Giving blood, 2.0

With my own blood-donation song annoyingly looped in my brain chamber, I was steeled for my belated second round on Saturday (although I tried to appear nonchalant, I'm not sure I pulled it off). This time I went to the main donor centre at Town Hall - what a massive difference to the mobile unit! They had those dentist-style chairs that go up and down. I'm easily impressed by such things. The whole facility was decked out clean and white, and I even had the pleasure of being able to watch Ben 10 on the telly while they hooked me up. And as much as I'd joked about it, I was actually totally unaware that the previous hideous bruise I had nursed was not the norm. This time around I've got barely a puncture mark. Smooth.

Needle insertion point carefully obscured for queasier readers

They made such a lovely big deal about it being my 'first time' before, I was expecting it to be very ho-hum this time. But they gave me a keyring with my blood type on it to say thanks for not being a total wussbag and coming back a second time! (see, told you I was easily impressed).

No Mars Bar this time. In response to donor surveying there are now 'healthier options' for your post-donation snack, and it being 11am I was fine with that. The nice lady made me a caramel milkshake and I had a gigantic piece of raisin toast. It was all very civilised and made me forget that I was about to go into a 10-hour merch shift.

Toast and milkshake noms