[QUOTE]Purley? Photograpy? Bit of a goer?[/QUOTE]No, no we don't have a camera.

:unsure:

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;268547]Another scary thought: Because we waited until we turned 18 years old to get a driver's license, we have never taken a driver's test. When we renew our license and have to take the vision test that has all of the little road signs we have no clue what most of them are. We have driven over a million miles and we have never seen signs like that in real life.

One of our vehicles (2011 Ford Escape) [URL="http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29625"]parallel parks[/URL] itself. How crazy is that?

:max:[/QUOTE]
What state was that in? In New York (which, as I mentioned in my last post, seems to have stricter standards than some), everyone getting a license has to take a test, regardless of their age; the only difference between those under and over 18 is that the former is still subject to a few restrictions even after passing the test (no unaccompanied driving at night, etc.)

[QUOTE]What state was that in?[/QUOTE]Ohio.

No risk no reward.

[QUOTE=mdettweiler;268549]What state was that in? In New York (which, as I mentioned in my last post, seems to have stricter standards than some), everyone getting a license has to take a test, regardless of their age; the only difference between those under and over 18 is that the former is still subject to a few restrictions even after passing the test (no unaccompanied driving at night, etc.)[/QUOTE]

Texas is similar. Every new driver must take driver's ed with 40 hours of practice driving (max 1 per day) and a driving test on actual roads.

500 LL tests...
 

...

I just made my 32[SUP]nd[/SUP] loan on [URL="http://www.kiva.org/"]Kiva.org[/URL]
Anyone else out there on Kiva?

And earlier this week I made my 10th visit to give an [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apheresis"]Apheresis blood donation[/URL]. It was a [I]triple[/I] unit of platelets. I had been bumped off the donor rolls a while back (after my eighth whole blood donation), but found out that I could get restored.:smile:
Anyone else giving blood?

[QUOTE]I just made my 32[SUP]nd[/SUP] loan on [URL="http://www.kiva.org/"]Kiva.org[/URL][/QUOTE]That is a very cool link. Thanks for sharing it!

[quote]Anyone else giving blood?[/quote]We used to donate all of the time, because in the Army they let us have the rest of the day off if we did. But, after pulling a tour in Africa, we were no longer allowed to donate. We should probably look to see if that has ban has expired.

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;268941]Anyone else giving blood?[/QUOTE]Yes, regularly now -- usually "double red cells" ([URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrocytapheresis[/URL]), which is what my local blood center prefers from me.

When I was younger, I donated only a couple of times, even though my father had donated regularly for decades ever since before I was born. (He never made any fuss about it. It was quite convenient for him because the Bloodmobile came to his large workplace every six weeks.) During his final illness, he required several transfusions. After he died, I decided that I owed it to society to donate regularly as long as I had no disqualifying conditions. I had presumed that some of my several prescriptions would disqualify me, but was surprised to learn that there were actually only a very small number of prescription medicines (none of mine) that disqualified potential donors.

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;268943]We used to donate all of the time, because in the Army they let us have the rest of the day off if we did.[/QUOTE]So, that's why Dad got into the habit!

[quote]We should probably look to see if that has ban has expired.[/quote]They may ask whether you were in certain areas during certain time periods or for certain durations.

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;268943]But, after pulling a tour in Africa, we were no longer allowed to donate. We should probably look to see if that has ban has expired.[/QUOTE]Likely that has expired. It is a 12 month period.
[url]http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements/eligibility-criteria-topic#travel[/url]
[quote=Cheesehead]Yes, regularly now -- usually "double red cells"[/quote]You must be an O+ or O-. I am A+ (which, along with other factors) make me good for platelets.

Oh, BTW, if you log your donations, you can get rewards.

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;268941]Anyone else giving blood?[/QUOTE]
I've given blood 43 times, I think. Don't have my donor card around. I will not be able to improve my stats, however - I am no longer acceptable as a blood or organ donor.

Furthermore, I was one of the 4,017 donors who took over the mass blood donation world record on May 18, 2003. It appears we still hold it. At least I still have the T-shirt (and have it on right now). :smile:

And, just by pure chance, May 18 (2008 this time) also was the day when my girlfriend and I got together. :love:

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;268946]
Oh, BTW, if you log your donations, you can get rewards.[/QUOTE]Log? Where? Actually, I'd be happy with just a 10-gallon pin.