Aimee Said's Blog, page 7
June 30, 2011
Flattery will get you everywhere
It probably says more about my character than I'd like to admit that I didn't become a blood donor until I started working at an organisation that encouraged staff to donate during work time.* You see, even though I'd met some very enthusiastic donors along the way, there was something about the idea of a) giving away a part of myself – literally, and b) volunteering to be stuck with a largish needle that made me hold back on doing this good deed. But it turned out that being paid to not attend another boring meeting was all the motivation I needed. (Well, that and the promise of a free milkshake afterwards.)
I've been making regular (you can donate whole blood quarterly) donations for four years now, so obv. the process is not as harrowing as I'd feared, but there is still one bit that makes me think 'this is the last time I put myself through this' every time, and that is when they put the needle in. It's not that the needle itself is particularly painful; the problem is that I have what the blood bank nurses call 'small veins',** which apparently require a great deal of skill and accuracy to tap into. This means that every time I visit the blood bank, I have a conversation that goes something like yesterday's:
Nurse 1: Which arm will we be using today, love?***
Aimee: The right arm, thanks. The left one's no good at all.
Nurse 1: [looking at vein in right elbow-area] Hmmm…it's a wee one, isn't it? Perhaps— [moves towards left arm]
Aimee: No! Really, that's the good arm. The left one's impossible to even find. This one doesn't look like much, but it always gets there in the end.
Nurse 1: [doubtfully] I'll have to get Nurse 2.
Nurse 2: Ooh, that is tiny, isn't it, darl? [cranks up pressure on arm-cuff thingo] And you say you've used this vein before? You're sure it wasn't the other one?
Aimee: Oh no, the other one's bung. There's always just a lot of digging around in there with the needle and then they give up and use the right one. [trying to muster encouraging cheerfulness] It always gets there in the end.
Nurse 2: [taps more at vein] Well, I'll do my best, sweetie.
Aimee: [thinks: This is the last time I do this.]
Nurse 2: There we go.
Aimee: [thinks: Ow.]
Nurse 1: You got it then?
Nurse 2: Yes, it's flowing nicely.
Aimee: [triumphantly] It always gets there in the end.
Even though Nurse 2 seemed to have no trouble at all, I was still thinking I might make this my last donation because perhaps we small-veined folk are not the best candidates for this sort of thing after all. Until Nurse 2 announced to Nurse 1 that my little vein was pumping out blood at a rate of knots. The bag was filling faster than she'd seen one do in months! Even big, athletic men with big, athletic veins couldn't do better! Nurse 1 looked suitably impressed.
Less than seven minutes later it was all over. I was thanked profusely for taking the time to donate, complimented once again on my small-but-mighty vein and sent to the recovery area for a chocolate milkshake. I – positively bursting with pride – made a mental note of the date I'll be eligible to donate again.
* In defense of my otherwise not-too-reprehensible character, I feel compelled to mention here that I have also done my share of volunteering and helping the elderly cross the road and other good deeds.
** which is surprising because the rest of me is at the larger end of average (except for my slightly-too-small feet, which I blame for much of my clumsiness)
*** 'love' is one of many endearments used by the blood bank nurses. I suspect it's largely because they can't remember everyone's name, but it does give me a dose of the warm fuzzies to be called 'love', 'dear', sweetie' and 'darl' all within the space of a forty-minute visit.
I've been making regular (you can donate whole blood quarterly) donations for four years now, so obv. the process is not as harrowing as I'd feared, but there is still one bit that makes me think 'this is the last time I put myself through this' every time, and that is when they put the needle in. It's not that the needle itself is particularly painful; the problem is that I have what the blood bank nurses call 'small veins',** which apparently require a great deal of skill and accuracy to tap into. This means that every time I visit the blood bank, I have a conversation that goes something like yesterday's:
Nurse 1: Which arm will we be using today, love?***
Aimee: The right arm, thanks. The left one's no good at all.
Nurse 1: [looking at vein in right elbow-area] Hmmm…it's a wee one, isn't it? Perhaps— [moves towards left arm]
Aimee: No! Really, that's the good arm. The left one's impossible to even find. This one doesn't look like much, but it always gets there in the end.
