So Long November...

Its last day of November 2014.  It was a pretty good month for us.  Nothing too horrid or overwhelming came our way.  I'll take that as a win.

We went to the Friendsgiving last night.  My dishes went over well.  Pretty hard to mess up cranberry salsa & corn though.  

1 last month in the year.  3 weeks until Christmas & my roomie's birthday.  A little over 2 weeks until the conclusion of The Hobbit.   

This Tuesday, the dentist will finish my crown.  My roomie has 2 doctor's appointments.  Then there are holiday plans.  

We're wrapping up the year.  Not sure I'm ready for the next 1, but that's sort of irrelevant, isn't it?  Goodbye November.  Thanks for not bringing us any major drama.  Until next year.

Cya...

Windy Day...

We've been invited to a Friendsgiving tonight.  There's supposed to be a bonfire afterwards.  We won't be staying for that.  I'm pretty sure that'd be pushing me past my limits at the moment & I don't need to get sick.  I'm not even sure with this wind the bonfire will even to get to happen.

We've made some side dishes to take.  Hopefully, they go over well.  Nothing to do now, except a few last minute things.  Take out some dishes to warm & the like.

Have a god weekend everyone.

Cya...

Black Friday...

It's here, the most notorious shopping day of the year.   Still, we ventured out to go grocery shopping.  We figured most the mad buyers  would be gone by the time we got there.  The store was busy, but not overwhelmingly so.  

1 holiday down & 2 left to go, not counting my roomie's birthday.  I got some good day after deals on food to freeze,  That was my Black Friday shopping.  

It looks like we're still on for the get together tomorrow night at a friend's house.  It's been a while for me to have gone out anywhere like this.  Here's hoping my health holds.  I've not been feeling that great lately.

I hope everyone had a good holiday.

Cya...

Thanksgiving 2014...

It's here.  I'm sorta blah about the whole matter.  Not bah humbug, but definitely not overly concerned with the matter.   The food's made & I'll enjoy eating, but otherwise I'm just wah wah on the matter.

My roomie has left for her family event.  We're supposed to go somewhere Saturday.  That could be nice.  

I may not be in my old seasonal hum buggery, but at least that had some commitment.  This feeling is just scattered & removed.  Maybe its the weather or the light levels?

Any way, ignore my yuckiness right now.  Have a great holiday & travel safe.

Cya...

Over It...

For the past several weeks, I've been receiving request to sign petitions against companies staying open on Thanksgiving (US).   I won't sign them.  I've offended people by telling them I wouldn't sign their petition.

I like Thanksgiving & I get people want to spend it with their families & friends.  But, still people have to work.  When I get these petitions they always pertain to retail stores staying open on the holiday.   They hardly ever, if ever, address other people who will be working on the holiday.   What about the people who work at gas stations, airports, service workers, cab drivers, emergency workers, etc...?  Are they supposed to take the day off as well?  I would hope not.

Before I was on disability I worked a lot of holidays.  I often choose to work them.  I had my reasons.  I could trade someone who wanted off & for another day I wanted.  I usually got paid a little more on the holidays.  Most importantly, I usually didn't have anyone to spend the holiday with.  So, by being at work, not only was I getting paid, I wasn't at home alone on a holiday with nothing to do.

There are a lot of people like I was then.  They need the $.  They don't want to be home alone.  They don't even celebrate the holiday in question.

Thanksgiving is about an ideal.  It doesn't have to be on any specific day.  If you work it, then celebrate it the day before or after.  Even if you do work it, will you be working all day?  

This about people who want to be catered to on their very specific terms over a holiday that has only been regularly celebrated for less than a century.  Why not be thankful for the fact these people actually have jobs to go work?  Why not be thankful these people can afford to celebrate the holiday due to the work they have?

That's my 2 cents on the matter.  I won't sign any petitions  against working on the holidays.  It's better to be working on a holiday & getting paid, than to be home alone bored out of your mind.

Cya...

Endings...

