Always walk AROUND your vehicle...
That's one of the first rules when dealing with large vehicles and/or service vehicles. Walk around it, and do a quick inspection. Too bad I forgot that this morning...
When we got in last night, it was late and dark, so we didn't even bother to unhook the trailer. We had been carrying the weed-eater in the trailer as there was no room for it on the back of the truck, and I didn't want to leave it in the trailer any longer. There was a risk of rain, so to keep it from possibly getting wet, I placed it under the trailer, and forgot about it...
This morning when trying to back up the truck and trailer, both vehicles suddenly stopped moving. I thought that perhaps I had hit a pothole (if only!) so I gave it a little more throttle. It wasn't until I felt the next large bump that I remembered the weed-eater. Sadly, it is now an EX-weed-eater. I managed to stop before I ran over the Honda engine, so at least that part can be salvaged. It used to have a straight shaft, but it now has a curved shaft, curving up, so I can't even use it as a curved-shaft trimmer. The trimmer head may have survived, but the guard, handle, and shaft are ruined. Fortunately, since the engine is the most expensive part and it didn't get run over, I can call MTD and just order replacement parts. I don't know what bugs me more - the fact that I ran over it, or the fact that I forgot that rule about checking around the vehicle first. Naturally, the one time I forgot is the one time it mattered.
Close to Trixstir's parents' place, we found someone who was having a much worse day... We were almost at their farm, when we came over a small hill to find the road was closed. Just ahead was a large grain-truck, laying on its side, halfway in the ditch. The driver had tried to take the corner too fast, and rolled the truck. This wasn't some old beat-up farm truck either, this was a relatively new (and thus very expensive) truck. Thankfully the driver wasn't injured, though he may have needed a change of shorts and possibly a new job after that little incident.