Confessions of a TARP Wife

Eating lasagna and watching Law & Order reruns may be routine for millions of Americans, but an anonymous TARP wife describes her initiation into such rituals in the latest issue of Condé Nast Portfolio. Other sacrifices? “I drive the family crazy by switching off the lights every time we leave a room. Needless to say, we fly commercial.” Crying a river yet? “We’ve picked up new habits, like making donations anonymously and sneaking in late to black-tie galas after society photographer Patrick McMullan has packed up his camera and gone home. We now regularly turn down the invitations we receive from museums and arts organizations that will inevitably be followed by a request for funds.”