Together, we can save a life!

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. In addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; communications services and comfort for military members and their family members; the collection, processing and distribution of blood and blood products; educational programs on health and safety; and international relief and development programs.

Now, maybe you already knew that, maybe you didn't. I didn't know that back in high school when I became a blood donor. Having my aunt Jean tell me about the American Red Cross one afternoon after she came to visit after being to a 'blood drive' is what made me decide to become a blood donor. Since I couldn't travel the world saving lives, I figured I could do the next best thing and donate a pint of my life every 8 weeks or so.

I saved a life last week, when I visited the donor center on Forest Ave.

They have the place looking festive, and they're helpful and very nice. I made a new friend, her name is Marcie, and she is just great. We laughed and had a great time. I don't mind having a needle stuck in my arm, but I hate the finger stick! I know they have to test the iron, and Marcie seeing my anxiety about this little thing, actually told me a joke to make me relax!

After finding out that my iron was fine, I got to finish up the paperwork and take a short test regarding medications I've taken, countries I've visited/lived in and once I was done with that, I got to proceed out to the donor area and wait for a 'bed'. I was looking forward to this, because it meant I could lay down. I was tired...


I was looking forward to having a nice little nap on the comfy bed. No such luck. I was distracted by the smell of fresh baked cookies... Uh, excuse me... How long has it been since I donated blood? Since when did they start making cookies here??? Last time I was here, I got a bottle of water and a package of Lorna Doones... These were no Lorna Doones I was smelling now. I started looking around for Mrs. Claus, my Grandmother, or Martha Stewart. Holy cow, get me off this table and lemme find whoever is cooking up that delicious smelling treat!


I finished filling my pint bag in no time flat (I think even my blood was ready for a cookie) and was escorted to the snack area to rest for 15 minutes. A sweet young man named Mario (who looked to me like a dead ringer for Dustin Pedroia) gave me my napkin with my time to leave, asked what I'd like for a beverage and gave me a cookie. Finally! A cookie! It had just come out of the oven, and was still soft, hot and I just knew it would fall apart if I picked it up.

I was so tempted... It looked so good, and I had been smelling it for what seemed like forever!

Since they didn't have any milk to go with this delicious piece of heaven they'd offered me, I selected OJ. Finally, juice half gone and cookie cooled enough to pick up, I brought it to my nose and smelled that wonderful aroma that I remember from childhood. Ahhh.... Nothing like the smell of freshly baked cookies. Unless it is bread or cake! I put the cookie to my lips and took a bite. Ah.. UG! Wait!! This cookie has RAISINS in it! EEWWWWW!!! I HATE RAISINS!

Thankfully the cookie was still warm enough for me to pick them out easily, but my experience was ruined. I was not happy about the cookie any more. I wrapped up the dried grapes in my napkin that 'Dustin/Mario' had written my time on, drank my juice and looked around to see if anyone else had eaten their raisin cookie. They had. I was apparently the only one at the table who didn't like raisins.

Well, I don't know if this one girl did or not. She didn't get to eat her cookie. She felt a little ill, and had to go lay back down. She was better by the time I left, but she had to start her 15 minutes over. She hadn't eaten or had anything to drink all day, and that is a BIG NO NO!

Something important to remember...

1. Eat and drink throughout the day. Don't show up on an empty stomach and expect not to be sick. (And eating means more than licking a yellow skittle, and peeling a grape.)

2. Ask for Marcie - she's great. I promise you'll love her.

3. Eat the cookie whether or not you like raisins. It's really the only place a complete stranger s is going to actually BAKE a cookie for you and give it to you for FREE. ( and you can trust them)

4. Donate regularly! (my next eligible date is 9/18/08 - hope to see you there!)

*The American Red Cross supplies roughly 44% of the donated blood in the United States

*Annually, the American Red Cross teaches around 12 million Americans the skills of first aid, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Automated external defibrillator (AED), water safety and lifeguard training.

*Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 70,000 disasters, including house or apartment fires (the majority of disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, transportation accidents, explosions, and other natural and man-made disasters.

For more information on the American Red Cross please go to http://www.redcross.org/

Rock on with your bad self,

H

Should she be worried??

OK, so today, we got an ask Heidi from 'Candice'.

'Candice' has a stay at home husband, who also takes care of their children. Her husband, takes the kids to play dates and parks, and is continually surrounded by women. (And, to hear 'Candice' tell it, these women are none to happy with their husbands, but they adore hers!)

Now, Bill and I are limited as to what we can say on-air, because we have time constraints. We do not always get to say all we'd like and that is where my new friend BLOG comes in handy...
I shall now finish what I would have said this morning on the subject, if I would have had the time.

First of all, 'Candice', friggin relax.

