DECRYPTING A Column Permanently With Table UPDATE

In SQL 2005, I've created a test scenario in AdventureWorks where I:

1.) Create a database master key:

IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.symmetric_keys WHERE symmetric_key_id = 101)
CREATE MASTER KEY ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '<password>'

GO

2.) Create a certificate:

CREATE CERTIFICATE HRCert
WITH SUBJECT = 'Comments'
GO

3.) Create a symmetric key:

CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY CommentKey
WITH ALGORITHM = DES
ENCRYPTION BY CERTIFICATE HRCert
GO

4.) Add a test column to the HumanResources.JobCandidate table:

ALTER TABLE HumanResources.JobCandidate
ADD Comments varbinary(8000)
GO

5.) Open the symmetric key for use:

OPEN SYMMETRIC KEY CommentKey
DECRYPTION BY CERTIFICATE HRCert
GO

6.) Insert and Encrypt values ('Yes') to the newly created column:

UPDATE HumanResources.JobCandidate
SET Comments = EncryptByKey(Key_GUID('CommentKey'), 'Yes')
GO

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Great. Now all the textbooks say that, to view the column values in a decrypted state, you should:

SELECT CONVERT(varchar, DecryptByKey(Comments)) AS [Decrypted Comments], *
FROM HumanResources.JobCandidate


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Great, I get it. But here's the rub. What is the best way to permanently decrypt the column and keep it in a cleartext state?

Running the following works, but keeps the column values in a varbinary (hexadecimal) state which is what we originally created:

UPDATE HumanResources.JobCandidate
SET Comments = DecryptByKey(Comments)
GO

But if I want to transform this varbinary(8000) column into a human-readable varchar column, the only thing I could come up with was a temp table solution:

UPDATE HumanResources.JobCandidate
SET Comments = DecryptByKey(Comments)
GO

DECLARE @temp varchar(1000)
SET @temp = (SELECT TOP 1 CommentsFROM Human Resources.JobCandidate)

CREATE TABLE #decrypt (Comment varchar(1000))
INSERT INTO #decrypt (Comments) VALUES (@temp)
GO

ALTER TABLE HumanResources.JobCandidate
ALTER COLUMN Comments varchar(1000)
GO

UPDATE HumanResources.JobCandidate
SET Comments = (SELECT Comments FROM #decrypt)
GO

DROP TABLE #decrypt
GO

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It works, but seems so inelegant to me.

Is there an easier way?