Yes, We Have No Bananas

Sticking with the theme of elementary school lunch room and related experiences two things come to mind. When we were in fifth grade my friend Danny wanted to go for the "school record" for drinking those pint size milk cartons. I don't really know if a real school record existed, but thats what I remember the goal being. Danny was a big kid, with a big appetite. Several of us gave Danny our milks for him to go for the record. Seven of us actually. It was near the end of the lunch period when he went for it. We all watched as he chugged Animal House-style those eight cartons of milk. With a milk mustache he left the lunchroom victorious. The classes exited it order, with Mrs. Denson's class going first (Danny's class) followed by Mrs. Finley's class and finally my class. When we were marching to our room near the library, it was apparent that while Danny set the record, he couldn't hold on to it. He got to go home early that day.

My friend Hank (standing to my right in the photo) often reminds me of an experience in Mrs. Smith's first grade class that we all remember. In first grade, you got to take a snack, usually fruit for a break that occurred around 10:00am. Five or six of us were all sitting around a small table about to eat our snack. In a last minute change of events, Hank traded his plum with our friend Page (top row, far right, stripped shirt) for his apple. He took one bite into the plum and "that" look came over him. A look that says "he's gonna spew."  He did and we still remember it 35 years later. That's one of the dangers of trading. Some fruits are not familiar to your buddy's palate.