I know this is the season for thanks, but I'm sort of in a funk right now.   I don't mind Thanksgiving, it's about food.  Still, there are things going on that have left me a little odd.

I have been following a series on Netflix.  It's a British show & I'm only in season 8, but I know it ends at 11.  How very Spinal Tap of them.  It just got me to thinking.  What am I going to watch after that?  Will there be anything close enough to it or at least similar?  

I've got at least 24 more episodes & I'm already wondering what's going to happen once I finish this series that I've grown to like so much.  I feel the same way about the upcoming conclusion to the Hobbit trilogy.  

There seems to be so many endings in my life recently.  Things I've let go of.  Things that have ended or gone away.   That's just life.  But, I don't seem to be bringing in any thing new in to replace those exiting my life.  

Sure, this is just a TV show & a movie.  But, it's also something I share with my roomie.   Life keeps peeling back the layers & I'm not sure how much more it has to offer.  I almost don't want to watch the final episodes of my show or  see the last movie.  It's sort  of like telling myself, it never ended, the show just went on forever.  

Friendships, TV shows, animals all come with endings.  I don't like it, but they do.   When I was young & living with my mother, we moved about constantly.  I never got to finish anything or get too attached to stuff.   Sometimes, I wonder if that was the better way.

I'm tired of seeing things leave my life.  I'm not seeing many avenues of bring new things into it.  Most often, the only new things coming aren't things I ever wanted. Maybe I'm just getting older or too tired for any of this.  I don't know.  But, I do know I will love & hate the last moment of the Hobbit.  It will be the last time my roomie & I can set before the screen watching hobbits, elves, dwarves & others ride off into the credits.  

I guess I'm just tired of the mono no aware of life.

Cya...

Medication Frustration ...

My pharmacy & doctor have clashed over my meds again.  I called my pharmacy to check on my order for Wednesday.   Good thing I did, there was an error.  

I have called them & waited on hold 3 times.  I had to go to my doctor's office.  I think I finally have this fixed.  I should not have to be screwing with this as much as I do.

I wish my pharmacy would let me do everything online.  It'd been so much more convenient than waiting on hold forever listening to stupid music & the same tips they've been pushing for years.

I'm not in the best of moods over this.  Shopping at Walmart this morning was more pleasant than trying yet again to fix another pharmacy error.  It'd be nice if a local drug store stocked my meds.

Cya...

Warm Sunday...

It's nearly 70 F here today.  Its supposed to be gone by tomorrow, but its nice while its here.  Not much going on here today.  

Tomorrow we'll go shopping for whatever I don't already have bought for Thanksgiving dinner.   Then I'll take down whatever needs to thaw.  Most of our cooking will be done on Wednesday.  My roomie has family plans & those will happen on Thursday.  Past that not much else is planned.

Here's hoping for a good Thanksgiving time to you all.

Cya...

Raining Away...

The rain started last night.  It woke me a couple of times, but nothing too bad.  It's been going on ever since.  The rain keeps revving up & slowing down.   This is going to be an all day soak.  

We've had a bit of thunder & lightning.  So far, not much.  Not that it'd take much to knock out my power or internet.    

The atmosphere is wet & the sky is depressingly grey.  I'm getting sick of grey already.   I hate the dismal nature of this time of year.  Even Winter can be bright, blindingly so.

It seems the rain is here for the weekend, then we're supposed to cool back down again.  We need the rain.  We haven't had much this month & December is getting closer.

Still, I'm not a fan of this mess.  It doesn't nothing for my mood & little for How I feel physically.  So, rain, get it over with & then let the sun shine for a while.

Cya...

Friday Again...

It's Friday &  we went shopping earlier.  I don't know why, but I'm staying chilled,  It was considerably warmer yesterday & I was cold all day.  Its nice this morning, but I'm still chilly.  I am so not fond of being cold.  

This weather has left me slightly achy & congested.   Walmart did nothing for my morning mood.  It was busy & the people were milling around like lost ants.    We're home now & we don't have to go back out, so at least there's that.

