My good deed for the week.

After work, with kids in tow, I headed over to our church for the Red Cross Blood Mobile to donate blood. I'd been wanting to donate blood for a while, but the last time I did was oh, about 19 years ago (actually it was when I turned 20 - on my birthday!). Last year or so, a friend had told me that he had donated blood and it made me think that it really is an easy thing to do and yet, oh, so important.

We got there around 4:30 and I started with the waiting in line – first reading the information, then waiting to tell someone that I was healthy, then waiting for a bed, then waiting to get stuck, then waiting for the blood to drain. I was finally finished at 6:00 – whew! Carl, one of the men I know from church, said to me that my kids were the best behaved kids he had ever seen. He was really sweet. The kids were really patient. But looking at Sean, I could see that he was really exhausted and by the time we got to the hallway, he brokedown in tears and cried the whole way home. Poor little guy. He did recover, but is still exhausted.

Suna asked how the church meeting went. All was remarkably easy. Our former church's annual meetings would go on and on and on, all about tedious mistakes and typos. Our budgets got passed and the new slate of officers went through. Many people thanked me for taking on the role of VP. I also will be taking over as the 'point-person' for the accessibility stuff. Long time friends will recall that I was very involved in that project for a while - mainly getting a lift/elevator installed in the church. But with 2 (sometimes 3) meetings at the church a week, I was burning out (I was responsible for 3 sub committees along with the over sight committee). Now the current point-person is burned out and needs a break. Honestly, I think this job will take more of my time than the VP thing. I did step down from the other 2 committees that I was on (Communications and Open & Affirming/Reconciling). I will really miss the O&A/R work, but I know I can always show up at their meetings. :)