on why i am mad at the red cross

so the red cross calls me last week.. and tells me that they are at an all time low for blood.. and they need blood really badly.. mine specifically.. they know i have good blood.. so i call them back and tell them that i actually would love to give blood.. but i can't.. cause i went to thailand.. and am now banned from giving blood for one year..
now.. as a side note.. those of you who know me.. know that i love giving blood.. now giving blood hurts.. but that is besides the point..
most of the time i feel very frustrated with the world.. i'm obsessed with "doing the right thing".. but i can never find out what that right thing is.. and when i do find something i have no skills for it.. i can do little things like conserve water, and electricity, and recycle, and when i'm in the grocery store parking lot i always push the cart to the designated place.. and even though these things may be the "right" things to do.. they don't directly make a difference.. so.. (back to the point).. i feel like giving blood is one thing i can do that will directly make a difference.. i can save up to three lives with my blood.. and i've got good blood.. O+.. something like 80% of the population can take my blood.. this is why i love giving blood.. for days before hand, i quit drinking soda.. i start eating all kinds of organic food, and take all my vitamins.. i want to make sure that when i give my blood away it's all full of healthy type stuff.. i treat my blood as well as i would want others to treat their blood if they were donating it to me.. i feel like those who are sick and need blood would benefit from the super healthy blood i give them.. this might be a little crazy.. but it's how i feel.. so.. i was bummed that i couldn't give blood for a year.. but i figured thailand was worth it...
before we left i tried to give blood.. i actually tried to give blood 4 times before i left.. i was having issues with iron.. i tried really hard.. but it didn't work.. and i was sad..
so.. then last week i get this call.. in which i tell the red cross that, "i am sorry i cannot give you my blood.. i went to thailand".. and they ask me where in thailand.. so i told them.. and they told me that i had nothing to worry about, and i should come in and give blood..
so.. today was a blood drive.. and i was ready.. i quit drinking soda by sunday.. and have been eating good cereal with 'whole grains' in it for days now.. and been eating lots of fruits and veggies.. i have been taking my multi vitamin, and also taking my coenzyme Q10, and iron supplement pills.. last night i had steak for dinner (more iron) and today i had my whole grain cereal, and for lunch i had a fruit drink which was yuck, but big on iron, and a protein bar that had lots of iron.. truthfully i was a little worried about an iron overdose.. so i got to the blood drive, and i get in.. and they are nice.. and they take my name.. and they stab my finger to check my iron.. and i was a little nervous because of my past iron issues.. but no.. i passed with flying colors.. i was so excited.. then she starts to ask me questions.. all sorts of questions.. to which i answer mostly no.. but then she asks "in the last year have you left the US, at all".. and i say, "yes.. i went to thailand.. but i called the red cross and everything is ok" and they say "ok.. lets just double check".. and as she's looking she asks if i possibly went to anywhere in Phang Na.. and i thought that sounded familiar.. and then she asked if i specifically went to phuket or maybe perhaps phi phi... and i said that yes.. i've been to both those places.. and she said "sorry, we here at the red cross cannot take your blood"..
so. this is the 5th time i have been denied by the red cross.. aparently the red cross hates me.. and doesn't want to see me again for another year..
so that is why i hate the red cross.. i was late to my 5 year outback anniversary party, because not only did the whole red cross not giving blood thing happen.. but i got stuck driving directly behind people who insisted on going the speed limit.. crazy people.. we live in california... where atleast 9 miles over the speed limit is the actual limit..
so i get to the party and i find out that i (along with my almost sister in law loan) got employee of the year.. yeah for us.. so great party.. and many thanks to john and mike and jim and jen for loving us for the last 5 years, and appreciating the job that we do.. we love you all.. and we're happy to work with you all at the OB for forever.. we could not ask for better managers.. or better jobs.. we love you..