Nurse 1: [doubtfully] I'll have to get Nurse 2.
Nurse 2: Ooh, that is tiny, isn't it, darl? [cranks up pressure on arm-cuff thingo] And you say you've used this vein before? You're sure it wasn't the other one?
Aimee: Oh no, the other one's bung. There's always just a lot of digging around in there with the needle and then they give up and use the right one. [trying to muster encouraging cheerfulness] It always gets there in the end.
Nurse 2: [taps more at vein] Well, I'll do my best, sweetie.
Aimee: [thinks: This is the last time I do this.]
Nurse 2: There we go.
Aimee: [thinks: Ow.]
Nurse 1: You got it then?
Nurse 2: Yes, it's flowing nicely.
Aimee: [triumphantly] It always gets there in the end.
Even though Nurse 2 seemed to have no trouble at all, I was still thinking I might make this my last donation because perhaps we small-veined folk are not the best candidates for this sort of thing after all. Until Nurse 2 announced to Nurse 1 that my little vein was pumping out blood at a rate of knots. The bag was filling faster than she'd seen one do in months! Even big, athletic men with big, athletic veins couldn't do better! Nurse 1 looked suitably impressed.
Less than seven minutes later it was all over. I was thanked profusely for taking the time to donate, complimented once again on my small-but-mighty vein and sent to the recovery area for a chocolate milkshake. I – positively bursting with pride – made a mental note of the date I'll be eligible to donate again.
* In defense of my otherwise not-too-reprehensible character, I feel compelled to mention here that I have also done my share of volunteering and helping the elderly cross the road and other good deeds.
** which is surprising because the rest of me is at the larger end of average (except for my slightly-too-small feet, which I blame for much of my clumsiness)
*** 'love' is one of many endearments used by the blood bank nurses. I suspect it's largely because they can't remember everyone's name, but it does give me a dose of the warm fuzzies to be called 'love', 'dear', sweetie' and 'darl' all within the space of a forty-minute visit.
June 27, 2011
Star picks: libraries are awesome edition
In a week when Read Write Web asked whether the results of the latest ALA survey point to a tipping point for ebook and libraries, many of the starred posts in my Google reader were also library related:*
first and foremost is Patrick Ness's passionate and eloquent Carnegie Medal acceptance speech, via The Guardian. I particularly loved his points about the incredible role librarians play in developing and nurturing readers, and as knowledge filters (methinks the latter will only become more valuable as digital publishing proliferates and we need more expert guidance to find the gems among the rhinestones)the Centred Librarian made me realise what's missing from my trips to the beach (or perhaps that what's missing form trips to my local library is the beach!) the Atlantic highlighted the New York Public Library's innovative online projects (and if you need further proof, I challenge you to spend less than half an hour on What's on the menu - best use of crowdsourcing I've seen in yonks!)I found it well after it was published Cerebral Boinkfest featured mobile libraries from around the world. My favorite is Alpha and Beta, the donkey library team from Colombia:
* not sure whether this is because there's a lot of talk about libraries going on at the moment, what with all the proposed closures in the UK and US, or if it's just because I've had libraries on the brain a bit since meeting so may awesome librarians at Reading Matters...
first and foremost is Patrick Ness's passionate and eloquent Carnegie Medal acceptance speech, via The Guardian. I particularly loved his points about the incredible role librarians play in developing and nurturing readers, and as knowledge filters (methinks the latter will only become more valuable as digital publishing proliferates and we need more expert guidance to find the gems among the rhinestones)the Centred Librarian made me realise what's missing from my trips to the beach (or perhaps that what's missing form trips to my local library is the beach!) the Atlantic highlighted the New York Public Library's innovative online projects (and if you need further proof, I challenge you to spend less than half an hour on What's on the menu - best use of crowdsourcing I've seen in yonks!)I found it well after it was published Cerebral Boinkfest featured mobile libraries from around the world. My favorite is Alpha and Beta, the donkey library team from Colombia:
* not sure whether this is because there's a lot of talk about libraries going on at the moment, what with all the proposed closures in the UK and US, or if it's just because I've had libraries on the brain a bit since meeting so may awesome librarians at Reading Matters...