There could be a number of things going on here. I hope you've thought them all through before consulting me, a lowly radio co-host. If not, and you're counting on me to pull you through this tight spot - then I shall do my absolute best to give an honest opinion. Or at the very least what I would do, if I were you. Fair Enough?

You work, and your husband stays home.

When this was first discussed (and it should have been discussed) was the topic of him being at the park with the kids (other kids, and those kids' mothers) a concern?

Have you considered that perhaps these other women are finding things attractive about your husband because he truly represents those qualities?

Meaning, did you fall in love with him for his sense of humor, and now realize that these other soccer moms find him funny? Haven't you always admired the way he gives his full attention to you when you're speaking to him? Why wouldn't someone else's wife appreciate that too? Hummm... Maybe you're feeling a tad jealous, because he is just being true to self. Does this make you realize at all how good you really do have it? Or do you insist upon being jealous?

Do you suspect he is feeling the same enjoyment from these women? Do you suppose they sit all day and commiserate on their relationships? Do you even suggest by asking for my advice here that he may be showing you in a negative light to these women, merely because he comes home and tells you how much they hate their husbands and how miserable they are? Come on girlfriend, get a friggin clue!

I shouldn't be the one to tell you this there 'Candice', but, uh... MEN AREN'T WOMEN! OK? They don't think like us, they don't talk like us, they don't share feelings like us, they will never, I repeat, NEVER be one of us. These soccer moms can sit all day long and tell your husband whatever they please. He will remember about 1/8 of what she said. Men don't have the capacity to hold details like women do when it comes to this stuff. If it doesn't directly involve them, meaning if they're not eating it, drinking it, or sleeping with it, (yes I actually said 'it') he doesn't really pay all that close attention. Now, if you want to 'talk shop', sports, music, beer or dirty jokes, or about flatulence, then he's all ears. I would have thought with your education, you'd have realized this by now. How old did you say your kids were??

Now, that being said, I will admit that there are sensitive men who have an uncanny ability to communicate with a woman in a way that makes sense to her. There are men who excel at communication in some way, shape or form. Perhaps, you have such a husband. These men seem like a Godsend to a woman who's had a difficult relationship. It sure sounds to me like your husband is a good communicator, because he is telling you about all the things he does. (lets not forget he has the children with him too)

Don't get me wrong, we did get an email from a woman in Biddeford this morning who said this same thing happened to her and after 6 months she was in divorce court. I am sorry to hear that. But, again, I have to say - and I honestly never thought I would hear myself say it......

Not all men are pigs. WHEW. That was tough. LOL

Anyway, my whole point here is that if you have a good relationship with the man you married, you should be trusting enough to know that he loves you. I am not saying that you can't ever have concerns, or that you shouldn't bring them up. Do! Talk about them! Don't jump to conclusions, don't assume, and don't point fingers. (FYI- if you do point a finger at a man, he may try to pull it, thinking you have to fart. Just a heads up.)

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

'Candice', if you don't disclose your fears, concerns or thoughts with the one you claim to love over all others, then who can you tell really?

Someone down at the park, who isn't going to be thinking of you when you really need them to? Someone from the soccer game who doesn't really remember your last name?

No way! The folks at the park get the talk about what's good on TV. Who is playing the RedSox this weekend or did you see that article in the paper about the new such and such they're building downtown? Sharing what your scared about, what you dream about and what you think about during the day, is the good stuff. The good stuff, is what you give to the one you love.

It sounds to me, like your husband is coming home and talking with you. He is giving you some of his good stuff. Are you sharing yours? My advice would start with asking you to talk with your husband. Talk about some good stuff. Talk about your fear that maybe these other women are seeing in him all the things you fell in love with, and how that makes you feel. Tell him that you appreciate what he does, because you know if the roles were reversed, that you'd love to hear him say that. Treat him as you would want to be treated.

Now.....

Should you find out, during this delightful communication session, that he is being unfaithful, well then, my dear - you have Carte' Blanche to unleash full womanly scorn upon his wretched soul. I am certain that you've got enough stored in your female mental bank, (filed under 'you-cheating-son-of-a-bitch')that you don't need my help in coming up with any revenge tactics. But, should you need some assistance in formulating a plan - please consider me. I have some tried and true methods, as well as a few ideas I've had through the years that I've not had opportunity to try. I would welcome the chance. I have a resume' and references if needed...

I don't condone violence, but I also don't condone cheating. If you're going to take that risk, then you better have your bags packed.

I'm just sayin.

Don't fret though 'Candice', cause you might just be better off with a baby sitter, a maid and one of these...

WHAT??! It's just a thought. God.

Rock on with your bad (non-cheatin on the one you love) self!

H

Feeding Frenzy!

WOW. I've never been in a competitive eating situation before.

