No More November 2017...

There's  a little over 12 hours left in November.   Thanksgiving is done & Solstice is on its way.   I'm ready for 2017 to be a done deal.  2016 was sucky, but most of it was external to me.  Except for the whole gas pipes & refrigerator fiasco.  

But 2017 sucked from the onset.   I don't think most people noticed how quickly it got awful.  My roomie has been in a funk most of the year.  She usually points out the passing of Rhiannon in February, but it was there before.  Everything this year has pretty much been awful.  We haven't done much of anything we normally do.  If we did, for some reason it never really went well. 

I'm tired, actually I'm beyond that.   I've trying to deal with a level of exhaustion all year.  It just keeps getting worse.  If 2018 can't be any better, then I'd rather just not take part.  I don't have it left in me to stay this stressed, detached & burned out.  Up til now I had my roomie to talk to more, but she's been really out of it all year.  The only cat left is Tinkerbell & she's not really all that involved with people.   Half the people I used to chat with have gone offline to avoid all the hate & anger.  

I need some change & I'm out of ideas.  We watched Rudolph the other night.  Right now I'm far more Dolly For Sue than Clarice the Reindeer.

Good bye November,  I wish I had better thing to say, but I just don't.

Cya...

Do You Know...

With World Aids Day on Friday, the question is, "Do you know your HIV status?"  According to this article, the CDC estimates 15% of those infected with the virus don't know it.  It also figures said 15% is responsible for up to 40% of all new cases of HIV in the U.S.  

Read the articles.

Know your status.

Cya...

Another POV...

I'm not going to post much today.  Instead I'll put a link to this article.  This piece is over a women's story of her life living with HIV for 19 years.  It was a good read.  

Cya...

Busy Morning...

We had some errands among the grocery shopping this morning.  We wound up stopping to shop for groceries twice.   Walmart has stopped carrying more items we use.  Thanks for that Wally World.  Nothing big happened, but all of it ate up a lot of time.  At least it's handled for now.  

I'm running a little behind & the weird weather has been a bit hard on me.  I sneezed a lot yesterday & woke up to a nosebleed this morning.  I keep veering back & forth from too warm to chilly,  It'll stay cold soon enough though.

I'll post more tomorrow.  

Cya...

Fall Color...

It's hard for me to keep my spirits up this time of year makes.  I try to find things.  I notice the Fall colors.  We didn't get a dazzling assortment of Autumn displays, but some of the trees did turn great colors before losing their foliage.   The morning glories are done for the year.  The elephant ears are dying off.  Mostly I have browns & grays, fairly yucky colors.  Still there are pops of red from the winterberry bushes & deep violets from the tough little petunias.  

Fall isn't my season.  There are few bright colors.  No hummers, dragons or butterflies. Even though we did have a fairly large rush of lady bugs a while back.  But soon, there will redbirds chirping on the skeletal limbs of the bushes as they fuss with jays.

I try to look for the bright things, but sometimes all the dismal gets in the way.

Cya...

'Tis the Season...

We're still in November & it was just a day after Thanksgiving, but the Christmas season is on.   Many people have already set up their trees & decorated their homes.   Personally I think it's a little early, but it's not my house.  Last night we watched, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.   2 versions of Frosty The Snowman was on another channel.   It was all about thumpety thump thumps, sitting on knees, no-good magicians & Winter Warlocks.

Like it or not, the holidays are upon us.  May the season be kind to us.   May the hearts of all Grinches grow.   May the Scrooges have dreams of revelation & reformation.   May all those discontent find some peace as the year winds down.

Cya...

Last November Friday...

It's Black Friday & the last Friday of November.   The month is closing down.  So, is the year.   We're 89.86% of the way through 2017.  

We went shopping earlier.  It wasn't a hassle.  The major sales shoppers were long gone by that point. We have a few more rounds of leftovers from yesterday, but nothing overwhelming.

I hope everyone's holiday went well.  Take care.

Cya...

