Stuff On Top

June 2, 2002 - 2 a.m. 

 

“Today your platelets will be going directly to the children’s hospital.”

   This is my favourite thing that I had said to me today.
I had a cool day today.  At least, I think it was cool.   
   Adding to the coolness of the day was the fact that someone tried to put me through emotional blackmail.

Today is my parents’ 34^th anniversary.  Given that we don’t really celebrate things very demonstratively, I didn’t care all that much.  Although, yesterday when my sister sent out an email saying to remember that it was today I was glad for the reminder.  So this morning, my alarm set to 9:31, I wasn’t particularly happy when the phone rang at 9:26 (we all know how important those last few moments of sleep are) and it was my dad. Of course being unaware of what was going on, you know, it being before my alarm and all, I didn’t twig that it was their anniversary day.  Nor did the fact that he was calling me and giving me an opportunity to come out and spend the day with them, twig either.
   I mean, during that call, I neither remembered that it was their day, nor did I agree to come out to see them.  You see, my dad is really quite subtle about such things.  I didn’t agree to go, because I had an appointment today and plans for the best day ever tomorrow…but this decision was made in exclusion of the wedding anniversary information.

   After the phone call, I chose not to go back to sleep for 3 minutes, got up, and abluted myself (what verb would you use for having performed the ablutions of the day?) and took off.  It takes me an hour to walk to the oak street blood clinic.  I worked it out once, if I took the buses necessary to get there, it would likely take me just about the same time to go through the 3 buses it would take.  It was as I was sitting on the couch, prigged and bleeding I remembered that I had to call dad…and that this was why he had called….bastard!
   well, I had this appointment to bleed and tomorrow (which is most likely today at this point) I had the most important plans ever, so I could not go.  I could have blown off the bleeding, I guess, but I can only make it there on Saturdays, and I had already missed it two weeks in a row. I don’t know why I take donating blood semi-seriously as I do, but I do.
   So, dad was out of luck, and later, when I called to wish him a happy anniversary, I gave him shit for not dropping a hint that a freshly woken up person could handle. He laughed at me.

   when I sat down down with the nurse who was taking my blood pressure and saying the place names at a speed that I am pretty sure I would never be able to match, she told me that today my blood platelets would be sent directly to the children’s hospital.  I guess they are low on my brand of blood or something. This gave me a bit of a thrill.  Useful. How useful am i.
   here is where I did something a little stupid.  Before I gave my blood, I had an orange juice, after I gave my blood, I had a couple of fugeo’s and some raspberry drink.  I walked to the blood clinic, and after I gave blood I headed for my friend G’s.  I took one bus most of the way but I still had to walk 10 blocks or so, because I was too impatient to await another bus.  Some of this was uphill.  As I walked up the hill I realized I was a little light headed, you know, function of giving blood.  I wasn’t all that worried at this point.
   When I got to G’s house, I helped him to install a CD Burner in his computer, something he had been having a problem with.  As we started, I said that I would have to get something to eat within a half hour or so, or I was going to have problems.  Not that I really thought there would be a problem as I have never had one, but I do feel it necessary to be at least a little bit responsible when I drop 1/6 of my blood resources at one time.  Well, it ended up taking almost an hour to get the burner installed right and I was starting to feel a little bit if a headache coming on.  But finish we did, and off we went to lunch. I had a good lunch, with great french fries and everything was happy.  Except my headache didn’t really go away.
   this was an effect I had not faced in the past. I had never had any sort of bad effect from blood donating before, you know except for the time before this one where they poked around inside my arm for a while looking for the elusive vein.  G wanted to do something further but I took the sight of a bus waiting outside of the restaurant when I walked out to be a hint, and I got on it, came home and fell asleep.

   2 hours later, a friend with whom I had not plans, called to tell me that we still had no plans. I politely thanked her for the information.  And didn’t go back to sleep.
   instead I went and rented 5 movies. 4 for the plans of tomorrow.
1 for tonight. I ordered pizza.
then I proceeded to watch, Swordfish (again), you know halle berry, really is a vision, and hugh jackman is amazing for his ability to be cute and not from this time to the next.  Then A knight’s tale (again), just before which my friend G popped by out of the blue and watched with me, while I made guac and a layered taco dip for tomorrow/today.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Craving.  And now, I am writing this and watching, The day of the Jackal, one I have not seen and doing this entry.  You know they did nudity better in the 70’s.  it isn’t sexual, it isn’t titillating, it is just there because it belongs. It’s part of the movie because they would be nude at this time.  Interesting.

You see, tomorrow, we celebrate shar’s *** birthday.  Rather than having a costume gala this year, as she normally does, she is having a day all about her. She has scheduled some movies, at different times in the day, movies she wants to see, and is having an open house, anyone can come, at any time, to watch any of the movies, as long as they bring a treat for Shar to eat.

The movies, and shows…. 

Pandora’s Box (Lousie Brooks, silent, 1928)
Desperately Seeking Susan (Madonna, good)
The Next Best Thing. (Madonna, bad)
One ep of Sex in the City
Bus Stop (Marilyn)
One ep of the Avengers.
The Thin Man Goes Home
Dogma.
starts at 10 a.m. ends at, well, the last one starts at 10 pm.

A long, and wonderful day.

Probably.
J

ok. This movie is great.
I’m going to watch the end unencumbered.