And I can tell you right friggin now, that if I wasn't going to be getting some kind of fantastic prize or at least a trophy, I wouldn't do it again! That really isn't something you do just for fun. Because it isn't fun...

Well, I take that back. At first it's fun. Like yesterday, it was fun.

This morning when I first got up? Yup, fun.

Getting to work and being all psyched up by Bill and everyone else at the station, fun!

Seeing the competition arrive, sizing them up & giving them the 'stink eye'.... Fun!

The one last opportunity to talk smack and laugh with the other competitors fun!
(notice right there I said last opportunity to laugh? It really was.)

The final countdown, hand hovering over plate, fun!
Ready......Set........EAT!

OK. STOP!

See, cause this right here... is where the friggin fun stops. Now it is every man for himself!
You stare down at the plate of food before you, and feel the tension building. Your ears hear "EAT" and your hand goes for the hot dog! You bring it up to your mouth and take a big bite and start chewing like mad! You couldn't possibly chew any faster or fit more in your mouth, and suddenly you're feeling pretty confident with your skills, and wonder why you didn't enter one of these contests before? But, as you raise your head to look at the guy beside you, you see that he seems to be going faster and eating more!

You're incredulous! How can this be? You think to yourself, "No way this guy is going faster than me", and you stuff what you've got left in your hand into your mouth, even though you already know there's no room to do so. Now, you've got a little hot dog end sticking out from between your lips, you can't close your mouth and you look like a fool, but you don't care!!

This is serious business people!!!!

You grab another dog, and take a quick swig of H2O to clear out the pipes, and again, you start chowing...

You watch in horror as the guy grabs not just one more hot dog, but TWO! Now, the jerk has both hands full of hot dogs!! He is shoving them into his face at the same time as fast as he can and chewing and shoving, chewing and shoving...

OMG!!!

So, you start chewing faster, and getting your left hand ready with the next hot dog, while your right hand is still holding the one you're already working on...Soon, you're alternating hands...Right, left, right, left, grab another, right, grab another left, right, left....It's insane!
And even though your jaws are moving at breakneck pace, you feel like you're slowing down. The only problem is that the guy next door, yeah he's still there, seems to be going as fast if not faster than he was only seconds ago!

You make a mad dash for another dog, and you hear the time keeper say 30 seconds! Your eyes bulge and you keep chewing, but so does 'speedy jaws'! 15 seconds! At this point you feel panic set in, and start shoving for all you're worth. 10 seconds! Now, your eyes are looking from your plate to the one in front of the eating machine next to you and you see that his plate is so much more empty than yours, and think OMG!! NO!!!

5...4...3...2...1..STOP!

It's over. Your hands fall to your sides and the hot dog remnants in your hands drop to the floor. (Your mouth is chewing automatically at this point, you don't even have to think about it)You feel the defeat and the bitterness of loss to the guy next to you. You just know that he won. He was so much faster! Now, you feel resentment toward him. How could he beat you??

Your eyes squint, your jaw sets, and your mind starts thinking terrible thoughts...
"I hope your belly hurts later you jerk!" "I hope you puke and get it all over yourself!"
And then you hear the judge claim the guy way down at the end of the table the winner...

"What? Jerky-jaws-eating-machine didn't win after all? Wow.....WOW!.....Alright!"
And you look over at him as you smile and say to yourself "I knew you weren't going to win the entire time. I was never worried about you. What, me worry?"

And now, the competition is over. You accept the defeat and continue on with your day.

But, here is where I found out that the full ramifications of what I'd actually done, were yet to come...About 20 minutes after our little competition had ended, I felt pretty sick. I decided that something needed to be done, and there was really only one option.

Oh God.

I hate that option. I am not bulimic for a reason OK? I don't like to puke.

But, alas....it had to be done.

I walked myself down the hall, looking at the bathroom door looming before me, dreading what I had to do once I went in and closed it behind me. I stood staring down at the toilet, willing those dogs to come back up the way they'd gone, but, for some stupid reason gravity doesn't work with an upward motion...So, I bent over. Still trying to will them up on their own, I spat a few times, and waited. Still nothing. Waited some more, the whole time thinking about how bad my belly hurt. Still nothing.

I stood up, closed my eyes and talked myself through the next part of my option. I bent back over, and ended up having to coax those dogs outta there... That's right, I had to make myself puke. I wanted to do it on my own, but I just couldn't! I'm not proud of that, but my God man...all those dogs, all that sodium, I had to! I had to coax!! ARRRGGHHH!

My coaxing was effective. So effective however, I ended up having to clean most of the bathroom. Over an hour later, I was still feeling quite ill, and now, it's been several hours and I don't think I will be eating anything until tomorrow sometime. And, you can bet your @ss it won't be a hot dog!

