Sometimes a good thing is just that

This past weekend, we made the trip South to visit with my sister before she left for her semester abroad in El Salvador. While this was the main reason for our journey, there was a little side trip that was also planned. Rachel noticed on the Redskins website that the Red Cross was going to be holding a blood drive that was sponsored in some way by the Redskins. If you signed up to donate, and actually went through with it, you got a goody bag that included some Redskins stuff. In addition, you were also entered to win a few door prizes that included: autographed mini-helmets, apparel, or club level tickets to a home game of your choice. The final bribe, and the one that I wanted, was special VIP seating to training camp on Saturday or Sunday. While I am admittedly squeamish about bleeding on purpose, no matter how good the cause, I can be bought. Last year was the first time I gave blood, and it was for a free ticket into the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. This year, it was for VIP access to training camp to be a little closer to the team that I have been devoted to for as long as I can remember. So, Andrew and I made our appointments last week and showed up on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM.

We were taken back to give our history, first myself then Andrew, to be tested to see if we qualified to give blood that day. I still had my Red Cross card from last year, with a scan bar on it, so I gave it to the lady to jump past the medical history and go straight into testing. This is when the rather English-challenged lady tried to inform me three times that my card was from another district, and that I was going to be considered a first time donor after my repeated "WHAT?" and "EXCUSE ME?" responses. This continued the whole time she was asking me questions, as her think accent muddled the line of communication between us. She probably thought I was some ignorant hick or partially deaf at the very least. Finally, I was given the computer to answer the personal health information and I passed. I was escorted back to the area they were taking the donations, and lo and behold -- Andrew was already stuck with the needle and filling his baggie. I had volunteered to donate double red cells, not only because the needle to procure the blood is smaller (I'm a wuss), but because I now have a valid excuse not to give blood for a longer period of time. So, by the time we both were finished -- training camp that day was not even a possibility. We got passes for Sunday morning, and the debate started on whether or not we'd go.

Sunday morning comes, and it's raining. Rachel checks the website to see if practice outside is canceled or not, and we find that it's still on. Andrew, my oldest daughter, and I piled into the van to head out. We park, and walk to the practice fields. We go over to the VIP access entrance, and are told that the Red Cross area is not inside the fence (like we thought) but a roped off area "over there" the guy informed us. We wait at where we think the player entrance is, but the players ended up going onto the field another way. I decided to go over to our "special access" area, and find that they area they've picked is crap. It's roped off, for sure -- but it's further away from the field and players than those who didn't give blood were able to stand. I was PISSED!! As we drew closer, a young woman asks us if we're holding Red Cross passes and we affirm that. She tells us that they are now letting Red Cross people into the VIP entrance, and to go back to be let in. We tell her we've already been there, and were turned away. She says, "Oh, they decided to let the Red Cross people inside the fence now." I'm fully expecting to be turned away again, but the same guy now lets us through. The team is all out on the field now, so I pull out the camera to get a few pics now that we're much closer to the players. As I turn it on, I see that the power is zapped. Rachel had charged the battery before we left, so I was puzzled. My daughter informs me at this point, as I'm lamenting the fact that I didn't check it before we left, that she and my middle daughter were playing with the camera the night before at the party for Nancy. Great -- how angry could I get? I was too pumped. So, I snapped exactly three pictures before the camera died. Then the rains came. My daughter was complaining about getting wet, and that she wanted to go home. She also saw the Papa John's and Johnny Rocket's food trailers and kept reminding me how hungry she was. The combination of the rain, the complaining, the fact that the camera was dead all combined to force us to go home. Andrew and I were both a disappointed at our luck, but I can't say it was a total loss. I'm posting one of the rare Redskins pics, and one of the ones that Ryles took the night before playing with the camera. Enjoy.

So remember -- if you're holding a blood drive for your Eagle Scout, church, sports team, etc .... I can be bribed into bleeding on purpose if you have a goody bag in store for those who sign up to donate. And it has to be something good, none of this "the feeling you get for doing a good thing is reward enough" crap.