Ultimate decadence

I got up at eight this morning. EIGHT!

I've been puttering on LJ and the internets for a whole hour. Today I am overcome by lethargy and inertia. The hour change isn't helping. I very stupidly forgot about it until I was waiting at the bus stop yesterday (the night bus went by across the street, which gave me an "Aha!" moment). So I went to Tim Horton's near Guy metro and had a coffee before heading to work.

I was also irresponsible last night and didn't take out my garbage bag, and because the truck passes at 07:30 I missed the garbage pick-up this morning. The bag will have to live in the can outside until Thursday. On the plus side, I am very pleased that I have managed to reduce my weekly output of garbage to far less than a full bag of trash. I have no idea what the statistic is on how much trash is generated by one person on average, but I think I'm doing well. Now I have to work on how much trash I generate at work, because that's not being factored into my totals. I should get myself a Tim Horton's travel mug (or a mug to use for Tim Horton's) for when I stop there in the mornings.

So today I'm tired. All my clocks are set to the correct time, however, which is good.

I have errands to run today, and I don't feel like doing any of them. I have two that are important, though, and because I'm working night shift this week, if I don't do them today I know they won't get done until next week or something, and that's unacceptable.

Anyway, I am giving myself permission to be in slow motion today. I just have to get those errands done. Once that's organized, then I'll see about doing the rest of it.

Hrm. Actually, no. I have to run those errands *and* finish putting the living room in order. It doesn't have to be perfect, but the cleaning lady is coming on Wednesday, and I want her to be able to get at the living room floor. Okay, so three things.

I need a cat door

Or a teleporter, or something.

George and Gretzky have both become much bolder in their outdoor excursions, and are often gone for hours at a time. I can't realistically spend all my time near the window just in case they come and ask to be let in.

Sheesh.

Obviously I was mistaken in my choice of careers: I'm not a dispatcher, I'm a cat valet.

Canadian Stem Cell Awareness Week.

This week is Stem Cell Awareness Week in Canada. This month is also National Marrow Awareness Month in the US.

Even though these are national efforts, a person can be a match for someone anywhere in the world.

So let's try and build some awareness!


1. 70% of people requiring a stem cell transplant need an unrelated donor.
The first choice is a family member, but more people will have to rely on a stranger.


2. Register by providing a blood sample in Quebec or the UK, or a cheek swab sample in the rest of Canada or the US.
In the US, UK and most of Canada, you can even fill in your registration online and get a kit sent to your home.
This is a free service in many countries, and in the US, there are ways to register for free.


3. Donation is safe, fast, and not risky.
You never donate stem cells or bone marrow at risk to your own life. Whatever is donated replenishes itself naturally in the body.


4. There are 2 ways to do it.
70% of people will donate in a process that takes a few hours and is similar to donating blood. For a few days leading up to the extraction process, the donor receives injections to produce additional stem cells in the body.

30% of people will donate by having liquid marrow extracted from within the back of the pelvic bone.


5. Many people cannot find matches.
Giving blood is important, and people who need transplants (in addition to many other people) need blood to survive. There are 8 blood types, but several million combinations of possible human leukocyte antigen (HLA) profiles - 150 billion different possibilities in theory.

Where to go for more information:

http://www.onematch.ca OneMatch (Canada) free
http://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca Hema-Quebec (Quebec) free

http://www.marrow.org National Marrow Donor Program (US) free in person if you are in a minority donor pool, subsidized or free at some bone marrow drives, free online registration with promo code
http://www.dkmsamericas.org DKMS Americas (US) Find out how to register without leaving home for free or by paying what you can
http://www.anthonynolan.org.uk Anthony Nolan Trust (UK) free

Oh, wait, it's *November*

*lightbulb goes on*

Yes, it's November. I forgot that. I lost track when I decided not to do NaNoWriMo this year.

I was really perplexed for a while about why I was longing to crawl under my bedcovers with hot chocolate and not come out for a week or so.

:D

November: Nature's way of telling us it's time to hibernate. ;)