I'm tired this morning & this dreary weather isn't helping.   Normally, I can watch little birds hunting for bugs in the leaves, but even they're huddled up some where out of sight.  My little chirpy diversion is MIA.   

Hope you have a good weekend.

Cya...

Staying Warm...

It warmed up  a bit yesterday & so far it's been fairly nice today.  Jacket weather, but still nice.  I'm not up to much today.  I'm a little worn out from yesterday.   But, for now, I'm inside & not planning anything for the rest of the day.

Yesterday, was my appointment with telemedicine.   It went predictably & well.  There are always the same questions & the same basics covered.    I really don't like going to these appointments.  They want me to talk about how I'm feeling. 

I want to tell them I'm feeling like a person of my age who was diagnosed late in the game as + & who has been HIV & on meds for nearly 15 years.  Sometimes I'm OK, a lot of times I'm not, rarely am I good or above.  That's just the way things go & I really don't want to talk about it repeatedly.  

They always act like they want to change my meds when I talk about anything.  I was told yesterday I'm the only patient they still have taking Didanosine.    There are only so many HIV drugs available & I don't want to run through any I don't have.  As long as my meds are working, leave them alone, thank you very much.

My top health issues at this time with HIV are:

• Gastrointestinal issues - diarrhea, gas, nausea, discomfort bloating
• Exhaustion - sometimes for days, others just out of the blue
• Lack of focus or attention to things like reading or TV
• Aches & joint pain
• Alopecia & other sebum issues

There are other issues, but I'm not sure if some of my other concerns are HIV related or just getting older or both.  That is another problem, aging & HIV.   That just sounds lovely, doesn't it?  The gastro issues are nearly constant.  The exhaustion is fairly prevalent.  I used to be an avid reader, I haven't been able to focus & finish a novel in years.  The aches & pains make everything more tiresome & challenging.  Being bald would be 1 thing.   Having alopecia that leaves you with splotchy hair loss on your scalp, face & eye brows is another.  There's no way I could hide being ill from anyone for any length of time.

Those are the thing I deal with daily.  The things I'm tired of talking about with my doctors.  Those are just some of the more common things HIV brings into your life.  Look tempting?  Didn't think so.

Cya...

In A Rush...

OK, it's going to be a busy day for me.  I have stuff I need to get done & a trip over to Fort Smith.  My telemedicine appointment just happened.  It went well.  My labs were good for me.  That's all I can ask.  

I still have my Wednesday stuff to do & other errands.  Plus take out trash.   I'd like to start getting caught up on some Netflix, so my queue can start shrinking.  Right now, it looks like I"m hoarding.  

It's warmer today & not wet.  That's a definite plus.  Until tomorrow.

Cya...

Cold Morning Tuesday....

So far, last night was our coldest, down into the teens.  We're supposed to warm up back to more seasonal temperatures now.   For that, I'm thankful.  I don't have a lot to write about today.  I'm cold.  Taking a shower when you're cold sucks.   My feet hate the cold.  In general, cold weather sucks.

I have my specialist appointment tomorrow.  I'm not sure if it'll be on the telemedicine bus or back in the local hospital or what.  We'll see.  I just hope it won't be too much of a hassle to find.  

Tomorrow's going to be busy.  I have my normal Wednesday stuff, my appointment, the trash & going to pick up my roomie from Fort Smith.  Hopefully, it'll be decently warm.

Cya...

Someone Else Against Truvada...

This rather lengthy article is about Michael Weinstein.   He is the head of the Los Angeles based AIDS Healthcare Foundation.   The article is seriously worth the read.  He pronounces his views on the drug, Truvada & the use of it as a PrEP medication as a line of defense against HIV.

The article presents his opposition from government agencies, the porn industry, the pharmaceutical industry & even other HIV activists.   He states the info about PrEP could not only be misleading, but it could wind up leading to a health disaster.  The article goes on about how he feels this will lead to a lessening application of other safe sex practices.

