martinzoo

You will not think this is a big deal. But, good grief, we struggled!

Our assignment was to scrape some cheek cells from the inside of the mouth. And to prick a finger to get some blood, so we could study the cells. First of all, GB insisted that my cheek should be the one to scrape since I’m older and lose more skin cells than he does. I don’t know if that is *true* but my dh laughingly agrees with GB.

The cheek scraping went off with nary a hitch. And we got a very nice slide out of it when we looked at it under the microscope. The cheek cells were very nicely defined and looked just like the book.

Oh, but the blood………… Yuck!
Ok, I will admit it. We are a family of fainters. Not my dh, I want to clarify, because he’d be highly offended to be lumped in that category. But the rest of us are fainters. I’m sorry to say that I passed that unfortunate trait onto my offspring. I faint when I get too hot, too tired, get badly injured, see blood, or THINK I’m going to see blood, or view or participate in medical procedures. I once fainted when my dog had to get a rectal exam. Good Lord! That’s embarrassing!

So now you know the background.

GB and I knew this day was coming. Even though I have made great strides, since I have became a parent, with my fainting, I still knew this would be a chore.

Our assignment was to take a sterilized needle and make a tiny pinprick in a finger (guess who’s finger GB chose) and use the resulting blood drop to make a slide.

You wouldn’t think it would be a big deal at all, would you? Well, I tried for a few minutes, unsuccessfully, to pierce my finger. I guess my needle wasn’t pointy enough? Or maybe I wasn’t *stabbing* sharply enough. But it was taking too long to get a drop of blood out of my stupid finger!

Then GB started rolling his head and moaning….. Ah, God!…….. I was doing ok until that point. Then I started to get frustrated with the procedure and my stomach started to roll around………

Finally, I got a teeny, tiny speck of blood. And I hoped it would be enough. GB was beyond the experiment at this point and even refuse to take a picture of our procedure. So I took a DEEP breath and did it myself.

After a brief recovery time, we started working on the slide. A blood slide takes much more careful preparation than the cheek slide. First, we had to (ugh!) smear the blood around the slide. Then we had to let it dry for a minute. Then we had to add a drop of the blue dye, I used methylene blue chloride. After letting the blood absorb the dye for one minute, we had to gently rinse it off the slide. I was worried that the rinsing process would get rid of the blood too, but it didn’t . Then we had to let the slide sit for three minutes to dry. After three minutes, we added one drop of water and put on a cover slip.

Usually when I set my camera to the eyepiece of our microscope I get that black circle around the view (check out the cheek cell photo). But during this procedure I discovered that I can zoom my camera a bit, and it gets rid of the black circle and actually magnifies my subject even more.

So GB and I were able to look at my blood. And after all the drama, the slide turned out pretty cool.

So, that is my A positive blood. We didn’t check to see what kind it is. But after three children, you just know what kind of blood you have. I’d like Doc Bish to look at this photo. Because if we are right, there may even be a couple of white blood cells in this picture.  According to our book, the white blood cells will grab more of the dye and look darker than the rest.

So now you know my weakness. Please don’t think less of me…………….LOL!

“The Boss” was in the house! And so was I!!

This was my third Bruce Springsteen concert and it was such a spectacular, wonderful, exciting, heart pumping performance. There was so much passion and feeling in this concert. You can read the review below because the Richmond Times Dispatch reviewer says it better than I could. But it was SO much fun! I’m sure I embarrassed Aquagirl because, I’m sorry, but you can’t be in the house with “The Boss” and stay seated and controlled. I was singing and dancing along with 95% of the rest of the crowd.

In fact, this IS a bit embarrassing……… but have you ever heard of exercise induced asthma? Well, I think I had excitement induced asthma. I had to use my emergency inhaler during the car ride home. And, I had another attack at 4:00 in the morning. But I’ll tell you another thing…. IT WAS WORTH IT!

I love Bruce Springsteen. And as I told my brother, when he asked why I’d gone to see Springsteen again, if ‘The Boss’ comes to sing, I will go to listen! Every time! And for this one artist, money is no object.

