Family Circus style driving, part 3

A: About where she works
B: Where my daughter's doctor's office is
C: About where she was when she called me to say she lost her way
D: Where she told me she was when she called me (Lake Street is different than Lake Road)
E: Where she ended up 2 and a half hours after leaving work and I surprised her by suggesting she get tickets for the Cubs game next week as she was two miles from Wrigley Field and had no idea she was there.

Since my wife could not get there even though she went to the office many times, I had to be there when my daughter got a shot. Shortly after seeing the needle go into her skin, I got woozy and blacked out. After fifteen minutes, I was ok to drive home.

I admit, I am a wimp

Since they had a blood drive at my work, I have been donating to Lifesource pretty regularly for the past couple of years. Not knowing one person away from my work who donates (mostly because they can't) makes me feel obligated to donate. However donating over the past 18 months have become increasingly difficult as a combination of nerves, pain, and problems with me being heavy has turned the donating process from something that is no big deal to something I worry about days before it happens.

Why can I only donate on a Saturday? They do not want caffeine in the blood as it makes it more difficult. Therefore I am only able to donate early on Saturday or any other day I am not at work.

I have problems with needles. Twice I passed out from them. Once when hearing the fluid rush into my shoulder and once when I had to be with my daughter when she got a shot. (Why was I with her? You will nee next week.) When my best friend gives herself an injection for her diabetes, she warns me.

Why does it hurt? Not sure but it usually does. Knowing what ailments have caused what discomforts for me in the past, I probably have a low tolerance of pain. I am also wondering if the pain is caused by them not getting the needle in the proper place.

My size has made it difficult to find the correct place to put a needle in my arm. By the time they have their discussion and consultation about where to do it, I am ready to crawl under the table or take everything out and run out the door screaming. Though the idea of losing weight is simple, (less intake, more output) living with it is not.

Sunday brunch

What is a TMI filter? It is a feature installed on my computer that removes a lot of boring superfluous information from posts and charts when I start to ramble on about a subject I feel strongly about like the Dolphins who removed by TMI filter

un"pleasant" fact

What is Marscon? It is a sci-fi convention held in the Twin Cities of Minnesota around the first weekend of March. In 2004, seven of us squeezed into a van since Dr. Demento was a guest of honor and had a great time. Due to the popularity of that and under the guidance of the great Luke Ski, Marscon became the place to see the best dementia artists perform and now people fly in from both coasts and all points between for a weekend that has the atmosphere of a family reunion. (with cheese whiz and whipped cream)

Since I know of people in the Chicago area who do not have an easy way to get there, I decided to start renting a large van to take people there since 2005 and it has become the best way to get to the con. Named the "dementia bus" (from a couple of songs) and called the USS Blindwolf (named after a DJ who passed away) it allows the con to start earlier and last longer for those who ride in it. We have even casted music and conversation live while driving to and from there. Other people in the Midwest have driven 300 miles to my place and parked their car in my parking space to ride with us. With a drawing made by the great Luke Ski we had shirts made with those who were on it. Though it costs more money than by driving my own car, it is worth it for me. (at least from the time the van leaves my house until the time it gets back)

Who is the 2009 Marscon music Guest of Honor (GOH) Wally Pleasant? He has been doing music for a while appearing on the Dr Demento Show over 40 times from 1992 to 2005 (along with three times since April) getting one song twice as the 5th most requested song of the week in 1997. He did get a song on a Dr Demento disc compilation in 2000. Personally, I do not have anything against him. The only song I know I have heard before from him was the one on the compilation CD.

Since the dementia track at Marscon was started by a visit by Dr Demento, it would make sense to me for their GOH to be someone who has achieved something within the genre of Dementia. Though Wally Pleasant is not horrible, I know there is one artist who will be there who did something on the Dr Demento show that only two others did and another one who did something something that had not been done since 1981 when someone named Weird Al had the number one and number two songs of the year. Both of them have to arrange and pay for their own transportation. Fortunately, the proceeds from the Marscon fundraiser CD available at http://marscondementia.com/ will cover much of the lodging costs.

In February, the people who run Marscon 2010 will decide on their music GOH. Hopefully, their choice will be less controversial or at least someone who had a song played on the Dr Demento show within the previous 33 months.

P.S. No, not me. Though the fan GOH would be a possibility. I can host panels talking about the "bus" and show pics I have taken the past years. (would probably happen only in the less weird dreams I have had)