Our baker’s-dozen-months’ membership ends next week and we’d been wanting to see the new Baja exhibit. Richard is still under orders to stay off that foot, so today Michelle and I drove down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Coming up the sidewalk towards the entrance behind us were two tall teen girls and I turned and asked them if they were going to the Aquarium.

Yes. (Since I wasn’t their parent they didn’t quite roll their eyes.)

I said I had two guest passes and was using one (nodding towards my daughter) and would one of them like to go in for free?

Well YES! But I was a complete stranger making a completely unexpected offer and it flustered them as to what they were supposed to do–suddenly the dad they’d been studiously not walking with joined up with us, along with the rest of the family, and I explained. It didn’t matter which of them came with us, just, if they wanted to they were welcome to. I could only get one in, but I could do that.

 Members go in this door, people paying, that one, so that was a bit awkward, but I know how expensive those tickets are and there was just no good reason not to put mine to use.

We got a very nice thank you and then she went on to join up with her family just a bit ahead.