Still Warm...

Didn't sleep the best the last 2 nights.  The unseasonably warm nights have made it difficult to stay asleep.  I'm waking up stiff & dehydrated.   The warmer weather has woke up the bugs.  I've seen more fleas, big flies & wasps.  Maybe they'll all die when the cold snaps back in on us.

This is the 1st Winter over here, I haven't had outdoor cats.  It's really strange.  I hear noises outside  & realize it isn't 1 of them.  Since there are no cats, there's no outdoor cat food.  Most of the birds have moved on to greener pastures or at least those with more food. I know not having the outdoor cats is for the best, but it's weird.  It's another small joy gone.  It's oddly isolating.  Less cats led to less birds & less color & chatter.  At least the squirrels are still out there from time to time.  Still, they aren't very colorful.  I'm looking forward to the small, blue flowers that come in Spring.

Cya...

A Weather What...

If you ever wonder why I gripe about the weather, a lot, it's because of things like this.  Earlier this week, I was cold & had to leave the faucets dripping.  I left the heater on overnight, which I hate.  It runs up the bill & it kills my sinuses.

But yesterday, we hit 72 F in January & we'll be there again today.  But, by midweek, we'll drop 30+ degrees & be in the low 20's overnight.   This crap is hard on me, my roomie & the cats. It makes it hard to sleep, breathe & is prone to give me nosebleeds.

That's Oklahoma weather though, highs of 72 & 32 in the same week.  Part of me wants it to be a short Winter, so it'll get warm sooner.  But, I really want to the cold to last.  Maybe it'll kill more bugs & grass.  Not to mention help out with the electric bill this Summer.

Cya...

Resistance...

This article details how in some parts of the world people are dealing with uncontrolled HIV even while on a drug regimen.  This is  often due to a resistance to the drug, Tenofovir.   There are 2 ways in which this can happen.  People on a drug regimen with Tenofovir fail to follow the regimen as directed or they're infected by someone with HIV already resistant to the medication.  

Tenofovir is a widely used antiviral medication for both HIV & hepatitis.  If this drug is compromised, the ramifications could be huge.  There are other medications, but they're often more costly & their regimens more complex.   This medication is used alone & in combination with other drugs.  

This could  jeopardize the efficacy of some of the most common HIV drugs.  Among them, Truvada, the medication being pushed for PrEP.  Truvada is made up of Tenofovir & Emtricitabine.   This medication would be far less effective in preventing HIV or fighting it,  if the virus was already resistant to Tenofovir. 

This article makes 3 points for me.  You must always implement safer sex practices.  You need to stay on top  of your drug regimen.  Finally, a lot of people's fears concerning PrEP are being legitimized.   I was never sold on the idea Truvada was going to save us all.   With a Tenofovir resistant strain of  HIV out there, there's no way this medication can be the panacea or silver bullet it's been touted to be. 

Cya...

$ & Healing....

Matters of healing & health should never combine with those of profit & wealth.  Doing so limits healing & ensures greed & suffering.    This article is about how the Attorney General of Massachusetts is suing Gilead Sciences for what appears to be price gouging concering medications for with HIV & Hep C.

Gilead was sued by the  AIDS Healthcare Foundation.  They are seeking to invalidate the patents over the HIV med Tenofovir.    They claim the company prolonged the shelf life & endangered the patients by not addressing safety concerns with the drug until it was profitable.  Doing this would extend the patent & keep the medication from being produced in a generic form.

Massachusetts' suit was primarily to prompt the company to lower their prices on these life saving medications.  Some of their Hep C meds are over a $1,000/day.  A 12 week course of a med can run just shy of a 100K.  These prices are bankrupting states medicaid programs & other agencies trying to supply these medications.  They totally prohibitive for all but the most wealthy.

What's going to come from this?  I don't know.  But, it's certainly something to watch.

Cya...

Proteins, What...

