The Grass is Greener...

Nextdoor!

Yes, the grass IS greener!

The nice widow lady nextdoor must be getting mad at me, because my deadish grass is starting to invade her yard.
But the grass is greener for those who didn't fire the gardner 2 years ago.
And the timer for her sprinklers must be set correctly, because it hasn't rained enough in awhile, and with Hubby gone no one can figure out how to set the magic sprinkler thing.

As long as I still have to run the AC ( it's still over 90 degrees here folks, and a cold front lowers the temps into the 80's for about 3 days ) , I've found that a really good way to save money is to let the lawn nearly die.
So the grass is definately greener on the other side of the fence!
(and it's neatly mowed and edged, and the hedges are trimmed too! Arrgh!)

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Why didn't anyone tell me that giving blood HURTS!????
It freakin' hurts!
It's painful and shit like that!
I'm still glad I did it.
Yesterday I gave blood for the first time.

Years ago ( many many years ago) the company I worked for had Blood Drives.
Back then , I was always underweight to donate blood. ( See? I told you it was a long time ago) .
Anyway , since then, I just haven't been faced with the oppurtunity in an easy ( ie: right in your face) way.
It never occured to me that giving blood was an simple way for me to help other folks in need.
Is that selfish or stupid? I'm not sure.
I mean, I know people need blood, I know people donate blood, I know people need blood donations. I guess I just never associated myself with giving blood. ( okay, so stupid and selfish)

But yesterday I got the chance.
There was a memo sent through the school email, about donations. There was a blood donation center set up close by, and we were being asked to give in the name of someone we know.
See , there is this person who is very close to me, who has a loved one who is seriously ill.

Like seriously needs a liver transplant, ill.
Like seriously could die, and he has no insurance, ill.
He is going to need blood and blood type products no matter what.
It turns out that if you donate in someone's name , they can get free or reduced blood services and products.
So he he won't get MY blood, but he won't have to pay for the blood he needs.
It became personnal , the blood thing.
Finally , I could give more than a mere *hug* to his wife; I could give her husband some blood.
I love her, so much.

They couldn't get an easy vein on me.
They fucked up the first try, and it hurt like heck for a few seconds. They asked if I wanted to try the second arm, of course I did!
That hurt too, but they got a vein that time.
It didn't take long, and my friend was there to cheer me on, and hold my hand.
She was ( I heard later) there for hours and thanked everyone who donated in her husband's name.

The Blood Center gave out t-shirts.
They gave me two! (Because I got poked twice LOL!)
I have 2 major bruises, and my arms still hurt a bit.
I was pretty tired yesterday.
But I don't hurt as bad as someone who is sick, and I'm not as tired as someone with an illness.
I'll do it again.
I'd do it without a t-shirt.
*smile*

I won't do it next week, but I'll donate blood again.
I will gladly donate blood again.
I am thankful that I have blood to give.
I am thankful I don't need blood.
I'd much rather be giving , than need receiving.

**************

There was this kid in my lunch line yesterday, he smelt like poop.
Not like body odor, not like he was wearing dirty clothes, like POOPY diapers were stuffed in his clothes!
He smelled poopy!
It was bad.
It was strong bad smell!
I smiled, and told him to have a good lunch.
Do they pay me enough for that?
No!
Hell, I'd rather give blood!

*****************

So the grass is greener.
My neighbors yard looks fabulous, but she's lonely.
My kid wore a dirty t-shirt to school today, but she didn't smell like poop.
My arms are bruised and sore, but I don't have a fatal disease.
I'm not on an organ transplant list.
My glass is almost always half full, and I am always looking for a refill.
So my troubles are my troubles, they belong to me; they suck, but I'm okay!
My family is okay!

My yard looks like shit .
But my emotional grass?
It's green enough!