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Saturday, October 30, 2021

Chilly But Bright...

 

Yesterday was not an easy day.  It wasn't anything big, but a lot off little stuff. A lot of annoyances that wouldn't let up.  It was a the 1st cold day in the area.  It was wet as well.  If it doesn't warm up some, we  could have overnight freezing in the upcoming week.  I hope it warms a bit.

At least it was brighter when I woke this morning.  Tomorrow will be Halloween.  Next week will be the time change.   This hasn't been a good year & I don't see it ending any better.   I just hope it's plateaued. 

That's all for now.  I need to get around. Take care.

Cya...

Friday, October 29, 2021

I Hate Fall...

 

Around here, Fall is the most capricious season.  There's a lot of Summer left over, toss in some yet to be used Spring storms & a pinch of Winter.  Something was left out, oh yes, the actual Autumn weather.   There might be brief showing of it here or there.

For the most part, Fall here, is a crapshoot  of leftovers from Spring & Summer.  Then it crashes into Winter.   3 weeks ago we hit 95.  Midweek we  got 2"+ of rain from a springish storm.  The last 2 days have been gusting with an  irritating north wind.  We've  dropped from the 70's to the 50's.  Next week we may an overnight freezing.  

Fall weather sucks.  Fall light sucks.  Fall's lack of commitment sucks.  To be clear, FALL SUCKS! with its wet, dark, chittering leaves, wind & ugly browns. Yuck.

Cya...

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Resistant Infections...

 


I found 2 similar articles this morning.  The 1st piece is over a problem for the US's older population, 65+.  It details the increasing issue of drug resistant bacteria & infections. 

The 2nd piece, goes into how drug resistance in these  bacteria has gotten worse during the COVID pandemic.  COVID is so severe it could leave a person open to other infections.  Both articles shared a point.

Hospitals were a part of the issue.   The 1st piece details how many of these infections are far more prevalent in a medical or care setting.  They can be prevented by constant vigilance & sanitation, but  things do happen.  During COVID, hospitals were overwhelmed & the staff suffered serious burn out.  People were overworked, lacked supported, had to leave the profession, mistakes were made.  

Some of those mistakes may have led to infections.  Any of these infections contracted in a care setting are more virulent, costly & fatal than the same variety caught in the wild.  Read these pieces & be as careful as you can.

Cya...

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Dark Morning Waiting...

 

It's dark.  Rain is likely & storms are probable.  I'm trying to get through my morning & of course Windows has to do a double update.   

We have stuff to handle today.  All of that's on hold until the cable guy gets here.  Hopefully, he won't run late.   I hate Suddenlink.  

After he's gone, we can get on with our regular Wednesday to-do's.  Until then, we wait.  I'm not good at that game.

Take care.

Cya...

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

A Step Delayed...

 

A few more steps & the house projects will be handled.  I need to get on with it today.  The cable man is supposed to be here tomorrow, we'll see.  Most of what's left is Winter prep, nothing big.  It just needs to get done.   

My roomie found a probable solution to our house  arranging  issues.   It'll have  to  wait  until Thursday. If it happens, it'll make the rest of the process easier.

That's all for now.  It's a dim morning & those are going to get more common as the season progresses.   I still hate Fall.  

Cya... 

Monday, October 25, 2021

House Puzzle...

 

The house project is coming along.  We got slowed down a bit by the flu shot.  We've encountered another issue though.  In a house like this, every step is like a slide puzzle.  Anytime a new piece comes in, there's space to slide the pieces.  

A newer piece didn't turn to to be what we thought it  would.  It can't do what it we needed it to do.  Now, the configuration we had won't function well.  This issue will have to be resolved before moving forward.

We'll get there.  It's just extra steps.  The other projects are moving along.  At least we got to watch the Great Pumpkin last night.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Betterish...

 

Yesterday was better for me after the flu shot.  The reactions got to me hours before my roomie was affected.  I also got through them quicker.  Hopefully this will be over today.

We're supposed to have storms tonight.  I hope they're aren't severe.   We don't need that.

That's about it this morning, take care.

Cya...

Saturday, October 23, 2021

Recovering...

