I changed my profile photo today

This evening (Friday, after a long work day and a long work week) I went to the shop where I've had my hair cut for 20 years. The owner's daughter, E., mans the front desk. I'd say the age gap is more or less 30 years, and, alas, it seems, that's not the only gulf between us. She is one of those people who proudly guards her ignorance. I once used the word, "biofuels" in front of her. (This is a university neighborhood, where everyone uses million dollar words. All the time. Without thinking. In the normal course of discourse.) She puffed herself up a little and said, "oh, I don't know what that is!" so I said, a little surprised, "there's been lots of talk about it on TV and the news lately" and she said, "oh no, I don't watch the news" and, by extension, read the newspaper, check the internet, or any other option, God forbid she should learn something about the world around her.. This doesn't mean she isn't likable, but it does make her a bit of a puzzle to me.

Today after the usual good cut and shapely dry by faithful and skillful S. (who has made me look good for years), it took me a few moments at the front desk to dig my wallet out of my purse to pay. While I dug, E. looked up at me from behind the counter and said, "you always look like you're angry." I wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or an expression of condolence. So I said, "well, I sure could use some botox between these brows, and I've had these frowny lines on either side of my mouth forever" and she said, with some kind of pity in her voice, "do you ever, you know, have a glass of wine or anything, or go do things in the evening?" Now I'm really wondering where that came from. Do I really look like a grumpy, lonely old spinster? So I said, "oh sure, (because I do), but usually I go home on Friday night and have carry-out dinner at home with my boyfriend" and her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "YOU have a boyfriend??" (incredulity)

What am I to make of that? I paid, gave S. his tip, said good-night, strode home, had a big huge glass of wine, and took down my Amusing Musings profile photo, which I've always liked because I'm squinting into the early morning sun coming up over Yellowstone National Park, and that's what I'd like to be doing every morning. I've replaced it with a photo, of very recent vintage, with a less squinty look. But that's because, when it was taken, I wasn't greeting the sun coming up over Yellowstone.