We’re going to Disneyworld! February 27, 2011

Flights are booked and we’re that much closer to crossing #25 off my list!  We’re headed to FL next month to visit my fantastic sister-in-law and our newest brother-in-law and get in touch with our inner child…  I’m not sure Disney is ready for us!

 

Look at them all excited that we’re coming.  They are so sweet and unsuspecting and have NO idea what they’re getting themselves into.

 

Should I bring my own Disney costume?

 

So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us. ~Gaston Bachelard

Is it October yet? I’m going “mad!” February 23, 2011

It’s no secret… I LOVE Halloween.  I didn’t so much love growing up in Maine and having to configure my costumes around cold-weather clothes (yes, there were often flurries on Oct. 31st).  My favorite Halloween costume as a kid was the year I dressed up as a bright pink present, complete with 80′s style hair bow (worn regularly in my perfectly crimped hair, not just as a costume accessory).

 

Exactly like this… except mine was hot pink, the official color of the 80′s.  And I’d like to note that these are listed as “vintage” on the site they were being sold on.  For money.  Uh huh!

Unfortunately, when you grow up on dirt roads with neighbors few and far between, it’s not super easy to go door to door.  I had to take the present on and off every time I got in and out of the car to go to the next house.  Not wholly effective when the Treaters see you putting your costume on as you walk to their door.  Halloween in Maine = FAIL.

 

Yeah… the candy wasn’t really worth it.

 

I don’t remember EVER dressing up as a ghost.  Princess?  Of course.  Genie?  Yep!  Complete with authentic costume from some exotic place my aunt visited.  Lame sheet thrown over my head and called a costume?  Never.

 

Although I’m sure it would have been MUCH easier to get in and out of the car in THIS costume.

 

Of course I went through the college Halloween phase where the costumes were a little smaller (I certainly wasn’t hiding in a box) but they were ALWAYS creative.  And I was never the one to pick out a costume specifically for the sexiness.  I was a farmer one year for goodness sake.  And not a sexy farmer but one complete with bandanna, denim overalls and a button-up flannel.  However, I was particularly proud of the Britney/Madonna creation a la the MTV video awards circa 2003.  Legendary.

 

 

Post academia, my Halloween social life plummeted and I lived in a costume-less drought complete with nights in handing out candy to ZERO trick-or-treaters.  I even stopped buying candy.  Ok that’s a lie… I still bought the candy but we knew we were just going to eat it ourselves.

 

Then came 2010.

 

My cousin and her man had bought an inn in upstate NY and had thrown a pretty banging Halloween party the year before.  We had a wedding that weekend (a fantastic family affair I might add) so we weren’t able to attend but when they scheduled the 2nd annual End of the Season Halloween Bash we were so there!  My husband and I kept brainstorming ideas for pair-costumes but we just couldn’t get the creative juices flowin’.  Then the moment happened.  I was out shopping with my mom, found an ah-mazing prop and decided the boy was totally on his own.  Because I was going to be rocking the Mad Hatter.

 

How does Johnny Depp look hot no matter what character he’s playing?

 

Back to reminiscing of my childhood Halloween get-ups… I don’t remember a year that we actually purchased a pre-made costume (ok maybe one – there was a plastic Pound Puppy mask complete with matching “outfit” which I’m sure were ridden with PCBs… try fitting a snowsuit under THAT!) and I pride myself on piecing together my own articles of clothing with some purchased items to create something unique that no one else could just go out an buy.  Don’t worry… for those that aren’t creative don’t want to go through the hassle of putting the whole look together, there are plenty of Mad Hatter costumes to choose from:

 

 

$75?  Ummm… no.

This one is $150.  And terrifying.

 

 

 

Yep, they have this version too… the sexy Mad Hatter.

 

Now don’t get me wrong… these are all great costumes!  Just not necessarily MY kind of costume.  So that’s brings me to “The Hat.”  This was the crown jewel of my inspiration.  And the only “official” piece of my Mad Hatter costume.  I found it in my local gift shop and I had.to.have.it.  My mom totally pushed the idea (again, listening to my mom?  I must be getting old).

 

Best $24.99 I ever spent.