There are some newish reports coming out about how a protein in HIV is rewriting human genes to advance the virus into the AIDS stage.   This isn't exactly new information.  We've known HIV does this for over a decade.  But, it's necessary to understand how HIV works & therefore fight it.

It may be easier for many to look at this as a computer issue.  Computers are proabably better understood by most people than genetics.   HIV is like a computer virus. Your genes/body are the programs & apps it targets.  

If you wish to continue this. then abstinence is like not connecting to the internet.  Condoms are firewalls.  Safer sex practices are just like the web surfing practices you should employ to protect your system.   HIV testing is like scanning & meds are like post-infection computer programs to rid the system of the malware.  Some would say that PrEP is like an anti-virus shield.

HIV is malware that affects hardware, your body.  Once the hardware is damaged, it may be possible to repair it, but possibly not.  HIV, unlike most malware, can't be completely removed from the system & will always be there even when treated.  It will lurk until the conditions are right for it to thrive again. 

If this happened with a real computer, we would probably just dispose of it.  Unfortunately, that's not an option with our bodies.  Until HIV is curable, the virus is a permanent condition. Retroviruses are nothing more than biological malware with a sole directive, flourish.  It is designed to survive, grow & spread.  

Remember that next time someone can't understand HIV.  

Cya...

Ikea-ed Out...

OK, it wasn't Ikea, but it was a put-together desk.  We put my roomie's new desk together & it wasn't the funnest thing I've done in a while.   I wouldn't mind except for 3 basic things:

1. The instructions are always crap
2. The dust on those parts is astounding
3. They never pre-drill the holes well

My nose is is itchy.  My glasses are covered in lint/dust.  My hands ache from all the screws,  But, at least it's together.  

I'll blog more tomorrow when I feel up to it.

Cya...

On The Rise...

I keep reading articles about the resurgence of HIV.  These articles usually center around places with extreme anti-gay issues posing as conservatism.  Whether it's Russia or Florida, the ideology of these places has allowed the virus to flourish.  Way to go conservatives.  

On the other hand, I hear about HIV scares from hospitals & dentist offices.   This is usually dealing with greed, ignorance or indifference to the situation.   There was an article about yet another dentist, this time in Scotland, who couldn't be bothered to clean his instruments.  

Add to that, there are those places experiencing war or combat & we have an even more fertile field for HIV to spread.   These areas of violence, whether in Asia, Africa or someone's home, often promote the transmission of HIV.  

It tells me, HIV & public health aren't important issues to the powers that be.  At best they're giving lip service. Some people will stop at nothing to promote their hate, fear & greed.

Cya...

Warmer...

We're actually having a relatively warm day. The northeast may be under a few feet of snow, but we're setting in the 50's F.  Pretty nice after quite a while of not getting out of the 30's.  

What's really making this a nicer day is the sunshine.  It's pleasantly bright outside.   It really does make an impact on how I feel.  Stay warm & safe wherever you are.

Cya...

Same Old Again...

Looking through the articles today, I found the same old stuff.  There's still a lot about the Russian HIV problem & the issue of teens not getting tested enough.  There's even a hospital in Massachusetts that may have exposed almost 300 people to HIV & hepatitis due to negligence in handling medical equipment.   Oh yeah, they're still pushing PrEP.  So, nothing new.

It's Saturday & chilly.  Pretty normal for January.  I don't really have much to add to this right now.  I'll post more tomorrow.

Cya...

Too Little, Too Late....

For some time now, Russia has reveled in it's anti-gay status.  If it's gay in any way, even by association, they've banned it, made it illegal & used other tactics to make being gay in Russia a very dangerous thing.

Among those things still associated with being gay is HIV.   Russia has done very little to handle HIV within their borders.  Now, they're facing a point when HIV will move from the fringes of society into mainstream.  Some have estimated as much as 1% of the Russia population is +.

