Here, There & Tired...

My roomie & I usually don't do much for the New Year's.  Half the time we can't due to illness or an overly restrictive budget.  This year wasn't like that.  We had no desire to try for the bar scene, so we opted to splurge a bit on ourselves for the day.  We planned a good lunch, would stop to hit Candy Craze & Papa Murphy's.   It seemed like such a simple plan.

On the way there, we noticed the tires felt low.  Never mind we just aired them up yesterday.  We flipped the car around.  The mechanics couldn't find anything wrong with the tire, but still replaced the valve stem & sealed the thing.  It didn't cost us anything but time. 

We were on our way again.  We get to where we wanted to eat & it was out of business.  There was another branch across town, so we headed over there.  It took us a bit to find it.  Then it took them forever to get our food to us.  The food was good, but we were starved.  We'd originally headed out at a little after 10 & was now after 1 in the afternoon.  

The drive to to get the candy, pizza & some stuff from the grocery was very annoying.    I thought we'd be back by like 1 at the latest.  We finally got back at 3:30.  

I don't travel well anymore.  I'm tired & a bit light headed.  This is all I have for today.  Have a very happy New Year's & best wishes for 2014.

Goodbye 2013.  Until the next lifetime, farewell.  You certainly had your moments.

Cya...

Too Chilly...

We've been cold here again. What makes it worse is the high humidity.  Our normal Winter is cold & dry.  This wetness is making the cold seem so much worse.  It's hard to stay warm, when you feel wet.

It brings about a host of issues for me.  1st, I hate being cold.  Then there is the near constant nasal drip & scratchy throat.  My skin is still very dry this time of year & that means using lots of lotion.   My hands look like a cracked, river bed.  The weather isn't easy on the breathing either.

I think the worst of it for me, are the chillblains.  I started getting them while we still lived at the trailer.  I've gotten them every Winter  since.  That was about the same time I developed gout.  It could be my weight, the HIV, the weather, my age, all the above or something else entirely.  

The chillblains come &  go throughout the season.  It isn't just that you get your hands or feet too cold  during a time of high humidity.  Instead, it's that you got them warm too quickly.  The abrupt change causes the chillblains.  Mine can be a bit tender & cause swelling.  At least, mine don't itch.  That would be hell.

So, no, I am not a fan of cold weather.  Never have been.  I just hope it does it's job & kills off the bugs. And think, we're technically just now into the Winter season.  Yippie!

Cya...

The Last Sunday...

There will be no more Sundays in 2013.  They're all used up.  You get another Monday & Tuesday & then it's all gone forever.   I hope you've gotten out of the year what you wanted, because your time is nearly up.  

I guess I'm strange on this.  Days are days, but I still think things like this need recognition.   There are too many things in our lives that we don't give a 2nd thought to about losing or leaving behind.   Maybe, at some point we regret those flippant allowances.  I hope not, seeing there won't be anything we can do about it then.  

So last Sunday, I would've preferred for you to have been a bright, sunny day.  Instead you've opted for the grey, dismal overcast of Winter.   I'll try to enjoy you for what you are, it seems only fair.  You didn't ask for it to be cloudy or for someone like me to cast his opinions at you. 

I'm trying to exit 2013 in appreciation & not run out, slamming the door behind me.   There were a lot of rough patches, but it wasn't all bad.   I saw some good movies, found a couple of new restaurants, started a new game.  My health didn't decline & there wasn't anything that was insurmountable in our way.  Even if me & mine only break even, I'll take it & call it a win.

Cya...

4, 3, 2, 1...

Counting today, there are only 4 days left in this year.   What will you do with the last  few days of 2013?  I think we'll play it safe & keep to ourselves mostly.  No sense in tempting the year to end on a bad note.

The holiday season is almost over & that's just fine by me.  I get tired of the holiday stuff about a week after Thanksgiving (US).   Passed that, the whole thing starts to wear on my nerves.  Once we're into constant TV reruns, I've had it with the holidays.    These things always overstay their welcome with me.

I'm looking forward to 2014.  I think it could be a good year.  I certainly hope so.   We've all had enough of bad for a while.   

My resolution is simple.  I'm going to try to re-embrace some of my better habits.  Beyond that, we'll see. 

Enjoy what little's left of the year.

Cya...

Anniversary...

A year ago this time I posted this entry, Sick Kitty.  I didn't realize I had greatly underestimated the severity of the situation & that would begin my final hours with my cat, Alice.  She passed on this day last year.  Some days it seems like a lot longer, but not others.  

After she passed, the house was a lot more quiet.  She was a loud cat.  Soon after, Ruffian stopped coming by.  I haven't seen in our windows in almost a year.  I've only seen him twice since & only got him to come to me once.   Fluffy passed in August.  The girls are somewhere around 12, this has been a weird cat year.

Tinkerbell has come inside, but she's not as personable as the others.  We gained another outdoor, orange cat with Clementine.  He's nice, but he's not Ruffian.  I shouldn't compare.

I'm just a little down today.  I've lost a lot of cats since my diagnosis & it doesn't make this any easier.  I'll be glad when all this holiday stuff has moved on & I can get back to my normal routine.  Take care.

Cya...

Ways Off...

There's been talk lately about a drug that can stop HIV from being destructive to human cells.  There's another study proclaiming a way to affect human immune systems in such a way to strengthen the bodies ability to fight off HIV.    I don't like these articles.

No, I don't like these articles.  They are far too lab bound & theoretical.  1 such article was about a drug thought capable of inhibiting HIV's rampant destruction of cells.  This is via an off-use of a drug meant to treat epilepsy.    The problem here, is that this info is being generated purely in a lab environment.    We have no idea if this will work in a human body.

Much of the studies I come across are very early in development.  Perhaps too early to even be reported on to anybody outside the research community.  These early starts lead to false hopes & make some people believe there's a cure for HIV right around the corner, when there isn't. 

Even if the cure was developed tomorrow, it'd still be years before it got to the market.  Hell, it could be that long just to get to human testing.  It is highly unlikely any cure for HIV will be developed for wide scale use within a decade.  Not even then if it threatens pharmaceutical companies profits too much.

I try only to report on research articles that have a chance of promoting other studies or furthering the fight against HIV.  A cure is still a long ways down the road.  I'd rather be a bit depressing, but realistic, than to get people's hopes up for nothing.

Cya...

Christmas Day...

It's quiet here.  My roomie & I do very subdued holidays.   For people from our kind of backgrounds, the holidays are a not so nice mix of holiday cheer, nostalgia & anxiety.   These were a time of nerves for me as a kid.