Thanksgiving...

It's Thanksgiving  in the U.S.  The 1st of the major holidays is underway.  I've got cooking to do.  So, the rest of my day will be about food.  Other than that, nothing much is going on here.  Last night was our 1st major dip into cold weather.  The faucets were left dripping.  It's supposed to warm back up a bit for a while.  So for now, no heaters.

Take care & have a happy holiday or just a great Thursday if you're not celebrating.

Cya...

Juluca....

The US FDA just approved its 1st, 2 drug, 1-a-day, pill to fight HIV.   This would limit having to deal with the dosages, costs, & side effects of 3+ meds daily to treat the virus.  Juluca has show efficacy to do so with just 2 previously proven medications.   GSK's Dolutegravir, via ViiV Healthcare is the 1st.  Also known as Tivicay.   The 2nd part is Janssen's Rilpivirine marketed as Edurant. 

This article goes more into the details of the matter.  Developing approaches that can lessen the number of drugs involved with a given regimen can hopefully lower costs & adverse effects of medications.   The day of the mass cocktail regimen may very  well be numbered.  That's a good thing.

Cya...

Suddensuckery....

Suddenlink sucks again.  At about 5:30 yesterday & until sometime into the early morning hours our internet was gone due to another service interruption as they call it.   You have to ask if there's an area issue, because their techs always want to put you through the hoops.  When that fails they want to blame your equipment.   My equipment has never been the problem, it's always been their damned lines.  Most of which are decades old that they just keep patching & rigging back together.  It's back for now.  Who knows for how long.  

Sorry for a not so great post.

Cya...

Countdown...

3 days until Thanksgiving

35 days until Christmas

41 days left in 2017

During that time, there will be some doctor appointments for us.  A birthday will come & go.  We'll probably see a movie.  

I'm ready for 2017 to be out the door.  I really hope next year will be better.  These last 2 have been pretty awful for us.   Me & mine could use a good year.  It's been a while.

So, whoop it up.  The holidays are near.  Turkey will be eaten.  Linus will soon tell Charlie Brown the meaning of Christmas.   Rudolph & Hermey will be independent together.  Lights will be hung.  Drinks at midnight will occur.  Then 2017 will be a ghost.

Let's get a move on.

Cya...

Turkey...

My roomie brought turkey from her family's early Thanksgiving Dinner.   It was nice.  We'd planned on not making any this year., it's a lot for 2 people to get through.  The holiday season may be here.  It looks like another year when it just won't quite feel like it. I think it's due to commercialism.  

This isn't some Charlie Brown angst.  It's that retailers talk about the holidays over half the year.   From late September through January, its Christmas, then Easter, then Memorial Day & then Christmas in July.   Retail keeps plugging holidays all year & we never get to come down.  We're  overwhelmed & desensitized.  Now, Christmas is just another sale & nothing special.

The only time it feels like the holidays is when I'm watching TV specials like Charlie Brown & Rudolph.   What's to look forward to, if the holidays never really end.  There's little anticipation, so how can there be any amazement or joy?

For now, my holidays come in 30 minute holiday blocks & a few songs I enjoy.   Thanks retailers.  May your Black Fridays be bleak.

Cya...

Morning Baking...

Had a slightly busy morning.  We needed to get some biscuits made.    My roomie is having an early Thanksgiving with her family this afternoon.  

The last couple of days had been warmer here.  It hit 72 yesterday.  The doors were open & shorts were worn.   Now, it's cooling down.  The overnight forecast is in the low 30's.  I hate these big swings in temps.  I woke up to bright skies, but they turned grey soon after.

Hope you weekend is going well.

Cya...

Indulgent Ignorance....

This article is about some British police units starting to use spit guards on their helmets to prevent the spread of HIV, Hep C & TB.   While the jury is still out on TB being spread in this manner, Hep C is highly unlikely to be spread by spit.  For HIV to spread this way, the spitter's saliva would have to contain a significant amount of blood & the spittee would have to have an open wound.  