 

Now even though I never bought costumes growing up, my mom wasn’t the kind of mom who could just whip together some pieces of colorful felt/fabric/etc. to create some elaborate look.  But she is a bargain shopper and when you’re trying to look like a “mad hatter,” she was shopping gold.  She’d call me from random Goodwills, craft stores or yard sales with possible gloves/socks/vest ideas and when I asked her to help me with the thread spool bandoleer, she jumped in head first and even broke out her lime green thread from 7th grade Home Economics class – talk about vintage!

 

The finished product?  Nothing short of FABULOUS.  I think Johnny himself would be proud.

 

Pants, jacket, boots, socks (2 different argyle patterns), pocket watch and scarf… already owned: $0.00

Lace and ribbons… a collection from craft supplies:  $0.00

Gloves: $0.99 at Goodwill.  Cut the fingers off to complete the look.

Vest: $3.00 at Savers.

Makeup and hairspray (yes, that’s my hair): ~$6.00

Lace fly-away tank top: $9.99 at Marshalls.

Official licensed Mad Hat: $24.99

Total Costume Cost:  $44.97 (+tax)

(second) Best Costume of the Night: Priceless.

 

A little bit of the prep (which took no less than 2 hours) – after a little persuasion from a comb, some hairspray and my ridiculously talented cousin, my hair cooperated.

2 cans of orange hairspray (still not enough) and I was ready for some makeup.

 

Amazing makeup courtesy of aforementioned ridiculously talented cousin who also ripped out teased my hair.

 

The photo I texted my mom so she could see all her hard work/shopping skills come together.

 

24.  Top my Halloween costume from last year. Doesn’t sound so easy anymore does it?

 

It is my mission to win the costume contest at the inn this year.  I didn’t win with the Mad Hatter.  I know… I was shocked too.  I lost to a pile of poo.  You heard me.  Someone dressed up as poop and had really loud friends.  And the judge was put in a tough position – claim his family member as the winner and risk a riot from paying customers who thought I only won because the Mad Hatter “knows people” or play it safe and go with the poop.  Let’s just say there was a riot when I DIDN’T win (and not just from me).  But… no hard feelings.  It’s just going to make me try that much harder this year.  And I’ll have my dancing shoes on in case it comes down to a dance-off again (I thought these things only happened in movies?).

 

Trust me, I’m already brainstorming and I’m 95% sure I know what I am going to be but I’m up for any suggestions you might have.  What do you think?  Another Alice in Wonderland character?  Keep with a Johnny Depp theme?  Something completely different? Let me know in the comments!

 

And if anyone has any connection with Johnny and wants to pass these along, I’d love to hear HIS thoughts on the costume.  If he likes it then it will make up for losing the contest.  Big time.

 

The more fun you have, the greater your value to yourself and to your society.  The more fun you share with others, the more fun you have. ~Oaqui

 

4 down, 26 to go… and I feel really good! February 21, 2011

Thursday the 17th was GORGEOUS outside… like 60 degrees!  Yes, the 17th.  Of February.  No, I don’t live in Florida.  I did hear that Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early Spring but I didn’t think he meant THIS early.  Don’t worry though, we had a big fat reality check with flurries and bitter cold winds on Saturday morning.

 

Mother Nature must have been having a mood swing.

 

It was one of those beautiful days that just warranted getting outside and escaping the confines of… you know… walls and such.  I was also deliriously tired.  These two things put together demanded a trip to Dunkin Donuts for some coffee!  Because I’m not frequenting the drive-thru regularly (how the hell do you think I’m going to lose 15 pounds if I’m making weekly or even monthly trips to every burger/coffee joint in town?), I figured I’d take the opportunity to check something off my list while I was out and about!

 

I was pulling up to D’nD and practically had to cut off the car coming the opposite way to insure that someone would be behind me in the line.  A white Mitsubishi Eclipse with a younger woman in it pulled in behind me.  I didn’t know what she was planning on ordering but it didn’t matter.  I was crossing this off my list no matter what the cost.  Literally.

 

I’m just thankful the Duggars didn’t pull in behind me.  Just sayin’.