We refuse not to acknowledge them.  But, we also know that for us, they'll never be a greatly joyous event free of unwanted memories & stress.  So, we choose to celebrate them in our own way.  We watch holiday specials & sing along with them.  We make our version of a holiday dinner.   We make it as simple as possible, so we don't feel the nervousness of holidays past.  We also don't have to deal with that anti-climatic feeling that often comes with Christmas.

Wherever you are today, I hope your day is going well.  I wish for the best this holiday season & the up coming year.  Take care & be kind to yourself.

Cya...

Pre-Holiday....

It's Christmas Eve, but more importantly in this house, it's my roomie's birthday.   The day is going well.   For that, I'm grateful.   I don't need stress on the holidays.   

The roomie will be heading out to see family.  I've taken the stuff out of the freezer that I need for tomorrow's dinner.  We'll most likely be staying put tomorrow.  It's warming up & staying sunny today,   I needed that.

I hope everyone's holiday goes well.

Cya...

The Monday Before...

It's the Monday before Christmas.  Somehow this morning went fairly well for me.  I was expecting the computer to throw a fit & declare itself inoperative.  I'm not sure what we would've done then.  Luckily it worked.

We did our morning shopping & other than it being stupidly busy, it went well.   My roomie is finishing her holiday stuff.  Tomorrow she'll be going to her family's for the holiday.  

We've almost made it through the month & the year.  There are only 8 more days in 2013.   We're 97.8% of the way through.  I hope the rest of the year goes smoothly.  I'd like to enter 2014 gracefully & not hurdling through so I can slam the door on 2013.

The best holiday wishes to eveyrone.

Cya...

Bad Morning...

Apparently to balance out my previous good morning, I had to have a bad 1.  I tried to get on my computer this morning & nothing went as planned.   Somehow during the printer installation, many of my computer settings got changed. 

I couldn't even get the computer to recognize it was capable of connecting to the internet.    I ran my virus & malware checks, got zip.  I could barely get much of my system to operate.

There was an attempted chat.  My roomie got that going.  Then there were many failed attempts to reset various things.  I've even considered hardware options.   Somehow, 20 minutes into the latest restart,  (because restarts can generally fix all ills), the damned thing just started working like nothing had ever happened.  

I finally managed to get system restore to work & reset the computer to an earlier date than the printer installation.  So far, it seems to be working.  I hope it holds.  

I hate things that screw with my mornings.    I don't have the wherewithal to deal with much of anything in the morning, yet that's when most crap in my life seems to go wrong.    I hate mornings.  Hopefully, this problem will not repeat tomorrow.  I don't need any more stress, I'm already feeling a bit rundown.  

Cya....

Good Morning...

So far, this has been a rather good morning.  It's also been productive.  We got the new printer set up & registered.  It didn't like our wi-fi, so we went with the USB option.  It's not quite as convenient, but it works.  The thing's light enough to move about with no problems.

It's raining & a bit chilly.  There's a flash flood warning  until later today.  I wonder how much rain we'll actually get.  

We're making plans for culling some more stuff in the living room.  Some of it will find other places to live.  Some of it will hit the curb.  I love clearing out stuff we don't use.  I'm not a minimalist, but I'm definitely anti-Victorian clutter.  It also keeps me from becoming a segment on some hoarder show.

Things are going well.  I'm not going to push my luck today, so I'm going to end this now.  Have a great weekend.

Cya...

Shopping Done...

It's Friday & our usual shopping day.  We hit Walmart & it was obnoxiously busy.  I had to go back out in the foyer to find a cart.  I found most of what I needed today.

It was time to get a new printer.   The old 1 was beyond difficult & required a direct cable.  We opted for a wi-fi printer.  I haven't set it up yet, hopefully it works.  I don't want to have to take it back.

We still had to go to the other grocery.  I forgot some stuff & refused to venture back into Walmart yet again.   I hate going into Walmart twice in a day.   

There I found a new treat.  Too bad it's $15.00/#.  It's okra chips.  I know that sound it sounds wrong, but they're really good.  I wish they weren't so expensive.

Shopping is done.  Groceries are put away.  A printer was purchased.  Now were home & it's supposed to begin raining fairly heavily.  We won't be going back out if we don't have to.   Overall it was a fairly productive morning.  

Cya...

Another Day...

So far today is proving to be far less stressful & annoying than yesterday.  I think the mess sorted out with that idiotic cable company.  At least for now, anyway.

My appointment with the doctor went well.   He says he'll get the pharmacy thing worked out again.   He had me do another ANSAR test.   I guess it went well.

After that, the day revolved around  dealing with Suddenlink & trying to get my printer to work.  It didn't work & the receipts for my printer got printed at the library.  A new printer is on the need to buy list.  

Today is doing much better.  I hope it holds for the rest of the month. 

Cya...

Not Now...

I'm not in the place to blog right now.  After having to deal with my doctor's appointment, which went well, I'm having to deal with the stupid cable company.  Now, Suddenlink is trying to claim they own my modem & that they can charge me rent for using my own property.   All the while the local office is closed for some reason, even though it's supposed to be open.   Please let another cable company come to our area.  I hate dealing with Suddenlink.

Cya...

Shining A Light...

In the last few years there's been a hard push for more & more people to get tested for HIV.  Especially with the development of new, faster & less cost prohibitive testing methods.  Suddenly there seems to be this huge surge in the numbers of people living with HIV.  

For the most part, the number of + people hasn't altered, just those people's awareness of their status.   Some people are acting amazed & stunned.  This is ridiculous.  We've know for some time a large population of HIV + people had no idea they were infected.   

This isn't like being bitten by a zombie & having a sudden craving for brains. Until a person shows symptoms, without testing, no would no they were +.   Many times even when symptoms are present, the patient is diagnosed & treated for something else, like the flu.  The only way to know, is to be tested.

Yes, over the past decade & for years to come, a lot more cases of HIV are going to present themselves.  Some from new infections, but many from the newly diagnosed.  This is what's coming.  At least we have the testing & treatment methods we do.  If not, things could be a lot worse than they are now.

Cya...

Stressed...

My morning hasn't gone as well as it could have.  It could've been worse, but it definitely could've gone much smoother.  The web started throwing fits this morning & somehow locked up my browser, which in turn locked my computer.  It finally calmed down, but it was close to a hard reboot.  It kept slowing my morning stuff down.

Finally, I'm just about out the door & notice that my pharmacy called.  Guess what?   They screwed up my order yet again.   I'm going to have to look into this more & see if I have any options at all or if I'm just stuck with CVS's BS.

Then there was Walmart & it was very busy.  We finally get back & there's 1 thing waiting for me.  I need to go fix the damn rain gutter.  It was still hanging, but just barely.  They hung it wrong & it holds water.  I couldn't adjust the incline, so I refastened it & punch a hole in the low end so it'd drain.   Not exactly ideal for a runoff gutter, but oh well.

