Yesterday afternoon, I had a much-anticipated salon appointment, to cut and color my hair. This was crucial, not just because the-color-which-shall-not-be-named was showing itself in force, but because I hadn’t had it done since October-ish. I’d missed my December appointments because of rehearsals for Lessons & Carols, and various other commitments that conflicted with salon hours.

I arrived at the door to Salon Worx, which is an Aveda lifestyle salon, just before three, nonfat venti cinnamon dolce latte in hand, and with a good book in my bag. My stylist, the sweet, funny, and talented Natalie, met me, and we went back to talk about What to Do.

I said I’d been flirting with pink hair, but I wasn’t really brave enough to do my whole head. She said, “Let me go dig out our funky colors – we can do the dark dark red/brown we’ve been talking about and add streaks of bright punky red.” I said, “YEAH!” and she first brought Jennifer the receptionist over so I could see the color, and then went diving into the storage pantry, surfacing with “Radiant Red.” I liked the name.

I once read an interview in which actor James Marsters talked about adding sweet-n-low to hair bleach to ease the burn, when he had to bleach his hair for his role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel. Even though we only had to bleach selected streaks of my hair, I will remember this advice for my next appointment, because bleach does burn. Actually, the red – the funky red – burned a little as well, and my scalp is still coated with it. (I had to wait for this morning to wash my hair.) My pillow, because I’m stupid and forgot to put a towel on it, looks like someone was murdered on it, actually. Rather alarming.

I had asked about getting an eyebrow wax after the hair appointment, and they booked me, but forgot to tell the aesthetician, so when I go back next week, the waxing is free. I’m having a mini-facial as well. My skin’s been so crazy dry lately, I feel like I’m wearing a mask, and nothing I do is helping.

But at least I love this new hair-color. And next time, I might add a few more streaks, as we kept them kind of subtle for me to ease into this.

I love the cut too. Just a bob with a few layers around my face, but it’s FOUR INCHES shorter than it was when I went in. No wonder my friends commented on how long my hair was. I haven’t seen it that long for years.

And on that note, I’m off to wash the salon smell out of my hair.