A Feel-Good Friday Post

How about something to warm your heart at the end of this long week...

Nate brought me some thank you letters he received from school kids that his team had taught about preparedness, and I decided I'd type up a few sweet highlights. (My favorite is the last one. Hey, there's something to be said for honesty!)

Thanks for visiting our classroom... I didn't know that a fire extinguisher lasts only 8 seconds. That's some interesting stuff. I think your program is awesome. If someone didn't know what you talked about and heard it, it could save a life. Keep doing what you do.

- S.O.

Sometimes we just don't think about how something can come that we are not expecting... and just can't even imagine how we could just lose everything. After your speech I went home and talked about getting prepared for a bad time coming. So thank you so much for your time.
- K.M.

Thanks to you guys I got home and started packing up for emergencies. My family and I made a plan for fire emergency.

- A.M.

I really liked that you guys showed us what we should keep so that we would be prepared. I found out some things that I did not know.

-R.G.

I learned a lot... You should come to our class more often... because you came to our class I get extra credit.

- P.L.

CPR Minus Mouth-To-Mouth

Word on the street is that you can do CPR without the mouth-to-mouth.

You knew that, right? It's called "compression-only" CPR and it's a great way to start learning the skills to save a life.

This new (and downright cute) video will teach you the basics of compression-only, but we'd still suggest following up with an actual CPR class so that you're fully prepared for any incident.

Don't forget; it's important to have at least one member of every household trained!

Do you bleed orange, or do you bleed green?

Get out your duck call whistles and your beaver tails because the 8th annual Civil War Blood Drive starts today!

Show your school spirit by donating blood November 5-21. Whether you’re a Beaver believer or a diehard Duck, hospital patients need your help. Any fan who presents to donate blood or platelets on behalf of either Oregon State University or the University of Oregon, at any blood drive in Oregon or in Vancouver, Washington, will help one school win the Civil War Blood Drive trophy.

Plus, all participants may enter a drawing to win two tickets to the Civil War football game in Eugene on December 3!

To learn more about the Civil War Blood Drive and to check on the status of each team's daily scores, go to the Web site at CivilWarBlooddrive.com.

At least ducks and beavers can agree on one thing: an intense rivalry is even better when it's for a good cause.

We All Scream For Freeze-Dried Ice Cream!

Our friend Magi's comment on yesterday's post reminded me of my childhood...

Or, more specifically, visits to OMSI where I got to indulge in the very special treat of freeze-dried ice cream!

While I remember the classic Neopolitan, evidently "astronaut" ice cream comes in varieties including double chocolate, mint and cookies 'n' cream. What's more, there are actually freeze-dried ice cream SANDWICHES. Ultra yum.

So you know where I'm going with this, right? Freeze-dried ice cream is the perfect -- PERFECT -- addition to your disaster kit. Especially if you've got kids. I mean, they might balk at a 1000 calorie food bar, but astronaut ice cream? I'm pretty sure that will go over really well in an emergency.

In a quick Internet search, it seems the shelf-life is anywhere from 2 to 7 years, so you can all scream for ice cream for a mighty long time!

P.S. In awesome state trivia, it looks like Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc. in Albany is a pioneer in the field, working with NASA in the 1960's and still making foods for the shuttle flights. If you want to order your ice cream straight from the local source, you can do that here.

P.P.S. If you really want to entertain the kiddos post-disaster, try picking up this Space Food Sampler, which includes "Splashdown Flavor Stix" for bottled water. Fun!

Prepare-aphernalia: Shelf-Stable Salmon

I can't think of anything that would be more comforting after a disaster than some carb-filled macaroni and cheese.

Or how about a salmon fillet and a side of rice?

Sounds impossible, right? But thanks to researchers at Washington State University (home of the infamous Cougar Gold cheese!), we just might be able to add these delicacies to our disaster kits.

According to this press release, Juming Tang, a professor in the WSU Department of Biological Systems Engineering, led a team of university, industry and U.S. military scientists to develop a microwave energy technology for producing pre-packaged, low-acid foods. The outcome results in food with a longer shelf life as well as better flavor and nutritional value compared to more traditional food processing methods such as canning.

Since the FDA has approved the technology, these shelf-stable staples could be coming soon. Get all your questions answered -- especially the ones about shelf life and storage -- now.

And, while we wait for these products to come to market, go add the already shelf-stable (and delicious!) Cougar Gold to your disaster kit!

Red Cross goes Runway Ready

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Red Cross, French fashion house Louis Vuitton has teamed with our organization to create six artist designed custom trunks to be auctioned off at London based Sotheby's.

Those who have lent their creative talents to design for the cause include Patrick-Louis Vuitton, descendant of the man for which the brand is named; Annie Liebovitz, famed fashion photographer; and Marc Jacobs, the current Creative Director for Louis Vuitton.

My favorite piece from the designer series is none other than the customized Red Cross supply kit trunk created by artist Damien Hirst.

In addition to all of the auction proceeds going directly to the Red Cross, Louis Vuitton has agreed to donate 10% of the money generated from the purchases of their top four selling handbags on their U.S. website to the American Red Cross for the month of November.

If you don't think you need the luxury LV monogramed leather on the trunk of your first-aid kit, be sure to check out our store and pick a more practical approach to these life-saving supplies.

What Did YOU Get?

Hey, trick-or-treaters. Did you spot any houses actually handing out hand sanitizer last weekend? I'm pretty sure that your dentist, your doctor and I all agree that it wouldn't be such a bad prize to find amongst all your fun-sized, full-of-sugar, finger-food.

And speaking of flu... who better to educate you on the truths and myths of H1N1 than Discovery Channel's Myth Busters! Check out their webpage devoted to flu at http://www.discovery.com/h1n1.

They bust myths about:

- The effectiveness of masks.

- The origins of H1N1

- "Swine Flu Parties" (**shudder**), and more.

Oh, and be sure to watch their icky, but impressive public service announcement about flu prevention. (Sleeve sneeze, people. Sleeve. Sneeze.)

P.S. If you're looking for flu supplies, we do sell germ guard packs that come with masks, gel and sanitizing wipes.

Thanks to Stephanie, our Health & Safety Director, for forwarding me the cartoon!