poetry in motion

leaves
scattered on the sidewalk
like fallen stars

This photo was taken outside the American Red Cross center today. Why was I there, well, it was that time again, folks.
As I was walking toward the entrance, the display of colors and the shape of the leaves struck me as poetic.
I don't think a 1-6-4 syllable scheme qualifies as haiku, but it could certainly be said to be a haiku-like poem.

twice in a single summer!

To tell you the truth, I was trying to hold off until the weekend.
You see, at Dragon*Con, LifeSouth will give me a really cool T-shirt for donating blood and participating in the Robert A. Heinlein "Pay It Forward" blood drive.
Outstanding reason to donate! Right?
Then again, the American Red Cross will give me a really cool T-shirt at the end of the year, as they have for several years now.
Why?
I'm a VIP LifeSaver, Silver Level, which means I have pledged to donate whole blood at least three times per year.
This was my second donation this year. I had a fairly late start, as I was a bit under the weather in January and February. Then, when I showed up in early March to donate, I was hijacked by the folks in the plasmapheresis department. I did donate that day, but it was plasma, so that did not count toward my annual obligation.
Time progressed. I kept dodging the calls asking me to come back and donate again. I always had a ready excuse for why I could not make it there.
To donate plasma.
Finally, I worked up the nerve. No more Ms. Nice Girl! I explained how I had felt that one time I had been hooked up to the plasmapheresis machine and how exhausted I had been afterward. I explained that I actually enjoy giving whole blood and would prefer to only donate whole blood in the future.
By this time, a couple of months had passed.
My birthday arrived.
I always liked to give blood around the time of my birthday. Not only does my special day coincide with Memorial Day weekend, but I like to give back for all I have received.
Eventually, almost a month later and after two ill-timed visits to the donation center, I succeeded in my quest to give whole blood.
Woohoo!
My first VIP LifeSaver donation was completed!
Now, today, I donated the second pint toward that contract.
Only one more pint to go and I have plenty of time to do so. Every 56 days, I can donate whole blood. If I really try, I can make two donations before year's end.
Maybe LifeSouth will give me a T-shirt anyway this weekend...
Hey! A girl can dream!!!

cool reward for donating blood!

Look what I received in today's mail!!!
I now have a cool lunchbag for school, thanks to the American Red Cross.
Thanks!
I had entered the drawing in early July, after I donated in June.
I had not expected to win, of course, as I do not seem to have that particular kind of luck.
Still, I entered the "100 Days of Summer. 100 Days of Hope." drawing.
You can't win if you don't play, n'est-ce pas?
And I won!!!

Here's the congratulatory email I received last month.

"American Red Cross Sweepstakes Winner - Lunch Bag Cooler
Summer Stories On:Jul 07/17/14 9:13 AM

Thanks for choosing your day to participate in the American Red Cross summer promotion, 100 days of Hope. You submitted an online entry through redcrossblood.org on July 2, 2014 to enter to win a Red Cross Lunch Cooler. We are happy to notify you that you were selected at random as a winner!

Attached you will find the Promotional Release Form required to claim your prize. Please review the form and complete the required information on the form. You can find a full version of the prize terms and conditions posted on our website (http://rcblood.org/winner). Please complete your form and return it to us by email at Summer.Stories@redcross.org by July 28, 2014. Failure to receive your form by that date will result in forfeiture of your prize. Your prize will be mailed to you within 2 weeks of receiving your completed form.

Every day this summer is a chance to give hope. And due to a recent decline in donations, your help is urgently needed. Summer is a time when blood donations drop, but you can help prevent a summer shortage. Please help us spread the word and encourage friends and family members to choose their day this summer to donate blood or platelets!

Jenny Lamping | Donor Marketing
American Red Cross
Blood Services
4050 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 658-8558 (p)
Jenny.Lamping@redcross.org | redcrossblood.org "

I look forward to using it to keep cold things cold and hot things hot!

day 33

It's 100 Days of Summer, y'all!
That's what the American Red Cross is calling this blood drive.
100 Days of Summer.
100 Days of Hope.
I encourage you to click here and find a time that works for you. You will then be a hero to three people.
1 hour of time + 1 pint of blood donated = 3 lives saved
Today was the 33rd day of the campaign.
I sandwiched my donation between errands at the school, lunch (fried chicken!) and dinner (pot roast!!) at The Galley, and an evening topped off with an old-fashioned murder mystery.
Very nice!!!
I do hope you have as wonderful a day as I have had today!

hijacked!

