(click pic)NAVAJO BLANKET
I donated a pint of my blood in the homeless veterans shelter mess hall this morning. One of the many ways they screen your blood at these blood drives is to take a few drops into a small, reed-like tube and drop that tube into a tall beaker of blue liquid that looks like the stuff old-time barbers used to disinfect hair combs.
If the reed of your blood floats or takes too long to sink, they can't use your blood. You're anemic. At least that's the way I think it works.
"EW!" the nurse said in surprise when she dropped my reed of blood into the barber's jar, "That's the fastest I've seen one of these drop to the bottom. You're FULL of iron."
"They don't call me Ironweed for nuthin," I said.
I've been feeling a little euphoric all day since I got that pint of iron out of my bloodstream this morning. I feel lighter . . . downright buoyant. It's nice to get the lead out once in a while, isn't it!? Think I'll go dancing tonight. The Adventurer Hostel down on Century Boulevard just about always has European college girls looking to learn some American moves.
Most of my brethren veterans avoided the needle today. Out of the few of us who did volunteer, only about a third could be accepted. Too much bad blood between them and the street, too much risky behavior from men who have been trained to stand and face risk.
Too bad. Doesn't apply to me. I'm going dancing.
If the reed of your blood floats or takes too long to sink, they can't use your blood. You're anemic. At least that's the way I think it works.
"EW!" the nurse said in surprise when she dropped my reed of blood into the barber's jar, "That's the fastest I've seen one of these drop to the bottom. You're FULL of iron."
"They don't call me Ironweed for nuthin," I said.
I've been feeling a little euphoric all day since I got that pint of iron out of my bloodstream this morning. I feel lighter . . . downright buoyant. It's nice to get the lead out once in a while, isn't it!? Think I'll go dancing tonight. The Adventurer Hostel down on Century Boulevard just about always has European college girls looking to learn some American moves.
Most of my brethren veterans avoided the needle today. Out of the few of us who did volunteer, only about a third could be accepted. Too much bad blood between them and the street, too much risky behavior from men who have been trained to stand and face risk.
Too bad. Doesn't apply to me. I'm going dancing.
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