I've wrote about my concerns over this medication before.  I think Truvada is going to be a bad call in the long run.  Do yourself a favor & read the article.  If you're considering using the med as a PrEP, then make sure you're as educated as possible.

Cya...

Heater Head...

My head is already feeling the effects of the heater.  Winter will never be my favorite season.  I don't care if you do get presents in December.  I care that heaters kill my nose & eyes.  I care that cold weather gives me chilblains.   I care that coming in out of the cold usually leaves me coughing.  

My eyes are dried out & my nose is threatening to bleed.   My skin is beginning to whiten out in dryness.  I have to be careful or I'll get winter, scaly skin.  

The only really good thing about this time of the year is that I can use the oven & not heat up the house.  That's nice.   Still not enough to make we like cold weather though.  

Tomorrow will mark 3 weeks since I've seen Clementine, the outdoor cat who was so sick I had to call animal control.  I don't know whether they picked him up or what.  I wish people would take care of their outdoor animals better.   The new little, black cat still won't let any one near it at all.  We've been at this since August.  I don't think we're going to have a break through with this 1.

Wherever you are, stay warm.

Cya....

Another Saturday...

There isn't much going on here, besides being chilly.  It's not as cold as it'll get, but it set in so quick.  I'm not used to it yet.  The cats have dove under covers & only come out for trips to the box or to eat.  I don't blame them.

It's less than 2 weeks until Thanksgiving (US).  That doesn't leave much time in the year at all.  I remember when I would've been happy about that.  It would've meant the semester was wrapping up & I'd have winter break before things started up again.  I think the schedule is the thing I miss most about being in college.  It kept everything fairly predictable & paced. 

In my situation, days are days & things lack the significance they once held.  It makes it hard to get excited about much.  The  things I look forward to now are mostly artificial or arbitrary.   Nothing of  any real substance.  

I'm looking forward to this December.  The final chapter of the Hobbit will arrive. My roomie & I can go see it.  Then again, it's the final chapter, then what?  It's hard to keep coming up with traditions these days.  

Hell, I'm depressing on these matters now.  I'm not sure I can handle them as an old person.  I wanted to focus this year on building up my life & the things in it.  But, it seems all I've done is tried not to lose anything else.

I hope all your holiday plans are taking shape.  I wish for you a great holiday season, whatever it is you may embrace,  Whatever they are, may they bring you joy.

Cya...

Annoying Morning...

I had to go shopping & run some errands this morning.  None of this should've been any big deal.  Still somehow, it was.   

I needed to go by my doctor's office to get a copy of my blood work for my specialist appointment next week.    Again, shouldn't have been a problem.  Except for the fact, they only had part of the results.  I had to go back to the hospital lab & ask what happened.  Somehow the order got broken into 3 parts.  Normally, it's only broken into in hospital testing & the tests that are sent out.  Luckily, they at least had he results,  I didn't have time for a redraw.

On top of that, my doctor's office may have lost the numbers to my pharmacy again.  I came home & gave them the number's I had.  Hopefully, this will fix that issue.   This isn't adding to my confidence in my medical care providers.

I had to go shopping at 2 groceries today.  Walmart was busy, but not that bad.  I hit the other 1, because when I stopped by it's store in Fort Smith they were out of what I needed.  That's a change.  It's usually that I have to go over to Fort Smith to get something my local store doesn't have.

I'm home, fed & tired of this morning.  I'm going to post this & then look at some TV.  After that nothing.  It was too damned early & cold to be dealing with such idiocy.

Cya...

Shopping...

Have some things we need to get today.  It'll probably be easier in Fort Smith.  I say probably, because our shopping ventures over there don't always go so well.  We'll see how this goes.  We need to hit a few places.  Hopefully, we can at least make some, if not all of them work.

It's cold out there & not in a fun way.  It's just grey, dismal & cold.  Not pleasant at all.  Stay warm.

Cya...

Heater...

We didn't get as cool as the forecast last night, but it was cold.  It was the 1st night we had the heater in the kitchen on & the faucets dripping.  We don't need any pipes bursting from being frozen.  

