No way Jose

Unfortunately I was not able to donate platelets on Sunday. Even though my iron was at a level even Popeye the Sailor Man could admire, I was slow in output from my very narrow vein.

The technique the blood center was using was to draw blood for a period of time, place in a centrifuge to separate platelets, then send blood back into the vein along with anticoagulants. The Anticoagulant comes with side effects--tingling sensation and a funny metallic taste.

I immediately started reacting--first with shortness of breath at the very beginning (likely anxiety), and then the tingling started in my feet and I tasted the funny taste on the first try. The tech, Jose, let me know if things continued like that he would shut me down and send me packing. Well, he was nice about it but I was vexed. I was all set to enjoy not one, but two complete issues of Ladies Home Journal!

After a week of little to no caffeine, a bad-ass headache, lots of water, and iron where ever it could be found, I didn't drive that far to turn around. But Jose did not want to risk me passing out or going into some kind of distress. Not everyone is cut out for platelet donation he said. "But I ate my prunes", I whined. Well, apparently prunes are great for your iron but you have to hydrate twice as much to be near the output level that they need for the machine not to beep and carry on. Perhaps when the output is low the machine thinks it has drained you dry and there's no blood left. Maybe I'll have better luck giving away tiny dishes. Plate-lets. Get it? waah waah waah.

I was still permitted to have my cookies and juice afterward. Then RocketMan and I went to a local place he knew--pizza for him, steak burger for me (or so they claimed). Well, it was a lovely sunny day (72 degrees) so it was nice to be out and about.

How was your weekend?

lots of little pieces

• I've got some things brewing.
• Nanowrimo is a toughie. I'm working on a mystery but it's supposed to be a campy chicklit mystery. I'm having trouble with my character--she doesn't have a personality. That's okay. I'll work around it. I'll write a character with as much personality as a dish rag. A blank slate if you will.
  
• My job is a toughie. People throw tantrums. I have to try to channel this one Executive Assistant who works in another department. I have to be a mini Nina. I mean she's Teflon coated. Nothing sticks to her. All her superiors could be fired but she will still have a job. That is rare. I try to cultivate it. Feathers never ruffled. Efficient, firm, alert, appropriate.
  
• Trying to be actionary and not reactionary.
• I'm having a headache. Not sure why. Could be because I have unceremoniously quit coffee again and my body is b!tch!ing about it.
• Lately I'm loving mnmlist.com
  
• Lately I'm loving http://five.sentenc.es/    and I've been trying to use it at work. Way to get to the point!
• I'm kind of not surprised our Mayor won reelection. But I'm surprised and glad the other fellow put such a big dent in the count!
  
• I'm totally amazed that I'm actually interested in the baseball world series but completely chagrined that it is not really a world series and just a battle between US teams. Don't they know how much baseball is loved in Japan and Cuba? Or maybe they know and don't think they'd stand a chance. . .
• Somebody prayed for me. Well it was a bunch of somebodies but I think if I didn't join in also it wouldn't have had such a terrific effect. God helps those who help themselves said Benjamin Franklin and while not completely true, I think he's on to something. Either way, I'm so grateful. I was in a dark place. Nice not to be in a cave right now. It's so beautiful with all the fall color.
  

Project: PLT

I was recently contacted by a telemarketer for a local blood bank outfit. What did they want? Not for me to join in on a local blood drive. No. But for me to hike out to a mountaintop in Khazakstan (Long Island is really far from the Bronx ) to donate platelets. What are platelets you ask?

Platelets are a clotting component of blood that is replenished in 7 days. You can donate many times a year(as opposed to the every 2 months for hemoglobin). The nice lady told me that it will go to help burn victims, cancer patients and such. She even mentioned there's a much smaller needle involved (which cancels out with the fact you have to sit around for twice as long I guess).

I was reluctant but only because I think modern people have evolved a natural aversion for telemarketers (it's not the needles, I swear). After a little back and forth, the telemarketer found me a location a little closer to home—one where I wouldn't have to hire a Sherpa or charter a helicopter. Elmsford is a little north of here, and close to the town where RocketMan works. It's a lovely type of place to go for an afternoon drive and a little sushi (we found a good solid Japanese restaurant near there—no hibachi funny business). So we'll try to make a date of it.