I'm tired & stressed.  This is it for today.  Hopefully, tomorrow is better.   December is not being my friend so far.  I think it should be off the invite list.

Cya...

14 Years & Counting...

Somewhere about this time 14 years ago, I was laying on a couch, shivering & not sure what was wrong with me.  I had a few more weeks before I was diagnosed +.    What I did figure out was that I could no longer smoke.  It wasn't only I couldn't, I didn't want to.  Somehow, via the being too sick to smoke method, I quit smoking pretty much cold turkey.

I haven't smoked since.  I kept a pack of cigarettes for years.  Occasionally, I'd just lok at them & smell them.  The smell nearly made me nauseous.  Of course by then they were really old.  When we moved, I finally tossed them out. I haven't had the urge for the nicotine.  I've missed having something to with my hands though.  I missed the trappings of smoking more than the act, itself.  

According to some savings calculators, I've saved well over $20K & if I'd put those saving in the bank at a decent interest rate I could've gained half that much in interest.    I'm not sure about those numbers, they seem a little, but then again these calculators come from places trying to get you to quit smoking.  It's in their best interest to make the amount higher.

Regardless of how much I could've saved, I had that $ to spend on other things, like food, gas & rent.  More importantly, I haven't had smoking interfering with my health.  So,  hurrah for me I haven't smoked in 14 years!    

Cya...

Saturday...

The morning shopping is over & the weather is a damp, blah mess.  I'm glad we went to see the movie yesterday.  I feel like I'm on the verge of catching a cold & that wouldn't have been fun for being at a movie.  It also means something good came out of yesterday & it wasn't just the pharmacy screw up.

Not to mention, going out allowed us to get our new, favorite addiction, sea salt caramels.  Those things are wonderful.  Luckily, we have to go out of our way to get them or they could prove a problem.

I'm just trying to stay warm.  The ice did a little damage to the rain gutter.  We'll have to fix that once the rain stops & things dry up a bit.  

I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday.  It's just a regular appointment but I'll talk to him about the screwed up script.  Hopefully, it won't be a total pain to fix this.

Cya...

The Busies & Stupids...

Going to see the movie got bumped back up for today.  This is moving us along faster than I'd thought.  Unfortunately, not fast enough to avoid yet another screw up by my pharmacy.  Apparently, somehow the dosage on 1 of my meds got upped without me being told about it.  

Fortunately, it just got doubled so I can take half & have my regular dose.  I can't even get a hold of my doctor until Monday.  The original error may have been on my doctor's end.  However, I've talked to the pharmacy 3 times already about this order.  They didn't bother telling me about this until it was too late to do anything about it.  That is entirely on them.  

I'm just a little too tiffed to blog right now.  This is yet another reason it's not good to live in a rural area as a + person.  There are no decent pharmacies near you

Cya...

A Little Irritated...

Whether I be a mouse or a man, my plans usually get screwed with on a regular basis.  It gets very tiring.  It's difficult being a person who likes basic plans when life refuses to cooperate at all.

My meds arrived yesterday.  Wonders of wonders, my pharmacy screwed up my order, again.  They somehow forgot to tell me, 1 of my meds needed a refill order from my doctor & it didn't get shipped with the others.  I already had to reschedule the damn delivery once, because of a previous schedule issue.  

I call & get the order rescheduled for Monday.  At the time I didn't have anything scheduled for Monday.  Silly me, I just failed to foresee the need to reschedule our trip to the movies.   Tomorrow, when we had planned on seeing the film is now forecast to having freezing rain.  I'm not driving 30+ miles to & fro in freezing rain just to see a movie.  

My roomie suggested Monday & I was like, "Sure, that'll work..." Oh wait, no it won't.  Because I had to reschedule that damnable drug delivery for Monday, because my pharmacy screwed up again.   My roomie generally has stuff planned on the surrounding days.  

I know she doesn't mind having to alter here schedule if it needs to happen.  I just hate when it has something to do with an issue of mine.  I seriously hope who ever screwed up my order this time has a nasty accident, preferably a fabulously, nasty accident with just a touch of the humiliating.  

It looks like we'll be seeing Bilbo on Sunday instead of Friday.  Unless of course something else decides to screw with my schedule.  Virgos should definitely rule the world.   Then there would be order in the cosmos.

Cya...

Another Busy Wednesday...

I have a lot of little things I'd like to get done today.  Some of them for myself, others for the house & the roomie.  Wednesdays have a tendency to be a little busy for me.  

I'll be going to Fort Smith tomorrow to pick up my roomie from her friend's house. Afterwards, we might pick up tickets to see the Hobbit.  We'll definitely stop by the place that sells the sea salt caramels.

Friday will be a belated birthday gift for me & an early one for my roomie.  Her's is later in the month.   We'll go see the movie & grab a bite to eat. 

So, I've got things to do this week.  In just 2 weeks, it'll be Christmas.   Hope the holiday season is being kind to everyone.

Cya...

Melting Off...

There isn't much going here today.  We've handled what had to be done.  Now, we're staying indoors until more of this mess has melted off.  The roads are mostly dry, but the rooftops & trees are still ice laden.  I keep knocking icicles off the porch.  We can't have the mailman getting staked.  That'd be a lawsuit for sure.  

The sun is out & the weather seems to be settling.  Our cats are in the windows enjoying what little Winter sun they can get.  It's still cold, but it doesn't feel quite as wet, which is very good thing.

I really hope we don't have a terrible Winter.  I know we need the cold to kill off the bugs & let the plants rest.  But, we don't need another mega Winter like a few years back.  Here's hoping for a pleasant season.  Considering, Winter doesn't even start for a while yet.

Cya...

Afterwards...

We went shopping this morning.  It was an interesting trip. We got to see all the damage the ice storm had caused.  We were very fortunate.  Most places at least some significant damage. 

The mailbox place reopened & our mail arrived.  Walmart was still wiped out from the pre-storm shoppers.   Most of the roads were clear, but there were still some nasty spots.  

Hopefully, this will all be cleared up by later this week.  We have plans.  The second part of the Hobbit should be out Friday.  We want to see it before all the schools let out & the theater's packed with children.  

Until tomorrow.

Cya...

Set Back...

This article, talks about how an attempt to replicate a development of a functional cure using bone marrow has failed.   In 2007, a man was functionally cured after receiving a bone marrow transplant containing a HIV resistant gene.  His viral levels have been undetectable ever since.  

Researchers attempted to repeat this phenomenon..  They gave bone marrow transplants, minus the HIV resistant gene.  It seemed to be a "cure".  However, the effects didn't last & the virus reemerged.   The patients are now back on medical regimens.

