The newspapers here all complain about a blood shortage.

As part of my effort to contribute time on this day, I decided to give blood.

I looked in the yellow pages under "blood donations." There was a 1-800 number for the blood bank. I called it. They said that they don't work in this area of the state. The woman on the other end of the phone had never heard of this city. She told me to check with area hospitals.

I called the area hospital and made an appointment for today. I asked where in the hospital do I go and she said, "Entrance C."

I went to the hospital today. I asked a parking lot/traffic guy at the entrance where entrance C was. He said he didn't know, so I got out and parked. I went to the information desk. I asked, "Where do I go to donate blood?" The old bag behind the counter said as if I should know, "The blood bank. On the second floor."

I asked, "Will I see where to go once I get up there?"

"Yes."

Second floor. Nothing. I wander around for a while and then stop in one of the waiting rooms there. I think it was the heart center. I asked where the blood bank was. They got on the phone and said it was in the basement, and that once I got down to the basement, I'd see signs.

Yeah.

After wandering around the basement for a while, I stop in the transport office. The guy there says that the blood bank is on the 1st floor (the same floor as "information"). He is kind enough to walk me up there.

I go to the blood bank window and tell them that I have a 1 o'clock appointment to donate blood.

The woman looks at me as if there's a urinal growing out of my forehead. There isn't, by the way.

No one donates blood there, she tells me. She calls a clinic and asks if it's there that I have the appointment. It is. I tell her that it was the hospital that I called. She says, "and then they transferred you to the clinic."

Well, obviously.

So I finally get to the clinic. A pint of my blood empties in 4 minutes flat. My blood pressure is ass-kickin. I got four Oreos and two cups of apples juice.

I was the only one there donating blood. Maybe they should put up a sign.


- posted by seanmh @ 3:10 PM