Now reaction a work has been mixed. The owner, a double take and then laughter, advice on how to color my hair more naturally.
The staff, acknowledgement, laughter, some tell me they preferred the old salt-and-pepper, others politely state they like the new look.
I tailor my wardrobe to match.
The nephew, he takes issue with my telling him to shave - he looks ridiculous, fine dining with a weeks, two weeks worth of beard, but I've the audacity to dye my hair?
The hostess, I've persuaded her that it's my natural color, I'm dyeing my eyebrows for shock effect....
The customers, reactions are mixed.
The more matronly female customers, and by matronly I mean closer to my age than I care to admit, they pull me aside and recommend hairdressers, treatments, they'll pay, I'm their new gay confidante...
The regulars, some gasp, others laugh and openly jeer, others - politely, tell me it looks nice.
Overall, the verdict seems that if you knew me - or recognized me - before the bleaching, you won't like the change. If you didn't know me and have no points of reference, comparison, you don't mind it. Some even seem to like it.
The owner, he's not such a fan, it leads to discussions of his own dye job - natural, of course, to cover the grey, but it's an awkward topic, everyone knows but it's not discussed. My ridiculous hair job brings it into the open...he's not comfortable.
Frequent questions: "now tell me/us - do blondes have more fun...?". I can't answer this, I tell them, I haven't had enough time to find out, but when I do I'll make a movie...
Small deflections I have - "No, no, I've darkened my eyebrows, I've always been blonde...". One customer almost believed me, at which point I openly queried her blondness, natural or fake...fortunately she had a sense of humor.
Other observations, made to customers for the point of cheerful banter - "My relations with women have improved, formerly girls would help me across the street, now they ask me directions to the nearest crack-house/gay bar....". Or - "I had to dye it after last Friday's crimestoppers...". They laugh nervously.
So it goes. I don't notice it, not enough time spent looking in the mirror, sometimes, when I do glance, I'm surprised. I'm overall fond of it, not so fond that I'd do it all the time, but I'd try it again. In any event it doesn't matter, in a couple of short months I'll be in Alaska (or the Yukon or Northern BC) and really, appearances won't be that important...