I gave blood today!

Can you believe that it has been 3 years and 5 months since the last time I gave blood?

I guess that's what happens when you move away from a 'remote' city in Canada, where donations happen when the blood mobile rolls in. To where living in Central Ohio, it becomes much more difficult to find out when and where there is a blood drive in walking distance from home or work....

The last time I gave blood, my chiropractor was hosting it... plus I was walking back from the BMV after doing a change of address on my state ID. Today, Allstate (3rd floor at work) was hosting one.

I remember the first time I gave blood....this girl named Terri asked if I would, and...well.... Somewhere from there I managed to get a 20 donation pin. Which was pretty good considering that I only gave a few more times before I moved away from Calgary, and in Medicine Hat...the blood mobile would only roll in 3 times a year. And, invariably I would be down with the flu or something when they came during the winter. It wasn't until the last couple of years, that they upped the frequency to 4 times a year.

Evidently, they track how much you've donated by the gallon in the US. Should be interesting to see how long before I reach one. Today is only my 3rd time so far.

Perhaps I should factor ease of making future blood donations in as another criteria on deciding where I should move to next.

The first time I gave blood in the US, Sears over at the Mall at Tuttle Crossing was hosting a drive. Actually sometimes the nearby Walmart hosts drives, but the last few times I made an appointment...they later tell me that the drive has been canceled. And, somewhere they stopped telling me of future drives in my walking area. Though once I found out later that a 'canceled' blood drive still happened.... there were a few other times where I didn't know until they were leaving that I found out....