I have no pictures to share because cameras were not allowed. And I would NEVER break the rules and hide a small camera inside a zippered compartment inside my purse, just to post the incriminating evidence the next day. How smart would that be? But let’s just say that *some* small cameras are wonderful because they can take really nice videos too.

He didn’t sing my favorite ‘Bruce’ song, Empty Sky, but I didn’t expect him to. It’s too obscure of a song from the multitudes of choices for him to sing. But I shall content myself with my well-listened to CD, and this:

Springsteen plays to his followers

CONCERT REVIEW

Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 12:08 AM Updated: 02:47 PM

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt play John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday, April 30, 2008. Photo By: The Daily Progress/Megan Lovett

By MELISSA RUGGIERI

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE — The reliability of a Bruce Springsteen show is a comforting thing.

There are no off nights with this cast that is the E Street Band. And now, coming out of the sad cloud of band member Danny Federici’s death a couple of weeks ago, the band sounds as if it has a new purpose - to memorialize their friend and channel their grief through their music.

Last night’s John Paul Jones Arena stop began with a hushed vibe as Springsteen and the E Streeters filed on stage in the dark, turned their backs to the crowd and watched a video of Federici, set to the recorded version of “Blood Brothers.” With that, Springsteen faced the audience, barked out a “1, 2, 3″ and slammed into “Loose Ends.”

It was quickly apparent as the band segued into an aggressive “Radio Nowhere” that their playing was an emotional release. Spit flew from Springsteen’s mouth, sweat already dripped down his forearms - on only the second song - and even the unflappable Max Weinberg drew thunder from his tom-toms with unusual insistence.

For more than two hours, Springsteen and the crew tore through a meaty catalog - most of it directed at hardcore followers. “Promised Land” featured a ring of white lights that flared whenever Springsteen raised his arms overhead in preacher mode, while “No Surrender,” called as an audible, inspired a humorous moment when the band couldn’t figure out what song it was supposed to be playing (”Hang on, we’re getting there!” Springsteen shouted with a grin).

So yes, despite the undercurrent of loss pervading the show, there were plenty of those spirited, magical moments that only Springsteen can provide - and with the rocker in his 58th year, best to enjoy them while you can.

Even with his slight gimp, Springsteen, looking taut and muscled in his usual uniform of jeans, black T-shirt and work boots, exhausted himself by constantly pacing the stage, trading some fierce guitar licks with Steven Van Zandt on “Gypsy Biker” and, after splashing his legs with bottled water, sliding the length of the stage during “Mary’s Place.”

His anthems of loyalty and friendship, blue-collar daydreams and everlasting love never seem to wither and still resonate through the generations.

There were several of them present last night in the sold-out crowd of more than 14,000, which also included celebs Howie Long, his newly NFL-drafted son, Chris, singer Mary Chapin Carpenter and Pat Riley, the Miami Heat head coach who quit his post this week.

But no matter age or level of celebrity, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the fervor of Springsteen staples. “Prove it All Night” featured a Nils Lofgren solo so intense, the little guy almost knocked himself off his feet while playing, while “Jungleland”and the ultimate live concert moment, “Born to Run,” were as chill-inducing as ever, Springsteen’s raspy voice still hitting every note.

On the latter, performed in the traditional Springsteen manner - houselights up, everybody “Whoa-oh-ah-oh!”-ing - Clarence “Big Man’ Clemons, who was oddly stiff and sedate most of the show, churned out a blazing sax solo that put to ease any concerns about his well-being.

During the encore, Springsteen also mentioned local musician Robbin Thompson, his good friend and onetime bandmate in Steel Mill, and recalled their days playing in Richmond.

Springsteen’s vigor refused to wane during the brisk “10th Avenue Freeze Out,” which began with the man demonstrating his flexibility with an impressive backbend on the stage floor.

But really, would you expect anything less from the master?

