Believe it or not.
Carol and I took the kids on a mini-adventure in San Francisco yesterday. None of us had ever been to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum, so we thought that’d be fun for the whole gang. First of all, that place is pretty darn expensive. Even after using our AAA discount, we were pushing about $100. Of course it didn’t help that most of the ‘kids’ we were with were over the age of thirteen, and technically charged as adults. We really thought we’d see more there. I mean, it was tons of fun, but I think that is totally credited to the company we were in. I think the kids would agree that Carol and I are the ‘funnest’.
I swear, she really needs to bring her kids to the city more often — they suffer from trauma every time we’re there! Just last week it was the movie theater and yesterday poor Alyssa got to witness the epitome of a crack addict. We’re standing in line to get our tickets for the museum when this bum comes walking by. He stops in front of this display just outside of the museum of a mechanical man climbing up and down a rope. He makes what almost looks like a chicken’s head with his hand and starts ‘pecking’ at the display screaming “Pah! Pah! Pah!” The rest of us are mildly amused, but when I turn to Alyssa, she looks terrified.
‘What’s wrong with him, Auntie Gemma?‘
In a joint effort with the rest of the kids, we convince her that whatever was wrong with him was his own fault.
At the end of the tour, Carol and the kids take the stroller through the wheelchair-accessible exit while Aaron, Allison, and I head through this revolving door exit that looked like every revolving door I recall seeing at all the zoos I’ve been to in my life. Hopefully you know what I’m talking about. Anyway, we walk down a staircase and through a door that led outside. Aaron and Allison tug on my arm and say, ‘Auntie Gemma, did you see that?‘
Apparently, this guy in his late 30s, along with some girl around the same age, and a child grabbed the door as we were exiting and basically snuck into the museum. I remember seeing them standing by the door as we were leaving, but didn’t see them actually make their move. When the kids told me, I was pretty disgusted! What kind of ADULT does that?!?!
We gather with Carol and the rest of the gang, fill them in on what was going on, and headed on our way. As we walked past the door again, we realized that those people had exited and were following directly behind us. Immediately, the kids begin to whisper. ‘That’s them!… wow, they got kicked out fast!… that’s so moded!‘ For a split-second, I’m embarrassed at how loud the kids were being, but then it hits me and I started laughing pretty obnoxiously.
‘What’s so funny, Auntie Gemma?‘
Ha. The revolving door only went one way!!! So funny. Believe it?… Or not???
Last note for today — here’s a little evidence that Allison has learned a lot from her beloved Auntie: