My LuCKy NuMBeR

UPDATED SINCE FIRST POSTED!

So we have this lucky number in our family, 1-4-3, that signifies I LOVE YOU. There's this story that comes from Massachusetts about a lighthouse dude who would go to work and flash the lighthouse once, then four times, then three times to his family to signal I LOVE YOU. Here's the lighthouse, Minot's Ledge, near Scituate, MA, one of my favorite places we visited as children.

We write 1-4-3 in everything, cards, notes, etc., signal it with our fingers when going somewhere, say it out loud, as in, "One-Four-Three," when we're heading out the door. Everyone in our family knows it is ours, and some have taken it as theirs too.

So today, when I went to donate blood (the picture will be up tomorrow in the final Sunday, Bloody Sunday), they took my iron count.

Guess what it was?

14.3.

Then, when it was time for me to get the needle, I was challenged by my buddy, Carlos, with whom I was donating, to race him in the blood-letting, because he donated in a record time of 5 minutes and 33 seconds. I figured there was no way I could beat him - he's a big strong guy with an iron count of over 15, and I know men have a fast-bleed rate.

I started flowing and Chez, my blood gal said I was going pretty fast. I asked her how long it had been and she looked at the current time.

Guess what it was?

1 minute and 43 seconds EXACTLY!

Interesting huh?

So I thought, "Hmmm, maybe I have a shot at beating Carlos in the blood race?"

A little bit later, I asked Chez again, "How long has it been now?"

Guess what it was?

3 minutes and 41 seconds ... Do you know what that is BACKWARDS?

143!!!!

Too weird!

At this point, I'm thinking ... time to buy some lottery tickets!

So, I finish bleeding, and Chez asks me how I'm doing, and I tell her how I'm doing, honestly. I say, "I feel euphoric."

Cuz I did. I don't know if euphoria equals woozy cuz I had bled so fast? But I felt really, really great. I just donated blood, and knew that I had saved some lives! Plus, Chez had me check out my time, and YEP! I beat CARLOS!

I came in at 5 minutes and 25 seconds! I do think that's a record for moi!

Speed Bleeder! That's what I am!

So, we leave, and head out for lunch cuz not only am I euphoric, I'm also starving. I glance over at this jeep in front of us...

Guess what the last three digits on its license plate were?

No lie ...

143.

Crazy shit.

And then, after lunch, I pull out my brand-new credit card because hubby lost his in Denver so we had to get new ones. I take off the sticker reminding me to sign it. And you frickin wanna know what? You know how there are four sets of 4 numbers on your credit card? Well, the last three digits in the third set of numbers ...

143.

Can you freaking believe it?

And yes, I went right to the nearest gas station and bought me ten bucks worth of lottery tickets.

Watch this space for the big, "I WON THE LOTTERY" announcement tomorrow. And if that's not the news, you'll at least be able to see the final batch of awesome blood donors!

PS... Diva was just playing a game on her iTouch that times her and you have a minute to finish the game. She finished with 1.43 seconds on the clock that she just showed me AND IT'S 4:13 RIGHT THIS MINUTE!!!

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!
More updates ...

at church one of the Bible verses was Matthew 14:3(6).

And if you read the blog post titled Sunday, Bloody Sunday, dated Feb. 28, you'll see Feisty Irish Wench is the first one to leave a comment, which she left early this morning. She wrote that she should be in bed but instead she was "piddlin" online late night. The time she posted the comment: EXACTLY 1:43.

Someone is watching out for me!