Donating Platelets

So, I donated platelets today. It didn't great.

First, I failed the iron test the first time so a supervisor had to come and check my iron again.

Second, Morgan was meeting me there to pick up the turkey so it didn't sit in my car for 2 hours. Because it took so long to get the supervisor and do my iron twice I was still answering the questions when Morgan came to get my keys. The nurses wouldn't let her see me because I was behind the privacy shower curtain so we passed my keys back and forth through another nurse.

Third, they were having some trouble with the iodine swabs and the swab kept coming off the stick so she had keep opening new ones so it took a while to get started on the needle.

Fourth, with about 4 minutes left to go I started feeling a little nauseous. So I said, "excuse me, I'm not feeling that great all of a sudden." I'm not sure if you've ever said you weren't feeling well while donating blood. But the nurses pounce on you. All of a sudden there were 4 nurses surrounding me and staring at me shouting things
Nurse 1 pulls the blanket off me
Nurse 1: Pause her
Nurse 2: (tips my chair back)
Nurse 1: Is she paused?
Nurse 3: yes, she's paused
Nurse 1: Cough a few times, it'll make you feel better.
Me: cough (softly as 4 people stare at me)
Nurse 1: Get me another cold pack (as she puts one cold pack behind my neck)
Nurse 3: here you go
Nurse 1: (puts the second cold pack on my forehead)
Nurse 4 (the supervisor who took my iron the 2nd time): How does she look.
Nurse 1: Her color is coming back.
Nurse 4: Can you cough a few times? It will help.
me: cough, cough (still kind of softly as 4 people stare at me)
Nurse 3: Do you want some water
Me: yes, thanks
Nurse 5: I'll get it.
Nurse 1: Maybe some soup would be better. Do you want some soup?
Me: I guess if it's available.
Nurse 5: So, do you want the soup?
Nurse 3: Yes - she wants soup
Nurse 4: Can you do some big coughs?
Me: cough (still kind of softly)
Nurse 4: No bigger, like you're trying to clear your throat
Me: cough
Nurse 1: No, Like this: COUGH
Me: COUGH
Nurse 4: Good, do a few more of those
Me: COUGH COUGH
Nurse 1: Are you feeling better now?
Me: Yes, thank you
Nurse 1: Re-infuse her
Nurse 3: She's re-infusing
Nurse 1: We're just giving you back your red blood cells
Me: Great
....
It went on like this for 4 or 5 more minutes.
Then I went and sat at the table while a volunteer stared at me like I might pass out.
Then I came home. It was awesome.

Winter

Well - I hate winter. It's cold and it's dark.

I can't quite decide if I should move someplace warm and heaven-like: Hawaii for example.

There are surely some pros and cons.

Cons:
-I would be separating Julian and Eloise from their favorite Aunt (we have a special bond).
-The move would be really tough on the pets
-It would be very expensive to come visit.
-The cost of living is higher than it is here.
-I hate packing and moving and unpacking.

Pros:
-It's warm
-I've always been happy there.

Did I miss anything?

Old Credit Cards

One day a long time ago I was looking through my Mom's old roll top desk.
She had a bunch of old credit cards from when she and Dad were married in there in a big stack with a rubber band around them. I was looking through them and they all said Mrs. Dad's name, well, you know what I mean. Most of them were signed that way. But one was signed with her name. I remember very well that she told me that she was being a rebel. I remember thinking that that was crazy! Why wouldn't it just say her name on the front of the card.

It's weird what stays with you, right?

Hawaii!

I'm back from Hawaii. It was so wonderful and it was worth the long flight (no matter what anyone else might say). We had a great time. A better than great time. The best time ever!

We had so much fun. I was worried we wouldn't have time to do everything I wanted to, but we did, without even rushing.

Highlights:
Having the BEST shave ice on our first full day there
Going to the zoo
Going to the aquarium
Hiking Diamond Head
Going to the beach
The Polynesian show/dinner cruise
Being warm in the sun


Lowlights:
Sore legs from tons of walking and climbing Mt Kilimanjaro (Diamond Head)
Getting a little sea sick.
The bathing suit kiosk where the Japanese woman with mediocre English looked at me when I asked about a style (not a size) and said, "no, we don't have any in big size"
Having to come home

I can't wait to go back!