I still had a question for the telemarketer. How can I avoid being turned away for having low iron? I can't tell you how many times this has happened. I have always volunteered to give them the other finger. That only worked once. I haven't donate blood in a while because apparently I'm just a shade above zombie when it comes to hemoglobin.

Here were the tips she gave me:

o stay hydrated that whole week

o drink lots of fluids that day

o take a mutivitamin each day that week

o eat lots of leafy greens

o avoid caffeine—it can lower your count

o eat a bit of red meat if you like that

o take vitamin c because it helps retain the iron

o eat dark chocolate!

o Avoid aspirin products for 3 days before

Did you know about the chocolate? I didn't know about the chocolate. Wow. I'm on it!

But basically do you see what she's telling me—to just be balanced and healthy.

So I went through my desk drawer and found all these multivitamins and they are all, without exclusion, well past the expiration date. How long can you keep vitamins around anyway? I'll just take them and see what happens. I think I have a liquid multivitamin at home that might still be good.

I always used to hear from people that multivitamins are a waste of money. Two reasons—1, they don't break down quickly enough so they pass through your entire system without any of the benefits entering your body—in fact they just come out as they were in your poo. 2—extra vitamin c doesn't do you any good because your body doesn't store vitamin c so you wind up with expensive urine basically. But I will try it out and see how it works out for me. I really want to do my civic duty but even more than that, I'm tired of feeling stupid at the blood drive!

I'll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!

no more cats!

I went on a walk yesterday evening with RocketMan for some fresh air. As we passed one house a dog jumped up and startled me. That was my Halloween in a nutshell. I didn't need any more spooky stuff. As we walked along looking at houses and pointing out which carved pumpkins were too fake-looking a man started walking a little too close behind us. I kept an eye on him out of the corner of my eye. Okay, he wasn't following us. He eventually overtook us when we slowed down too much. But I was ready to run away and call for help while RocketMan kicked his butt.

Then on the way back home we saw a tiny stray black and grey tabby on the sidewalk. As we passed it this cat began to follow us home--to RocketMan's delight. Twice I tried to dodge this cat--ducking into a law office parking lot, and then later taking the long way to our front door. I even tried turning back when it once took off ahead of us (as if it knew where we were going). At one point RocketMan said, "if it follows us home can we keep it?" Oy vey.

We already have 2 cats in the house. But I guess he feels like they are mine and he wants his own cat. I gently reminded him the cat probably has fleas, definitely needs shots, and we'd have to go straight to Tar.get that night for flea shampoo and besides, it was probably someone's cat that got out so we shouldn't take it. Wouldn't you know the cat followed us right to our front door and then took off around the side of the house to investigate my Mom's back yard?

I felt bad for it, and for RocketMan. We kept looking out the window to see if it was still there. But apparently it wandered away. I hope. I just didn't want to see it lying dead in the street the next morning and I felt guilty. But in the end, reason prevailed. If we took in this clever little stray, Kilroy would probably eat it.

Anyway, here's a pic of some real carved pumpkins. The one on the left is mine--doesn't it look friendly?
And here's a link to an awesome pumpkin project I might take on next year.

Deathstar Pumpkin
And on another note, this month was Pinktober. I didn't go to the boobie cancer walk but I did scrounge up a little money to donate. And look what I found on ETSY via apartment therapy--NSFW. Adorable teaching tools. It's amazing what you can knit if you put your mind to it.

oops

looks like I just bought something--brand spanking new boots
I'd been watching them for a few days and I finally gave in when Amazon said there was only 1 black pair left in my size. It was sort of not a splurge. I sort of needed them. Sort of.
Because almost all of the back is made of stretchy material, they're almost guaranteed to fit my tiny calves.
Did you notice a lot of sort of's and almost's in this post?

Anyways, now I just have to figure out what to do with my hair. I'm itching to cut it very short, or color it really light, just do something different. It's been very frustrating looking after it and I've begun to neglect it and it's begun to show. My hair is brittle, breaking, and just plain sad-looking. It is limp and just hangs about. It won't even respond to a flat iron which I have always used on sparingly. What is the culprit? Wash and wear. Yes, I fell back on washing my hair and putting it in a bun before it was dry (obviously not drying properly). This is death to relaxed hair. Sigh. What to do but cut off the damaged portion.

But I'm afraid to. We'll see.