 

There was a long wait (not exactly “fast food” at this particular location) and I sat waiting for a while, stupidly jittery with excitement for what I was about to do.  I was imagining the woman’s surprise when she got to the little window.  Would she be shocked?  Happy?  Annoyed since I could see that she had already gotten her money out?  What was she going to order?  Was it something she ordered every day and knew the exact amount ahead of time?  I clearly waited for a while… and had a lot of time to think about this.  When I FINALLY got to the window, I handed over my credit card while proudly proclaiming, “and I’d like to pay for the person’s order behind me.”  I was beaming, so thrilled to be doing a nice gesture.  And he looked at me like I was crazy.

 

It’s not like my request was as weird as this!

“Uhhh… ok.  Hey, what was the order behind this one?” he shouted to his co-worker.  “Ok… she got a small french vanilla coffee” he reported back, matter of factly.  THAT’S IT???  I didn’t show my disappointment in her lack of doughnut binging; all I said was “ok, do me a favor and just ask her to pay it forward whenever she gets the chance.”  And I drove away.

 

Remember this movie?  The story was great but the ending was a big ‘ole slap in the face.

 

I’m not gonna lie… I felt FANTASTIC.  I didn’t care what her reaction was at that point.  I briefly glanced in my rear view mirror and thought I saw her smile as she slipped her $1.44 back into her wallet but I couldn’t be sure.  It didn’t matter.  I had done what I had come to do and was on my way back to work with a coffee for my co-worker to boot.

 

Why is it that it feels SO good to do things for others?  And it’s not like I did something grand!  Just a small token of kindness can change your whole outlook on the day.  I drove back to work, blaring Britney Spears some really great music with the windows down and my hair blowing in the wind and I felt like at that moment, I could conquer the world… one small gesture at a time.

That Dalai Lama… such a smart guy.

 

But why do we need to wait for the perfect moment to be kind?  Why don’t we do spontaneous acts of kindness more often?  And I’m not just saying why aren’t we kind (I would hope that’s part of humanity) but more along the lines of doing things for others without an expectation of reciprocation.  I think this is going to be on “my list” for the rest of my life.  Pay for someone in the drive-thru at least once a year.  I think that’s totally do-able.

 

 

Let’s let random acts of kindness slip out a little more often.

 

And wouldn’t you know… 2 days later I was in a bind at work.  I was running late, had lost my keys and couldn’t get my wallet out of my car and was $.35 short for a piece of pizza.  I’m sure the cashier could sense my insane shuffling and proceeded to pull two quarters out of her pocket.

 

You know what she said to me?  “Pay it forward some time.”  I was so happy I almost cried.

3. Pay for someone’s meal behind me in a drive-thru

 

Best thing I’ve done so far.

 

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.  ~Dalai Lama (See??? Smart guy.)

3 down, 27 to go… and my butt hurts. February 14, 2011

I’m a skier.  I’ve been snow (and water) skiing since I was a little kid.  I guess that’s what happens when you grow up in Maine.  I think it’s a prerequisite.  Although I didn’t have a loving relationship with my skis right away, I did develop a fondness for them over the years.

 

 

I didn’t always like to ski.  I finally agreed to stop crying if they (my parents) would take this pic and then get me out of those horrible boots!

 

The relationship really became serious when I got a little older.  Ski Bus started in junior high – a field trip of sorts that would take us to Shawnee Peak every Friday night for 6 weeks.  In high school, we graduated to Saturdays at Sunday River.  Many a memory happened on those weekends – memories I will cherish with my ski friends for the rest of my life.  When I was invited to go with my dad and his friends on the “Guys Weekend” to Tuckerman’s Ravine my freshman year of high school, I jumped at the chance… and did it again a year later (carrying both my own equipment and much of my dad’s – he said it would be tough to carry his own stuff since he only weighed 130 pounds and just finished treatment for cancer 3 months before climbing Mt. Washington… wuss =).

 

 

Look at THOSE old straight skis!  You don’t see them made like THAT anymore!

 

When I met my husband, we started skiing together and we have a blast.  I’m a strong skier but he makes me look like I should still be riding the t-bar up the bunny slope!  Although I grew up skiing Sunday River, when I started dating John (cough*12yearsago*cough), I became a Sugarloafer (I love the staff name tags – “Sugarloafer since 1972″). We love spending time at the mountain, both during the winter ripping up the slopes, and the summer, hiking through the woods, looking for moose and relaxing in the middle of Nowhere, Maine population 1,800.  He proposed to me at Sugarloaf.  We’re serious about that mountain.