Because of this country's knee-jerk reactions, ignorance & hatred, they could very well become the next most highly infected state.  All of this could've been avoided, but hey, it was only hitting gays & druggies.  Why should we care?  Let nature destroy those people.  Now, nature has it's eyes on all your people, Russia.  Way to go, really smart.

Can Russia turn this around?  Yes.  But, will they?  That'd mean dealing with things they chosen not  to for so long.   The problem here is like it's been everywhere else.  What happens in Russia won't stay there.  It'll spread to its neighbors.   It'll move out into the world & the impact could be phenomenal.  

Thank you Russia for pushing the war on HIV back a couple of decades.

Cya....

What???

Its' weird, I'm no super blogger, I'm not even that on top of things I like to post about.  I try to stay current, but there's a lot out there I just don't come across some things in a timely manner.  Still, somehow I stay ahead of most news broadcasts.

I posted a few days ago about low teenage HIV testing numbers.  It wasn't until the next day the actual news ran a story on it.   Why is that?  This isn't the 1st occurrence I've had of being days to weeks ahead of televised news.

Is it they just have some much to say about crap news like the Kardashians or sports.  Or, could it be  HIV just doesn't merit timely reporting?  Either way, there's no reason why a blogger like myself should be ahead of the media on much of anything.  I may have my own takes on the info, but they should've ran with it way before I did.

Really important matters are often crowded out for sensational topics all the time.  We can't expect the news to be much of a source for anything these days.   Hell, they're not even that good at handling weather reports.  If there's something out there important to you & you need info on it, go research it yourself.  It's unlikely the media will ever cover it in a reasonable time frame.

Cya...

Lingering Chill...

It's cold again & more importantly, dreary.   I complain  a lot about the weather.  But, it seriously impacts my well being, physically & mentally.  For the last several days,  this weather has left me stiff, achy & cold.  I hate it when no matter what, I can't get warm.  I tend to huddle up under blankets & remain as still as possible.  I get a bit warmer & make my more stiff in the process.

I get a lot more inflammation during the Winter;  my sinuses, eyes, throat, even my whole body.  I get pissy, low grade fevers that leave me more chilled & worn out.   It can make my eyes & nose drip & my teeth ache.  

I have a walk a tight rope in the cold season when it comes to humidity.  Too much & I feel wet & frozen.  Too little & my skin, eyes & sinuses dry out.  Low Winter humidity can make it difficult to breath.    I love hot-ish showers, but I have to be careful with them in the Winter.  My skin can't take it, even with moisturizers.  Still, sometimes it's worth it just too loosen up my muscles & relieve some stress.

I seriously hate cold, dreary weather.   I will never be a fan of Winter. I'd gladly give up the holidays if it meant I could skip the season.  I just have to find another way to deal with the bugs & grass.   I don't need grass, I could have a nice paved yard.  That'd cut down on the bugs too.   Too bad Winter isn't going anywhere.

Cya...

Testing & Teens...

According to this article based on CDC research the following holds true for American teens.

• Of the 50,000 new cases of HIV each year, 25% are in people 13 -24.
• Fewer than 25%  of sexually active high schoolers have been tested.
• Nearly half of all high schooler have had sex, often without condoms.
• 15% have had multiple partners.
• The more sexually active teens are the least apt to have been tested.
• The HIV rates are higher in males & significantly more so in minorities.

These numbers point to a huge amount of teens becoming + every year.  But still, we have precious little in adequate sex ed.   We hang on to antiquated methods of avoidance, shame & ignorance.  Leaving these teens too scared & ignorant to be tested.   

This society has to get past it's hang ups regarding sex, homosexuality & religion.  If not, HIV will continue to take it's toll on young people.  People, who if they're lucky, will be on HIV regimens for the rest of their lives, costing billions.  

If not, they'll die.  But, hey at least the conservative asshats got to hold on to their values.  Isn't that enough?   What's a few sick or dead teens?  Just collateral damage.