I wonder how my fellow competitors are feeling right now?

Congratulations to Tim, he was the champ today, and poor Todd! It was pretty funny watching you puke on video, so thanks for that! (I am jealous that you didn't have to do any coaxing) and to Matt.. The eating machine... Man, you could have a career out of eating like that! You're a maniac! If it had been just the two of us, you would have torn me up! Thanks for being a great motivator and subject of my blog. You friggin rock, and I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!!!

Rock on with your bad /hot dog eating/ holiday enjoyin/ self,

H

Tie on the feed bag boys - it's time to put your hotdog where your mouth is!

So, the big day is finally here...

Franks Frankfurter Feeding Frenzy.

You vs. me.

I don't know if I should feel like a bride before her wedding or a gunfighter walking into a strange town. Don't suppose it much matters though, I signed up for it, and I'm going to follow through with it. I'd like to make it known that I have no predictions for this contest. I have NOT made any bets with Bill regarding the outcome, as I am busy lately and don't really care to have to wash his friggin car on Preble Street again...that pretty much sucked.

Anyhow, I agreed to do this contest, because I really do like hot dogs! I often ask Carl at Whip's to make me up a couple on the grill with relish and spicy mustard. He also puts cheese on them, which is quite nice. I had hoped that I would just get two dogs, in buns of course, with the tasty relish/mustard combo that I'm so fond of that I could sit and savor while you (the contestants) battled it out with one another! Since I can't win the prize anyway, why kill myself over it? I don't want to be sick any more than you do.

So, I had it all worked out with Carl. Bill heard me talking about it this morning when I was going over the final details with Carl, and, of course he said...
"Uh...What're you planning?..No.....I don't hardly think so... You're going to eat those dogs just like the contestants are!"

I tried to tell him how funny it would be if I sat and slowly ate mine, taking my time, dabbing with a napkin, and he was having NONE of that! So, now, I have to do it. And, since I have to do it, you better lookout. I may not get the prize but, I still get bragging rights if I beat you!

Knowing full well that I could win if I kept these secrets to myself; I am choosing to share them with you dear listener, so everyone has a fair and fighting chance. Hot dogs are as beloved to Americans as apple pie. So are the competitive eating contests that go along with them. There are people who win eating contests consistently, and it's never about their size; it's about their technique. First of all, it is important to note that The International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE for short, and YES it is a real federation) discourages anyone under 18 years old from speed-eating at all.


Here's how you can become a hot dog eating champion in your neck of the woods.

1.) Before any speed-eating competition, it is important that you have a large dinner and good nights sleep before the event. Preferably a meal with lots of meat and potatoes. Well, maybe the potatoes aren't really that important, just eat lots and lots of meat. Steaks, roast, anything that requires a lot of chewing. You really want to exercise those jaws before the event, so you don't pull a muscle or something. If you're not sure after a few steaks that you're going to be OK with the muscles, feel free to eat a few more helpings, but just make sure you get to bed right after you put down the fork, you need to rest!

2.) Make sure to eat a hearty breakfast. That way your stomach has a good amount of time to 'warm up' before you start really packin it in. Oatmeal is a good choice, but make sure the ones you prepare are the steel cut oats. These are heaviest and stay with you longest, making your stomach work extra hard. The business going on in your belly after eating this breakfast will feel like the 'fullness' you have after eating Thanksgiving dinner - but not to worry, that isn't a true feeling of 'fullness'. It is actually the feeling of your stomach working to digest the oats. It takes a little while to get your stomach warmed up, that is why the steel cut oats are the best choice. The stomach attacks that oatmeal more rapidly than anything else you eat, and because it is so busy in there, you feel full. Not to worry. If you start feeling this 'fullness' before you're done eating breakfast, that just means your belly is acting just as it should. Keep on eating, you'll need your strength. Especially if you were up late eating tons of steaks while exercising your jaw muscles. Exercise makes you really tired. Maybe you should have a big glass of milk with your oatmeal. You need to stay hydrated while you're exercising.

3.) Hot dog eating contests are not about taste or appetite. They're about control. Pack it down. Wiggle your body as you're eating to help the food down people refer to this as the "Kobayashi wiggle". Use your hands to eat and drink as quickly as possible, make sure to take really big drinks and do so often. You're still going to be dehydrated from the exercising you did last night, and since you're stomach is already working on that oatmeal what's a few bottles of water?

4.) Lastly, vomiting during the competition will guarantee a loss. Just train your mind to ignore the urge to upchuck.

There! Now everyone can be even and all have a fair chance...
Good luck to you, and may the best radio host win!

I am going to get my oatmeal ready for tomorrow. See you at 7:45!

Rock on with your bad self!
Heidi