Wednesday

The leaves are falling and turning yellow and red already, and it's not even September yet. Some of us are confused about this weather condition, not sure whether it's unseasonably autumn or just the normal course of events at this time of year.
I talked to the guy who usually checks out our books at the library today. He was sans glasses, which I thought was a new look for him. He said he only wears contact lenses in the summer. All winter he wears glasses, but he won't wear them in the summer because in the hot weather the glasses keep sliding down his nose. I think that's a point I missed in my glasses commentary below. I told him about my recent analysis of the pros and cons of glasses vs. contacts. He volunteered that it's an exciting event when one gets new frames and lenses, which is what I was already thinking. (One of those memories that steadfastly sticks in my head is that when I was 12 or 13 and met my dad's friend Ralph, who came over for dinner, my attempt at trying to engage Ralph in polite conversation was to tell him my dad had just gotten new glasses that day, to which Ralph replied, "I don't give a damn about his new glasses." I was never sure if he thought he was being funny or honest, and I had also just watched him drink six beers in about one hour.)
Last night I tried to come up with a meal from the remnants of months and months of neglected pantry food. After I went through a few partially empty boxes and discarded all the food that had long passed its expiration date, I actually cleared off three shelves. For dinner, the pantry and I came up with canned peas, and a small pan of lasagna, with added spaghetti sauce, American cheese (not found in the pantry), and seasoned breadcrumbs (how does a person use 64 ounces of seasoned breadcrumbs?). The reluctant addition of the American cheese, upon learning that the cheddar cheese was a little moldy, actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Someone told me today that you can't go wrong with adding anything to pasta. I also came to terms with using a package of instant sweet mashed potatoes. It's been sitting there on the shelf, taunting me with its ease of preparation, in spite of its hideous flavor. Well, I made it, and I ate it, but nobody else here who had it on their plate would touch it.
I feel a little guilty and sad today, as I ended my account with the auto insurance company I've had for about 13 years. I found a company that would enable me to save $40 per month. The old insurance company and my mother thought it wasn't necessarily a good idea to switch policies. There's the risk of the new insurance raising rates significantly if I get into an accident, they said. There's the risk of going with someone new who you don't know, who might not be as nice as the familiar people. I guess I am willing to take the risk, and hope that the naysayers are not going to be right.
It rained today, and I was cold in my sleeveless shirt when I was outside. I guess I'll have to make an effort to watch the weather when I make those difficult wardrobe decisions in the morning.