This may not have been successful, but the data gathered during the time could further research into the matter.  Luckily, it doesn't seem if the subjects are any worse off than they were before other than the let down.

Cya...

Chapped, Congested & Chilled...

Today I am those things.  My lips are chapped.  My head is congested.  I am chilled.  Adding to that,  I'm slightly feverish, stiff & achy.  I'm very glad I got my flu shot.   

We won't get above freezing temps today, but the ground's still warm & the sun is shining enough to start melting off this mess.  I drove to the mail box place today, it was closed.  That's OK, the van needed driving & it gave me a chance to see the mess of broken tree limbs everywhere.

We opted to trim our bushes back quite severely this year.  All exact the big crepe myrtle along the drive.  It got whacked this morning, so I could get out of the drive.   The 2 trees in the yard held up well so far, here's hoping they keep doing so  throughout the season.  

This weather has made a mess of things.  It's made me feel like a wreck.  I am not a fan of Winter.  Hopefully, it will at least kill off some of the damn bugs.

Cya...

Hazy Shade...

The weather didn't listen to me & gave us an ice storm.  It's not nearly as bad as it could have been or even as bad as it has been in the last decade.   Still it was a storm with ice & that sucks.

Last night there were power outages in our area, our lights flickered, but the electricity held.   There were some crashes as limbs broke from the ice.  It's cold (25 F) & getting more so by the minute.  Our low for tonight is supposed to be single digit F.  BRRRR!!!!

I started the little car fine this morning.  Not, that we're going any where.   The roads looked passable but the crepe myrtle is bent over from ice & blocking the drive.  

The van was no where near as cooperative.  It took me 10 minutes just to get the door open.  Then it was a back & forth for nearly  45 minutes trying to get the ice off the windows.  The back windows had close to an inch.  The sloped front had almost 5 inches at the bottom.  It took forever to get that ice off those windows.  

Now it's snowing.  According to the weather channel, we've had almost 2" in ice & over 7 in snow.  The ice I can see, but the snow totals seem a bit high.

OK, my fingers are frozen & typing is questionable right now.  I'm not sure how much worse the weather's going to get today, so I'm getting this post done early.   We still have power & electricity.  We don't have to go anywhere, so we're pretty much set for the day.

Cya...

OMG WTF COLD!!!

Yesterday seems so far away.  It was a nice balmy 70 F & people were sporting shorts.  We were complaining the car was too warm.  Silly us, silly Summer children. (Quick nod)  This is the 5 day forecast for my  area now.

The unseasonal cold will remain a few days longer past this.  Then we're supposed to be getting back to normal temps.  I seriously do not need an ice storm.  Those things suck!  

We opted to do Friday shopping today, in case the ice storm is as bad as they're saying it can get.  They've called for anything from a 1/4" ice & a few inches of snow to an inch of ice & a foot of snow.  How about we settle & just go for none.  Too late for that, the stuff is already coming down.  Hopefully it doesn't get too bad.

Cya...

Bills, Trash & Stuff...

It's a busy day.  We have a lot of errands to run & bills to pay.  That means hitting the bank, Walmart & a few other places.  With everything else I have to do, that won't leave me much time to handle a post today.  Sorry for the short sports, but things should get better after this week.

My dentist appointment went well.  I was in & out.  I have a regular doctor appointment later this month.  Hopefully, that's all there is for medical stuff this month.  Other than having to deal with the pharmacy.  

Have a great day.

Cya...

Dentist Time...

I've got a lot to handle today.  Some of which requires me to be on the road, so this is a brief today.  It's been incredibly foggy this morning.  I can barely see out across the street at times.   I hope this passes before I have to head out for my appointment.  They'll finish up my crown today.  That only leaves 1 more temporary from my childhood to replace.  

Cya...

It begins...

We're back in the 1st week of the month.  This is a busy week for us.  We have lots of errands & bills to pay.  I have a dentist appointment to finish my crown.  My roomie has a friend to see & an appointment.  There's more shopping & bank trips.

This week can get a little tiring, but once it's done, it's done. Then the majority of the bills are paid for the month.  That's a nice feeling.  

Tomorrow is my time with the dentist, so I probably won't write much.  There doesn't seem to be a lot for me to cover in the articles lately.  Other than our errands, that's about all I have for now.

Cya...

Hello December...

December is here & it has a habit of not being my best month.   It usually leaves me longing for New Year's.  This is the holiday season.  I've never been the best with this time of the year.  I've gotten better, but I'd still rather just skip it.  This is not a time of pleasant memories for me.  At best, my oldest memories of this time were those when I could manage just to be ignored & let be.

When I was in college, I didn't just stay in the dorms, I lived in them.  For the duration, that was my home.  There wasn't any place else to go.   Holiday season went like this.

• Thanksgiving week came & the campus was mostly empty
• At least the cafeteria was reopened past Friday
• Then there was desperate dead week, when everyone panicked
• Then came finals & people left
• The campus was a ghost town
• There was no cafeteria, no student union, nothing 
• It was semester's end & I was usually broke
• There was no $ for entertainment or even decent food
• For 3 weeks you were solo with nothing to do
• You were supposed to be happy because it's the holidays
• Then everyone came back & told you what a wonderful time they had
• Even worse, then they asked you what you did over break

No, I'm not fond of the holidays.  I'm no Grinch about the matter.  When I was in college & working, I'd usually volunteer to work those days.  Everyone thought I was being nice.  I wasn't.  I'd rather have something to do, than sit in my dorm room solo.  Besides, I usually got paid more on holidays.

Again, greetings December, please try not to suck.  No bad crap allowed.  No major illnesses.  No major breakages.  Just let it be easy this year.  Also, no more dying cats this month.  We're coming up on the anniversary of Alice's passing.  I don't want much, just not to be screwed with, OK?

Cya...

Goodbye November...

That's it, it's a wrap & we're done with this month.  This month went by quickly.  It was rather pleasant.  Nothing, too terribly annoying happened.  That's eleven months down.  2013, all you have left is December & the holiday season.  I hope it goes as smoothly as November did. 

I do weird things with numbers sometimes.  It's a little numerological.  2013 translates as 2 + 0 + 1 +3 = 6.  6 is a double 3.  To me, 3's are trixie little numbers.  They look very sturdy & secure, but they're not.  They don't have the stability of a 4.  They're tripods & shaky. A 6 is just 2 shaky tripods.  You'd need a 9 to make 3's more stable.    3's are change numbers.  Put them with a 4 & you have 7, which is a good change number because it has some stability.  A 6 is just a double dose of change & we've had that this year.

Most the change we've undergone has been for the good. A lot of it has been by choice, which is even better. Sure, some of it wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't like some recent times when all the change was scary & nerve wracking.  