Ok, so here is the whole embarrassing story.
First, I wanted to get a Wii for GB. He has a gamecube, but it broke, and all his games can be played on the Wii.
Plus, I wanted to get one for Jabem, he’s desperately wanted one since they came out a year and half ago.
But I quickly came to realize that I’d be lucky to get one, not two. So, I decided to get one for Jabem, since he’d actually asked for one. And he’s really hard to surprise!
Everyday, the week before last, I stood in line at the crack of dawn waiting for UPS truck deliveries at Walmart. And each day except Tuesday, they had nothing.
On Tuesday, they had three, I was 7th in line. That was the day there was a fight.
This old, cranky lady in a wheel chair was second in line, behind an old cranky man, who brought a chair over from the furniture department (which I thought was pretty smart).
Any way, cranky lady left, determining this to be a “ridiculous waste of time.”
So the line moved up and we were all glad to see her go. Later (two hours) she came back and wanted to get in her old place in line, insisting that the old man corroborate her rights. He wouldn’t and she got really vocal, with cuss words flying. The security guys had to be called and she got in line at about 15 back. Woo! Was she pissed when that truck came in and it only had three Wiis.
The other days, there was nothing on the truck, but the old lady didn’t come back and we turned it into a party every morning. We had coffee and donuts, and the department supervisor turned into our buddy. It was actually kind of fun.
Saturday I didn’t even go out because I had learned the week before that Circuit City, Best Buy, Target and Toys-R-Us all hold their shipments until Sunday when the newspaper circular comes out.
That Sunday, it was freezing, 38 degrees and raining. I could hear the water rushing through the gutters when my alarm went off at 5:45. I was unwilling to get up any earlier than that. I almost didn’t go because of the rain. But as I was lying there, I kept thinking that other people might not go either. So I went.
First store I hit was Circuit City. The Circuit City manager knew they had 40 Wiis, so at 4:00 a.m. with over a hundred people in line, they decided it was cruel to let them sit out there in the rain. So they passed out vouchers and told the people that they could leave and come back sometime before 12:00 noon to buy their Wii.
As much as I wished I had one of those vouchers, I thought it was nice to not keep those people in cold, rainy torment.
Next, I went to Best Buy. They had JUST given out vouchers and there was nobody there, not even a clerk. So I stood there for about 5 minutes, thinking stupidly I was first in line, ha, ha, ha! Some guy came along and told me they had only had 27 and had already given out the vouchers. Wah!
Toys-R-Us did the same thing….. Keep in mind, that all these stores are pretty much in the same vicinity, so I just went from parking lot to parking lot. And as these vouchers are getting passed out, it’s whittling down the competition at the next place, or so I was thinking.
The night before, at dinner, my sil told me she had heard that Target was going to get 85. Well, I figured she must have misheard. None of the stores got that many in….usually. But I thought of that when I drove up to Target and could see a very long line outside. I got out of my car…. didn’t even bring my coffee because I thought there was NO way I’d get one. I got in line with all the other idiotic, fanatical Wii people…. and waited. Five minutes later the Target employee comes out and says they have 72 and he will begin passing out vouchers. I was a tad miffed that he waited another 5 minutes because I could see people butting in line, but I’m not confrontational enough to make a scene.
Anyway, he went down the line, got to me…….. and I was number 69! I was super excited. His timing was actually perfect because at that exact moment, there were only 74 in line, so he only had to disappoint two people. After the vouchers were passed out we had to wait an additional hour for the store to open, but I was so happy, I didn’t care at that point. It was really hard telling all the people who came later that they were all gone, though. They probably had an additional 50-75 people come after me. The lady who was first in line had gotten to Target, and set up camp, at 10:00 p.m. the night before. I’m sure as heck not THAT crazy! I feel like I got really lucky…. But darn it! I was on a mission! And I was gonna fulfill that mission at some point before Christmas. Thank goodness that’s over!

Jabem was VERY happy and really surprised, which is a coup, believe me. And if you know how very technically inept my dh is, you will think that this picture is as funny as I do.