I should have posted this awhile ago, but I did finally get my hair cut. I donated it to Locks for Love. Hopefully it will make a nice wig for someone. I know for my part, the summer has felt just a little bit cooler after I got rid of more than half my hair.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Dear American Red Cross,

While it's very nice of you to come out to work sites for a blood drive and make it convenient to donate blood, there are a few things you need to work on.

First of all, I really do not want to have an argument with the check-in person about whether or not I have donated blood before. I have, ok? I know you may find it amazing that I don't remember who I donated to. However, when I tell you I just showed up at the blood drive at school, don't tell me this one is the Red Cross blood drive like I must be a moron for not reading. I know it's the Red Cross blood drive. I called you and made an appointment and walked down here to let you stick a needle in my arm and take my blood. We don't need to talk about the logistics of the last blood drive I attended, what university it was at and the fact that you service UNO when I clearly said I went to UNL. Just for your information so we don't need to have this argument again: I went to UNL for four years and donated several times. The Lincoln Community Blood Bank and the Red Cross both come to the blood drives and you fill out your information and go to whatever bed is open. Apparently I donated to the Lincoln Community Blood bank. I'm really sorry I don't remember what bed I was routed to over the last two or three times I donated. Also, no, I do not have a donation card. They didn't do those on campus, so don't ask me for it three times.

The person who took my information was very nice. It was somewhat of a pain to review all of the countries I visited on my last vacation, but I understand it's important information. So, thank you for your courtesy.

Moving on to my biggest complaint about the whole experience: the giving blood part. First, get some blankets. I'm losing blood here and I already have enough problems with temperature control. Second, I told you which arm I usually use. It was really nice of you to check both arms on the guy sitting next to me, but you didn't even look at my right arm which is the one I said usually works best. You can't see my veins in my left arm. I know that. A simple visual comparison would have worked wonders. Also, spending 10 minutes trying to find the vein, having to write on my arm and have me squeeze the stupid ball and hold 20 times should be a clue that maybe you should take a look at another option since I have two arms. I'll wait for a different chair. Really.

Please do not tell me that I have to hold my wrist very still and then get upset when I squeeze the ball you hand to me. The muscles in my arm and my hand are going to move when I squeeze it. Either I don't squeeze the ball and you can have a perfectly still arm or I can squeeze it and get the blood flowing. It's your choice.

When you finally do decide to put a needle in my arm, try being a little nicer about it. The first clue that it's not working should be the fact that there is no blood flowing into the tube. Walking away to go find someone is not helpful. It makes me wonder if you know what you're doing. To the person who came to "see why it's not working", rooting it around in my arm hurts like hell. Considering the fact that the first person stuck it in the absolute middle of the crease in my elbow, if you push it further into my arm, you're going to go through the vein because it's not flat there because you made me bend my elbow. I'm glad you finally got blood to flow, but you really shouldn't be very proud of yourself because the needle had to be propped up by something to keep it at a 45 degree angle to my skin. That should clue you in to the fact that the end of the needle is probably in the vein, but if my arm moves at all, it's going to come out. But hey, you're the expert, right? Maybe not. I got half a bag full until it the flow slowed down and came to a stop. Hmm...maybe the end of the needle came out of my vein again. Sure, let's root it around a little more to see if we can fix it. Nope. Ok, well, obviously it was my fault that I couldn't give a whole bag of blood but it was sure nice of you to ask me in an accusing tone if donating usually went quickly for me. Usually it does. Maybe if you actually got the needle in my vein rather than just moving it around in my arm it would have worked better. But what do I know? The blood on my arm around the needle wouldn't have been a hint or anything. You know, when I gave blood before, my arm only bled after they took the needle out. But again, I'm not an expert here.

Thanks for the band-aid. It would have been really nice for you to wipe the iodine off my arm before taping all the way around it. I was wearing a white coat today, so the lovely yellow-brown color looks really great smeared on the sleeve.

The guy at the "canteen" was very nice although he couldn't hear very well. But out of almost everyone I encountered with the exception of the nurse who went over my medical history, he was by far the nicest.

I'm very sorry I wasn't of any use to you. I'll spare you the trouble of dealing with me again by just not coming next time. Really, I'm just that nice. Also, thanks for the really awesome bruise on my arm. It goes well with the rest of the ones I already had from volleyball earlier this week. If you do decide that you would like to have me donate again, please call the Lincoln Community Blood Bank first (402-486-9414). I'm sure they can tell you how to deal with me since I'm such a pain. But I'm sure you won't need me until there's a real shortage.

Thanks!