December is coming & it rounds out to another 3, even more change.  Maybe it'll count as the 3rd tripod & stabilize the whole thing out as the year winds down.  Now we head towards 2014, a year of 7's.  Enough with my number philosophy.

So long November, you were a good month,  until next year.  

Cya...

Brave Little Shopper...

Other than eating leftovers, there's not much going on here today.  We decided to risk it & hit Walmart this morning.  It is our regular shopping day.  

We were happy to find it no more busy  than a typical Friday morning.  The mad rush was the night before & now those remaining Black Friday shoppers were on to other places who's doors hadn't opened yesterday or late last night.  

The only drama was that the van tire looked low.  We took it & the car by the shop to get them looked at..  The little car only needed an oil change.  We're lucky we got in, somewhere along the line, we'd got a nail in the tire.  

Now the cars are handled, shopping is done & leftovers are starting to dwindle.  All's going well.  I hope you had a great holiday.

Cya...

Thanksgiving...

Today is Thanksgiving (US).  This day has a lot of different meanings for various people.  It can be a day when:  

• There's a good food  
• Friends & family gather
• We acknowledge those in our lives
• We take stock of what we have & not what we lack
• We watch sports & parades
• We go on long after dinner walks
• We plan for the upcoming holidays
• We put up seasonal decorations
• We think of Thanksgivings past
• We pass on traditions
• We make new traditions

This is a day of remembrance & acknowledgement.  Most of all, it's a time to be grateful for what we do have in our lives.  No matter which of these things is why you celebrate the holiday (or none at all), I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.  

Cya...

Prep Day...

I'm a little busy today.  I have all my normal Wednesday stuff to do & talk out the trash.  Also, there is all the preparation for tomorrow's food.  We won't making a ton, but I'd like to get it underway today.

A first for us, we're actually supposed to have a guest for part of Thanksgiving evening.   1 dinner guest in a decade that's doing great for us.   No sarcasm there at all.

I wish for all of you to have a great day tomorrow no matter where you're at, who you're with or how you spend it.  

Cya...

Whistling Stress...

This is a 5 burner stove/heater similar to the 1 our living room.   Yesterday afternoon it began to whistle.   A whistling, gas stove was not something we wanted.  We debated about how dangerous it was & finally conceded to call someone to take a look at it.  

There was a while without having the heater on, it got a bit chilly.  The man & his mute helper arrived.  They quickly fixed the issue with this stove & the 1 in the kitchen.   They both had air obstruction issues.  This was whistling & the other was impersonating a dragon.  The flames weren't even touching the ceramic brick & were burning way too high.  

It cost us $65, but at least we know how to fix it now.   We didn't need the stress or expense. But things do happen.  The weird part was the main fix-it guy talked quite a bit, but his assistant (the 1 who actually did the work), never made a sound.   He didn't sign either.  I don't know if he was unable to talk or was just forbidden too  Either way, it was a little strange.  At least it was an easy, relatively cheap fix.

Cya...

OK, I Underestimated A Bit...

I knew we were going to get cold this morning, but not this cold.  It wasn't as cold as it was supposed to be.  Nor, did we get hit with frigid hell other parts of Oklahoma did.  Still, it was below freezing, wet & windy.  Therefore, serious BRRRR!!!

We had to go shopping this morning.  The roads were fine, but the van was covered in ice this morning.  It took a bit getting it thawed out & the windows cleared enough to drive.  Driving on the cold stuff doesn't bother me that much, you just go slower & brake carefully.  My roomie on the other hand doesn't want anything to do with it if she can help it.

If ice & snow make you more nervous/scared than cautious, then you shouldn't be driving on it unless you absolutely have too.  IMO, nervous drivers are dangerous. Then tend to over react to everything.

The frozen stuff is heading for us for a while.  I'm not happy about it.   Where's the rest of my damn Fall.  We've been averaging 20+ F under our normal temps.  I want 50's & 60's, not 20's & 30's.   Winter needs to back itself up another month & let Fall have it's day.

Cya...

Holiday Week...

It's here, Thanksgiving Week (US) is here.  It's week of things I mostly don't want to deal with at all.  It's a bunch of football games & parades.  A time when children are out school & more idiots are are on the road going who knows where.   I'm not fond of this time.

I'll have to reschedule my shopping.  My normal Friday shopping trip will land on BLACK FRIDAY, dum dum de dum... & there's no way I'm going shopping on that day unless it's an absolute emergency.  We can't go see any opening films, even if we wanted to because they'll be overflowing with people & all the cinemas are near shopping centers.

I guess what I'll be grateful for, is the fact I don't have to go anywhere near this mess.  This is why I try to get my shopping handled early.  It's also another reason I'm not such a fan of the holidays.  

For all of those planning on Black Friday sales, be safe & good hunting.

Cya...

Brrr Again...

We're back to being cold.  Tonight we're supposed to be in the mid 20's F.  Not as cold as it will get, but a serious brush with the chills all the same.  It's weird, all this back & forth on the weather business lately.  Last week, I had the doors open & was wearing shorts.  Now, I'm wearing socks, sweats, house shoes & a hoodie.  Typical weather for my area, changing abruptly & drastically as it pleases.

Yesterday was busy & a little tiring.  Too many people waiting until the last minute do shop for the holiday meal.  The roads were busy yesterday while we were out.  It'll only get worse through the holidays.  We'll be staying in as much as possible.   I don't want to deal with the traffic or be exposed to who knows what & get sick.

Cya...

To The Points...

We have things to do today...

1. Go to mail box place
2. Go to Walmart
3. Possibly go to the other grocery if needed
4. Drive to Fort Smith
5. Take roomie to optometrist appointment
6. Possibly hit the better Walmart in Fort Smith
7. Probably get something to eat over there
8. Drive home

All the while it dropped 20 degrees from yesterday & its wet.  There's a chance of rain.    I hope not, the van hates rain.  We've got things to do, so this is getting cut short.

Cya...

1st Of The Season...

There are things I look for throughout the year.  Like, the tiny, blue flowers our yard gets in early Spring.  They always seem happy & make me smile.  Cardinals are another 1 of those things.  I know they're around all year long, but I really associate them with the coming of Winter.  We're on the down hill run of Autumn, only a month more & then it's gone for the year.  

I saw my 1st redbird of the season today right outside my window sitting on a naked, crepe myrtle branch.   Not counting today, there are only 5 more Thursdays in 2013.   There's a week until Thanksgiving, a few weeks until the end of the Fall Semester, 33 days until Christmas & 40 days left in the year.  This is what the little bird told me.

We've readied ourselves for Winter.  The doors & windows are closed.  The blankets were brought down from the shelves.  The heater's were cleaned.  This little red fellow just told  me, we were right on time.

