應邀飯局／莊峻華
日前，愛美遞來電話，有老友林恩義兄邀請飯局，這是一週內之第二次，首次為北郊霧蓮之魏宏義夫婦，這次規模稍大，蓋為餞別恩義遷居加州洛杉磯行。恩義家有三公子，早打一草索，事業有成，一位眼科醫生，一位皮膚科，幼子為專業律師，令人羨慕。
恩義來自台灣高雄，台北工專出身，留學日本，再移民加拿大，據解釋居加國時，小孩們無事就滯留圖書館，養成讀書好習慣，對學校教育有幫助。約是1980年代，再遷居休市，就近於親戚，我因該親戚之紹介，認識他，做他保險生意。他是工科出身，幾經變遷，到休市後從商，做廢鐵出口和零售機商店置放工作。
他人長得英俊蕭灑，兒子們也遺傳，學校畢業後，均迅速結婚，我參加過兩公子婚禮，仍留美憶。他善打桌球，和愛美教會之王醫師搭檔，勇得全美老年業餘雙打冠軍多次。
我自2001年後，離群索居日久，孤獨成習，鮮能與舊日同鄉認舊，很感謝他的邀請。休市同鄉事業有成者，常有邀宴之美習，不是打秋風，而是破費請客，我正在想是否要包紅包？但想起過去經驗，這是隨意也，有三位事業有成子女，我心情輕鬆也。
Short accounts make long friends/Carlos Pueblo
According to a famous Chinese proverb, even with kin brothers keep clear accounts, which explains he principle to deal with money to the other person. Our successful daughter Michelle and her spouse like to borrow money from us to build a mansion in Austin, Texas. She gets an equity loan from her rental house and they also save some fund yet still need a loan from us. I am in kind of hesitation because that investment is not necessary. Finally, Amy convinces me to go ahead. I ask Michelle to prepare a promissory note to be serve as a first lien to that house and she agrees.
All my fund is ready now and we miss the dead line of the appointment with the Travis County Clerk Office to register the mortgage. I understand that she is very busy on her regular job. I ask her to postpone our loan until I come back from my trip on November 9. She can pay her construction expanse on her own funds first. She agrees. The draft of note came in with 5.5% interest rate for 10 years and I disagree. I request a change to 3 years note of 6% interest rate and renewable at the end of the term with mutual consent. She agrees again. Amy has a talk with me and complains that I ask too much. I ask her to loan her part of fund right away and leave me alone. She doesn't dare to do it without me with her.
Michelle is like me good at the arithmetic. I know that she would use their savings first and our loan at the second and finally the equity loan from the bank. It makes sense as the concern of the interest cost concern. The current market rate for 10 years mortgage is about 7.3% which I have told her. If I let her have 5.5% on her note, I must discount my note to the other that I remind her not to take advantage of us.
親兄弟明算帳／莊峻華
年初，琳兒來話借錢蓋豪宅，我說向銀行借，她問我能借多少？我說十萬，愛美曰她也可以出十萬，於是我查我的一筆四萬定期是在九月到期，她說可以，於是我要她準備借條，還有需要抵押貸款，親兄弟要明算帳，親父母更需要和能幹愛女講清楚，其中我想變掛不借，因為琳兒比我有錢，而且收入又高，我是老邁無業無欲者，而且我不覺得她需要蓋這豪宅，她是將一奧斯汀城中一租屋拆除，興建百萬新屋，我深覺是浪費，愛美崇拜這女兒，勸我和女兒保持好關係，將來說不定要靠她照顧，我是不敢奢望。
眼看九月中我就要出遠門，借條和房屋抵押均無動靜，我催促多次，終於來稿，但無抵押注冊登記之預約，我先看借條是15年，利率是5.5％，只繳利息，錢借後在年底注冊，若未履行，我可以取銷借貸契約，我說未抵押我灣保障，我不願意，還是等待我11月旅行回來，她也同意，房屋已拆除，需要先用她自己存款和一銀行抵押貸款先支出材料和工錢，我想她也不急，晚完成我們借貸，也可以省下她一些利息。
愛美緊張我要得罪女兒，我說妳可以先借她，或是20萬全數借她，我是很斤斤計較，女兒向銀行抵押貸款15年，利息是7.5％，我貸3年只要6％，三年後還可以續約三年，如此連續5次以上，如此比較合情也合理，女兒也同意，只是借條利率未更正而已。
我們琳兒很能幹，過去我曾借錢給她購屋三次，婚前兩次，婚後一次，婚後一次有抵押，她都很快付清，都是5年內，我相信此次亦然，只是親兄弟要明算帳，當然我的兄弟沒有琳兒花樣之多，而且經濟力比我強，我不向他們借貸，他們已感萬倖。
Water melon is my favorite fruit/Carlos Pueblo
Water melon has been my favorite fruit ever since my childhood time in Taiwan. There has been several stages in my life to deal with the water melon. First, I had to rely on my mother's grocery shopping; second, I could purchase a small cut piece when I had monthly allowance from my father while I was out on studying at a senior high school in Taipei; third, I earned some fees as a tutor outside of the college. Finally, I could afford to purchase a whole water melon after I was in the conscription with a meager allowance as an army draft solider. Water melon is generally not expansive. After I became a school teacher, especially after my immigration to the U.S., I can afford to purchase as many water melons as I can consume.
Until recently, I have learned how to pick up a good water melon. I have learned the trick from the You Tube videos. Firs, you check to both bottoms with a yellow belly bottom means that's mature while the opposite end bottom must be with a minimum size. Second, check the yellow spot on the surface. It is where the part of the melon sit on the ground. It is better with a nice orange color. Third, a hollow sound when you tap it.
