WHO: The Blood Center of New Jersey
WHEN: February 5, 2011, 9am to 2pm
WHERE: Morrow Memorial Church, 600 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, NJ 07040
Please come and donate blood. If you've never done it before, please consider doing so.
If you have questions about what it's like, please ask here or poke around the website to see if there are answers to your questions. It will tell you if you're qualified to donate, if it's safe, and all that.
http://www.bloodnj.org/
I give blood as often as I can. I find it to be painless, and it does not make me tired afterwards. In fact, I never feel any after-effects. Some people do feel a bit weak or tired for a while, but it's not guaranteed that you will. Only you can decide if it's worthwhile.
There are frequent blood shortages, and we could eliminate them if we all pitched in. I suspect people just don't give it thought. It costs nothing, only takes a little time, and it makes a difference. If you're short on cash, this is one way to help people without costing you any money. It's a real contribution to your community.
I used to be a bit fearful of the pain. There are two pricks: one to the fingertip and one into the arm vein. Most of the nurses who do the pricks are highly skilled and know how to do them without causing pain. I've learned over time not to fear them, which has made them feel like the most routine sensations. Once you know what to expect, it's no big deal at all. And pain really shouldn't be an obstacle to donating. The pain ranges from very minor to completely unnoticeable. The benefit, however, is much bigger than any of the pain. So please think about donating!
Children as young as 16 can now donate! This is new, and I think it's a wonderful opportunity for teenagers to serve their community.
As you can tell, I'm passionate about this. I'll be happy to tell you more if you'd like.
Thank you.
Tom Reingold
Maplewood, NJ
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Book Title: The Watchers
Philip Chen has just published his novel called Falling Star. You can download a copy of this book for a mere $3 from Amazon. You need either a Kindle or Kindle software. Kindle software is free!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
safety warning: do not insert brake lever into your thigh!
Last night was the last of four sessions of classes my partner and I taught. The course was called Let's Ride. It covered traffic handling skills and bike repair.
Near the end of the ride, a student fell, and in a freak accident, the brake lever entered her thigh and was completely submerged under her skin. It caused a lot of pain, and she was in quite a panic because it looked so very gruesome.
As luck had it, very helpful people were right there. We were in a county park, near the edge of the park and a road. In the park was a fire engine with full crew, a patrol car with an officer, an EMT riding his bike, and an OR nurse taking a walk. The officer called for an ambulance, which came quickly, with EMT's, as did an ambulance with paramedics. The cyclist-EMT and my partner disassembled the bike, separating handlebars from the bike so that our student could keep the handlebars in her lap. She didn't want anyone extracting the brake lever. The EMT's agreed and complied, and they gingerly lifted her onto a backboard and then a stretcher, taking great care not to disturb the handlebar/human interface.
The police officer said he is also a cyclist. He does mountain bike races. He had never seen a brake lever pierce a body before. I'm sure he never will again, either.
The student had brought her husband and kids with her for the first time. Husband was riding along with us. The two kids, age 17 and 7, stayed at the ride start point.
By the time the ambulance took the student away, the sun had set, and it was quite dark. I strapped the disassembled remains of the bike to the rack on my bike, and we pedaled through the quite-dark woods to our start point. I talked to the husband, making sure he was calm and wasn't worrying too much.
The kids took the news quite well. My partner and I accompanied husband and kids to the hospital. We found the patient in good spirits. Her injury, as it turned out, was minor. She said that at least half the pain was from the horror of seeing her body invaded in such a shocking and disgusting way. The lever didn't enter any muscle tissue.
She's sore today and has trouble walking, but she says she is looking forward to getting back on the bike.
Near the end of the ride, a student fell, and in a freak accident, the brake lever entered her thigh and was completely submerged under her skin. It caused a lot of pain, and she was in quite a panic because it looked so very gruesome.
As luck had it, very helpful people were right there. We were in a county park, near the edge of the park and a road. In the park was a fire engine with full crew, a patrol car with an officer, an EMT riding his bike, and an OR nurse taking a walk. The officer called for an ambulance, which came quickly, with EMT's, as did an ambulance with paramedics. The cyclist-EMT and my partner disassembled the bike, separating handlebars from the bike so that our student could keep the handlebars in her lap. She didn't want anyone extracting the brake lever. The EMT's agreed and complied, and they gingerly lifted her onto a backboard and then a stretcher, taking great care not to disturb the handlebar/human interface.
The police officer said he is also a cyclist. He does mountain bike races. He had never seen a brake lever pierce a body before. I'm sure he never will again, either.
The student had brought her husband and kids with her for the first time. Husband was riding along with us. The two kids, age 17 and 7, stayed at the ride start point.
By the time the ambulance took the student away, the sun had set, and it was quite dark. I strapped the disassembled remains of the bike to the rack on my bike, and we pedaled through the quite-dark woods to our start point. I talked to the husband, making sure he was calm and wasn't worrying too much.