I'll trade in the allergies for dry air, the swelter for shivers & leaves for naked branches.  Winter may have it's downsides, but there's a lot of good in it as well.  Besides the holidays, there's the bug & grass die-off.  I really appreciate that part.  I have to do my best to look at the good things here.  It's too easy too focus on the bad stuff & that would just stress me out.  I really don't need that.

Here's looking forward to the next little redbird.

Cya...

ENT...

My eyes, nose & throat are a mess today.  My sinuses were already bad.  Then today, we went through the year's receipts & other paperwork, so they could be sorted & put away.  

The dust on paper is horrible.  The amount of paper these companies waste is amazing.  You can't simply receive your bill & a return envelope.  No, they have to send you a dozen other things you have no interest in whatsoever.  

I'm aware paperless billing exists, but I like having my receipts with me.  I don't want to have to go wade online to find a particular statement.  Eventually, it won't be an option & I'll just have to deal with it, like I did with Direct Deposit.

Now, my eyes are blurry & my head's a mess.  So, that's all for now folks.  At least it's done for a while.

Cya...

Changing Places...

This article found that the majority of young people preferred POC (Point Of Care) rapid testing to traditional HIV testing in a clinical setting.   They preferred the faster results & the less invasive atmosphere.

This is a big deal actually.  In a time when kids can't even commit to a phone call & prefer texting.  It's should've been expected this age group would prefer things to be as quick & direct as possible.  

Traditional testing requires a follow up appointment, to which the person may or may not show up.  For whatever reason a lot of people don't come back for their results.   The why isn't really relevant.  All that matter is that they didn't.  During this time, a + person could still be engaging in high risk behaviors.

At POC rapid testing centers, the  results are available then.  The risks can be discussed.  Treatment options can be gone over.  Their old life as a + person can be begin with knowledge of their status & what they need to do.  

This is probably the way things are going to head towards for everyone.  Most likely, it'll still require a traditional test follow up, but at least there's some info to move forward with in their lives. HIV education & treatment has to evolve with the public if it's going to have any chance at all of succeeding.

Cya...

Settling Back...

Everything seems to be settling back down, at least for a bit.  The weather is nearing what's seasonal for my area & not being +20 above it.   I woke up feeling much better than I had the past 2 days.

We had shopping to do this morning & it went well enough.  Other than some planning for errands to come, that was about it for us today.  It's nice to know things are mostly handled for the day.

Sure, there's still some housework & cooking, but the major going out stuff is over with for the moment.  I know ti's not much & that I'm not really expected to handle all that much, but it's still nice to know that it's all been dealt with as needed.

I guess that's it for today.  I've handled the holiday shopping.  I don't return to the dentist until the December 3rd.  On the 18th of next month I have a doctor's appointment.   Other than that I'm caught up.  

Cya...

Not Good...

I woke up feeling like crap this morning.  I was hot,  but it wasn't a fever.  Never mind, that just a few days ago I was very cold, yesterday was 20 degrees F higher than average.  I got out of bed hot & dehydrated, feeling like I'd been a serious binge spree.  

I just looked at the weather & we're at a record setting mid 80's.  Just wonderful for me.  The doors are open, the windows cracked & fans are going.  We're halfway through November, it should be 20 degrees cooler & the nights should be near freezing.

I know, I'm bitching about the weather again.  But on days like this, it makes me feel like a wreck.  Hopefully, more seasonal conditions will return soon.   This is killing my head.

Cya...

Meds Drama...

Well, my drugs did arrive yesterday, but they were really late.  I called the pharmacy & waited 20+ minutes on hold to talk to someone.  They assured me the delivery was in route.  The tardiness factor was all on UPS.   I mentioned yesterday how much I dislike them delivering my meds.  Even more so now.   

When they finally arrived, I opened the package to make sure everything arrived.   When I noticed a bunch of broken, white plastic.  1 of the lids had a hole punched through it.  The plastic in the area shattered & went everywhere.  When I was cleaning the mes up, I noticed other little, white bits in the mess.  Whatever had burst through the lid had also pierced a didanosine capsule & let the medication scatter with along with the plastic shards.  

They were late, a bottle was busted & a capsule was wasted.  I'll tell the pharmacy about it next time.  I'm not spending another half hour trying to report a single busted capsule.  I hate med arrival day.

Cya...

Friday & Wait...

It's Friday & the day my meds will allegedly arrive.  Fingers are crossed.  Here's hoping this is an easy month for this, I hate it when there's meds drama.  I seriously don't don't need it.

In the past, CVS used FedEx to deliver my meds.  That meant they'd arrive by noon.  A few months back they switched solely to UPS & I hate it.   UPS can be here anywhere from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.  I waste a whole day waiting for them to arrive.  I have to be here to sign for everything with them now.  They won't just leave things on the porch any more.  So, if I'm at home alone & fail to hear them, they'll leave & I would've wasted an entire day.  FedEx works far better for me.  UPS is just cheap.

I'm waiting & trying not to think about the myriad of ways this could get screwed up. I shouldn't have to be stressing over a meds delivery.  With any luck this will go well.

Cya...

Brrrrr....

It was cold last night.  Our 2nd night with the stoves going.   I'd hoped to last longer, but we didn't.  It looks like we'll be getting a break from this for at least a couple of days starting tomorrow.  My body is not a fan of the cold at all.  Especially if I haven't had time to get used to it.

It's been chilly feet & sniffles for 2 days now.   On the bright side, maybe the fire ants will die off a little.   My keyboard is chilly & typing isn't fun.  I'll acclimate to this but for right now, my fingers are too cold to type well.

Cya...

HOPE...

Today, congress passed the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act.   This law allows for HIV + people to donate organs to other + people.  Before this, the organs would've been discarded.  

The benefits are 2-sided.  1st, the people living with HIV are more apt to receive organs & not be declared unfit.  2nd, there will be more organs available.  HIV- people will have less competition for available organs. 

I'm sure there's a lot to be hammered out.  Can the person donating have a drug tolerance to HIV meds.?  If so, that would most likely be passed to the recipient, even if the patient had never taken that medication.  Will these be the only organs + people are allowed to receive from?  Can the donor's HIV cause further health issues for the recipient?  Questions.  They'll need answering.  Still, it's a step in the right direction.  

Cya...

An Unfamiliar Trend...

Apparently, I'm not up to date on my HIV fashion.  According to this article some + people are deciding to announce to the world their HIV status via tattoo.  This article is of a man having scorpion tatted on his shoulder.  It along with symbols for bio-hazard symbols & radiation, as well as red HIV ribbons are symbols commonly used to denote being +.