 

Don’t be jealous of our matching ski jackets.

 

ANYWAYS… that brings me to my list and this post.  I have been skiing for roughly 20 years (off and on depending on funds/time) and I have become increasingly aware of the number of snowboarders on the mountain.  For a long time, I didn’t get it.  I didn’t understand the appeal. At. All.

 

Exactly.

But now???  I’m jealous of how cool they all look, flying down on their unusually colorful board, looking really relaxed and wearing their boots which are WAY more comfy than the torture devices ski boots that we have to wear.  I wanted to be one of them.  Bad.  So… I put it on the list.

 

Now this goes back to the whole “I need to get over the not being good at things” thing and I realized that I might actually have to LEARN how to snowboard and I wouldn’t just magically hop onto this piece of flying fiberglass like it’s a magic carpet ride.  After we booked a 3 day trip to The Loaf and found that we had a free lesson with our package, I decided to sign up.  And wouldn’t you know, John decided to cause himself unnecessary pain give it a shot too!  So after 2 days of skiing (and a pulled muscle in my right leg) we headed to the rental desk and grabbed the board by the horns as we hiked up the bunny hill with our instructor.

 

Holy $hit it’s hard.

 

It didn’t help that I was sweating buckets by the time we reached the top of the hill and I had my right leg strapped into the board (apparently I’m a “goofy” rider) which was ALSO the leg that had a burning ring of fire wrapped around my calf.  All of this did not make it easy to do all these crazy maneuvers that you DON’T have to do on skis.

 

I didn’t try that.

 

Although I didn’t actually try to make it to the chairlift and down the whole slope (did I mention the burning pain in my leg?) I had an absolute blast learning the basics and I really do intend on trying it again (but NOT after skiing the two days before).  Here are some pics of my adventure:

 

I may be on my back but I’m still smiling!  I feel the need to preface that I had my neckwarmer tucked in my jacket making me look EXTRA fluffy.

 

My instructor was VERY patient.

 

I did actually get strapped into the board (which is terrifying to not have your feet free) and did the “falling leaf.”

 

Of course he was a friggin natural.

 

The end to a GREAT day/weekend.

 

Was I tearing down Black Diamond trails on my new fancy board?  No.  Did I skate over to the chairlift (and probably risk falling off my first ride up)?  No.   Did I think that no one was laughing at me as they rode up the chairlift watching my antics?  No.  Did I have an absolute blast learning something new and spending time with my amazing husband?  YES.

 

I didn’t look like this either but I’m still going to go ahead and say the day was a success!

 

I might not be hanging up my skis (which are much shapelier as compared to those in the pic above – the one of my skis, not the hot bods on the boards), but I do think I will give it another shot (probably at a smaller mountain down here in CT so I’m not giving up a day of awesome Loaf skiing).

 

Or maybe I’ll just snowboard this way.

 

 

Until then…

 

10. Give snowboarding a shot

 

I’m really sore.

 

When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?” ~Sydney J. Harris

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m so close… February 10, 2011

I’m so close to crossing something major off my list this weekend!  I’m really excited (so you know it’s not donating blood… although on second thought, there might be some blood shed).

Don’t forget!  You should do it!  But probably not the same way I’m going to be giving blood this weekend.

 

On a side  note, I’m in Atlanta for a work conference.  There is a Winter Storm Warning.  Why you ask?  .25-1 (MAYBE 2) inches of snow.  That’s right.  Full blown panic.  Between this and the food I’ve been shoveling into my mouth eating all week, I absolutely love the south.

 

But I’m ready to go home.

 

Look at life through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror.  ~Byrd Baggett

Money doesn’t buy happiness… February 6, 2011

… but it does buy a Dyson Animal which is pretty damn close!

 

 

Yeah… it’s THAT good.