June 22, 2011
Tales from the Fantapants archive - 23 June 1983
This picture from the Fantapants archive reminds me how incredibly condescending some teachers were when they commented on your work. I mean, given that the size of that fish is about the same as Mr F's 9-year-old head, I'd say that's already pretty BIG. Harumph. 
Star picks: Maru edition
Aack, the week's already half over and I'm running behind on EVERYTHING and a bit stressed and overwhelmed and I know it would all be fine if I just sat down and did what needs to be done but I'm frozen rabbit-like in the headlights of my ever-lengthening to-do list.
When I feel like this, there's only one sure way of bringing my blood pressure down: Maru the cat. Luckily for me, he and his blogging owner are prolific, so there was almost-daily comfort to be had.
Last week, Maru...
...got a new box
...loved both his old and new scratching boards
...played hard to get
...wedged himself into a tiny drawer
...got the rain-crazies
...and had a catchy song written about him.
At least someone had a productive week!
When I feel like this, there's only one sure way of bringing my blood pressure down: Maru the cat. Luckily for me, he and his blogging owner are prolific, so there was almost-daily comfort to be had.
Last week, Maru...
...got a new box
...loved both his old and new scratching boards
...played hard to get
...wedged himself into a tiny drawer
...got the rain-crazies
...and had a catchy song written about him.
At least someone had a productive week!
June 13, 2011
Star picks
Is it a coincidence that in a week where my blog feed continued to be dominated #YAsaves, the starred items in my google reader feed tended towards the less-taxing end of the spectrum? If you are also in need of some light relief, might I suggest:
My Girl Friday's ode to Duckie Dale, one of my all-time fave characters in one of my all-time fave movies. (Seriously, how can you not love a sensitive boy who sits in his room listening to The Smiths?)Hello Giggles's list of the the top ten best things Dylan McKay ever said and instant movie guide to Harold and Maude. (Another of my all-time faves and one of the few movies guaranteed to make me cry every time. Every time.)Single white feline: is Mr Socks sabotaging your love life? (via Smart Bitches, Trashy Books):
My Girl Friday's ode to Duckie Dale, one of my all-time fave characters in one of my all-time fave movies. (Seriously, how can you not love a sensitive boy who sits in his room listening to The Smiths?)Hello Giggles's list of the the top ten best things Dylan McKay ever said and instant movie guide to Harold and Maude. (Another of my all-time faves and one of the few movies guaranteed to make me cry every time. Every time.)Single white feline: is Mr Socks sabotaging your love life? (via Smart Bitches, Trashy Books):
June 6, 2011
Star picks: #YAsaves and items of interest
Like a lot of the YA community, I've been fairly immersed in the #YAsaves campaign that followed an article in the Wall Street Journal proclaiming 'contemporary fiction for teens is rife with explicit abuse, violence and depravity'.
As someone who is all too aware of her inclination to spew forth virulent opinions on things that make me angry, I (very sensibly, ifIdosaysomyself) decided to think it over before making any comment on it. Well, a few days later, my thoughts on how Wrong the article is have not changed, but in the meantime many, many people have written thoughtful and considered articles that pretty much sum up my feelings on the matter. Handily, Read Alert has linked to most of them.
One other #YAsaves perspective that I found very interesting (particularly in light of last week's Rip'n'Roll ridiculousness) was Gayle Forman's. Gayle's post on 'crappy journalism, and the dangers of bullying loudmouths setting the agenda' was a timely reminder that a) just because it's in the news doesn't mean it is news, and b) media beat-ups like this don't reflect the beliefs of the majority of people.
Non-#YAsaves posts starred in my google reader last week included:
On The Nightstand's review of Little Sister (but of course!)April Henry's advice on what to do if you're tempted to cheat on your WIPKurt Vonnegut's brilliant story diagrams, via Mental Flossverypurpleperson's Hercules beetle emerging (as someone who has watched this...pet grow with a sense of both fascination and revulsion, this was big news!)Also, as reported in last week's star picks, I gave Kate Constable's 250 word trick a whirl and the end result was 10,000 words by the end of the week. To celebrate, here is a bookish tune...
