Keeping a Stiff Upper Lip

Turns out that there really is no such thing as blue blood.

I was under the mistaken assumption there was and, unfortunately, mentioned it to my father.

"Sure thing," he said, "and I believe that there's a flower for every raindrop that falls."

"No, really" I said, "the blood doesn't turn red until its oxygenated. That's why veins are blue."

He paused.

"What about arteries?" he replied.

I pondered this, then tried to distract him with the mention of "icefish" - a species of fish without hemoglobin I'd read about the night before. This one I knew for sure.

"I'm not so sure I can believe anything you say after the blood thing."

Right. So I came inside to look up blue blood vs. red on the net. Turns out he was right.

Sigh.

"Sara says turtles breathe through their ass-h*les, " I told my father when he came in from smoking. They both peered over my shoulder while I typed. "Do you believe her?"

"Sure," he said. "She never said that blood was blue."