Blood: High Cost Of Living

After I started this business with donating (selling) plasma, my wife asked me, "How long do you think you'll be doing this?"

I shrugged. Until things get better I guess.

"You don't have to do this," she told me.

I told her, well, yeah, I did if we wanted to continue to eat.

"How long?"

"A year," I said. "I figure I'm on the hook for a year."

"Things could get better," she said and reminded me about that business thing she's been working on with her dad. "We could end up with several thousand dollars all at once. That would help."

I nodded.

"It's only a year. I can do a year."

She didn't like it, but let it slide. Sometimes it's better not to point out the obvious. I said the same thing about working nights at the book store. That went on for about three years or so. I said the same thing about working Saturday nights for the radio station. That was over three years ago. I told her the same thing when I picked up Sunday nights a couple of months ago and there's no end in sight for that one.

So, I got my twenty this morning. They give you twenty the first time and twenty-five the second. There are some hopes the compensation (blood money) will be going up since the company is in the process of being sold. I took my earnings to Food Land, bought some household items including dish detergent, bananas and a six pack of Slim Fast.

Sometimes when the fear sets in, usually at night, I want to eat. I'm ravenous and want to devour everything in my path. This is kind of counterproductive. The Slim Fast should be enough to stave it off at least until I get a handle on it.

The money went fast. All that's left jingles in my pocket. I have no idea how the winos do it.