Slippery Milk

Have you noticed that milk cartons are often pretty slippery? Mine are usually barely moist from condensation by the time we make it home from the store. Just moist enough to be really, darn slippery.

Recently after I arrived home from the grocery store, I took on the "grocery challenge" like usual. I tried to make it inside the house with all of the groceries in a single trip. I reached into my trunk and picked up the heaviest reusable grocery bag first. Then I went for the moderately heavy bag. Feeling pretty loaded at this point, I decided I would grab the milk jug next, then end by carefully adding the final lightweight bag to my arm.

But I didn't make it that far. As I started to swing the milk towards me, planning to shift it to the other hand before reaching into the trunk again, I noticed that the carton handle felt kind of slippery. As the milk started to slip, I clutched harder. For a moment I thought I had recovered my grip - that I had saved myself from the impending blunder. Then the bottom of the container grazed the edge of the trunk. The milk slipped again, I reached for it with the same hand, then I clutched for it with the other hand. Meanwhile my already loaded grocery bags swung precariously from side to side on my arm.

And then it happened. The plastic milk jug hit the ground. HARD. So hard, that the container busted open and milk rushed onto the ground and down the driveway towards the street.

And there I was, NOT crying over spilled milk. I don't know about you, but I never heard the rule about what to do when faced with milk gushing down your driveway. So I just hovered. That's right, I pretty much stayed frozen in the same position as when the milk last left my hands. Absolutely useless. As far as I was concerned, I had failed the milk challenge. All Was Lost. Game over.

Fortunately, my husband had heard what to do when standing over milk gushing down your driveway. You should try to save it, of course. Or at least try to prevent some of the mess.

Turns out, we were able to fill several pitchers and save about 3/4 of the milk. (A gallon of milk is a lot of liquid!) I'm so glad my hubby had heard that milk rule. The other milk rule, that is.