We still have enough ground temperature, for freezing to be unlikely.  That won't last long.  The cold is here to stay.   I'm just happy we still have some 50's in the 10-day forecast.

The trash is back on the curb.  Ir was brisk taking the trash out to the street.   A bit hard to breath out there when you're not used to the cold yet.

Happy Humpday

Cya...

Yuck...

I normally don't blog about products, but I'm making an exception.   Let's set things up with 2 statements.   I often find myself too tired or distracted for full on cooking, so I look for short cuts or pre-cooked items.   2nd, my meds are all prone to cause gastrointestinal distress; gas, bloating, discomfort, sour stomach, diarrhea, etc...  I don't need anything complicating my day or irritating my digestion.  

I bought & made a new-to-us soup mix.  It was Bear Creek Tortilla Soup.   This was a monumental mistake.  I followed the instructions, yet it didn't cook all the way.  The veggies in the 1st round were still crunchy.  (BTW, who puts carrots in tortilla soup anyway?)  I thought it'd be fine for lunch the next day.  The soup set in the fridge overnight & then got reheated.  Any veggie should've be done in by then.  Still, the vegetation was dubious.

Most soups & the like get better setting over night.  This soup did not.   In fact, it got worse.  After the 2nd pass at it, we finished off the soup.  Then we decided it wasn't worth getting again.   

A few hours late, both my roomie & I started having serious stomach issues.  There was a lot of bloating & discomfort.  Then the horrendous gas began.  The flatulence was so bad the cats ran off & hid.  It was a nasty experience all around.

• The soup didn't cook according to instructions
• The soup didn't taste good
• It tasted worse the next day
• It gave our stomachs serious hell

This soup is off my buy list.  I won't even buy anything else from this company.  Sorry, Bear Creek, but this time its 1 strike & you're out.

Cya...

Plummet...

Its a very nice day today.  We're setting at 75 F.  That, said, tomorrow isn't supposed to be as pleasant.   The high is forecast for nearly 30 degrees cooler.   Not nice & totally uncalled for.

The forecast has the next 10 day highs under 50 & our night time temps mostly under freezing   I could live without this weather so early in the season.   I was hoping to hold out until Thanksgiving before cranking on the heat.  We're not going to make it that long.

My bed has a few more covers on it now.  Its been invaded & occupied by cats ever since.  I'm reluctantly allowed to sleep in it.  But only because I put off some body heat.

Not much is going on here today,  We went shopping & Walmart was busy.  Other than that we plan on enjoying the warm weather we have today.  

Cya...

Soreness...

It's been a few says since my dentist appointment, but some soreness still lingers.   There's a slight scrape on my gum right beneath the tooth.  That seriously smarts when the toothbrush gets near it.  My jaw is sore to the touch & there's been some swelling in my cheek.   Break out the Ora-gel & Sensodyne.  Or at least their generic knock-offs.

The worse part of it is that I've had a minor ear ache for the past 2 days.  It was fairly bad last night.  I  took some medicine for it right before bed.  I slept fairly well, but's it still slightly sore this morning.  It'll pass as my mouth recovers.

It's a fairly pleasant day outside.  Probably 1 of the last of the year.  It's supposed to start getting unseasonably cold here by Tuesday.  So much for nice, mild Fall.  That's all for now.

Cya...

Rushed Morning...

We've got a lot planned for this morning.  This will be brief.  I'm taking my roomie over to her friend's baby for the 1st time.    We want to be there just before noonish.   That still leaves taking a shower, fixing breakfast, driving over there & whatever else needs to be done.   

I've been in winterization mode.  I've got most the windows dealt with, except those in the doors.  The AC's are covered & the fans have been cleaned/stowed.   I may need to do some more weather stripping around the doors, I'm not sure yet.  We're supposed to be cold pretty much from here out.

Cya...

1st Friday...

It's the 1st Friday of November.  That being, we went shopping.  It went fairly smoothly this morning.

