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elmURLess Textual Tales

elmerPHuD

Shave Member
Fine American Blend soap, splash, balm
Stirling Li'l Brudder brush
Edwin Jagger DE87RC (basically a DE89 with a white rubberized handle)
Gillette Nacet
RazoRock Alum

IMG_1204.jpgFine AB is in my top 5 list of soaps I love to use. I just love the scent, and as @GearNoir said in his 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, this is as close as I will get to owning YSL Rive Guache. As far as I know, AB is a far cry from RG, because I have never smelled it. But believing it is close keeps me far away from the vintage frag lands of the Bay(E). I have the AB EDT and enjoy it.

Good shave overall. Not as close as I would like it in the swirls, but I did not feel like pushing it. Much like the swirls of the Natahala (the river - not the soap), chasing the satisfaction of the BBS or even the DFS either rewards me or pulls me under the cold waters of regret.

Currently stuck in what us professors like to call "grading jail." It is a cold dark place where you have so much grading to do you can only see a couple of days into the future. Not as cold and dark as the coal mines of Appalachia though, and it beats digging a ditch, which my Dad still does at age 74. It is with a backhoe mind you. Some days he is cleaning out backed-up septic tanks. So I try to keep my misery in perspective. Still, there is an occupational hazard in having a job where you can go to work 24/7 by putting yourself in front of a screen of blue light, which is my Delayed Sleep Phase syndrome's mortal enemy. There is always the possibility of giving more detailed feedback or making yet another improvement to a course. There is a lot more to say about that, but for now - back to the salt mines.
 
Great first journal entry! And thanks for playing along! American Blend (or RG or whatever same scent profile is out there...I here RozoRock makes a really good one as well) is one of my favorites. To me it's reminiscent of a classic scent...but with a sophisticated charm. An older gent in a Hugo Boss tuxedo if you will. It's like Chanel No. 5 for men...a scent that never goes out of style.
 
Speick cream & splash
Nivea SPF Energy balm
Merkur 43C with Feather (yellow) - Is there any difference between yellow and black?
Captain's Choice copper shave bowl
RazorRock 400 Plisoft
EDT: Dunhill Icon

First time using the Speick cream. I normally face lather, but I did a bowl lather today because area around my mouth is staying a bit irritated. Yesterday's entry was actually from day before. So this is a shave after 2 days for me. I normally would not shave until day 3ish, but I have a meeting via Zoom and a class via Zoom this AM. My skin in the area where the goatee used to be is still mad at me for shaving the goatee. It WAS slowly become more resilient.

However, in trying to live this CPAP life (actually BiPAP), I have now resorted to taping my mouth. I know. It's about dang time, right? I am sure my mouth needs to be taped for many reasons. I have to have a full face mask because I am a mouth breather. But I have had a hard time since the beginning with mask leaks. This was the reason for the goatee shave. Well, that helped with the leaks tremendously, but now I am swallowing a bunch of air at night (aerophagia) and wake up feeling like I am ready to join Underdog and Garfield in the Macy's balloon lineup. Anyway, there is a mouth taping cult outside the CPAP community for purported health benefits of being a nasal breather, particularly during sleep. There is a smaller group within the CPAP community that does it. It is working for me in keeping me from swallowing air and is also helping with the leaks. Despite the fact I am using sensitive medical tape, it does not come off easily or gently in the morning, so the skin around my lips is a bit irritated anyway. I have to use the 2" tape instead of the 1" because I have a big mouth. Again, I know you knew that already. Good day gentlemen.
 
I just keep thinking I like to have my mouth available as a backup breathing oriface in case my nose gets stuffy while I’m sleeping.
 
I just keep thinking I like to have my mouth available as a backup breathing oriface in case my nose gets stuffy while I’m sleeping.
I can quickly separate the tape in the middle. I leave some flex in it.
Photo on 7-15-20 at 10.52 AM.jpg
You're the nurse. You got a different tape suggestion?
 