As someone who is all too aware of her inclination to spew forth virulent opinions on things that make me angry, I (very sensibly, ifIdosaysomyself) decided to think it over before making any comment on it. Well, a few days later, my thoughts on how Wrong the article is have not changed, but in the meantime many, many people have written thoughtful and considered articles that pretty much sum up my feelings on the matter. Handily, Read Alert has linked to most of them.
One other #YAsaves perspective that I found very interesting (particularly in light of last week's Rip'n'Roll ridiculousness) was Gayle Forman's. Gayle's post on 'crappy journalism, and the dangers of bullying loudmouths setting the agenda' was a timely reminder that a) just because it's in the news doesn't mean it is news, and b) media beat-ups like this don't reflect the beliefs of the majority of people.
Non-#YAsaves posts starred in my google reader last week included:
On The Nightstand's review of Little Sister (but of course!)April Henry's advice on what to do if you're tempted to cheat on your WIPKurt Vonnegut's brilliant story diagrams, via Mental Flossverypurpleperson's Hercules beetle emerging (as someone who has watched this...pet grow with a sense of both fascination and revulsion, this was big news!)Also, as reported in last week's star picks, I gave Kate Constable's 250 word trick a whirl and the end result was 10,000 words by the end of the week. To celebrate, here is a bookish tune...
May 31, 2011
Reading Matters 2011
Last Friday and Saturday I went to my first-ever writing conference: Reading Matters, the SLV Centre for Youth Literature's biennial youth literature conference. Heading in on Friday felt a bit like the first day of school: would I know anyone?, would I have to eat lunch alone? I needn't have worried. Not only did I know a few faces in the crowd, but everyone I met over the two days was extraordinarily lovely and welcoming and generous.
My notes from the sessions are scant, and many are also unintelligible*, so if you want a proper wrap-up I suggest you head to My Girl Friday, where Steph has written an amazing four-part summary of day 1, and Literary Life, where Megan has summed up day 2.
My personal highlights:
meeting people I'd previously only known via their blogs and Twitter (like Steph and Megan and Adele), and authors I have admired from afar, and some really interesting librarianscatching up with the lovely folks from Walker Bookssneak-preview readings from upcoming books by Markus Zusak, Cassandra Clare and Karen Healeyhearing about other people's writing and research processes - Cassie Clare almost got Holly Black arrested while she was scoping out a disused smallpox hospital in NY; Ursula Dubosarsky studied Charles Blackman's paintings of schoolgirls; JC Burke gutted a pig...Brenton McKenna describing his distress when he realised as a kid that comics were not diaries written by superheroes, and his tales of his superhero-in-her-own-right granOliver Phommavanh, who warned us that his session with Richard Newsome would be LOUD, and delivered on his promisethe Love and Other Bruises panel - some of my fave Aussie contemporary YA authors discussing writing believable love stories (and moderated with aplomb by Kate)**Most of all, Reading Matters was an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in (other people's) books and writing for a couple of days, from which I emerged invigorated and inspired. Roll on RM13!
* I'm sure whatever prompted me to jot down 'hot feet on a cool patch' made perfect sense at the time, but three days later, notsomuch.
** My only complaint was that this session was way too short - more swoon next time, please!
My notes from the sessions are scant, and many are also unintelligible*, so if you want a proper wrap-up I suggest you head to My Girl Friday, where Steph has written an amazing four-part summary of day 1, and Literary Life, where Megan has summed up day 2.
My personal highlights:
meeting people I'd previously only known via their blogs and Twitter (like Steph and Megan and Adele), and authors I have admired from afar, and some really interesting librarianscatching up with the lovely folks from Walker Bookssneak-preview readings from upcoming books by Markus Zusak, Cassandra Clare and Karen Healeyhearing about other people's writing and research processes - Cassie Clare almost got Holly Black arrested while she was scoping out a disused smallpox hospital in NY; Ursula Dubosarsky studied Charles Blackman's paintings of schoolgirls; JC Burke gutted a pig...Brenton McKenna describing his distress when he realised as a kid that comics were not diaries written by superheroes, and his tales of his superhero-in-her-own-right granOliver Phommavanh, who warned us that his session with Richard Newsome would be LOUD, and delivered on his promisethe Love and Other Bruises panel - some of my fave Aussie contemporary YA authors discussing writing believable love stories (and moderated with aplomb by Kate)**Most of all, Reading Matters was an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in (other people's) books and writing for a couple of days, from which I emerged invigorated and inspired. Roll on RM13!
