Hot Pockets!

Around 1956, I was attending La Grange High School and one of the “required” subjects we had to take was chemistry. Already knowing that I would pursue the house moving business with my dad, I didn’t think chemistry could help me that much. But since it was a required subject, I studied it. I did manage to pass it with a 70.25 average.

One part about chemistry that I enjoyed was when once a week we would go to the adjacent room which we called “the lab.” We had rows of tables and about four to six students were assigned to each table. The teacher would assign each table a different project to work on. Each table had a Bunsen burner, microscope, etc. with which to work with. On this particular day my table had a rather easy project and we finished it 10 minutes or so ahead of time. They say that idleness is the Devil’s workshop, and sure enough, I started to look for something to amuse myself. I proceeded to take a 50 cent piece out of my pocket. Now a ½ dollar coin is hard to come by these days but in the late 50’s they were still plentiful. Anyway I took this coin and holding it with a pair of tweasers I found in my drawer I proceeded to hold it over the Bunsen burner. When this coin was good and hot I accidently dropped my note book on the floor and while bending down to retrieve it I deposited this hot coin next to the foot of my neighbor who was at the next table. Let’s just call him Bill. After a few seconds I turned to him again and after tapping him on his shoulder and getting his attention, I asked him “Hey Bill is that your 50 cent piece on the floor there?” Well his eyes lit up and he said “yea it sure is Flo!” For his project he had to wear goggles and gloves so with his gloved hand he picked up the hot coin and slipped it quickly into his blue jean pocket. Well after that coin slid into the bottom of his pocket, it didn’t take long for the whole class room to hear a shriek and a roar from Bill. He also started doing a jig all around his table. He couldn’t get to that coin wearing that glove so he first had to pull it off. Finally he slipped two fingers in and pulled the coin out. Of course by that time the coin produced an imprint of that American eagle on his tender skin down there. The teacher came into the room to see what all the ruckus was about. When he saw Bill flip the coin from his pocket he asked him just what was he doing. Bill pointed a finger at me and said “Flo gave me a hot coin!” I just held up my hands in defense and said “Hey all I did was ask you if that was your money. I didn’t put it into your pocket!You said it was yours.”

Then the teacher asked me if I was finished with my project. I told him “yes sir”! Then he asked Bill if he was finished with his and after finding out that he wasn’t he told him to “get with it” and to stop “monkeying around.” I didn’t dare ask Bill for my coin back so I guess this little prank cost me 50 cents. But after seeing him dance around that table, I’d say it was worth every penny of it!