I still find it odd anytime I have a totally clean-shaven face.

I shaved it today for no real reason other than I’m going to have a clean-shaven face in the play in January.

Obviously, shaving it now is not good enough to have it shaved in January.

I wanted to remember what my clean-shaven face looked like, and the answer is, to me, funny. Your Daily Lex I had said to Lauren this morning that I thought that with my clean-shaven face that for years, when I had my face clean-shaven, I looked younger.

And I thought that now I looked older when my face was clean-shaven because it made my, I don’t know, laugh lines, wrinkles, whatever you want to call them, more prominent.

She did not agree.

She said that she actually thought I looked younger with it shaved still, as has been the norm historically.

I don’t know.

I posted a story on Instagram of my clean-shaven face.

It really looks funny to me.

It is my face, so I guess it shouldn’t look hilarious, but I find it amusing.

I did use the Zoom filter to add stubble in a couple Zoom meetings today just because I couldn’t stand how naked my face looked.

At one point in the show, in the second act, I will wear a fake mustache.

We won’t even begin rehearsing that aspect until probably early January, but I’m stressed about it already because there is nothing worse to me in a stage performance kind of thing as an actor than having a mustache fall off.

Now, the mustache shouldn’t fall off, right?

They’ll use the whatever gum, sticky stuff to make sure it stays.

And if they’re good at it, then it’ll be fine.

But I’m going to need to get some confidence built by wearing a fake mustache in a bunch of rehearsals to make sure it’s not going to come off because it takes the audience right out of it.

I also really, the more ridiculous the mustache looks, the happier I’ll be.

It’s when I’m in my full hippie era in the show, I guess.

I have watched so many community theater productions of the play now, not really to glean something from the actors or performances.

That’s not really super meaningful to me.

It’s interesting to see what things every director wants to do and things that we’re doing uniquely, but it’s really just a way to run lines.

I can listen to my recordings.

I can beg my kids to do it, although they hate doing it.

And I’ve watched the movie a couple of times and the lines are probably about 80% the same.

Listening to the plays is another way I can just run lines without needing anybody else’s help.

And I can also quietly judge the other actors when they get the lines wrong, which of course I do.

And they do.

I judge.

They get the lines wrong.

My lines are always perfect.

That’s not true.

Anyway, what else can I tell you?

I had a lovely email interaction with the developer Zach Gage.

Zach has some very well-known apps, including he makes the Puzmo site.

And of course I like that site as a person who loves puzzles and word games.

But he also makes Ridiculous Fishing and TypeShift, which is relevant to my story.

Pocket Run Pool, a game I love.

Flip Flop Solitaire, a game I love.

He’s a really great game developer.

And I’ve been working on a third iOS app.

This one, a word game inspired by TypeShift.

And I was feeling like, frankly, it was too close to TypeShift.

And so I emailed him.

I’m like, look, if I ever get this to a place where I want to release it, I feel like it’s too close to yours.

How would you feel about it?

And if I do release it, could I credit you in there and say it was directly inspired by your game and link out to it and blah, blah, blah.

And he wrote back a really thoughtful note saying, you know, do whatever you want.

You can’t copyright game mechanics.

And I’m sure there are other clones, is what he wrote.

But he’s like, you know, right now this is a clone.

If you’re looking to make a unique game, you haven’t done that.

And certainly I would appreciate if you link out to me if you do release this.

But, you know, think about different ways you can make your own.

And then he went into a lot of detail on ways he’s made other game concepts that he liked into his own versions of games.

And it was really helpful and inspiring.

I’m no closer.

I haven’t figured out.

I know the things that I changed in my version of the game versus his.

Because TypeShift, like I said, is a great game, but it has some annoyances or quirks or features that it’s lacking that I wish it had or things it does that I wish it didn’t do.

And his point was, you know, it’s not really making your own version to have what he considered your own set of house rules, which I thought was a really good analogy.

Then you got to find something new or different or a different angle lens on it.

And I really like his game.

I think it’s a classic.

So still trying to figure out what makes mine unique.

I implemented one new thing in it today.

But since you haven’t played it, it doesn’t mean anything to you.

But I’m trying.

I’m trying to come up with something because I do want to get it out there mostly because I like playing it.

And if I can come up with my own angle on it, I’ll be very pleased.

Anyway, those are all my updates for today, Tuesday, November 18th.

Today I don’t have rehearsal, although Liam and Lauren both do.

And I think I have to pick Liam up from his rehearsal because he’s at the same rehearsal as Lauren, but it’s done a couple hours before she is.

And then Wednesday I have rehearsal.

Friday I have rehearsal, which is unusual.

Thursday I’m recording a podcast with the incomparable.

And then Saturday is a big Comedy Sports anniversary match.

So now you know all the things going on in my life for the rest of this week.

Happy Tuesday, everybody.

Goodbye.

Lex.