The kids took the news quite well. My partner and I accompanied husband and kids to the hospital. We found the patient in good spirits. Her injury, as it turned out, was minor. She said that at least half the pain was from the horror of seeing her body invaded in such a shocking and disgusting way. The lever didn't enter any muscle tissue.
She's sore today and has trouble walking, but she says she is looking forward to getting back on the bike.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Booger the cat has cancer
It's been a long time since I've posted here. My father's death was so momentous that I hesitated to say anything else. I'm healing, though I suppose the pain of losing him will never fully go away. I feel really bad for my stepmother. She's been really devastated.
My mother's husband Harry is dying of cancer. He's nearly 91 years old and fully aware of what's happening. He sits in a chair all day and night, sometimes cogent and sometimes not.
Now I'm dealing with a cat who has cancer. He's 3-1/2 years old. This morning, I dropped him off at the vet to have his right hind leg amputated. [sniff] It's for the best, to save his life. I feel bad that he has no idea what's in store for him. We'll have to confine him to a single room for four to six weeks! He went in so happy, oblivious to what lies ahead.
My mother's husband Harry is dying of cancer. He's nearly 91 years old and fully aware of what's happening. He sits in a chair all day and night, sometimes cogent and sometimes not.
Now I'm dealing with a cat who has cancer. He's 3-1/2 years old. This morning, I dropped him off at the vet to have his right hind leg amputated. [sniff] It's for the best, to save his life. I feel bad that he has no idea what's in store for him. We'll have to confine him to a single room for four to six weeks! He went in so happy, oblivious to what lies ahead.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
My father died suddenly last night
A blood clot killed him suddenly. My stepmother was helping him get out of bed. I think it happened around midnight. The risk was there, as he had had a few in his legs over the years.
If my memory of my early childhood is correct, he separated from my sister and me and my mother soon before I turned four. Soon after he left our home, he and my mother put a new bicycle under the Christmas tree for me. (Yes, we had Christmas in our home, as well as Jewish holidays, as my mother was raised as an Episcopalian.) That bike -- a Schwinn -- had a huge influence on me. My father had wanted a Schwinn when he was a kid, so he gave one to me.
My father came over on weekends to teach me to ride. On every lesson day, we wheeled the bike to Riverside Park which was just across the street. We used a dumbbell wrench to remove the training wheels. Then I had my lesson. Then I insisted on putting the training wheels back on after each lesson. This made my father chuckle, but but he humored me.
If you know me, you know how much I came to love cycling. My father didn't care for it much in his adult life. He liked to play tennis and squash, and he was quite good at them. We took a ride together once, when I was 19. We were going through a rough period with each other, and we saw a counselor to help us get closer. The counselor recommended we do something together that I liked to do, so I chose a bike ride. I had a spare bike to let him use. It had toe clips, which he had never used. And the end of the ride had a tough uphill, but he managed. I remember in the middle of the ride (which was in Boston), we stopped in the park by the Charles river and sat on the bench overlooking the river. It was a pleasant moment, perhaps the beginning of our getting closer.
I've ridden a lot, and I made my living as a bicycle mechanic when I was in college, and I am grateful for my father giving me that love.
Another thing he gave me was music. He used to play guitar and sing to us. I remember some songs he taught himself that he had learned from a Leon Bibb album. I remember "John Hardy" which was about the struggles of an outlaw who had a wife who still loved him. He also sang "John Henry" about the legendary railroad man who didn't care for the steam drill. He said he would beat the steam drill in a contest, and he did, but he died doing so.
I might be updating this entry of the blog, adding to it. Look for changes here or to the comments attached to it.
Email me if you want to know about the funeral arrangements. I don't yet know what day it will be.
I've already received a lot of messages of condolence. Here are some particularly touching messages:
If my memory of my early childhood is correct, he separated from my sister and me and my mother soon before I turned four. Soon after he left our home, he and my mother put a new bicycle under the Christmas tree for me. (Yes, we had Christmas in our home, as well as Jewish holidays, as my mother was raised as an Episcopalian.) That bike -- a Schwinn -- had a huge influence on me. My father had wanted a Schwinn when he was a kid, so he gave one to me.
My father came over on weekends to teach me to ride. On every lesson day, we wheeled the bike to Riverside Park which was just across the street. We used a dumbbell wrench to remove the training wheels. Then I had my lesson. Then I insisted on putting the training wheels back on after each lesson. This made my father chuckle, but but he humored me.
If you know me, you know how much I came to love cycling. My father didn't care for it much in his adult life. He liked to play tennis and squash, and he was quite good at them. We took a ride together once, when I was 19. We were going through a rough period with each other, and we saw a counselor to help us get closer. The counselor recommended we do something together that I liked to do, so I chose a bike ride. I had a spare bike to let him use. It had toe clips, which he had never used. And the end of the ride had a tough uphill, but he managed. I remember in the middle of the ride (which was in Boston), we stopped in the park by the Charles river and sat on the bench overlooking the river. It was a pleasant moment, perhaps the beginning of our getting closer.
