Ivory Foo and Moo Goo

Hello,

Well first things first I should rant about giving blood. I promised I would.

I gave blood the other day. This is something I do on a regular basis. I actually, normally, enjoy it. I went with a few friends, so we kind of made it an outing. After checking in, and slipping my name into the drawing for a door prise I read the required material. Okay. I didn't. I never do, but really who does? I read it the first time I went and now I just skim for new info and then check to make sure that the medications I am taking don't conflict. Then it is onto waiting to go to get questioned and poked.

I finally get in there. I hate the finger poke.It is normally the worst part. For those of you who don't know, they stick your finger with a pin or something, they really have a device that does it, so that your bleed. They then collect some blood and test your iron levels. Mine are always extremely high, but I guess that is a good thing. They are supposed to wipe off your finger and put a band aid on it for you, but this time I was just handed gauze and a band aid and left alone. I found it rude, but I took care of my bleeding finger by myself, really no big deal.

They lady comes back and then sets me up for the questions. Again, for those of you who don't know there is a series of uncomfortable questions, most of which are pertaining to your and your partner's sexual history and travel. There should be an easy skip question that simply asks if you have ever had sex. Then people could click no or yes. No would skip all of those questions and then there would only be like 4 questions left. Yes would take you into that series of questions. Oh well.

I was then ushered into a waiting chair. None of my friends were out there so I was sitting next to a kindly retired lady, who really enjoyed laughing. She got up and left, and in her place came a very dirty and foul smelling woman. After a little bit they asked who was next and I let that lady go so as not to force my friends to sit next to her.

Then I was seated on a table and my friends were seated on ones very close to me. The nurse who was taking care of myself and a friend asked what arm I would like to give blood out of. This has never really mattered to me so I let her know this. She then said we would do the right arm since the table was already set up like that. I said that sounded good and she started to get things ready. She then poked around on my arm trying to find a vein, this was done with very hard almost bruising pokes for a long time but finally she found one and marked it.

Then it was on with the pressure cuff and I was instructed to squeeze this stress ball. The nurse then, without warning stuck the needle in.

As an aside here I can't watch a needle go into my body. I just can't. It doesn't seem right. I can watch one go into anyone else, including good friends and family members, but not me. Thus I have never actually seen the needle they use to draw blood. MY GOD! that thing is huge!

When I saw this needle coming at me, I did what I would naturally do. This didn't include flinching or moving, this was to exclaim how large the needle was and then watch it slip into my skin without flinching.

This needle being plunged into my skin yielded no blood. Thus she had not, more than likely, hit a vein. This yielded a search for the vein. It was a very painful search. She was digging around and turning the needle. It wasn't pleasant. This was amplified by the fact that the pressure cuff was still on and my hand was going numb. When I told her this she let the pressure out and blood flowed into my hand and not the intended bag. The nurse pumped up the pressure again and continued the search. I admired her dedication, but was pissed that it included digging into my body with a large needle. My hand and wrist went numb and I again told her. This was after about a total 15 min. looking for the vein. While the blood returned the nurse called over the head nurse. The pressure was applied again, and they both searched for a vein. Lets just say I was a little ticked off now.

After about another 5 min, they pronounced it a lost cause. They then asked if I would like to try the other arm and I consented. They quickly found the middle vein and as soon as they stuck my arm blood rushed into the bag. This wouldn't have been a bad thing if I hadn't, two min. into the search asked if they would like to try my other arm. She for some reason refused.

They assured me that my right arm wouldn't bruise, seeing as you need blood for a bruise and I hadn't bleed. I knew this was bull shit because I have been hit a time or two with a tennis ball, and there has been no blood shed, but I did bruise. Later that day my entire inner elbow was a bright purple. I recover very quickly from bruises and now you can hardly see it.

I did win the door praise though. Yes for all that pain I was rewarded with a pretty small tote bag with the words American Red Cross on the side. A very poor trade off indeed.


Anyway, I just finished eating Chinese, watching half an episode of Monk, watching Sweeney Todd, then having Ike drive me back home in my car.

Ike. What a great guy. I think the world of him, and it is much deserved. I miss him when I am at college. It's the random things that bring up his name. He is leaving tomorrow. Strike that, today. It feels like the last of my close friends have gone back and I am left here, alone. It is two days and I am sure I will survive. Many people over this break have asked me why I don't date Ike. This is my response (Golds pay attention): Our relationship isn't like that. The end. If you can't understand that, then think of your best guy friend, and you should understand. I love him, just not in that way.

In an unrelated note: Sweeney Todd. Very disturbing movie. Very well done, with an excellent cast (though I find myself thinking of a lot of the characters as who they played in the Harry Potter series). Not much else to say except that if it wasn't for the singing the whole thing would be a gore fest. Though all the blood was extremely fake, so it wasn't too bad. And the disclaimer in the credits that movie was not based on a true story and any portrayal of real events or people was unintentional does make the whole thing complete.

I was sitting in my car, in the passenger seat, as Ike drove. I had a moment, as they say. It is hard to describe such things but I will try. The street lights stretched ahead and there wasn't another car on the road. It was just me and Ike, driving and talking. It was about midnight when this happened. For some reason it was the lights that got me. They were the same. I am sure that at some point I was driving the same stretch of road at night only I was younger. I am not one for deja vu moments. I have never really felt deja vu or maybe I am just not weirded out by them. So please don't impose your feelings of deja vu into this story. I get a sense of continuity and change all at the same time.

This town hasn't changed. Some may think it have, and those of us who are really returning for the first time like to think that the town was greatly effected by our leaving. It wasn't. It's just as it always is. The senior class graduates, leaves for college and a chance at greatness, and a new senior class is put into place with their own dreams. We are just part of the consistency. This town doesn't change. The politics don't change. We as individuals do, but in the end that really doesn't affect the town, just us and our perceptions.

My brother wanted to leave this town as fast as he could. I can understand that. There is little to do here. I, however, wasn't so ready. I am naturally hesitant. I wasn't ready to leave the world I had always known. Driving down that street felt right. This place hasn't changed. I have, but I still like it here. I have always loved this town, I always will. This is small town America, this is the life that TV shows want to show, but they never capture it. Small towns have clarity.

I butchered that explanation. Sorry.

Ta Ta