 

My husband and I have needed a new vacuum for a while – with two large, black dogs and zero motivation on both our parts, small rottweilers pop up underneath the couch, bed, in corners, behind doors, under the fridge, behind the stove, in the dog crate… I’m sure you get it.  We had a vacuum that my husband bought in college – 9 years ago – and on a college budget, you know it was an amazing machine (read: there are better things to buy in college… like beer).  I’ve been pushing to get a Dyson for a while but the $ohmygod price tag has been a little bit of a deterrent for us.  So when he called me while I was out shopping (you know, spending money that could have been going toward a new vacuum while he was cleaning because he’s such a great husband) and said that the wheel broke off our old one (not just, oops, it fell off, but like cracked/snapped, never to be replaced again kind of broke) I did a little dance thinking about what could be.  As he walked out the door to get a pre-Superbowl hair cut this morning, he mentioned he was going to stop somewhere and pick up a cheap vacuum because he couldn’t see spending a ton of money on a new one… it’s just a vacuum.

 

Once he heard MY argument, he reconsidered.

 

Ummm… he does research on the snow conditions at Sugarloaf EVERY day but isn’t going to investigate the best vacuum to buy?  And have you MET our dogs????  I’m not DOWNGRADING from the college cleaner.  We’re “adults” now and that warrants an “adult vacuum.”  That argument and some review research, along with a 20% coupon to BB&B, he was on his way to pick up the messiah of cleaning supplies.  The Dyson DC25 Animal came home in a fancy little box that I ripped open like the Cabbage Patch Kid I opened Christmas morning when I was 4.    

 

In short… it’s as phenomenal as the reviews say it is.  I’ve NEVER enjoyed vacuuming and I MIGHT just do this chore a little more often (do I get to count this as exercise?).  I really should have put “Upgrade crappy vacuum cleaner to a Dyson” on my list!

 

By the way… we also bought a new snow-blower last weekend and were beyond excited about that purchase too.

 

Yeah… I’m almost 30.  It’s glaringly obvious now.

 

Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us.  ~John N. Mitchell

There are a lot of cartoons in this post… because exercising is funny to me. February 2, 2011

#15 on my list is to lose 15 pounds (the matching numbers are a coincidence… honestly).  I think going a year without buying shoes is going to be a little easier.

It’s not that I don’t like being active and fit.  I used to be in great shape (I guess that’s what happens when your job requires you to be in a bathing suit).  Working on a farm, tossing hay bales, carrying 50lb bags of grain and wrestling sheep can keep a girl busy (now you know where the “carhartts” comes from).  Wait, I think I might need to clarify – my job on a farm did not require me to wear a bathing suit… different jobs, different clothing needs but now I’m imagining a bikini worn with muck boots… kind of hot!

 

I”ll be honest, lots of people say you gain weight after you get married… you let yourself go.  I promised myself that I would never just “not care” but guess what?  They were right.  Now I don’t know if it was the fact that my husband has now promised to stay with me for the rest of my life, in good times and bad (I’m assuming the weight gain can be lumped into this category) OR if the average age someone gets married is generally the same time they start packing on some metabolism-changing pudge.  I’m assuming mine’s a little bit of both.

 

I wish my husband had vowed to do this for me.

The unfortunate thing is that my husband and I have been together for SO long (almost 12 years – holy crap!) that he definitely remembers what the good times looked like.  I can’t even pretend.  He knows.  But I’m not losing weight for him, or anyone else for that matter!  I’m losing some extra weight for me.  And the clothes in my closet so they stop feeling neglected because they don’t fit me anymore.  See?  Positive steps for everyone!  The problem is, I like food and I don’t really like to exercise.  Damn.

 

I don’t even have a recliner.  I’m screwed.

 

I should rephrase – I don’t HATE exercising.  I hate deciding to do it.  I like my sleep so morning workouts are tough.  I’d rather hit my snooze button six times than use that hour to actually burn some calories.  Once I’m actually working out, I do enjoy it!  But I work a lot of hours and by the time I get home I want to sit on the couch and write blog posts veg out (and why do they call it “veg”?  wouldn’t that imply something healthy?).

 

I don’t have time for this.

 

I need some motivation – I see these amazing people on The Biggest Loser who are running a friggin marathon at the end of the season and I can’t even find the motivation to Google the Couch to 5k program (that’s a lie – I’ve looked it up and I’m terrified).  Clearly the fact that both losing weight AND starting a running program are on my list SHOULD work hand in hand… let’s hope.

