I thought my mother had plans for tomorrow, and was all excited to go to the mall by myself, but now I'm going with her, and it will be fine, I guess. Ah well!

Oh, Boden. I love them.

I was going to have tomorrow off (for values of "off" that equal cleaning the whole filthy house), but now I have to work again, because one of the new part-timers called out.

And I took three rush freelance assignments before that, thinking I would have time after cleaning on Saturday ...

I got 13 rides in -- I only need another 26 tomorrow and Sunday to make a nice bonus. I've done good financially this week with nice long rides that reaped good fares, but the quantity of rides hasn't kept up.

I have a four-inch long bruise on the inside of my right forearm from where a young IV-tech--god, they were all so damned young! Get off my lawn--didn't believe me when I said my veins were hard to find. "No, no, they're right there, I can see them--where is it?" I'm afraid I yelled at him. He asked me why it was hurting, and I said, "I don't know, you're the one who stuck something in me!"

He tried twice before calling in reinforcements, and my arm looks like I was attacked by a very clumsy vampire.

That's the worst, Connie. I'm a terrible stick—my veins are awful and they often end up trying to use my hand. But when I had my accident I ended up with IVs several different days and some of them didn't work, so I ended up with bruises all over my arms and hands.

I offer the back of my left hand going in. Techs see it as a challenge, and start with the left elbow...fanning, multiple sticks, then right elbow, same. Just start with the back of the left hand--80-85% sure you won't have to resort to the back of the right hand before finding a useful vein.

I have a big gorgeous vein in my left elbow. Phlebotomists love me. (I dated a phlebotomist once, and I joked that he only dated me for my veins.) (That may have been true.)

Y'all, I love Trader Joe's. I went to a podiatrist today to get a pesky ingrown toenail excised for good, where they destroy the nail matrix so it can't re-grow. The office was 1/4 mile from Trader Joe's, so I swung by to stock up. When I was checking out, the cashier asked what my weekend plans were, and I told her I was actually on my way to get an ingrown toenail excised, so my weekend plans were to prop my foot up and have my husband bring me tasty things.

She turned around and asked another employee something I didn't hear, and when she was all finished ringing up my stuff, the other employee returned with a bouquet of fall flowers, which the cashier gave me! She said it was to help my toe recover. So nice! So when I got home I emailed Trader Joe's to say how nice that was, because I feel like employees should get recognition when they do nice stuff.

So sweet!

My veins like to hide, but I've apparently got one vein that goes across my elbow at a funny angle that is a good candidate if it can be kept from rolling. The less experienced techs tend not to spot it as a possibility, but when they hand me off to the experts that's the one they all go for, and it usually goes ok. I'm always kind of amazed to come out with no bruise.

That is so nice, Steph! Not only did they make your day better it made me feel better too.

My veins suck, but DH and son have great veins so they know they have to do my share of blood donations. The phlebotomist at my doctor's office is really good and uses a baby needle for me. If he doesn't get it the first time he tells me to go away and come back tomorrow after drinking more. The office is convenient enough that I do exactly that. He's a sweety.

For blood draws, I always insist they go for my left hand, and the phlebotomists are amazed at how easy it is. But IVs need larger veins.