The Red Cross doesn't want my blood, traveling without TomTom, and running in the Slush

I just wanted to ramble for a bit this morning about my misadventures in the greater Tulsa area yesterday.

The Red Cross Doesn't Want my Blood

There is a blood shortage in the area due to the ice storm causing the cancellation of alot of blood drives and then the greater need of blood due to injuries associated with the accidents from the ice storm.
After seeing 3 straight mornings of it being covered on the morning news, I decided to head on down to the Red Cross Tulsa headquarters to drop off a pint. I've donated 17 pints to the Penn-NJ region but this would be my first in Tulsa. Things were going great: blood pressure was 120/78, temperature was 98.1, and my iron level was exceptional.
I usually breeze through the question section: No, I haven't had sex with a man who has had sex with a man prior to 1977. I haven't had sex with anyone born in Africa. Haven't sold my body for drugs. No, I don't have those diseases that I can't pronounce. My skin and dura mater is all mine. YES, I have been out of the country in the past 3 years....huh.
The super nice Red Cross lady comes in and reviews my questions.
"Where outside of the country have you been?"
"Belize and Cozumel"
She types in Belize and some sort of yellow warning comes up on her screen.
"Where in Belize?"
"Uhhhhhh.....I dunno, a small island off the coast"
"But not Belize City?"
"No. We didn't go into the city"
After consulting an atlas and making a phone call, she comes back.
"OK. So we need to defer you for 12 months due to travel in a malaria risk area. If you had stayed in Belize City you would have been an acceptable donor."
I take my deferral letter in my hand and leave the Red Cross feeling like a Leper.


Traveling Without TomTom

After lunch, I put on my running shoes to head out for a 4 mile run. But, first I wanted to drown my Leper sorrows in some retail therapy on a budget.
I had been at Goodwill on Thursday and came home with 2 pairs of shoes and a really cute purse for $13! However, Friday was buy one item, get second 1/2 off. There was another purse that I had seen there that I loved but promised myself that if it was still there on Friday, it was meant to be mine. It wasn't there. So now I felt like a purse less Leper.
The point of this story is that I made it to Goodwill all by myself without the assistance of TomTom or Dustin! I was quite proud of myself despite being a purse less blood donor reject.
From Goodwill, I was heading out to LaFortune Park for my run.
I am very much a landmark driver. So finding the Park without TomTom wasn't as difficult for me given that all I have to do is follow the signs for St Francis Hospital.


Running in the Slush

Yesterday's temperature reached 60 degrees, enough to melt alot of the cold wet stuff that had fallen this week. However, what was left was slush, mud, puddles of water, muddy puddles, muddy slush, half melted ice, mud under slush, ice under slush, ice over mud.
The run was challenging, not because it was my longest run since October but, because my eyes were constantly scanning the ground looking for my best way to avoid landing flat on my back or on my knees in the mud.
I usually find runs very peaceful and therapeutic. This run was pissing me off! I was getting so mad that I couldn't just go out for a run without having to worry about breaking something when I suddenly slipped on mud after avoiding a pile of dog crap. I managed to regain my balance before pitching forward into a slushy mud puddle.
I stopped and slammed my foot into the puddle sending mud flying. From that point on, I carried on much more relaxed, laughing at the lack of good fortune on this beautiful Friday.
I finished the run in a respectable time given the conditions and fortunately had my Crocs in the car to change into so I didn't have to drive in cold wet sneakers.

I found my way home without the use of TomTom and flopped on the sofa all sweaty & muddy.

I was a purse less, mud covered, malaria risk but, I am becoming alot less navigationally challenged so the whole day wasn't a total loss.