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...