I'm not sure how I feel about it, 1 way or the other.   It's their body & their choice to announce their status.  As long as it's what they want, that's all that matters.  For some people, it may be easier than outright saying, "I'm +."

This article shows some others HIV tats.

Cya...

& We're Off...

This is going to be a busy week for us.  We're off to the dentist off pretty quick.  I still have to get cleaned up & eat.  Then the drive to get there. Afterwards we have some errands to take care over there.  

We'd planned on going by the bank but forgot it was Veteran's Day (US).  So, that's out.  My roomie has an appointment & some errands to run tomorrow.  Then on Thursday, it's another trip to Fort Smith.  Friday is when my meds are supposed to arrive & a shopping day.  There are thing to do this week.  

All the while we're heading into our 1st major cool down, supposed to get down to the mid 20's F.  Burr...  Maybe it'll kill off some bugs.

This all heading us into the holidays.  Busy, busy, busy. At least most of that shopping is over with already.

Cya...

Schedule Change...

Normally, I'd do early week shopping tomorrow, but I have an appointment tomorrow.   Shopping got handled this morning.   I don't like going to Walmart on the weekends, it's always much busier.

Tomorrow, I have to go to the dentist & see about getting a crown replaced.  I originally had 4 from my childhood & was never told they should've been replaced.  Now, decades later I'm down to 2.   I can only afford to replace 1 a year & I've had other work that needed to be done.  Hopefully this all goes well & next year will be the last on my crowns.  At least as long as nothing else major goes wrong with my teeth.

Dental health is very important.  Lack of oral well being is linked to numerous health issues.  Everything from heart illness to bone health.  It's very important to watch your oral health if you're +. 

Cya...

Waking Up...

Waking is not something I'm fond of at all.  Part of the process is called, Sleep Inertia.  This is that phase when you aren't exactly awake or asleep.  You may be moving, but it's mainly on autopilot.  I, personally, call it, The Early Morning Zombie Stares.    I may be looking at you & not even register you're there in the morning.   You may talk to me & even get me to answer & I not remember it all.    This lasts for 5 minutes up to half an hour.  

During this time, I don't want to be bothers.  Leave me alone.  Even after the Zombie Stares are fading, I'm still not fully awake & don't want to be involved with much of anything.  I don't respond well to loud or sudden things well during this time.  

I prefer to wake up very slowly & as light enters my room.  It's not a fast process.  My mind & body slowly accept it's time to get & going.  Left to my own devices, without outside intrusion, I can wake up in a fairly good mood.   If not, you're on your own.  I am not a morning person!  Quite frankly, I hate perky, morning people.  They should be shot.

On the days I get to wake up my way, I do far better.  I'm not as anxious or irritated.  I can get more done.  I feel more energetic & in general healthier.  I'm not sure if this is the same for everyone else, but for me, mornings set the tone of the day.  

Cya...

No Time...

I feel like the white rabbit this morning.  I'm running against the clock.  We're going to Fort Smith & we have a time frame to meet.  OF course this is the morning when things decide to get cranky.  Oh well, can't be helped.  Until tomorrow.

Cya...

Screwed Up Morning...

I had a post, but it got blitzed.  The electric went out & there went my post.  I thought it had been saved, at least in part, but it hadn't.  The power was out for 45 minutes + & it took another 15 to get the net to working.  Which technically it still isn't.  I'm still getting glitches.    

This fried my morning plans & now I'm playing catch up.  It didn't start out in a good mood today.  I hate it when things screw with my waking up & getting around time in the mornings.  It really irritates me.  

I was wanting to do a better post than this because tomorrow we have early afternoon plans which take up some time.   All this scurrying about & getting fractious over this matter isn't helping me out any.  I wish this companies would just handle their services better.   The weather was fine & yet the whole town went down.  What gives?

Cya...

Last Day Hopefully.

It's been rainy all morning & I don't like it at all.  Not much that I can do about it, but at least this is supposed to the last day of this crap for a while.  I certainly hope so.

I've got some stuff to get through today before I go & pick up my roomie from Fort Smith.  With a little luck, the rain will be over by then.  I"m off to finish the stuff I need to get done & get out of here.

Cya...

Dismal Day...

I don't like overcast days.  I hate drear weather.  These days are usually noncommittal, they won't rain hard enough to be worth it or just lighten up.  

I never feel that well on these grey days.  I stay tired & distracted, yet not really sleepy.  Even if you pull the drapes & turn on all the lights, you can still tell it's dreary outside.

On another note, my pharmacy called today.  This round of dealing with then started earlier as they try to avoid the holiday rush.  Hopefully, they won't screw anything up.  

They might not, but I did, I've got to call them back & change the date.  The date they have is 1 when I have to pick up my roomie from Fort Smith.  I'll post again tomorrow, now I have to call the pharmacy.  There goes 30 minutes.

Cya..

Errands Over...

At least for the moment we've caught up with the beginning of the month stuff.  The 1st of bills are paid & the rest will be handled tomorrow.   We handled some shopping this morning & it wasn't fun.  The 1st weekday of the month had the stores packed.  

The weather is shifting towards the nasty again.  It certainly feels like it.  My head is stuffy & slightly feverish.  I'll be saying hello to several hot teas today.  I managed to get my flu shot handled this morning.   All this early morning running about on an empty stomach has left me a bit tired. 

Cya...

Just Another Sunday...

Nothing much going on here today.  It's been a bit noisy from neighbors & cats, but other than that it's been pretty still.   The weather has been weird & made some things a bit awkward, but other than that November is off to a decent start.

There seems to be a trend in the articles right now of people blaming other people for them being +.  These weren't victims of assault or medical issues.   They were people that for whatever reason didn't use condoms when they had sex.  Now they blame their partners for failure to notify.  Perhaps the partner didn't even know he/she was + or how to broach the topic.  The partner should've been informed, but both parties should've insisted on using protection.  The blame is mutual.

I've always accepted I was the person responsible for me being HIV +.   It wasn't anyone else's fault but my own.  It made my life a lot simpler.   I accepted the responsibility for my illness & moved on.  I don't want to waste my life trying to decipher who I contracted the virus from.  It would be utterly pointless for me.  It wouldn't stop me from +, so why spend my time like that?

Cya...

1st Saturday...

Today is the 1st Saturday of November.  There are only 8 more Saturdays left in 2013.  They went by fast.   Like it or not, we're well into the beginning of the holiday season.

Are you ready for the holidays?  I need to get a few things together, but nothing that'll be a problem.  My roomie & I do things pretty low key.  I'm happy about that, it means less fuss & muss.  It definitely means less costs.  Holidays shouldn't be about stress, that defeats the purpose.  These are times to gather & celebrate.  To revisit traditions & memories.

