rogers922: blog 
rogers922's blog
watermelons do not bounce
Published Jul. 24, 2008I live in the country and it is really no surprise to me when I drive and end up behind a truck of some sort hauling chickens, pigs or produce. But my driving experience yesterday took the proverbial cake! Yesterday, Mother Nature had a hot flash followed by a temper tantrum, (massive heat and thunder storms), and I am trying to get home after an appointment in town. I find myself driving behind a converted school bus which is carrying a load of watermelons. The driver must have been new and inexperienced because every time there was a flash of lightning he hit his brakes. Then, when the thunder came, he hit his brakes, again. I am now watching this massive load of watermelons shift balance every time he hit his brakes. You guessed it. The load shifted and a melon pops over the side into the ditch. No biggie. Another brake, another shift and there goes melon number two over the left side into the street. I zig to miss the mess. Melon number three decides to off load itself from the rear of the bus and directly at me, I zag for that one. I, by this time, have decided that I need to back off and am about five car lengths behind the truck. At the point when melon number three releases from the rear, it shifts the load yet again and about a dozen watermelons come rolling off the truck. I was shocked. I am zigging and zagging to the left, to the right, as watermelons explode on the street. My poor little Ford Escort is under attack by summer produce! I came to a complete stop on a country road in the exact middle of nowhere to watch a watermelon decide which way it wanted to roll, come to a complete stop and then split open into two perfect hemispheres. All the while the driver continues on, braking at every lightning bolt and thunder clap. What did I learn? I learned that watermelons, when falling from a truck, do not bounce. I learned that my car rocks with rack and pinion steering. Although I did not learn this, I strongly suspect the driver, when the driver got to where he was going, didn’t have a load to deliver. Only in my life do things like this happen.
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July 24, 2008 12:39 p.m.
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July 24, 2008 11:56 a.m.
Watermelons do not bounce, they split open. And like buttered toast or a peanut butter sandwich, they fall 'good stuff" side down. Believe me when I say there isn't enough water to wash the melons off with to make me want to eat one.
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July 24, 2008 11:52 a.m.
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