Posted on 12/17/2024 11:14:28 AM PST by Red Badger
Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A plumber working at a Virginia elementary school made a startling discovery: a Heathcliff lunchbox lost by a student more than 40 years earlier.
Roanoke City Public Schools said in a Facebook post that a plumber was doing maintenance at Fairview Elementary School and came across a metal lunchbox bearing images of the orange cartoon cat.
"Inside, we found a thermos that still smells like hot chocolate, an adorable drawing, and a tag with the student's name: Tracy Drain, who appears to have been in Mrs. Curry's class in Room 30," district officials wrote. "The lunchbox appears to have been made in the early 1980s."
The post eventually came to the attention of the correct Tracy Drain, who lost her lunchbox during her 4th grade year in 1982.
"I think it's amazing," Drain told WDBJ-TV. "If I would've been the person that found it, I would've put it on eBay, and it's finders keepers, losers weepers. But it's very interesting to be able to see it. As far as remembering it, I do not, but it has my mom's handwriting, which I'll treasure right here."

"Inside, we found a thermos that still smells like hot chocolate, an adorable drawing, and a tag with the student's name: Tracy Drain, who appears to have been in Mrs. Curry's class...
🤔
Does this story pass the sniff test? Will anyone crack the case?
Flipper? You youngster, you!
I still have two Aladdin lunchboxes.
A 1964 NFL Quarterback
A 1968 Bonanza
Neither one has the thermos. They always broke because they were lined with glass. If you dropped them mom threw out the thermos.
4 of us kids.
Used up a whole loaf of Wonder bread EVERY DAY making Peanut butter/jelly sandwiches.
All thru high school.
NO cafeteria-—but could buy 8 oz carton of milk for 5 cents from a cooler/dispenser.
An ancient lunchbox, all the way back to the early 80s.
That was mine.
I guess some food may become dangerous to the human body
shortly after cooking but I doubt that most foods eaten were
within 4 hours or so after cooking. Even sliced meat wouldn’t
be ruined in the 4-5 hours until eaten. jmo.
“If I would’ve been the person that found it, I would’ve put it on eBay”
Says a lot about her character.
I buy old houses and restore them. The things I have found in walls and floors...I wish I could tell you! But I shouldn’t. ;)
We used to be able to buy replacement liners. I think they’re still available, but you do have to look for them.
There was a house down the street from my mine that they did some remodeling and found drugs and cash inside the wall.
Same here but I could always find a kid with tuna willing to trade.
Used to freak the other kids out when my mom put pork and bean sandwichs in the ole’ brown bag.
LOL! Beat me to it!
About 25 years ago a relative was restoring a house built in the first decade of the 1800s. When they took off the kitchen ceiling, they found a beam, with writing in chalk left by the guy who had restored in 1892.
All I ever got was a hammer and six hickory nuts.
“””About 25 years ago a relative was restoring a house built in the first decade of the 1800s. When they took off the kitchen ceiling, they found a beam, with writing in chalk left by the guy who had restored in 1892.”””
Cool, about 2 years ago I replaced a vent in my office bathroom (at the house) and wrote on it “2020 #STOLEN” and TRUMP WON! then I installed it. Next time it will be replaced, whoever will see that. Hahaha!
I also had the red plaid number you showed.
LOL, hard times in the neighborhood
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