you'll never believe this

{not for the faint of heart} {that means you, KB} What am I doing right this very minute? You'll never believe this: I'm donating blood. I'm actually doing what is known as an R1 donation, which is a high-tech system which separates the plasma and red blood cells while you donate. Afterwards the machine will actually "give me back" a saline solution (mixed w/ some of my original blood?). Supposedly this makes you feel better than if you had done a traditional donation. I LOVE THIS.

So I brought my iPod and am going to listen to a mellow playlist (includes Glover Gill -- Waking Life Soundtrack and Dub Natural, a super cool mix from usually non-lectronica Michelle Shocked), kick back, cruise Flickr and do my good deed for the day.

addendum

• (not for squeamish). The only time this felt uncomfortable was when the saline-solution was put back into my vein. Just a little uncomfortable; not bad. The saline solution is room temperature -- cooler than the hot-blooded veins, so it felt kinda creepy and chilly and icy and sorta sinister. Weird. (/squeamishosity)


• I forgot to explain: at the new Blood Bank each person who donates has a computer right there in front of them, so you can watch movies or cruise the "Internets" (oh George Bush, you are such a buffoon). How cool is that? So it was me, my iPod, and blogger/flickr to pass away a quick 35 minutes.


• 'Cept, while most people take 35 minutes, I'm like Old Faithful here: my veins were made to donate blood. I am in and outta there faster than any other donor and if you don't believe me I challenge you to a race! (I won't be eligible .til some time in December.


• I told the Blood Letting Person (Blood Tech? Count Techula? Dracula Welby, RN?) that I was going to be wanting the fanciest and/or more colorful bandage they had. This guy was so nice and thoughtful -- he brought me four colors to choose from. Hot Pink. Bright Orange. Electric Sky Blue. And Toxic Waste Green. I LOVE YOU BLOOD LETTING MAN. I chose Bright Orange, in honor of fall and my earthy-toned attire (khaki and black).

oh wait oh wait, one more one more.

• This woman who was donating same time as me but easily had four or almost five decades on me has given blood 111 times. And that's not counting all of the sporadic times she gave before she started her blood-doning mission. She walked outta there with a t-shirt and a coffee mug. I walked outta there empty-handed (yet with super styley bright orange badge of honor, so all was not lost).