I bought a REALLY cute, REALLY pretty, REALLY expensive (travel-size bottle for price of entire bottle of boring lotion) EOS hand lotion for my purse, since when my hands are dry they look even more like old-lady hands. The container is a pretty spring/Easter-egg light turquoise color, and it’s an interesting worry-stone-like shape, and I’ve used the lotion three times already in “Oh I’m so glad I have lotion!” situations.
In fact, I love everything about the whole purchase except the smell of the lotion, which is reminding me of something I can’t place. Not something positive, though not exactly repulsive either. “Store-bathroom hand-soap”? “Motel”? “Bathroom air freshener we used to have”? I think it’s the hand soap. Well, I will refill the bottle with something else when it’s empty.
I donated blood today, and I see it’s been close to two years since I last did it. That’s how long it took me to stop being mad about [long boring story about how they routinely kept me waiting 1-2 hours for an APPOINTMENT to DONATE, and then responded poorly when I finally addressed this politely, and then started calling me DAILY even after I told them to take me off their phone list], plus how long it took me once I’d decided to go back (to a different location, which today at least went WAY better, but was New and Different).
I felt happy and relieved to be back there again. Though also anxious because I realized halfway through I’d somehow forgotten deodorant. I really didn’t want to put my arm up in the air as instructed.
Those are the exact reasons *I* stopped donating blood, except that in my case they’d keep me waiting the 1-2 hours and then tell me my iron was too low. They really should do the finger prick as soon as you walk in the door. ALSO, there is no actual blood donation place near me so I always have to go to blood drives which are eternally staffed by confused volunteers. It’s probably been three years. I should try again, I guess, but only after I eat a bunch of spinach.
Feeling guilty, I just went online to try to make an appointment for an upcoming blood drive. The site told me my Donor ID number (from the card THEY gave me) wasn’t a real number. Oh, Red Cross. Why do you make it so hard?
Could you provide a link to said pretty lotion bottle?
I’m pretty sure it’s these ones: http://www.amazon.com/EOS-Hand-Lotion-Pack-Cucumber/dp/B00D1B1QEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428103291&sr=8-1&keywords=eos+lotion
(Swistle, correct me if I’m wrong!)
Yes, those are the ones! I found them at Target for $2.99 each (on sale for $2.69).
True, barely related story: my husband forgets deodorant every single day until he puts his shirt on. Every day he does his teeth, hair, puts on cologne, takes some pills, and waltzes out of the bathroom. Goes to put on a shirt and walks back in, to grab the deodorant that’s right next to all that other stuff. Every day.
Gaaahhh, blood donation is my Waterloo. I want SO BADLY to be good at it, and do it on the regular. Once I got rejected because my pulse was too high (>100 bpm), but they had made me traipse all over a hospital and climb two flights of stairs to get to the donation room. Another time they kicked me off a donation bus for being too heavy (I am an Overweight Person, but not a walrus…). All of this after having waited the 1-2 hours since my scheduled appointment. I gave up.
I finally bought an EOS lip balm and despite the really useless shape, I love it.
As someone whose life has been saved twice in 5 years by emergency blood transfusions, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who give blood. It’s such a hugely wonderful thing for you to do. Thank you thank you for pushing through the red tape / logistical issues and doing it anyway!
Which is not to say that if you have tried giving blood and not done it because the system is horrible that I thank you any less – thanks for trying! It really does mean a lot.
I have smelled approximately 1,000 fragrance oil samples since I started messing around with candles, and I have discovered that any time there is the word “Breeze,” like “Country Breeze” or “Spring Breeze” I HATE IT because some element of it reminds me of a gas station bathroom. But some people (my mother, for one) really love these smells, so they aren’t inherently bad or anything. I wonder if that same element that smells weirdly deodorizing to me is what’s in your lotion, too. I also wonder if it’s like a cilantro-is-soapy issue where half the population finds it pleasant and the other half finds it off-putting.
I almost brought this up during the “Bradford Pear Smell” exchange; how cilantro has a similar love it or hate it feel. I have a friend who used to be a beer judge (how cool is that!) and she said that people who like cilantro like beers that have a lot of hops in them. This is why I’m always afraid to buy candles/scented items as gifts or bring wine to people’s houses. Because who knows? I actually had to throw out a detangler spray for my girls because the scent reminded me of junior high!
I want so much to make blood donation work because I’m a universal donor, and when I was younger, I was successful a couple of times and it was so rewarding. But every time I go now, my iron is too low. The one time it wasn’t, they wouldn’t let me donate because I’d been to Peru in the previous year. I really, really wish they allowed walk-ins also, because the appointment system feels like such a hurdle when you’re likely to get rejected anyway. And I will admit right here, I cry every time I’m rejected, even though I know it’s likely, and I know it’s not personal. It feels personal, like I’m a big, fat failure at life-saving.
I think blood drives sometimes help you bypass the appointment system and craziness – in my experience, the wait isn’t as long. But the Red Cross will always call you. I think they live to call you.
My location does allow walk-ins! Reservations probably help prevent you from trying when they’re super busy, but you might be able to try a walk-in sometime. Eat a couple steaks in the week or two before, with dark leafy greens and a glass of orange juice! ;) You could even take iron supplements if you really wanted to ensure you’d be able to give — and if you’re much lower than the cut-off, a little bit of iron might give you more energy anyway!
I wish I could give blood, but I am also constantly being rejected, and the two times I actually managed it I passed out within 2 minutes of walking out of the tent. I was later told I have low blood volume (a thing I guess) and that I probably shouldn’t be giving blood.
I used to give blood regularly, and I loved doing it because it felt like continuing a family tradition – both my mother and grandmother were life-long donors. Then the mad cow scare happened, and because I’d lived in England during the ’80s, my blood is now Not Wanted.
We’re having a blood drive at work and there is a CRAZY amount of PERSONAL PRESSURE TO GIVE which, I am in favor of donating blood, but it makes me very uncomfortable to approach individuals to pressure them, not just because this is uncomfortable, but because the reasons a person may not want to donate blood could be that they are not ABLE to, and the reasons that one is not ABLE to donate blood seem like they could be very personal indeed. Perhaps you do not wish to share with your coworker the medical condition that renders you not a good candidate to donate. PERHAPS THIS IS NOT A GOOD WORKPLACE APPROACH.
I have just discovered double red blood donations. They take twice as many red blood cells but the plasma is returned so you feel great when you get done. Best part is that you can only donate every four months instead of every eight weeks, so that virtuous feeling lasts twice as long. And they totally pamper you–one attendant to every two tables.
Hand lotion! I have yet to find one that makes my hands less dry, but doesn’t leave a soapy/sticky/greasy feeling residue. I’d love recommendations!
I CANNOT STAND the feeling of handling certain fabrics with dry hands, particularly gym clothes and cleaning cloths. It’s like my hands are made of velcro. *shudder* So far the only real solution I’ve found is to avoid the dry hands in the first place by avoiding cleaning-type housework, and while that may sound like a good thing, I can’t avoid it all or forever.
My favorite is the Vaseline Intensive Rescue, unscented. That’s what I’m going to refill the bottle with when it’s empty! I hate hate hate that snaggy feeling too. Certain fabrics are the worst.