On February 24th, I put on my flippy floppies and headed out to the airport to fly to Austin Texas for the 6th annual Misprint Magazine Beard and Moustache Competition where I was going to compete in the "Fiercest Chops" category.

This is the first stop sign that I came across while traveling to the airport. Sorry vandal, I needed to get there quick.

Upon arriving in Texas, I hopped in a cab to my buddy Randall's place. Aside from having a seriously sweet set of chops, Randall also had a couch that he was kind enough to let me sleep on while I was in Texas.

Hey, it's lady's night.
The first night of the event was for the Whiskerinas to strut their stuff and get crafty with their beards. It was during this event that I started sampling the fine beers of the Austin area. Pearl-Snap from Austin Beerworks was probably my favorite, and Fireman's #4 by Real Ale Brewing was another tasty beverage that tickled my fancy.

There were plenty of awesome beards and staches in the Whiskerinas event, but lamentably there were no sideburns. Similarly, my N900 doesn't take good pictures in low light, so I have very few pictures from the event. Actually, I spent a lot of the time eyeing up my competition and greeting friends that I met last year at Nationals.

The Event

The Main Event was held at the Mohawk on 10th street. In front of 1400 spectators, sideburns, beards, and mustaches were displayed in hopes of winning fame and glory.

So how did I do?
It was cold that night: low 40s, upper 30s; and there happened to be a bottle of Jameson whiskey on the judges table. Apparently one can accrue negative points for drinking the judges whiskey and about 7 ounces later, I was out of the standing. Fortunately, My buddy Warren took First Place and Randall took Second Place, so I still had plenty of reason to celebrate.

Things I saw about town

• An Edsel, on the road and not in a scrap heap
• When is the Ghostbusters play coming to Petaluma?
• When you get the chance, hang out with Beard Team Canada. You won't meet nicer people.
• Hopefully Steve Scarpa and his wonderful stache and family will be in Petaluma for the 2012 Whiskerino.
• Who doesn't love some Star Trek?
• "Bad Dudes" at the Grackle
• Stop Shaving
• Drive through beer store

Aside from the Whiskey incident, the only downside of the trip was getting groped at the Airport. Texas, why do you hate the Fourth Amendment?

Back to the Whiskey

Am I allowed to blame Jameson? Probably not, so I am giving myself a new challenge: drink the judge's whiskey without getting caught. In a sense, the gauntlet has been thrown down and this affront to my sideburns will not stand. Therefor, it is my duty to steal a particular judge's drink whenever possible. You have been duly warned.

Time to put on a sweet shirt and relive some memories. See you in Vegas.