Give blood. Save lives. (Get burgers.)

Join us this Thursday in Grand Central Terminal for one of the greatest blood drives in New York. In Vanderbilt... http://t.co/HQRfkkxoEX

— NY Blood Center (@NYBloodCenter) April 12, 2015

Some people carbo load for running marathons. I have to broccoli, beef, and kale-load to give blood. You read about what happened when I tried to buy beef and broccoli to eat this week. Luckily my purchase of kale salads was much more uneventful.1 of these bowls can last 2 days. There's a LOT of chopped kale in there.

Then, of course, I scratched my arms all to heck while I was trying to pull down climbing hops at the office.

(These, but after drying up and being dead vines all through the winter. They scratch when dried out.)

Please note how you can see my blue veins in that above picture.

I had a 7pm appointment and at that hour the rush was over.

Those chairs shouldn't be empty.

But it was good for me. I had lots of techs helping out.

And I needed them.

Also, to note, Grand Central does not photograph well on my iTouch.

As you can see from my finger-prick, I'm a bleeder. I thought there wasn't going to be an issue.

Before:

During:

FINALLY

My poor techs felt bad about how much they had to dig for a vein. It's the same arm I usually use, but it took two different techs to finally find a vein. And what seems like 7 minutes of poking around. They kept apologizing. I kept looking in the opposite direction and breathing deeply. It didn't "hurt," it was just super uncomfortable, especially with how high they had the pressure cuff on. You shouldn't have tingly fingers. Just saying.

Once a line was found, everything went quickly. (And with no bruises, surprisingly.) And then, look at all the snacks! They were great.

But, with 3 bottles of cranberry juice and 2 bags of popchips. ... I over did it.

I KNOW!

I knew I was getting a burger on the way home, but I felt like I was starving ... until I wasn't.

Usually after I give blood, I wanna eat a cow, but this time I ate too many chips to finish my

 @shakeshack SmokeShack. Which was a shame.

I think I need to get another burger. Even cold, the next day, for lunch, it was good, but it's better with ShackSauce dripping down your arm or using fries to clean it up.

Yummmm.


SmokeShack:
Cheeseburger topped with applewood smoked bacon, cherry peppers, and ShakeSauce 

Soon.

Anyway, give blood. Save lives.
Don't do it for the ShakeShack.

But it's as good a reason as any.

This post was NOT brought to you by ShakeShack. But it should have been.

43 Ideas for Birthday 43: Delicious Deliveries

I don't mind grocery shopping, but lately, I hate the schlepping more than anything - and even thinking about what I'm making.

Oh Birthday Fairy - can't you just make my meals magically appear?

MMMM.

I wonder if there are services that I could use?

Like, say ... oh ...

Freshdirect

 

Or this new company which ships you pre-measured out items...

Blue Apron

 Meat = good

Omaha Steaks

 But actually - this is the closest service and one that I have used - all of twice.

Peapond

Nettie is super lazy when it's cold.

43 Ideas for Birthday 43: Nuts for Peanut Butter

You know what is a versatile product? Peanut Butter!
You know who makes a wide variety of peanut butters I really enjoy?

Peanut Butter & Co.

 So much so I visited back in 2009 with Jane and had lots of yummy treats!

Might Maple Sandwich above/The Elvis below

 
You know what would make a great birthday present? A year's supply of a variety pack!

I have so many recipes I could make with peanut butter, thanks to owning this cookbook already, and finding new and exciting ways to incorporate this ingredient.

Grateful List 2/2-2/8

In addition to a enjoying a fabulously relaxingly, warm weekend, which I have already blogged about, I was grateful for some completely random things last week:

• For the courtesy of colleaques who bring in their leftovers to supplement our breakfasts and lunchs. There's nothing like walking in and seeing a sampler of cheeses, crackers, and pastries to make your morning.
• For the fact that the week rushed by in a blur. I hate February, so the faster it goes by, the better.
• That Admiral Adama isn't dead ... yet.
• And for free ARCS that show up in my P.O. Box when I'm completely disappointed by my current library selections.

I'm a simple gal. Little things make me happy.

Things that made my day

Lots of cookies and leftover munchies on the office "free - Come and get 'em" area.

Finding out that a dear, dear friend from college is flying in from California and will be in the New York area over my extended weekend.

Being asked if I was over 21 when I went to the hardware store today to buy crafting supplies.

It's the little things really.

Things that make Wednesday bearable

This e-mail:

Dear All,
Stop those lunch plans! We’ve had a snafu and will have to cancel (at the last minute) a scheduled Lunch. Consequently, we will have lots of food delivered at around 12:30. .... Help yourself!

Cheers!

HOT DAMN. This and free breakfast biscottis! Now, if I could just make 5:00 p.m. come faster, and figure out how to get a free dinner, my day would be MADE.

(Please don't think I'm cheap. I'm merely my parents' child and being economically responsible. Plus, if I don't eat it, the food will just go to waste. Can't have that, now can we?)