It all started the morning of June 30th, 2010. I get to work, excited that there are only three more days until the extended 4th of July weekend my gracious employer gives us, and my first thought is “I need to go shopping to get Andrew and I matching outfits for the cookout on Sunday!” Immediately after that, I thought “Good God, when did I become my mother?” It’s a scary thing to wake up one morning and realize that you are three steps away from making matching iron-on sweatshirts with glitter to make them “fancy.” Once I was able to come back to reality after that astonishing epiphany, I did the normal morning routine, checked email and looked at the calendar. NICE! I get to give blood today!
Apparently, I have a pretty rare blood type (and therefore get calls once a week from the blood drive place asking to donate). Anyway, we have blood drives here at work, and it’s just an easy convenient way to help out society. So I am about to head down to donate and Andrew (the boyfriend) Instant Messages me (yes, we have IM at work). The message reads “65 days.” I didn’t have time to ask “65 days until what?” So I went down stairs to give blood.
The first part of my donation was standard, answer questions, get my blood bag, and wait until they are ready to stick me. As I am waiting my mind begins to ponder, “65 days, 65 days, 65 days?” Hmmm, what could be in 65 days? I don’t have a calendar readily available, but maybe it is an anniversary of some sort, maybe he is going to surprise me with something special??
Now, it’s time for the stick. The sweet old lady asks me which arm I would like to give from “the Right and I will warn you, I am a fast bleeder! I have been known to fill the bag in lighting time!” I joke with her, but that is a fact! On a normal basis I can fill the bag in less than 5 minutes. I prepare for the stick and there it is. Ahhhh, that’s over. I look at the sweet old lady and she has a very concerned look on her face. I quickly check to make sure my arm is still attached. Phew, it is. The sweet old lady calls another nurse over “will you take a look at this, I think it happened again” she says. “What happened again?” I reply looking confused. The other nurse comes and examines “Yep, you clotted to fast.” Excuse me? You literally stuck me 30 seconds ago. I clotted too fast.
So the old lady (note I dropped sweet) begins to move the needle around “does that hurt at all?” She asks. “Nope, I am good” but really I am thinking “Cripes lady you are prodding a sharp object around in my arm, what do you think?” So they decide to take the needle out and start again on the other arm. Luckily the clotting drama allowed me to forget about the 65 days comment.
As she sticks the other needle, it’s a success, kind of. It takes me 30 minutes to fill the bag! Ridiculous. As I wait to fill the blood bag, I find out the old lady had this happen 5 times today. Clearly, she needs to be removed from the needle prick and stick to asking the questions!
At this point, it’s been almost an hour and half since the elusive “65 days” comment. I mean who does that? Why would you just dangle a carrot like that and not follow through? Ugh. I am finally done with the blood drive and head back upstairs to share my story with all who will listen, including Andrew. I was so intense in my storytelling about my blood giving adventure, that it wasn’t until 45 minutes later that I ask with intense excitement “so what is in 65 days?”
I want to take a moment for everyone to guess what it could be. It would just be too easy to tell you flat out and not allow you to experience the intense anxiety that I had as I prepared for his reply.
I see the words “Andrew is typing….” on the instant message dialog box. My eyes light up and my muscles tense. Then I get the answer “65 days until college football starts.” WOW! That’s what my anticipation was for, college football? “That’s literally over 2 months away!” I reply. “I know, I am getting so excited already, I can’t wait, it’s so close!” he says with excitement coming out of every part of him. As a side note, I can’t remember the last time I was excited for something 2 months prior to it happening.
Since that moment, I have gotten weekly, and now daily updates on the countdown to college football. Now, I like football just as much as the other above average females in the world, but dating a diagnosed sports addict has truly increased my awareness on the craziness that is college football.
For all of those interested, 17 days……
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