Three-leafed clover

Three little bits I found funny over the weekend:

1. Friday night I went to Winger’s with my old roommates and their wives. While we were waiting for our food, two scruffy-looking guys sat down at the table next to us. One had quarter-size hoop earrings and lots of grunge. The other, a larger fellow, wore a goatee. As we were getting up from a rather filling meal, I jokingly said, “I’d love to spend a week in jail — just imagine, all that time to read! There’s nothing else I even could do!” The words were still coming out of my mouth when I realized that I probably should have waited till we were out to the car. And just then the goatee guy said, “It’s not that great. Believe me.” Awkward pause. What am I supposed to say to that — “Cool, what were you there for?”? No thanks. I clumsily laughed and hightailed it out of there.

2. In priesthood meeting yesterday, the lesson was on prayer. When the teacher came to a question about what prayer does for us, or something like that, one guy said, “Yeah, I pray every day for chastity.” I blinked. A few nervous giggles. He then realized what he’d just said. “Dang, I mean charity!”

3. As I was sitting outside during bishop’s interviews after church, some of the girls were talking about giving blood (our stake has a blood drive next Monday). “The last time I gave blood,” one girl said, “I pumped it all out in like five minutes. ‘That was pretty fast, wasn’t it?’ I said to the guy. ‘Um, yeah, whatever.’ It bothered me, since they usually compliment you on how fast you were. But does it even matter? Should I feel good that if I were wounded on a battlefield, I’d bleed to death faster than the others? Yay for me.” Just out of curiosity, how many of you aren’t pleased as punch when you fill the bag faster than the next person over?

Hey Ben…these stories are so funny! I particularly love the charity one…and I must admit when I was told how fast I filled the blood bag, I was rather impressed at how fast it was. Granted, that was the first (and so far last) time that I have ever given blood so maybe it will get slower? *doink*

Anyhoo, I wanted to say hello and also wanted to mention that I met one of your former companions…he was in my ward in Provo…Elder Barney Lund. Very cool guy…he said some awesome things about you too, like that you wanted him to teach you how to be cool. lol

You are cool on your own merits, so you know. ;)

Ben, that first story is hilarious! I can just picture it…lol

Well, I know from blood tests that I have very good veins, and I’m kinda glad, because I can get it over with as soon as possible that way. But I’m kind of sad that I’m not allowed to give blood (I lived in England as a baby so they think I have Mad Cow). It’s like not being allowed to pay tithing or something.

Ya know, I have been in those kind of situations way too often ;)
BTW, I filled up my bag in 5 minutes the last time I gave blood too, but I almost passed out afterwards. A little slower for me next time…

Oh, Ben I laughed over the charity bit; though I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the poor guy who made the slip up.

As for giving blood…I have only given blood one in my life. And interestingly enough, that was while I was on my mission (which normally is against the rules, but it was needed and authorization was granted…).

I think that my blood giving experience has scared me for life. I couldn’t stand needles to begin with. The very thought of one being stuck with a needle, even to save a life, makes me light headed and queasy. So you can guess that I wasn’t exactly excited to give blood. However it was needed and I was assured that being as healthy as I was, I should have no problem, and that it would probably be over in just a few minutes…

It all started well, I guess. The nurse found a nice vein without a problem, and then stuck with that evil needle. I don’t know what went wrong. Evidently neither did the nurses. All I know was that nothing was coming out. The nurse kept fiddling with the needle (no the most wonderful feeling ~ouch!!!~), but still nothing. After about 5 minutes she called another nurse, who after a few minutes of trying called another nurse. Soon I was surrounded with nurses who couldn’t tell what was wrong. Then all of the sudden, the blood came out and filled the bag in less then 5 minutes. The whole ordeal lasted over an hour. However, I was so sick afterwards that I was useless the rest of the day. Because of the trauma done to my arm with all the messing with the needle I was black and blue and in pain for days.

Mali-Wan: Welcome! :) I gave blood yesterday and challenged the girl next to me (who is in my ward) to a race, but it was futile because she finished before they even started pumping mine. The Red Cross lady said to give a gentle squeeze every five seconds. I thought about squeezing hard, to go faster, but then I got worried that I might squeeze so hard that the needle would pop out and spurt blood all over. Easy does it. :) And I found out that I’m actually O and not O- as I’d thought all along. Whoops. Ah, yes, Barney. He was in the MTC district before me, and we were in the mission choir together for seven months or so. Good times. He said I wanted him to teach me how to be cool? Barney… :) (I don’t remember that, actually, but I guess it’s possible.)

Katherine: :)

Haley: Well, all blessings shall be given to the faithful in the hereafter, you know… ;) Except we won’t have blood anymore then. Guess you get the short end of the deal. :P But frankly, I’d far rather live in England than give blood.

James: LOL :) I’ve never passed out, ever. I did tell the girl next to me the same thing, hoping that somehow I would pass out — since I’d like to have some firsthand experience for using in my fiction and poetry — but nothing happened. I didn’t even feel queasy in the least. ~sigh~

Julia: Eek, needles give me the creeps. The pain itself isn’t too bad, but it’s the thinking about it that almost hurts more. And of course my overactive imagination doesn’t help matters either. :)

Ben, you don’t remember that “cool” conversation we had in Sanaambinnaam? It was late…and I forgot how we started talking about dating, but yeah, we did, and I said I didn’t know how much help I’d be to anyone in the “cool” category. Something like that. Anyway, I wasn’t making anything up…and it was only the partial story, so I thought I’d clarify.

LOL, that’s fine. My memory is often fading away from me, so I’m not too surprised that I don’t remember it. (But I do believe you, of course.) So, when do I get my leather jacket and sunglasses? ;)