* I'm sure whatever prompted me to jot down 'hot feet on a cool patch' made perfect sense at the time, but three days later, notsomuch.
** My only complaint was that this session was way too short - more swoon next time, please!
May 29, 2011
Star picks
I don't know if it was the convergent timing of Reading Matters, the Emerging Writers' Festival and BEA, but I seem to have starred more posts in my google reader feed over the past seven days than I have in the last month! I'll save the RM ones for a separate post, but here's a selection of other stuff that I read when I should have been writing particularly enjoyed:
Kate Constable very kindly shared how she's taken her 250 word trick to a new, advanced level. I'm going to give it a go!The New York Times report that ebooks were the buzz of BEA made me think, yet again, that it's something Australian publishers and authors really need to get our heads around.*Jennifer Hubbard performed manuscript surgery.I learned how to spot a psychopath, courtesy of an extract from Jon Ronson's new book.** Like Malcolm Gladwell, Ronson has a tremendous talent for narrative non-fiction; I read this article with the same kind of fascination-slash-revulsion that I felt when Jane Burke showed her pig-gutting Pig Boy research photos at Reading Matters.Write4Kids's YA blogger reflected on the overabundance of 'perfect' characters in YA, and why they don't make for interesting reading.Mental Floss told me way more than I ever wanted to know about Hello Kitty (except I kind of did want to know it all). (And if I ever get sick in Korea I am going to demand to be treated in the Hello Kitty hospital!)And I leave you with...an otter who knows how to appeal to its audience:
* After chatting with a number of people - particularly librarians - about ebooks at Reading Matters, I've realised that I have some pretty strong opinions on this topic!
** And I challenge you to read the checklist of psychopathic 'symptoms' and not find yourself thinking of at least one person you know!
Kate Constable very kindly shared how she's taken her 250 word trick to a new, advanced level. I'm going to give it a go!The New York Times report that ebooks were the buzz of BEA made me think, yet again, that it's something Australian publishers and authors really need to get our heads around.*Jennifer Hubbard performed manuscript surgery.I learned how to spot a psychopath, courtesy of an extract from Jon Ronson's new book.** Like Malcolm Gladwell, Ronson has a tremendous talent for narrative non-fiction; I read this article with the same kind of fascination-slash-revulsion that I felt when Jane Burke showed her pig-gutting Pig Boy research photos at Reading Matters.Write4Kids's YA blogger reflected on the overabundance of 'perfect' characters in YA, and why they don't make for interesting reading.Mental Floss told me way more than I ever wanted to know about Hello Kitty (except I kind of did want to know it all). (And if I ever get sick in Korea I am going to demand to be treated in the Hello Kitty hospital!)And I leave you with...an otter who knows how to appeal to its audience:
* After chatting with a number of people - particularly librarians - about ebooks at Reading Matters, I've realised that I have some pretty strong opinions on this topic!
** And I challenge you to read the checklist of psychopathic 'symptoms' and not find yourself thinking of at least one person you know!
May 23, 2011
What's orange and sits in a box?
In reality, I suspect he just wanted to get out of a draught, but I like to think the Ginger Menace was paying tribute to our favourite box-loving cat, who turns four today. Happy birthday, Maru!
Tales from the Fantapants archive: 24 May 1982
In which we look back at the start of one of Mr Fantapants's enduring hobbies: coin collecting.
Now, as someone whose own hobbies include sewing, knitting and various misadventures with Modge Podge in the name of 'craft', I'm not really in a position to comment on how nerdy coin collecting is. Suffice to say, Mr F's coin album is referred to as The Precious...
Now, as someone whose own hobbies include sewing, knitting and various misadventures with Modge Podge in the name of 'craft', I'm not really in a position to comment on how nerdy coin collecting is. Suffice to say, Mr F's coin album is referred to as The Precious...