 

 

I’ve tried WW… I get annoyed at the counting and writing things down to the point where I just don’t eat things because I don’t want to figure out the points (the irony is not lost on me that this could actually be a GOOD thing).  My sister-in-law is a dietitian and takes me grocery shopping and teaches me about all the bad things I want to avoid including hydrogenated oils… I’m a bad student.  I get it:  EAT LESS.  EXERCISE MORE.  This is going to be my mantra.  I know that walking into a Sports Nutrition store (I can only imagine how disappointed the people following a Google Alert to this blog would be if I put in the store’s name) and spending a bagillion dollars on supplements ain’t gonna make me skinny.  I’ve tried.

Yeah, why is that?

 

This item on my list clearly needs to start happening now.  They say healthy weight loss is a pound a week… I currently have 48 weeks until my birthday.  I’m hoping to run that 5k in October and considering this winter is probably going to last FOR-EVER, I really need to come up with a game plan.  I need to get past my “working out is painful” idea and get.moving.

 

This isn’t going to be about a diet because I like food too much.  It’s more about bringing activity back into my life… but I get bored easy so I need to mix it up.  I have a Zumba video that I enjoy (read: look like an ass while doing it) and have been racking up some serious “Sweat Points” on my Wii Just Dance game.  I do have free access to a gym but that would require me to work out with the 110 pound college students and I’m just not sure I’m ready for THAT yet.  Walking is something I’d like to start doing on my lunch break but the sheets of ice threaten to take me out of the 5k game for several more months with one quick slip of a power-walk step.

So my question is, what activities keep YOU moving?  What do you enjoy doing and don’t get bored with?  Specific videos/games/shows?  Sound off in the comments and let me know what I should do for fun/exercise! I’m planning on purchasing the new Wii Michael Jackson game because holy crap is it fun!  And I dominate Thriller.  And it kicked my butt and I sweat.  A lot.  Seems like a win win to me!  Because really?  This is not about giving up my favorite foods.  No matter how many fruits and veggies I eat, my butt would still be jiggly without a little (a lot of) exercise built in.

I’m SURE it shakes... let’s fix that.

 

Now… off to find that remote.

 

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

I’m such a baby… (and if you are too, you might not want to read this post). February 1, 2011

*** This post is not for the faint of heart ***

I was supposed to give blood today, going to cross number 5 off my list.  I didn’t… but not because I won’t.  More because there’s a giant snow storm kicking New England’s butt.

Yeah, kind of like that.

 

In order to really appreciate why giving blood is on my list of 30 Things, you need a little back story… you need the history of my blood-giving, if you will.  I turned 17 in January of my Junior year in high school and the Red Cross was having a blood drive that March and since my weight was never what kept me from giving blood (I am still fascinated that there are people over the age of 17 that don’t weigh more than 110 pounds) I decided, why not?  I marched down to the gym with a gaggle of my friends, passed the iron test and history with flying colors and jumped up onto the table, dumped a pint of blood into my little baggy and was on my way (not all of my friends had it so smooth sailing and one even passed out… cold).   So, when the time came the following year for the Red Cross to return to good ol’ MHS, I didn’t hesitate to give again!

 

I’m guessing you know where this is going.

 

This time, things weren’t as easy – I’m going to spare you all the details but let’s just say, half-way through filling my baggy, my vein seized up like a CT driver in the above-mentioned snow storm.  To put it bluntly, I stopped bleeding, which I didn’t notice, but the four staff members who quickly surrounded me and proceeded to check my stats and wiggle the needle around certainly made it pretty clear that something wasn’t right.  After the needle was accidentally tugged out of my arm, the nausea set in and, although I didn’t pass out, I kind of yearned for the cold floor against my cheek.  Needless to say, it was a traumatizing experience – one I decided that I would never repeat.

 

Fast forward a few years, and my mom gets a job as a charge nurse with the Red Cross.  She became my own personal nightmare.  She also convinced me to give blood again (funny because I wasn’t exactly always willing to do what my mom told me to).  So I decided to go to work with her and donate with the promise (read: bribe) of a great dinner out afterward.