Cya...

Still Freezing...

It's too blasted cold to type well at the moment.  I've had the heaters going for some time & can't get it warmer than the low 60's.  At 1:00 PM, it's still under freezing outside.   The air is making it hard to breath.  I'll be glad when Winter's gone.  Too bad we're barely a month into it. That groundhog had better not see his shadow.  I'll blog more if I have something more to say & it's warmer.

Cya...

Temp Drop...

OK, it's back to shivering.  The temp dropped overnight much lower than it was supposed to.  My nose is paying for it this morning.  It'll be cold again tonight, but then back to more tolerable, slightly above freezing temps.  Yeah!

Still, somehow, when I look outside I see green grass.  What does it take to kill this stuff?  I want the grass & bugs dead.  Is that too much to ask?

Not a lot more going on us for us today.  That's good, my roomie's recovering from a bit of illness.  Hopefully, that'll be over with soon.  Being ill is tiring.  Other than my nose & some dried out skin, I'm fairing fairly well this Winter.   With any luck, that'll hold.

Cya...

Just Another Saturday...

It's the 3rd Saturday of the month & 2016.  Nothing much to do today. I'm happy for that.   The weather is dreary & I don't feel like dealing with it today if I don't have to.  I keep telling myself, we're on the upswing of the year.  The days are starting to last just a little bit longer everyday.   Dark, dreary days suck.

I guess that's it for me right now.  

Cya...

Chronic...

HIV is a chronic condition.  For those of you who don't understand that term, please follow the link to the wiki page over the matter. It lists a few dozen examples.   All of those ailments are permanently, or close to it, life altering.

Chronic means long-lasting & for many of these ailments, it means forever.   It isn't a cold or the flu.  It isn't even a minor break or stitches.  It's a life changing diagnosis, an unwanted goft you can't return or exchange.

HIV is your forever virus & you're it's forever home.  It will be with you at every moment of your  life whether you treat it or not.  Like a really annoying dog that you can't pet & it won't fetch or rollover. Mind you, your life will be a lot shorter if you don't treat it.  

What else is chronic with HIV?  You'll never feel exactly the same ever again.  You'll be a regimen forever.  You'll have to deal with doctors, lab techs & pharmacies from your diagnosis on.  You'll have to deal with the stupid, the ignorant & the hateful.  

As time goes on HIV & it's treatment will permeate every part of your life.  You will be so sick of dealing with it, with doctors, with pharmacists, with having your blood drawn, having to take your meds, having people look at you weird, the list goes on.  Some days you will be sick of everything.

What does having a chronic condition  mean?  It means having every day of your life from there out violated by this thing, whatever it is from HIV to diabetes to cerebral palsy.  It means someday you'll hate those meds that keep you going.  Because they're a nuisance to your life, because they're a reminder of that thing that plagues you, because sometimes they can actually make you feel worse than you already do.

For all of you out there who think, if I become HIV+, I can just take a pill, wake up you idiots.  Yes there are meds.  But your life will never be the same again.  BTW, those meds cost a lot of $.  How are you going to pay for them?    Seriously, good luck with that.  Also, people notice you taking pills all the time & they'll ask about it.  Not that it's any of their business, but they'll ask.  Plenty of people will treat differently & badly just because you're +.  No little pill will fix that.

What does chronic mean to me?  It means something that seriously sucks, but you live with it.  Because the only other option is dying.

Cya...

New Med...

The new med finally arrived & I started taking it yesterday.  It's a tiny little pill for hypothyroidism.  I wish all my pills were that small.  Especially back when I was taking Fortovase. 

Our schedule's a little off today,  We have to go shopping this morning.  I hope it goes well.  The store's been wiped out lately.  I don't want to have to hit both stores. 

I guess we'll just wait & see how this thyroid medication works for me, or doesn't.  

Cya...

Stupid...