Yesterday, I had an appointment to give whole blood.
Instead, I found myself lashed to this machine for the next 90 minutes or so. That wouldn't have been so bad, but the blasted thing was such a taskmaster!
BEEP! Squeeze the ball repeatedly!
BEEP! Stop squeezing the ball!
Over and over and over...
I was pretty exhausted afterward.
I don't think giving plasma is going to work for me.
That's a shame, because the American Red Cross really needs plasma donors and my plasma is very healthy.

Once upon a time, when I was younger and in the U.S. Navy, I participated in plasmapheresis on a regular basis. The method used two needles, one in each arm. Blood would be removed from the one arm, centrifuged to separate the plasma from the red blood cells, and then the red blood cells would be returned to my body via the other arm. As I recall, the whole process took about an hour.
What I recall most is the metal taste in my mouth from the anticoagulant.
The new technique uses this machine and a single needle. That's right: the blood goes in and is returned at the same site in the arm.
Small amounts of blood are drawn into the machine and the components are separated. Then some of those components are returned and the cycle repeats. Because only small quantities are involved, it takes a while to complete the donation. Typically, the time required is about two hours, or long enough to watch a movie.
The donation of whole blood typically requires only about ten minutes. That's all the time needed to drain a pint of blood from a human body, with gravity being lightly aided by mild fist pumping.

I'll give it some thought, but... I think whole blood donation is going to be best for me.

79 pints of blood on the wall, 79 pints of blood

Dear Dood,
I do hope you have received the package of new towels and such that I bought for you. I thought it would be nice to start the year with some new clothes. Of course I ordered them online at the site for y'all to make sure the items would be in regulation.
I'm recycling this card, even though this is the first time this card has ever been used. Say what?! Well, it's a Mother's Day card. It came with the package of cards, much as the Home Shopping Network is part of the cable package, even though I never watch that channel. As you are the "baddest Mutha" I know, YOU are getting the card!

Guess who called me this morning? The American Red Cross! I'm one of their VIP donors, Silver level, which means I have pledged to give blood at least three times this year. I had already planned to give today, so their timing was pretty good. The really nice thing? She kept thanking me for helping to save lives. After all, each pint donated helps three people. What a lovely first phone call of the day!
I'm sure you're wondering: how much have you donated? Well, I wasn't sure until now. She told me I've given 78 pints. Seventy-eight! Wow!
Happy New Year!
with my love!

postscript: In case you're wondering, these are not the usual cookies on this card. They're meringue cookies, a French treat. The whipped egg whites and sugar are formed in cookie tins and baked, then the sweet goo is put in the middle. These are typically small cookies, too - one bite and they're gone!

be a GOOD cookie

Trick or treat?

Why not perform a good trick of giving life-saving, renewable blood?

In return, Keebler will provide free cookie or fruit treats.

Trick and treats!

life saver, one pint at a time

Today, in honor of my birthday, I gave blood.
To my surprise, it was the first time this year that I gave.
Not good.
Why?
Well, I'm a VIP LifeSaver, Silver level, for the American Red Cross. I have been for quite a few years, as the act of giving to others is part of my nature. Silver level means that I have pledged to donate one pint of whole blood at least three times annually.
That's why I was surprised that I have not given at least once before today. I generally try to give in March, then close to my birthday, than some time in the fall. The times sometimes vary, but I easily make my three pledged donations.
I'm not really sure how I fell so far behind this year. Perhaps it was the general sickliness I had this past winter. After all, you cannot give when you're ill, as the cold virus may be passed on to others - and, if they're needing your blood to save their life, they are already too damaged to fight your viruses.
So, today I made good on the first pledge.
While I was there, they had giant postcards. You know, the kind you send to others when on vacation? This was part of their "Summer of Stories" campaign. They asked that donors write on the cards to say why they donate blood.
Of course, I complied.

I give...

so someone's little girl can go to the beach and chase seagulls.

so someone's big brother will be around to help them move into their college dorm.

so someone's mother can keep hugging them at bedtime.

so someone's father will be there to teach them to drive.

I give to share the love.

Happy birthday to me!