The usage of the spit guards isn't supported by enough science to justify the expense.  It's being promoted by the fear & hate associated with these illnesses.  These spit guards are just another reminder of the level of stigma people living with HIV face every day.

Around the world, governments spend resources, promote laws, push misinformation concerning HIV & other illnesses.  They spread their fear to others.  The biggest viruses here are the fear, hate & anger generated by these willfully ignorant people who somehow got the power to manipulate the public.

Cya...

Not Easy...

I'm having a hard time finding things to write about.    Good articles are scarce.  My life is the same old, same old.   My time is mostly just moments ticking into moments.  Nothing much in between.  

The holidays aren't getting me down like they used to.  It's hard to tell it's a week until Thanksgiving & not long off to Christmas.  I guess that's because the holiday season isn't like what it was when I was a kid.  Now, there's just cheap, hollowed out versions of the things I was fond of as a child.   People threw out the spirit & only kept what they could sell.  Blinking lights on houses aren't for celebration now, they're just supporting the facade of success.  Nostalgia can be very disappointing.

I guess that's enough depressing talk for the moment.  Take care.

Cya..

Altercation...

Not much going on here today.  W got a little rain, which is helping my feet.  Let's get the humidity out of the air.   I didn't notice much of interest in the articles today.

An outdoor cat named Millie has been strolling through the door lately.  Until, this morning nothing had happened.  Today, Tinkerbell went to say hello & that was apparently too much for Millie, who promptly howled.

Maybe Millie will get past her issues with Tink, maybe not.   If not outdoors she stays.  Tink was here 1st.

Cya...

Pets...

I see articles about having pets helping those living with chronic illnesses, like HIV, live longer.   I get it, I do.  Pets are great distractions.  When the world is overwhelming or you're just to ill to move, a pet can be an immense comfort.   Both times, I've been seriously ill, I've had "sick" cats around me.  Those are cats that really try to comfort you while you're down.  Unfortunately, both of them passed not too long after I started getting better.  Tinkerbell, a Siamese, is wonderfully amusing & attention grabbing, but she's not really a "sick" cat.  I'm not sure what I'll do the next time I get seriously ill.  

Even though our cats have been amazing parts of our lives.  They also bring some hardships.  Ever cat has it's issues, health & otherwise.   Rhiannon, could & did break just about everything.  Fluffy was more than a little dumb.   Rowan was bossy.   Each of the five, previous house cats that graced out lives were distinct, but they all came to a painful end for us.

Tinkerbell is here, she's 10 or 11.  She was an outdoor cat for years, so she may not live as long as the others.   I'm not sure how to be in a house without cats.   But, I'm worried that something could change & I'd wind up in a situation where I couldn't take care of a cat.   That would devastate me.   Besides my roomie, I don't have anyone who could be there for a cat.  As much as I hate the idea of not having a cat, I won't put myself or a cat in the position of me having to make desperate choices.

Pets are great.  But they also bring stress & expense.  I'd love to know someone would be there for my cats if something happened to me.  If that were the case, I'd have a houseful.  But, it's not.  I have to realistic about this.  There will come a day when I have no cat in my home.  I hate that idea.

Enjoy your furry companions while you can.  Pets may be the truest form of love a person can ever know.  So, play, cuddle, love & be silly with them.  They don't last forever.

Cya..

Running Late..

I'm running late this morning.  We had quite of bit of errands & shopping to handle.  There was a lot of walking & my foot isn't happy with me.  With any luck, it'll be fine if I mostly stay off it for rest of the day.  

There doesn't seem to be much going on today. It's chilly & dreary again.  Stupid Sun needs to get to work.  Cold weather is 1 thing, dreary crap is another.  

Take care.

Cya...

Another Sunday In November...

Nothing much is going on around here today.  That's fine, there'll be more throughout the week.  This morning was far brighter than it has been for days.  That was very appreciated.  

I really don't have much to write about this morning, so I guess this will be a short post. 

