Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Journey into the Jungle

Rai, if you're going to be a part of any family that your Dad is part of, you have to be super frugal. That's right, I count myself amongst the world's most adamant penny pinchers. I'm a cheapskate and so, you must be one too.
What's that? What did you say, Rai? "I'm not a Flisak so I don't have to act like a Flisak." Sorry, little buddy, it doesn't matter whether your last name is Flisak, Sequoia, Wattles, Flittles, Watsak, or Smith, you're under our roof now so you'll do as we say. When I say "pinch pennies", you say "how hard?"
Yesterday was the first Tuesday of the month so Mr.Frugal, me, planned a day of museum-hopping for the family. First Tuesdays are free days at many of the best museums in The City. We began with the Conservatory of Flowers whose warm and humid interior protects and nurtures a huge variety of tropical plants and trees.
You were really into the oxygen rich air and all the lush green plants around you. The venus flytraps and orchids especially caught your attention. But we really knew that you had enjoyed the House of Flowers the moment we stepped outside again. The heavy and cold summer fog that San Francisco's Richmond District is famous for had advanced and hung damply over the entire park. It was downright cold.
You gave a longing glance back at the white facade of the House of Flowers, knowing that a comfortable, tropical warmth lay beyond the swinging front doors. Your Mom and I added the Conservatory to our mental list of 'places to go with Rai' categorizing it as 'good for cool, foggy days'. But don't think we'll be retreating to this little piece of jungle in the heart of San Francisco every time the fog rolls in. Oh, no -- don't forget that your Dad is a cheapskate and this place is free on first Tuesdays only.

1 comment:

  1. waste not, want not! =) i like your frugality. and rai, again, don't let your dad fool you: even though he is frugal and speaks of it as if it is a vice, it is actually a virtue when combined with his generous and caring spirit. he is not a scrouge; he is simply not wasteful! kind of a foreign concept in the 21st C, but i think more people will catch on soon. =)

    ReplyDelete