More Light-headed than Usual Friday!

cue theme music de-jour

Friday started out like any other plasma donation day but things changed very quickly. When I got there they did the usual measurements: blood pressure, weight, temperature, prick my finger to test my blood and the usual questions. I was told that my protein level was at 6.0 and if it were any lower I wouldn’t have been able to donate. That’s another good reason for donating plasma. Besides saving lives it’s like getting your engine tuned-up; the "mechanic" says my engine needs protein. Tuesday, my next donation day, I will make sure I eat more protein-enriched foods the night before and the morning of the donation. So, then I headed over to begin the recycling. I was hooked up and began to pump blood/plasma. The first draining went well and the blood was pumped back into me. Then the blood began to be pumped out again but the machine wasn’t pumping properly and the beeps and lights began to go off on the machine. One of the technicians who was with another donor said, “I’ll be right there.” Then the person who hooked me up to the machine came over. She started fiddling with the needle in my vein and all of a sudden blood began spewing out of my vein. Up from my vein came a bubbling crude, red gold, plasma tea. The next thing you know old Matty’s covered in blood. It’s was a geyser. I have had a toe chopped off so this was nothin’ though they sure seemed focused. Of course this would be the day I wore one of my favorite white shirts. I am a member of the Save The Manatees Club and I was wearing my Save The Manatees shirt. I am sure you’re not surprised I adopted a Manatee since I am a bleeding heart (and vein) and I love cows and manatees are basically sea cows. Fortunately I had an extra shirt in the car so I didn't get blood all over the seat. I’m wearing a red shirt next time. Anyway, there were three technicians/phlebotomists standing around me trying to stop the blood with gauze and towels. It was awesome! You can’t make a cake without breaking a few eggs. So they made me sit down and eat some Cheese-Its and drink some water. Then, after the timer went off, I got to talk to the nurse who said I could donate again Tuesday if I want to but if it happens again I will have to wait eight-weeks before the next donation because blood doesn’t replenish itself as fast as plasma. I figure all things happen for a reason...I needed something exciting to blog about so this happened. I should have taken photos of the blood pouring all over the place but I didn’t want to get blood on my camera; I did take a picture of my wrapping while driving home though.

Another reason this happened was so I could tell you a tremendous stain-removal tip that they gave me and it worked. When I got home I took off my bloody shirt and shorts (yes, they got bloody too) and I soaked the blood with hydrogen peroxide and it immediately began to bubble. I wadded up the stained areas and put them in a bowl of peroxide and went back in about a half hour and the blood was 100% gone; like disappearing ink. The green shorts did not fade other than the blood being gone...good to know. Now I know how you ladies feel when your monthly visitor, Aunt Flo, makes a surprise stop. Remember before we were MIDDLES when we were HAPPY to see her?

Who ever named diets was right on. DIE definitely belongs in that word. I really don't like the word diet and diet is not what I am on; I have totally changed my way of life and it still needs tweaking from time to time. I am just going to cut out some of the unhealthy foods I have worked into my repertoire and get back to what brought me here. I am having a hard time getting back in the swing of things. I had mistakenly began thinking with all of my working-out I could eat whatever I wanted and I wouldn’t gain weight. I was wrong and in doing so I have developed some bad habits again. I need to reel it in. I have seen both sides and the pain it will be to get back on the wagon is far less than the pain and suffering from being fat. When I was fat it was hard to get my big butt up on that wagon. I need to get back up there while I still can!

My son and I played two games of one-on-one basketball in the driveway Friday night. I used to let him win but now I think he takes it easy on me. I won the first game and he won the second game. Win-Win literally!

I walked to the library today while the laundry was washing to do some research for my novel. I thought about how, by the time I have great grandchildren, I will have to explain to them what a library was because there will no longer be any books. I took this photo of a car right outside of the library. I think it may have been the book mobile because it had so many bumper stickers on it that I could have spent the entire day reading them. Is it actually a bumper sticker if it’s on the roof and the hood and the doors?

Have a great Saturday. Enjoy the outdoors because it won't be long before we are dealing with cabin fever again. We are probably gonna have a fire Saturday night on Mattgarita Island (our backyard) and you're all welcome. I always say that and maybe you think I'm kidding but I do mean it. Let me know if you need to know the coordinates. I'll blog you again Saturday night/Sunday morning before I get my fantasy football line-up together. TTTT M.

** mantee graphic sea cowed from fmpta-mo.com & good food photo harvested from muchthump.com **