Cya...

Drear, HIV & Health...

I've talked before about how dreary weather affects me.  If you Google Seasonal Affective Disorder & HIV, you'll get a ton of results.  Even with as bad as mine has been, it's nothing compared to some of what of I've read people enduring.  For many extreme depression is common.  They dive headlong into extended sleep patterns, over-indulging in just about everything, having mood issues, pains, aches, etc....

For me, it's mostly having a lot of aches & chills.  I stay cold & tired.  It gets hard to focus.  Things like this impact your health.  I'm good about my regimen, but others report having difficulty maintaining their regimens during the grey seasons.  

If your mood alters from late Summer to Early Spring, you should consider the idea you might be dealing with a seasonal disorder.   It doesn't matter where you live, it's about the change in light & weather patterns.  It can seriously alter your life.  Remember having a chronic illness of any kind amplifies the effects of other issues.  You're already worn down.

For me, added light helps.  It isn't 100%, not near, but it's what I can do.  It helps to have bright lights on to chase away the shadows.  Night time isn't as back.   Then it's dark, not dreary.

I have grown to hate Fall.

Cya...

Why I Don't...

If you read articles over HIV & then look at my blog, you may wonder why I don't discuss some of the innovations mentioned on various sites.    You might not, but if you do, the answer is simple.  I believe most reports dealing with alleged new treatments, techniques, vaccines, "cures", meds are too early on in development.  Most of them are barely into full research mode.  Someone has an idea that might work.  Often it's a "This worked on this illness, it might work on HIV," sort of thing.    

IMO, medical research shouldn't be presented to the public until the inquiry is well underway & starting to show results.  This type of research shouldn't be offered to the lay public until the research has been shown to have merit that is applicable to the matter.  It's allowable to talk about research that didn't reach fruition or the results expected.  Those cases help other researchers in their goals with HIV.   Most people don't need to know about maybe's concerning HIV.  They need to know about the certainties that could impact their life & well being.   The rest of it just gets people's hope  up & most often fails to thrive.

That's why I don't write about all the "new" research I read about.  It's still too theoretical & no where near being available for the public.  If there ever is an actual cure available for HIV, you won't have to search articles for it.  It'll blasted on every news outlet.

Cya...

PS - My foot is starting to feel a little better.

Hobbling...

We went shopping this morning.  It wasn't fun.  The weather has my foot in a lot of achy pain.  It's not bad if I'm sitting down.  Walking isn't horrible, but standing is no fun.  It's supposed to start warming up a bit & the humidity is supposed to go down some.  Maybe, that'll be enough to make my foot happy.  

Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks.  My roomie & I are again trying to edit down our selection.   We're doing better.  Still, we had a lot of left overs last year & were getting tired of them by the end.  

That's about it for now.  This foot is making it hard to focus on much.

Cya...

Rehash...

The weather is a repeat of yesterday's & tomorrow looks to be the same.   I had a really hard time waking up this morning.  My head aches & I'm slightly feverish.  The back of my right foot is pretty sore & stiff.  Walking isn't fun at the moment.   Unfortunately, it's the only thing that will loosen my foot up some.  It's not that cold, but I feel like it's freezing.  The drizzling, grey skies have blocked out most of the sunlight. 

I hate this weather. I am not a happy camper.  Fall genuinely sucks.  

Speaking of Autumn things, we had our 1st mouse of the season.  I'd known had been around. I'd heard it & we had to change trash cans.  The old can for some reason had holes in the bottom.  The little vermin was getting in & chewing on the trash bags.  1 of them came to an end last night.   He was tossed out this morning & the trap reset.

No sunlight, foul weather, mice, chill, etc... That's Fall for you.

Cya...

Mopey Weather...

I woke up well yesterday.   Actually, I was up early for me.  Light poured through my windows.  By the time we left to go shopping everything changed.  We'd gone from bright to hazy.   It was nearly foggy, but opted to mist instead.  The gray skies lightly spritzed all day.  We had under a .10" of rain, but it piddled all day & throughout the night.

