True North is:

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Michigan, United States

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Blood Money

So, right now I'm getting ready to have a needle jabbed into my arm; you see, it's plasma donation day. For those that don't know, not only does donating your plasma save lives, but it also pays...in fact, we think it pays quite well. Between me and Melissa we can earn $500 a month laying on a table two times a week.

Alrighty.....

My original plan was to write this blog as my blood was being sucked out of my arm, but it just did not work that way. For obvious reasons the arm that is "hooked up" to the machine can't really be used during the donation process, so I try to always use my left arm so that I can use my right hand (being right handed) to manipulate my phone, a book, laptop, etc...

Today they couldn't get the vein in my left arm to cooperate, so after jabbing me a few times they finally gave up and we had to use the right arm. That pretty much shut down any typing for me. I'm bad enough with my right hand...the left is damn near impossible! It wasn't very pleasant with the extra pokes, but I did get a free candy bar because of it...so I guess it wasn't so bad. As it stands right now, I and Melissa have donated four times. She has gotten a candy bar once while I have received two of them. At this rate I'm going to have sore arms and some extra weight!

Seriously though, it has been a good experience for us. We make sure we eat a good meal before and after the donation, and drink plenty of water. That really helps avoid any light-headedness
or nausea which can be a side effect. Then when it's all over our Bio Life debit cards get "Loaded" and we're out the door. Not a bad way to make some extra money.

You can find the link to Bio Life (it's nation wide) in our link section if your interested. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to make some extra cash, and accomplish a good deed all at the same time. Here are a couple of pics of our bandaged arms.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Rest in Peace


The end of January has proven to be a tough time for us. Melissa's mother tragically passed away a year ago, and as we approached the 1st anniversary of her passing a young friend of ours lost his life in a senseless car accident. Any words I might say here are incapable of expressing the sadness and loss we are experiencing.
I know that death is a part of life, but this understanding in no way diminishes the grief and confusion when someone close to us dies. My father and Melissa's mother, a nephew and a friend...these deaths have struck us so profoundly that we have changed how we view life, and has much to do with the decisions we made for this new lifestyle we are embracing. I only wish that I could have seen the importance of God, family, and friends long before those dear to us slipped, much to early, from our lives.

Life is but a stopping place,
A pause in what's to be,
A resting place along the road,
to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys,
Different paths along the way,
We all were meant to learn some things,
but never meant to stay...
Our destination is a place,
Far greater than we know.
For some the journey's quicker,
For some the journey's slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
We'll claim a great reward,
And find an everlasting peace,
Together with the lord
-Author unknown