打女儿上大学了，我们家也开始节衣缩食了。这首当其冲的是减少上餐馆的次数。可儿子不理解,经常会在和老爸一起上学的路上问“Dad, why can't we go to restaurent any more? Do you still have enough money to buy food and pay our house?”
老爸一想，拿姐姐上大学作挡箭牌恐怕会说不通儿子呢。就只好给儿子解释：“Son, you hear the news everyday. The economy is not good, and a lot of people have lost jobs. You have donated food to the food bank for a few times, right? Those food is for people who don;t have moeny to buy food. Now we have to save some money in case we need it later.”
儿子懂是懂了，可这不上餐馆的日子还是难熬呀，尤其是天天吃老爸烧的菜也腻了。这不，小人儿也有他的法子：在学校挣餐馆的coupon。还不错，上个月就挣了两张，一张Subway,一张Pizza Hut。有了这free coupon,老爸再没有理由了吧？家长会，老爸来不及烧饭，父子俩只好去Subway; 这个礼拜二学校关门，拉上老妈就去Pizza Hut。每次吃完了，还不忘说一句：“See, I saved money for you.”嗨，老爸老妈是有苦说不出呢：他那个coupon还不够他一个人呢，还得从老爸老妈这边分点。更不用说老爸老妈开车去餐馆的汽油钱了。
只是这coupon越挣越有瘾。现在是除了餐馆，还有别的呢。这不，今天又抽签拿回来两张大学校队的排球比赛票。老爸明天晚上又得放弃网恋，陪儿子去看长腿美女了。小人儿，吃着碗里，看着锅里，又在盘算着下个月的芭蕾舞票呢－－俺只好给太太说，俺泥腿子那里看得懂那什么芭蕾呀，还是你陪儿子去吧。
（11/13/2008)