I woke to a cold, dreary mess.  It was over an hour later than the morning before.  I'd had the overhead light for  quite a while & still get myself motivated enough to get out of bed.  

For now the mists have stopped, but the skies are still overcast.  There won't be any bright sunshine today.   The yuck is here for the duration.

I hate this kind of weather.  It saps my energy.  I'm always cold, stiff & achy.  I wasn't built for dreary weather.  I know Summer gets hot, but at least it's usually bright.  I find nothing appealing in late, Fall weather.  It's just a cold, dark, damp mess of crud.

Stay comfortable.

Cya...

Goodbye 80's???

For the last few days, it's been warm & windy.  It was over 80 F & blowing everything.  The heat, humidity, pressure change & flying debris killed my sinuses.  I've taken more ibuprofen in the last 3 days than most of the year.  

It's cooling down again.  The 80's seem to be done with for the season.  We're going to have a few cooler than normal days & then back up to seasonal temps.  I hope so, this weather has been rough on us.  

I hope it's nice wherever you are.

Cya...

Goodbye DST...

Last night, the clocks rolled back an hour.  I really appreciated that this morning.  There was considerably more light than the day before.   I'll have light in the morning for a few weeks before it goes dark again.  

I'll pay for it this afternoon.   Sundown will be at 5:20.  That's way too early.  It'll be near 4:30 by the time the Solstice rolls around.

This is life until March.  Hope you remembered the time change.  Take care.

Cya...

Easier Now Than Then...

I often write about the downside of HIV.  I know there isn't a lot of good to discuss.  But, there is about the treatment.

Over the past few months, there have been articles about how single-pill regimens are not only common, but are becoming the norm.  My earliest regimens ranged from 20 - 25 pills a day.  Most of which, were horse pills. Later that dropped down to about a dozen.  Now, I take 1 pill for HIV.  It's a monster of a pill, but it's just a single dose daily.  It's an improvement.  It's weird after years of multiple pill regimens.

A single pill is far less daunting than a huge number for for new patients.  The idea of that many meds can be overwhelming.   Single pill regimens, even a few pill regimens are huge steps forward in the treatment of HIV.

Cya...

Stalled...

We went out this morning.  Normally, we would've handled bills today, but 1 failed to show.  It got here with today's mail.  So, bill day will be Monday. 

It hit 85 here yesterday.   That was a rough jump of almost 30 degrees from 2 days before.  It left me feeling very achy & tired.  Today's a little cooler. So far so good.

That's it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Interlude...

For a bit, warm weather is in the forecast.   I'm sure some people won't be happy, but I am.  I can open the doors for a little while longer. I don't like it when all the doors & windows have to be closed up tight.  It makes the place fill cramped & stuffy.  I like the breeze flowing though the rooms.  

It was a reasonably bright morning.  That makes things so much easier on me.   I got a bit of bird show earlier.  A pair of cardinals were avoiding a blue jay.  Another porch cat showed a while back.  Today  he was sporting a flea collar.  Someone's looking out for him at least some what.

Tomorrow morning will be busy with 1st of the month stuff.  We have to tend to bills & the like.   This will be the next to last time of 2017.

Not much else here.

Cya...

November's Here...

According to this article, HIV, even when treated, affects the brains of children.  Even though their viral numbers may be suppressed, research is finding cognitive impairments among their cohort.  More research is necessary to determine if the causal agent is the virus, the medications, both or something else.  The findings listed cognitive issues such as education, reaction ability,  adaptation, emotional/psychological well being, among others.

This isn't news anyone wanted to hear, but there it is.  There will have to be considerable more study to determine more.  Another way in which HIV is still impacting the world.

On to other topics.  

Hello November.  Hope this will be a good month for all included.  The holiday season has begun.  Until next year Halloween.  Hey there turkeys & fat man in red suits. 

Cya...