We're going to Fort Smith tomorrow.  We've got some errands to run.  My roomie needs to see her friend's new, baby girl.   

We had a serious cool down last night.  It was in the 30's F.  Fall is wrapping up too early.  This sucks, since it's actually Autumn until mid December.

It'll be Thanksgiving (US) in 20 days.  There are only 47 days until Christmas.   That leaves just 54 days in 2014.  This year was a blur.

We're officially into the holiday season.   A week's already gone in November & December's the last month of the year.   It's time to get things settled for the holidays & the year.

Cya...

A New Approach...

Scientists are researching a new method of conveying immunity to HIV without a vaccination.  According to this article, there's a method to edit the human genome to do so.  This editing effects the CCR5 gene.  This is what HIV uses to infect the body.  

If the gene is locked or made inaccessible to HIV, then a person is functionally immune.  This method called, CRISPR, could be the answer to HIV.  The research is underway & sounds promising.  I wonder what the cost factor will be like.

It's an interesting read.

Cya...

Sour...

I'm not in a very good mood this morning.  I'm still waiting for the damned plumber to come fix the toilet he didn't fix the 1st time.   Its just another thing about living in this old house.  You constantly have to keep an eye on everything.  It's tiring & stressful.

The 1st half of my crown replacement went well.  The drive over & back wasn't pleasant due to the rain.  I have to go back on December 2, to finish the process.

Today's trash day.  I'll get that out in a bit.  Too bad I can't put a useless plumber in it.  What really pisses me off about this, is I thought we'd found a dependable, local plumber.  Guess I was wrong.

I really don't have anything else nice or pleasant to say, so until tomorrow.

Cya....

Very Short...

I've got a lot to do this morning.   The plumbers should be here sometime to deal with the toilet issue, again.   My roomie has an appointment.  After she she gets back, I'll have to head out for my dentist appointment.   It's a bit rushed this morning.  On top of all that,  it's storming.  Just my luck.  Have a good day.

Cya...

Busy...

It's the 1st Monday & we have a lot to do this morning.  We have to go by the bank, then we're off to pay bills.  Afterwards there'll be shopping & a stop at the mail box.

We have to call the plumber back.  The toilet fix didn't hold.  Hopefully, he will see this is as his issue & not an altogether new 1.

I'll to handle some things this afternoon, that'd normally hold until  tomorrow.  But, I have a dentist appointment. So things will be pushed up a bit.

Cya...

1st Sunday Of November...

The 1st weekend of the month is almost over.  Tomorrow will be busy for us with shopping & getting bills paid.   We raided the half price candy yesterday at Walmart.   Unfortunately, some non-candy things didn't make into the cart.  I had to go back & get them.

I was irritated about this.  I really didn't want to have to go back to Walmart.   But I did.

On the way back I heard 3 songs I hadn't heard before, from 3 different genres.  They aren't all new, 1 of them's over 10 years old.  If I hadn't gone back to the store, I may not have ever heard them.  It's the little things.

Cya...

Hello November...

With Halloween done, October is in the rear view mirror.  We're officially into the holiday season, yippie.  Hopefully, the stores won't pound us with holiday music too early.  

We had a pretty decent Halloween.   The repairmen  showed up early & were able to fix the washer fairly cheap.   We got to see John Wick.  It was a decent action action flick.  

After that we stopped by & got some Chinese to take home.  You know you're in a crappy area, when mall, food court Chinese, is about the best you can consistently get  your hands.  Then we made it home with our food.  October ended  with TV & lo mein.

November started with a quick run to Walmart to raid the remaining Halloween candy.  It'd been marked down 50%.   That's another holiday tradition for us, getting the candy once the holiday has passed.

Hello November.  Let's do this right & not suck.   I have at least 1 dentist appointment, probably 2.  It'll just depend on how things lay out for my crown replacement.   There's also a specialist appointment.  We can't forget about holiday shopping & Thanksgiving.   Looks like a busy month.

Cya...