Omachuck: Blog

Some of you know I'm a regular blood donor and a volunteer at high school blood drives. There are lots of large high schools in the greater Chicago area, and like much of the USA, the high schools and community blood drives supply somewhere around 50 to 60 per cent of our blood and blood products.

The blood drives I support contribute 100 to 200 or more units each drive. March and April are typically months with lots of blood drives, but not this year. Our Governor - rightfully I believe - shut down all public and private schools, and thus those scheduled and projected blood drives.

Many more drives are going to be cancelled, often not because they are problematic in-of-themselves, but because organizations and companies, etc. are implementing work-at-home. But if an organization is still functioning in-house, employees will be around the same folks at work/class that they would be at their organization's blood drive. Thus, almost no increased risk.

I'm urging you to support your organization's internal blood drives, or to go a donor center if a drive is not available or comfortable for you.

The need is desperate. Your donation will be used to save one or more lives.

Another very helpful action would be a double red cell donation. Takes longer, but twice the product.

I donate platelets and have scheduled myself every Monday on into April and will continue until I'm deferred. (Only 24 platelet donations allowed in a calendar year.)

So, folks, let's do something about this on-going, tragic, and scary situation.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and please do your part.

I just edited chapter 9 to add the sixth stanza. Your feedback indicated a strong preference that I do so.

Thanks

A reader pointed out to me that The Battle Hymn has a sixth verse. I was unaware.

I leave to you, my readers whether I edit the story and add the sixth verse which is usually not published. It is:

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave,
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,
Our God is marching on.

I'll make my decision tomorrow.

I've decided to queue Chapter nine to upload tomorrow (Saturday) morning. I've enjoyed your responses, and frankly, am looking forward to your reactions to the story's finish. Please let me know what you think.

I've fixed the typos you've identified. Not many at all because of my cadre of helpers. So any of you who download into readers, the story is as error free as I can make it.

Chapter 7 is in the queue to post Monday morning.

We learn about the development of Caleb's companions and the discovery of Pern's first indigenous animal to become a pet.