So Wednesday morning started like any other, I wake up, get my usual can of Diet Coke and sit down in front of the computer to check my e-mail, etc. I pop onto www.wgrd.com to listen to the feed from the 'Free Beer and Hot Wings' morning show and I happen to catch the image to the left. The Michigan Community Blood Centers are holding a blood drive at the Michigan National Guard Armory as the sponsoring agency. FBHW are talking it up on the radio too. So I figured; 'Heck, I haven't donated blood since I donated it for myself for my hip replacement surgeries back in 2002-2003, lets do it!'.

So I mention going to go give blood on my Facebook page, and my friend Patrick hits me up to say he'll go too. Patrick is DEP to the U.S. Navy right now, so anything he can do to do 'his part' now is par for the course, no matter how small that might be, right Patrick? ;-).

So if you look to the right, you can see me 'pumping out a quart' for a good cause. Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic, I didn't even think about bringing my little camera. NOTE TO SELF: Keep Camera with you at all times!

The whole process took 2 hours from the time I left the house til the time I returned. I also had them sample my blood to put me on the 'Marrow Donor Registry', plus I've committed to giving three more quarts of blood for the next year. The donation is now part of "Four 4 Life," a program Michigan Community Blood Centers offers to its blood donors. After four donations, the blood donor receives a thank you gift or the opportunity to send a gift to support a hospitalized child.