 

This was not exactly the kind of  pint I was thinking about draining… but I was promised MY kind of pint if I did.

 

Well wouldn’t you know, it happened again.  And as that tiny tear slipped down the side of my cheek while they poked and prodded and tried to get the needle in the right spot (because pleaseGodyouarenotgoingtowastethispintI’vealreadygiven) I wondered why I was doing this in the first place.

Oh right… because it really DOES make a difference.

 

The thing is?  Whoever is getting my A+ blood (that’s the type, not the quality although I’m sure it’s fabulous), is going through a LOT more pain and trauma than I am.  Who am I to say, “no, I’m not willing to go through a (somewhat agonizing) 30 minute ordeal to “drain a pint” and save three lives.  THREE LIVES.  That’s incredible!  So although I didn’t give blood again right away, I did take the opportunity to try, try again at my workplace when they scheduled a Blood Drive back in the fall.  And my vein blew out, leaving a giant bruise before we even got started.  Are you serious?  Deep breaths… people need blood… hurts more for them… saving three lives… don’t cry at work… play on your iPhone to stay distracted… colleague who’s getting me juice so I don’t pass out is a saint… oh, I stopped bleeding halfway through?  Surprise. Surprise… Yes I want you to do whatever you can to get the blood flowing again… I will not waste this pain and the blood you’ve already sucked from my anxiety-ridden body… I look pale???  Am I going to pass out???  God I hope I don’t pass out… that would be hella-embarrassing… at work… in front of college students… some of which might have just squeaked past that 110 pound mark and are doing just fine… oh, it’s working?  I filled the bag?  I’m done???  Thank you thank you thank you… I’ll have another juice box please… and maybe some cookies… and my dignity back thankyouverymuch.

 

So this all brings me to this list and why donating blood is on here at #5.  I’ve already done it and isn’t this list supposed to be about doing things I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t yet?   Clearly, donating blood is a challenge for me – something I don’t just jump up and say, “gee, I really want to do this today!”  I’ve added it to my list because then it’s there… as a task… something I WILL accomplish even if it terrifies me.  Maybe not today at the 3:00pm appointment that I had scheduled with the very nice (yet somewhat over-eager) Red Cross rep that called me at 8:30 at night a few months ago who sounded a touch apprehensive when I told her I’d like to request their best phlebotomist because I have a hard time donating.  I told her, don’t worry – I don’t pass out or seize or anything – my veins are just small and people usually have a tough time with them (I did not tell her that it generally burns the entire time that the needle is in my arm, something I’ve found is not actually that common) and she said she’d put a note next to my appointment.  And I hoped that she actually did it.

 

Today was the day.  My little reminder card AND voicemail message reminded me that I had an appointment at 3:00pm on February 1, 2011.  And I chickened out… sort of.  In case you hadn’t heard (what, are you living under a rock?) we’ve got a little (HUGE) storm barreling towards New England and I decided to work from home today and prep (and I quite honestly thought they were going to let us out early – they didn’t).  But what that really means is, I will have to reschedule my donation appointment which I’m really OK with.  I will definitely do it but I really need to be in the right mindset and worrying about driving home in icy/snowy conditions with a bunch of CT drivers that don’t know how to drive in them (see vein metaphor above) was not that mindset.

 

Besides, I still have 338 days till 30 (ohmygod,338daysuntilI’m30?).

 

Really, this is my kind of marketing strategy.  Although I don’t watch Vampire Diaries, I do have an affinity for a certain sparkly vampire… and when I Google Image searched “donate blood,” I wasn’t overly surprised by the number of vampire photos that popped up.

 

If you’re interested in donating blood (which I hope you still are even after reading this post), visit http://www.redcrossblood.org/home2 to find a local Blood Drive.  Just think, you’re bound to have a better experience than I usually do and if I can do it, YOU can do it too.

 

Expect the follow-up post because it will be done.  You know why?  Read these quick facts and then ask yourself, why not?

 

Facts about blood needs*

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S. (2006).
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
• The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
• The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.
• Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98 percent of whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.
• More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

*http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/blood-facts-and-statistics#blood-needs

 

Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does.  ~William James