I can quickly separate the tape in the middle. I leave some flex in it.
View attachment 29838
You're the nurse. You got a different tape suggestion?
That looks like the paper tape? That's what I used to use with kids quite a bit. Any adhesive that is constantly put on and taken off I'd like would get irritating to the skin. There is skin protection liquid you can put on skin before the tape. I don't know if you want to go to that much trouble. There is a pink tape we would use as well that isn't as convenient because you need to use scissors and was more expensive. But was better if other tape was irritating. I don't know if this is the same, but it looked like this.
Amazon.com: Hy-Tape Pink Tape, 1.5" x 5 yards (PACK OF 2), # 15LF - Pink Medical Waterproof Surgical Tape: Health & Personal Care

Staples?
 
SOT...well, Friday (and Saturday)
IMG_1271.jpeg
First use of @CBLindsay 's @CBLSoap.com Iron Throne
First use of @Techichi Hive brush
First use of Lancaster Razor Works towel
First use of Pitralon F sample provided by @Spider
Fist use of Pitralon Polar sample
Merkur 43C with Feather (3rd use)

Busy week for me. On Monday, I went to my first ever (lots of firsts in this one) appointment with a personal trainer. First appointment was 75% assessment and 25% actual exertion. Second appointment on Wednesday and third appointment on Friday kicked my butt, and I am proud that I went to all three appointments and have no plans of stopping. It is a big $$$ sacrifice, but there is not much more important than this. My trainer's name is Blake. I asked him if I could call him BUH-LOCK-AY. He laughed and said, "What's worse is my middle name is Aaron." I said, "So you are BUH-LOCK-AY AY-AY-RON!" If you don't get that reference, then just Google Key and Peele substitute teacher. Blake is a good dude! I really like this guy. I was most nervous that I would have a cardiac event, pass out, or injure a knee or hip. I am super impressed with the exercises he is having me do. They support my knees and hips while still strengthening them and the supportive tissues around them. Now I have to get my calorie and protein tracking on point. Target is about 2300 cal and 198 g or protein per day. Anyway, I will be chronicling my fitness/health journey over on my YT channel if anyone is interested.

The shave above was from before my appointment on Friday. I love this @Techichi brush!!! I already have a knot very similar to this, but THIS HANDLE! This is now my favorite grip in my collection. You can grip the bottom of the handle and the ridges on the hive portion keep your fingers from riding up. The ridges also seem to slow the creep of lather towards the hand. Super soft knot with lots of backbone.

The @CBLSoap.com Iron Throne is really nice and unique. A dark mentholated soap. I actually prefer dark and warm scents to freshies, but I love menthol, so this is best of both for me. This was THE BEST SHAVE I can remember having. No hyperbole. I have been trying to stick with a Feather blade to see if I can begin getting consistently good shaves with a DE before stepping up to a Feather AC Kami or a Blackland Vector. In continued research for my next aftershave video, I compared the Pitralon F to the Pitralon Polar. The Polar reminded me a lot of the Aqua Velva Oringial Sport (Canadian) that I also got to try thanks to @Spider. The Pitralon F does not seem a whole lot different than the Pitralon Pure or the Swiss Pitralon. If anybody has some Ralon, which is supposedly the OG Pitralon, would you be willing to share a sample? Both great performers. Scent on the Polar definitely like Davidoff Cool Water. The F, like the Pure and Swiss, is this weird thing I cannot describe - not unpleasant and not necessarily unfamiliar - just hard to describe. Anyway, I could not stop feeling my face on the way to my training apt. Truly BBS.

I had graduation yesterday, and I do not usually shave two days in a row, so I used the same brush, soap, and razor with an ATG pass only. Used The Beach from PAA aftershave this time because I had used The Beach deodorant, as I knew I would be sweating in the regalia robes made by Canadians. When I get down to my goal weight, I am buying more breathable, lightweight, and fitted regalia. I will be catching up on posts some today. Hope everyone is well. 🙏
 
Great read Todd! Congratulations on your fitness journey and congrats on the shave! I look forward to hearing more on your YT Channel.
 
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