Most of my picking water melon experience, I don't really get it; therefore, I have relied on my luck. If I don't get a good water melon, I shall feel bad and can't consume the entire melon fast enough. Now I have developed a drink called smoothie to blend the non-sweet or over ripe water melon with some other fruits such as the papaya, pineapple, figs, or mangos to make it more tasty.
Even though I do have a diabetes chronicle disease and eating too much water melon is not good for the blood sugar control; however, I am satisfied with my longevity plus it is good for me to drink water melon smoothie after a hard tennis games.
喜食西瓜／莊峻華
自幼喜食西瓜，迄今不變，雖言糖尿病痼疾，瓜甜不宜，但為喜愛，真是捨命陪西瓜，今年夏日西瓜季節將止，我之西瓜庫存，僅賸最後一粒半，再七日我將上郵輪，船上續提供墨西哥西瓜，當然品質甚難控制，而且食用方法亦僅一種，無法合理補救。
選擇西瓜之甜美，終於悟出一道，這是屢敗數十年之經驗，在網誌上學習之經驗，先察看瓜底之蒂大小，必需極小為上，次查外表瓜色澤，必需碧綠紋路，再敲瓜聲清翠如石落井，再補觀瓜皮著地黃斑塊，乾淨磊落，才是上品。若選瓜失敗，此為常態，則落瓜果攪拌器，填加木瓜，鳳梨，和芒果等甜蜜水果，抑或夏日免費無花果，攪拌為光滑果汁，幫助消耗整粒西瓜。
在台灣時年幼無經濟力，只能望西瓜生嘆，後來當出外讀高中，有微薄零用錢，當家教有些收入，始敢購買水果攤切片西瓜，台灣西瓜攤販有智慧，晚上使用紅燈泡，混淆西瓜色澤，到小金門當兵，始有瓜農親戚推薦購買自產好西瓜一整粒。來到美國，收入增加，購買整粒西瓜，毫無疑慮，此為染上糖尿病痼疾原因之一，之二為食牛排過多。
那日宏義兄來頂好廣場買菜，邀請飯局，我剛好在元兒服務超市購買西瓜和牛排，不顧愛美警告不要老命，西瓜因有折扣，只限兩粒，肋骨眼牛排有特價，因此我分三日三次購買，控制通貨膨脹。
購買之西瓜非常甜美，雖小有粒僅兩元美金，平常是五元，如此讓我愉快一整週。週六愛美不煮飯，我就烤一肋骨眼牛排，一大塊約僅6元美金，比她上超市買之十元美金加稅便當便宜，我說我較聰明雖然不要命。
College friends came from Woodland, Texas/Carlos Pueblo
Henry Wei and his wife Gin Fong, both of my college classmates, came to an oriental grocery shopping at a new Chinatown area on the other day and invited me for a lunch. I was at a grocery shopping as well on the other side of town. I went to meet them at a restaurant and received a very nice Sashimi treat.
Both of them came to study in the U.S. in 1975 and each received a Ph.D. in chemistry, then both had worked until their retirement, he was with a Swiss pharmaceutical while she taught at Louisiana Southern University. I have been an admirer of them for their successful academic and career life in the new country. They have moved to Woodland, Texas for years from Louisiana in order to help their engineer daughter to take care of their grand children and also manage some real estate investment. I congratulate his success real estate investment in Shanghai, China while he was assigned to that city. He bought a house and sold it with a profit when he left.
We have had a fond memory for our college life and review some of our classmates. I still remember my sweet and bitter college life. I was in struggle both in classroom and maintaining my stomach filled. It is quite interesting to think about it now and appreciate very much that I have come through a long way.
I invite them to join me to take the cruise ship across the Pacific to Japan. They both considered and declined my last minute recommendation, maybe next time. I anticipate my next week cruise in Alaska and a repeated land trip in Japan.
有朋自霧蓮來／莊峻華
中午正在超市購物，看到手機電話上兩則巴頓路治來話記錄，我知是宏義兄和金鳳姊，果然他們從北郊霧蓮鎮來，在新唐人街北海道餐廳等我，我離群索居日久，未遇老友甚寂，連忙放下西瓜和牛排赴約去也。霧蓮英語為樹林地，是一高貴社區，魏家夫婦退休後，因需幫助長女工程師照顧子女，遷居休市，轉眼已經十餘載，長孫已上大學矣。我因意見不合，退出大學群組，正想探詢舊日同窗訊息，讓兄嫂招待一頓豐盛之日本刺身料理，甚為感謝。
我每天都關心政局，一見面就恭賀他在中國上海之房產購置脫手，這是宏義兄當年藥廠出差上海，巧妙購置房產當寓所，出差結束後，即時獲利脫手，然後繼續在巴頓路治和休市買賣房產為副業，非常成功。兩夫婦自大學畢業結婚後，一直非常順利，無意間決定來美留學，也很順利取得化學哲學博士，宏義在瑞士藥廠，金鳳在路州南方大學教授，都任職到退休，而且身體都甚健壯，三位子女都成家立業，非常令人羨慕。
我問起舊日師大男舍106室老室友，也聊到當年和今日，應是今年春天巴拿馬郵輪行，有甲班莊鵬岳兄來訊商談遷居休市一事，原來鵬岳和金鳳都是當年花蓮高中高女特優畢業生，保送我們師大化學系，據金鳳說當年一高中僅保送兩位，都是非常優秀者，我馬上要幫助兩位師大前輩夫赴郵輪旅行到日本，然後在日本環國高鐵旅行三週，這兩位前輩應在年紀80，都是澎湖高中保送生，一位是物理系，一位是英語系，均甚優秀。
我甚節約旅行，因此想推薦兩位十月初同行日本，我把價錢和路線告知，結果時間緊湊，無法同行，只能等待下次。