This article is in response to a judge's statement on a case involving an HIV + man.  The man, Ricky Webster, engaged in sexual activity with some girls and didn't tell them of his HIV status.  I'm not removing their responsibility in this matter.  They should've demanded condoms.  However, he was wrong for not telling them he was +.  The judge stated.

This ranks as the most cowardly of human acts... what Ricky Webster did, was to steal the lives of those young girls. 

The writer, Mayo Schreiber, Jr. (an attorney dealing with HIV policy) pitched a little fit.  He said the girls lives hadn't been stolen.  They hadn't been assaulted.   He continued on to tell of the way this judge's statements might impact others living with HIV.   I wonder if this lawyer's crying foul was genuine or just to stir up publicity.

As a person living with HIV, the type of people this attorney is expressing concern for, I totally agree with the judge.  Mr.  Webster did not have the right not to reveal he was + to his sexual partners.  If those girls are +, then he did steal the lives they had.  The lawyer has a very narrow interpretation of what is an assault. 

The person who did the harm to people living with HIV wasn't the judge.  It was Mr. Webster & his actions.  To a lesser extent, it was this attorney for pot stirring & making the HIV+ community look as if we can't take responsibility for our actions.   Mr Schreiber, your comments were not accurate or representative of all people living with HIV.  Thanks anyway.

Cya...

4 Things...

Shocker, I still hate cold weather & what it does to my health. This is probably never going to change.  At least, it's warmer than yesterday.

Again, my pharmacy screwed up my order & I can't start my new med yet.  I was supposed to start my new thyroid med today.  That won't happen until Thursday most likely,   Thanks CVS.

Many are rightfully saddened by the passing of David Bowie.  It's very strange to know a man who's music who shaped your world won't be making anymore music.   This time the changes are sad.

This brings us to HIV & pregnancy.  I'm very happy with the advancements medicine has made in insuring the safe delivery of babies to mothers who are +.  That said, I find those discordant couples (1+ & 1 not) who are purposely trying to conceive to be indulgent, ego driven & borderline, criminally negligent.  Yes, I said that.  

Under the best of circumstances, with all precautions taken, there is still always a risk of transmitting HIV.   The risk may be minimal, but it's there.  In this case of purposely trying to become pregnant while 1 partner is +, the chance is significantly higher.  These people aren't only risking the other partner's health, but possibly that of the infant they so desire.

This is ridiculous.  It's dangerous.  It's egotistical,  Adopt or do without.  Don't risk creating a life that will start out +.  I might very have killed someone if I was born + & found out the only reason why was because my spoiled parents just had to have a baby of their very own.  This decision will never be about anything else than self-serving, narcissistic greed.

Rant's over.  Go away cold weather.  Get with it pharmacy.  Best journeys to Mr. Bowie.  & get over yourselves needy people.

Cya...

Not Well...

That's an understatement.  Last night was the 1st night this season we left the both heaters going all night.  We've been leaving the kitchen heater on, but not the front room's.  It was going to be in the teens again overnight, so we opted to leave the living room heater on over night.  

We were warm, but the air was scorched.  My head's been  pounding all morning.  We had to go shopping & wound up going to both stores this morning.  It took forever & was exhausting.  

Luckily, it's supposed to be warmer today & we won't need both heaters tonight.  I don't think I could handle it again so soon.  Have I mentioned, I hate cold weather?

Cya...

Frigid...

Last night was our 1st truly frigid night of the year.  We were down into the teens.  I had the water dripping by 10 last night & it's still dripping past noon.   We're supposed to get up to 37, but so far we've only made it to 29.  I hate cold weather.  It makes typing a challenge.

I hope this stuff finally kills off the grass, fire-ants, fleas & all the other nuisance pests.   Last Winter didn't seem to kill them off as well as it should have.  Still this is the 1st serious cold snap we've had.  The little vermin will probably just huddle down deeper in the ground.

