Monday, Bloody Monday

Yesterday, overcome by a random spirit of benevolence and good will towards men (lie. they were giving out free movie tickets.), I decided to donate blood before work. I hadn't had time for more than a muffin and half a latte, but I figured I wasn't some wimp who would faint at the loss of a pint of blood and no food.

Nope. They took the needle out of my arm - I was feeling fine - I got out of the chair and rescheduled and grabbed an XXL t-shirt (the only size available, as always)... then everything started going black. I still managed to grab an orange juice and a package of crackers before I kind of collapsed into a chair. By now, everything was completely black, but I could still hear people's voices clearly. The tech asked me if I was feeling okay, and I murmured "a little bit woozy," in what I guessed was her general direction.

She and another tech started leading me back towards the reclining blood-taking chairs... and suddenly I woke up on the floor to people saying "Catherine, are you okay?" If I seemed confused and disoriented, it was because I was trying to figure out who Catherine was, and why she wouldn't be okay.

They told me I was only out for about 30 seconds, but somehow I had managed to have a long, complicated dream about Bruce Willis. Must have been heaven.

After making me sit in the gross chair for 15 minutes, they made me sign something which I assume was some kind of waiver... I couldn't see very well out of one eye, and my brain hadn't really started being re-vascularized yet.

I remembered that I had a class at 1:30, so I somehow managed to drive through Chik Fil A, get on the freeway, and make it to work. After an hour of trying to get 6-year-olds to glue yarn onto elephants and not barf every time I stood up, I told my boss I needed to go home.

Driving home in the 190-degree Texan heat, I almost fell asleep at least three times, and collapsed on the couch as soon as I walked in the door, then proceeded to sleep for hours.

So. I think I've learned my lesson. Don't let the commies steal your precious bodily fluids.


And now, a caffeine update.

6/20

11:00 am - grande americano (*bux, and not my favorite one. sorry, latte boy. emergency.)
2:30 pm - cuppa PG Tips tea
7:00 pm - mini-can Dr. Pepper

Total: 298.5 mg

6/21

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - almost an entire Moka pot full of espresso

Total: ~ 385 mg

6/22

11:00 am - Oregon Chai latte
7:00 pm - indeterminate amount of Dr. Pepper

Total: ~ 74 mg (wow!)

6/23

11:00 am - half a double tall soy latte
7:00 pm - the other half of the double tall soy latte (sat in the car, so it was still about as hot as it was when I got it)

Total: 154 mg

Running total: 1,909 mg