I've ridden a lot, and I made my living as a bicycle mechanic when I was in college, and I am grateful for my father giving me that love.
Another thing he gave me was music. He used to play guitar and sing to us. I remember some songs he taught himself that he had learned from a Leon Bibb album. I remember "John Hardy" which was about the struggles of an outlaw who had a wife who still loved him. He also sang "John Henry" about the legendary railroad man who didn't care for the steam drill. He said he would beat the steam drill in a contest, and he did, but he died doing so.
I might be updating this entry of the blog, adding to it. Look for changes here or to the comments attached to it.
Email me if you want to know about the funeral arrangements. I don't yet know what day it will be.
I've already received a lot of messages of condolence. Here are some particularly touching messages:
Losing a person who has been chronically ill in body and/or mind has it's own particular emotions and conflicting feelings.
I never had the honor of meeting you dad, obviously, but considering how the "chip off the old block" turned out (you); he must have been pretty cool. Your pain is now a measure of that deep love you shared, and his memory will indeed be a blessing.
Take comfort in that he has a son who really appreciates what it is to be a father.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Story about me in the New York Times!
This is available only on the web, not in print.
It was very exciting. I can see I'm nervous in the video. My eyes are all over the place, and I'm out of breath. But I think it came off well.
Click there --> Show Me Your Basement: Tom Reingold
It was very exciting. I can see I'm nervous in the video. My eyes are all over the place, and I'm out of breath. But I think it came off well.
Click there --> Show Me Your Basement: Tom Reingold
Friday, May 15, 2009
Bike to work!
This is Bike to Work Week. May is Bike to Work month.
I'm gradually increasing the frequency at which I go to work and home by bike. It's fun, and it makes me feel so good.
Yesterday, it was raining, but it wasn't cold, and it wasn't raining heavily, so I was perfectly comfortable.
Today, the weather is lovely.
I feel myself getting stronger. I hardly ever shift to a lower gear to climb the hills. And there are some steep climbs on my route. It's ten miles each way. It's mostly uphill to work.
Here are some really good tips for commuting by bike.
Yesterday at work, a guy who works down the hall, made a comment about my riding into work. I didn't know him, but we had a pleasant conversation. I'm encouraging him to do it soon, and he said it sounds nice. We work at the top of a very large hill, so the uphill portion is intimidating to him, understandably. But it's gotten easier for me, and it will for anyone.
I can really feel it in my tush after I pedal really hard up a hill. I know this is because I'm building muscle, so I'm glad.
I resumed commuting by bike last year, when I was working at Seton Hall University. It's only 1.5 miles from home, so it was a very easy, quick ride. I did it because it was fun but also because it took less time than driving. With driving, I had to park somewhere. I was able to lean my bike up against my desk, so riding was a clear winner. Even though I didn't push myself on that very short ride, I gained five pounds of muscle in that period. My waist didn't get bigger, and my thighs did, which is how I know it's muscle.
If you have any questions or concerns holding you back from cycling to work, please let me know. I can help. I was a bicycle mechanic when I was young, and I'm good at giving tips. Don't think of me as sophisticated. I can help people at all levels.
I'm gradually increasing the frequency at which I go to work and home by bike. It's fun, and it makes me feel so good.
Yesterday, it was raining, but it wasn't cold, and it wasn't raining heavily, so I was perfectly comfortable.
Today, the weather is lovely.
I feel myself getting stronger. I hardly ever shift to a lower gear to climb the hills. And there are some steep climbs on my route. It's ten miles each way. It's mostly uphill to work.
Here are some really good tips for commuting by bike.
Yesterday at work, a guy who works down the hall, made a comment about my riding into work. I didn't know him, but we had a pleasant conversation. I'm encouraging him to do it soon, and he said it sounds nice. We work at the top of a very large hill, so the uphill portion is intimidating to him, understandably. But it's gotten easier for me, and it will for anyone.
I can really feel it in my tush after I pedal really hard up a hill. I know this is because I'm building muscle, so I'm glad.
I resumed commuting by bike last year, when I was working at Seton Hall University. It's only 1.5 miles from home, so it was a very easy, quick ride. I did it because it was fun but also because it took less time than driving. With driving, I had to park somewhere. I was able to lean my bike up against my desk, so riding was a clear winner. Even though I didn't push myself on that very short ride, I gained five pounds of muscle in that period. My waist didn't get bigger, and my thighs did, which is how I know it's muscle.
If you have any questions or concerns holding you back from cycling to work, please let me know. I can help. I was a bicycle mechanic when I was young, and I'm good at giving tips. Don't think of me as sophisticated. I can help people at all levels.
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