Even bundled up, I'm still chilly.  This weather isn't doing any good for my health either.  It's cold, but staying really wet.  Not a good combo.  

Until tomorrow, stay safe & warm.

Cya...

20 + Years Later...

Since the 1980's, HIV activist have been pushing needle exchange as a simple approach to lessening the spread of the virus.  But, some people equivocated the program to those supporting sex ed & easy access to birth control.  These hyper conservative, usually highly religious, folks decided these programs would only encourage people to engage in behavior that went against their believes.  So, they blocked almost all similar prevention programs.

Decades later, during a nation wide, opioid epidemic, HIV, hepatitis & other bloodborne illnesses are spreading at record rates in non-typical communities.  Like what we've seen in Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana.  It's taken this to get local governments to see the value of easily accessible needle exchange programs.  

Too bad Federal funding for such programs has remained almost entirely block since the late 1980's.   With all the evidence  available to the efficacy of such programs, we now know how utterly horrible a decision it was to block these efforts. The (in)actions of the federal government have greatly contributed to the spread of HIV in this country.   Thanks a lot.

Yet again, some groups' BS belief systems have caused great harm to other Americans.  Many not even taking part in these twisted fairy tales & their preachings.   Due to blind conservative hatred & religious zealotry,  a lot of people are + who didn't have to be.  If only these people had kept their beliefs to themselves.

Finally, the federal government has lifted the ban for funding on needle exchange programs.  I wish I could say better late than never, but it's more like the needle & the damage done.  Sorry to paraphrase there.

Cya...

Stages...

We have some stuff to do today & it'll have to get done in stages or it won't happen.  If it does somehow happen, I won't be doing well tomorrow. None of what we have to do is big stuff, it's just a lot of little, everyday stuff.  I just know I won't have the spoons to everything we have planned today if I try to just plow through it.  So some will happen this morning, some later on & then some in the afternoon.

That's just life for me  now.  I may feel normal, but if I try to push things like I used to, I'd definitely pay for it. Welcome to life with HIV or probably any other chronic illness that causes fatigue.  This is just 1 of the many adjustments being + will force  you to make in  your life.  Just remember that the next time someone tells you they're not worried about getting HIV.   They think they'll just pop a pill or 2 & life will go as normal,  Ha, seriously HA!  Naive little things.

Cya...

Tired...

The past several nights, our cats have declared war on my sleep.  They've decided to change their sleeping habits & become night time howler monkeys.   They galumph through the darkness.  Usually running into or knocking over things.  Our cats didn't make it into the line handing out grace.  After several nights of this & days dealing with my pharmacy, I'm fairly tired. I'll write more tomorrow.

Cya...

Med Issues & HIV...

OK, my pharmacy still isn't on board with my new med yet, no surprise there.  They say call back later today.  Same thing they said yesterday.  Acquired Hypothyroidism is what my doctor is calling this condition.   I have it in my family (always before in women) & I have HIV.  Even though my numbers are good, my body is still being affected.  Thyroid issues are reasonably common in HIV patients.  The thyroid can seriously mess you up.  Google it.

This med has caused me to shuffle again.  The problem here is it has interactions with my other meds & needs to be taken on an empty stomach.  I already have a med that needs to be taken on an empty stomach & it's 1 of the drugs this new Levothyroxine doesn't like.  

This new med interacts with my Didanosine, Norvir & even my multivitamins.   Most the drug interactions I've faced have altered the efficacy of my HIV meds.  That's not the case this time.  In this instance my other meds are lowering the efficacy of the thyroid med.    They'll have to be spaced out & the new 1 will have to be taken some ways after eating.  New meds are always so much fun.

OK, let's talk about drug interactions again.  They happen all the time & your doctor may not know about them. You need to know about them.  It could literally save your life.  If you find 1 talk to your doctor about it.  Here are 2 websites for checking your medications for interactions.

Drug Interactions Checker

HIV Drug Interactions

Cya...