I'm not great with the season & I know this time of the year is hard on a lot of people.  I hope for you, this year is kind & warming.  It's hard to be the odd person feeling dismal when everyone else is cheerful.   Find a way to make these days about you.  Enjoy them in your own way.  Make the season a time celebrate something you like.  Instead of the 25 days of Christmas, try a December of old movies you never got around to seeing.   Or trying a new recipe or new band.  This is about you, not someone else's definition of things.

Cya...

Close-Up...

This is an interesting article & video.  I'm not going to go into much detail on the matter.  Mainly because the parts of it I do comprehend well are fairly obvious.   Look at the site for a fuller briefing on the matter.  

The article discusses that scientists have finally caught a close-up of the HIV virus on a molecular level.  This might better allow the to study the virus to further research goals such as vaccinations.  Before this, studying the virus would've be like studying people walking down Main Street, while you were circling above in a plane.

It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

Cya...

Halloween & Goodbye October...

I hope everyone's holiday goes well for them.  It's supposedly going to rain here, but it doesn't look like it at the moment.  The weather isn't being very cooperative for me feeling well today. I woke up not feeling all that great, but I'm getting better as the day goes by.  

October is wrapping up, just a few odd hours left in it.  I hope some of the wetness goes with it, at least for a while.  I'm tired of having to get the lawn mowed & deal with fire ants.  

Again, a Happy Halloween to everyone, good candy hunting to all.

Cya...

Wet Fall...

This is being a especially wet Autumn for us.  It's raining today & may up tot the next 10 days.  We have a flash flood advisory in effect.   Looks like the Halloween crowd could get soaked.

The rain is doing odd things to my system.  It's staying dreary, so I'm having a hard time fully waking up.  I've been really stiff as well, hopefully this stuff will level out soon. 

Blogger is being weird again, so I'll make this short.  I'm not sure if it's our weather or just the net.  I've had problems with net all morning.

Cya...

Quiet...

It's a quiet Tuesday & not is going on for us.  We've got a chance for rain for most the upcoming week.  We've definitely made our monthly rain average.  

The rain has brought out a lot of fire ants.  Yes, I'm still fighting those things.  Yesterday, was the 1st time I've ever been bitten by 1.  That seriously itched.  He got me after I picked up a neighbor cat formerly known as Ruffian, now Pumpkin.  I'll never get used to that name.  The ant must have been on him & transferred to me.  Then he bit me & I killed him.  I win.  HA!

I'm basking in the nothingness right now.  Neither my roomie or I have any plans.  We're pretty much clear until the start of the month.  Here's to doing nothing.

Cya...

Interesting...

The Ultimate Fight Club has teamed up with the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada in an HIV awareness program.  The article tells more.  What I'm most interested in, is the fact this is a sports organization recognizing this issue & wanting to take part in it.  

This isn't just them being involved with HIV awareness, this is directly with a LGBTQ organization.  This is a big step in the USA.   The group is stressing this is no longer a gay disease, but 1 spread by lack of education & information.  

They are promoting testing & respect.  Forrest Griffin is the spokesperson for this campaign.   He pointed out he was tested for HIV before each of fights in the UFC octagon.   If the fighters can have that much respect for their opponents, why can't everyone else for their sexual partners?

A good article.

Cya...

Wrapping Up...

October is winding down.  Today is the last Sunday of this month.  It's been a fairly pleasant, if somewhat wet, month.  I could've done without the influx of fire ants, but who couldn't have?  

Halloween is just 4 days away & Daylight Saving Time ends in 1 week.  Thanksgiving is just a little over a month away & Christmas is less than 2.  

We're a full month into Fall & only 2 remain.  I wonder how cold & wet this Winter will be?  Hopefully not too bad.

It's hard to believe there's just a little over 2 months left in this year.  2013 has flown by.  Today marks 10 months without Alice Cat & this is the 2nd  month without Fluffy.  There's been enough loss & stress this year. I hope the last weeks bring us some peaceful times.  We could use it.

Cya...

Down Side...

For a long time, scientists have been trying to cure HIV.    This has been an uphill battle.   According to this article, a war we are no where near winning.  

The virus exist as either active or inactive.  Only the active can be readily dealt with by conventional methods.  The inactive, also known as provirus or latent cells are hidden throughout the body.  These are just waiting to be activated & begin the replication process anew.

The problems here  are, we have no good means by which to battle the latent cells.  Plus, there's no way to accurately locate & estimate the number of provirus cells that exist in a body.  According to this research, the number is somewhere 60 times greater than previously thought.

I know this seems like a serious blow & it is.  However, it's new information & it can aid in the battle against HIV.  This may be unsettling news, but it is still something more in our arsenal against this illness.  No one ever said this was going to be easy.

Cya...

Revenge Of The Season...

I slept well, but not overly so last night.  I woke feeling fairly well, that began to fade shortly after.  My eyes are like a desert today.  I've put drops in them & nothing much is helping.  

We made a drive to Fort Smith to pick up some fire ant killer that actually works.  Luckily that went easily. Then we picked up some food & headed home.

My allergies have decided to play havoc on my gastrointestinal system.  Ever since we got back home, I've been gassy & crampy.  Finally, a bathroom trip led to a bout of diarrhea & nausea.  Oh yippy!  My allergies probably brought this on, but the car ride didn't help any.  But we needed the ant killer & now it's done.

Cya...

Seasonal Sleep...

As the weather cools down, I tend to sleep more soundly. For the most part this is a good thing.  However, there are some downsides.  When I sleep more sound, it tends to mean I wake up less & move less often in my sleep.  

That sounds like a good thing, but for me it isn't.  After a night of really deep, uninterrupted sleep, I usually wake up stiff & remain so for the rest of the day.  This often comes with an annoying headache.   For me a little waking up & moving from time to time is a good thing when I sleep.

Even stranger are the dreams that I experience as the world grows colder & darker.  They aren't nightmares or even really bad dreams.  They are anxious, fractious & stressful.  Like why are all of my bills not paid & I have no $?  Why is there an alligator on my front porch when I live in Oklahoma?  Why am I back in college & I've missed all my finals?  Why am I in a house I lived in as a child with people I know now?  

I'm a fairly aware dreamer.  I know these are dreams, but they're still weird & stressful.  I have them sometimes throughout the year, but they're worse during the Fall. I didn't do this as a kid or even a 20-something.  For a lot of my 30's & past, I've been +, so I don't know if my HIV is making this matter worse or if it's just age.  Possibly both.  Either way, these dreams are annoying.

I like my sleep, but I don't like waking up stiff or stressed out.  These things aren't good for me at all.  Hopefully, they'll disappear with Autumn leaves & be gone soon.

Cya...