Oh crap there is another camera crew coming...

*Update* Just realized my little trip to Mexico will defer me from donating blood for 12 months...guess we'll have to wait and see if the passoutage was a fluke!

I gave blood today right before Santa did. I thought this was a great idea! And let me preface the following story by saying you should TOTALLY give blood...don't let this story deter you. I've given over a gallon and never had anything like this happen...(oh, and there are pictures because Katia was there to take pictures of Santa and she decided to take pictures of me while waiting...)

Seriously Katia...stop taking my pictures (the blood is flowing here...)

I can't raise my hand and not give the Hook 'em Horns sign...

So the blood donation is complete and I head to the canteen for 20 minutes to eat my Lorna Doone's and drink some water and hot chocolate...I get up and walk around, waiting with my co-workers for Santa's donation. At this point there is a news crew in place to film his donation...I start feeling light headed (25 minutes post-donation) and go to sit down. I get the attention of one of the staff at the center and tell her "I'm really light headed." She goes into crisis mode and starts walking me back into one of the donor chairs...and apparently that is the point where I sunk to the ground (or as Julie said: melted like the Wicked Witch) and passed out.

I remember having some sort of vivid dream experience in the 5-10 seconds I was passed out. I then heard "Oh crap there is another camera crew coming" and I snap awake...flat on the ground in front of chairs of blood donors, legs up on a chair, missing one shoe. I was transferred into a donor bed for about 30 minutes for my blood pressure to get back up to within 10 of where it was when I started the process. I felt like a goober because I know everyone there and the camera guy was like "See you on the 9 o'clock news!" Of all the days to pass out...I chose in front of camera crews and Santa...but hopefully Santa hooks me up next week (and I also put in a good word for Morgan Elizabeth Lemmings in Lawrenceville, GA ;-)

Me...post-passout...cold compress and all.

Santa! Check out his co-band bow!