PS - I saw a trailer for a new movie about HIV survivors coming, check it out, Desert Migration.

Cold & Worn Out....

I guess yesterday got  to me somehow.  By mid afternoon, I was feeling queasy & bloated.   It lasted well into the evening & then I was just exhausted.   I slept really deep last night.  

So far, I'm feeling better, we'll see how this afternoon goes.  I've to get cleaned up & try to get in contact with my pharmacy about my new med.  That should be loads of fun.

I read a few articles & most we're dealing with stuff I've blogged about a lot.  Among the most common topics is the idea of ending HIV.  Honestly, I don't think HIV will be dealt with in my lifetime.  

It's going to take things most people of this world aren't ready to do.  They aren't ready to look at healthcare as something that should include everyone.  They aren't ready to let go of their fears & hate.   They need HIV to add more division among people.  They seem to revel in those things that separate us all.  As long as is we're focusing on the differences we'll never come together & deal with things like HIV.

Cya...

New Medicine Coming...

I had my appointment with my PCP today.  He's going to put me on something for my  thyroid.  Great 5 meds.  Maybe, it'll help.

Had to deal with my pharmacy this morning.  Apparently, not all the bugs are fixed with my account after all.  Go figure.

My doctor said I was dealing with Acquired Hypothyroidism.  He said it was likely due to my immune system being compromised by HIV.  Even though my numbers are good, it's still affecting my body.  Yippie.

I'll start the meds as soon as they get here.  Then 8 weeks later, I have to get more blood work.  More pokes, yeah for me!

It's been a busy morning, so I'll wrap this up.

Cya..

5th & 16th ...

This marks this blog's 5th year.  I've been here & doing this for that long.  I'm still sort of surprised.    This year wasn't my most productive.  Maybe the upcoming  time will fair better.

This is also my 16th HIV-Day.  16 years ago today, I spent way too many hours in an emergency room before they finally determined I was +.    It's odd, back then they told me I'd probably see between 5 - 10 years at most.  Now, I'm still here, not sure what to do with myself.  

If I'm still here next year, I will have lived 1/3 of my life being HIV+.  What a mile marker.   I can't say it's been the funnest time, but I'm still here.  So to me, Happy Blog Anniversary, Happy HIV-Day & Happy 2016.

Until the next time.

Cya...

Choices...

Life is full of them & we've been trying to make different choices lately.  My roomie & I stopped trying to do "normal" holiday stuff a few years ago.  We've slowly stepped away from what most people expect, to do something that suits our needs & wants.    We're planning on pushing that even more in other aspects of these plans.  

It's the 2 of us.  We don't need or want the big holiday spread.  We'd waste a lot of it & get sick of the rest.  We're trying for smaller meals & things we don't get often.  A small bottle of prosecco instead of a large bottle of champagne.  A few things of odd, pricey ice creams instead of a regular pie. 

The point is simple, we want these things to be for us & about us.  There's no one else here so why should we do what most people do?  I'd rather have the small container of limoncello ice cream than a big pumpkin pie.   These are the holidays & at least at this moment the story is going to be about us.  It should be about you in your life.

So we're altering how we're making choices.  We're aiming for things that will suit us.  We may not always be able to do it, but when we can, I think we should.

Cya...

New Year 2016...

It's January 1, 2016.  In just 2 days I'll have another anniversary of my HIV diagnosis back in 2000. So, hello 2016, let's make this a good year.   I don't really have a lot of expectations.  I can do with as little drama & agita as possible.  That'd be good.

A new year tarts with bills of course.  We'll handle them on Monday, after I go see my doctor for my quarterly with him.  Maybe I'll find out something about this thyroid thing.  

The holidays are over & I have to admit I'm glad.  They can be tiring & disruptive.  I did enjoy what we did for them though.   Hopefully, it's a thing we can keep going.

My best wishes for your upcoming year.

Cya..