had to wait for a while. Racquel was busy. Sitting there, I made the day of several dozen women who walked by. They tried not to burst out laughing. Very few were successful. The reactions ranged from titters (most) to one rather large woman who had to lean over with her hands on her knees and whoop with laughter for several seconds. "Meat Loaf!" she wheezed. "You look just like Meat Loaf!" Thank you, ma'am, thank you.
























Then, into the chair. Racquel began the ironing and straightening process. Flock of Seagulls, you got nothing on me.


























UPDATE:

Installment II

Installment III

Early Polls: I'm at 2 to 4 %

Check this:

The Republican field for governor might get more crowded. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory is pondering a run and released a study to show he is a viable candidate.

McCrory circulated an e-mail to supporters recently. He touted three reasons he might run -- problems with state leadership, the current candidates being part of the status quo and his successful skills and leadership.

"Now I plan to go through a serious decision-making process and self-assessment to help me determine if I should run for governor," McCrory said in the e-mail.

State Sen. Fred Smith, former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr and attorney Bill Graham are the three other Republican candidates for governor.

McCrory commissioned a study by Voter Consumer Research in Washington, D.C. The survey showed that "we are in the lead over the three already announced (Republican) candidates with 39 percent still undecided." The e-mail did not give a breakdown of percentages.

Potential voters were also asked if they supported McCrory against potential candidates in the general election. One question asked voters if they leaned toward McCrory, Lt. Gov. Bev Purdue, a Democrat, Michael Munger, a Libertarian, or Dennis Neilson, an independent candidate. Respondents favored McCrory 39 percent, Purdue 36 percent, Munger 2 percent and Neilson 4 percent. The poll had 18 percent undecided. With Richard Moore as the Democratic candidate, the results were Moore 37 percent, McCrory 36 percent, Munger 4 percent, Neilson 3 percent, don't know 18 percent and refused 1 percent.

"These results are outstanding since we have not initiated a state-wide campaign and it shows we can win both the primary and general election," McCrory said in the e-mail. "They also show a large number of undecideds, which means the race is wide open."...