 

We got our flu shots yesterday & that was rough.   The shot was fine, but a later, it hit. I don't react to every flu shot, but I did this year.  I felt like a sudden case of the flu.  I feel better now, but I'm still worn out.  Well, it needed to happen & it did.   

That's about it for now, more tomorrow. Take care.

Cya...

Friday, October 22, 2021

Morning To-Do's...

 

We have a few errands to handle this morning & I need a shower before we head out.  There's shopping, a bill to pay & a flu shot to get.  The weather is slipping into the yuck side of the year & my body isn't handling it well so far.  I'm waking stiff & dehydrated.  

I'm seeing articles, but most are still dealing with COVID.  The others are so novel or brief, there's no reason to to discuss them yet.  I'm sure that research on HIV in mice is fascinating, but it probably won't go  in anywhere in the next decade.  I might post about it then if it does.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Paying For Doing...

 


We handled our usual Wednesday stuff, but also made headway on the house project.  It was necessary, but also a bit of a mistake.  A large item needed to be taken out of a box.  It'd been in there a while.  We opened it up & broke down the box.  That was the  problem.  The inside smelled like old, newsprint ink.   The area was also very dusty.  Between the 2 things, I was done in for the rest of the day.  I got everything handled & to the curb. But, nothing past that.

This project will get done.  It's just needing a lot of as we go refiguring.  It'll get there.  I'd like to get through this & be able to breathe well.

Cya...

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Progress...

 

The yardwork's handled, on to Winter prep.  That's  mainly closing down things & testing the heaters.  Then it'll be handled.  We should make some progress on the indoor projects today.  Some of it needs to go to the curb to be hauled off tomorrow.  

That's about all for now.  We have some errands later, but that's  it.  Take  care.

Cya...

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

At & Down...

 

Often when I watch TV,  especially informative shows, it seems many people have lost the ability to communicate.  They don't speak or don't listen.  Many shout, thinking it'll make their point come across stronger.  Others talk at people or down to them.  They've have talked about the lost art of  communication for decades, maybe they're right.

A lot of us aren't better on the  other end either.   We hear the words, but we don't listen to the meaning.  Often, we're looking for slights & agendas.  We're preparing our counter statement.  This isn't conversation,  it's  war.  This isn't debate either.  In a debate, opponents listen to each other's points to better rebut them. 

This seems to be the case everywhere.  It's rare these days to see an actual discussion on TV.  It's a heated argument, cause serving congruity or disconnected snippets.

If, as a society, we can't get on the same page long enough to have a polite conversation with equity, standards & decorum, it's done.  There isn't a society.  There's only circling barbarian tribes clubbing at each other.  

If this society can't find common ground & move forward, it's game over.

Cya...

Monday, October 18, 2021

Slow Getting Up...

 

This was the 1st rough morning for me waking up this season.  It won't be the last.  The light levels are strange & I'm adjusting to temp changes.  I don't like either of them.   I woke up a bit anxious & dehydrated.

I need to get a shower before we go shopping.   We're still working on house stuff, but it's moving along.   The bushes are mostly handled.  Just a few stray clips here & there.  Glad that's handled.

That's it for now.  I'm running late & need to get a  move on.  Take care.

Cya...

Sunday, October 17, 2021

Some More Done...

 

It's another chilly morning.  Tomorrow's supposed to be as well.  Then it should be back to more seasonal norms.  We have projects going.  I got more done on the bushes, the back is mostly finished.  Now on to the side yard & a little in the front.  I might be able to handle more this afternoon.

The other project is indoors & my roomie got it back  underway yesterday.  It needs the next trash day for any major progress.  Some stuff needs to go.

Then the seasonal prep will be mostly about fixing a few cracks where bees were.  There's also testing the heaters.  Finally closing all the windows & covering a few things.  That's about it.   

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Bright & Chilly...

 


It's bright this morning. It's also pretty chilly.  We were in the 40's when I woke.  I still have yard work, but I don't know when I'll be able to do it.  The grass is sparkling with dew, too wet for power tools.  Maybe later.

Today's articles were over COVID, vaccinations for COVID, COVID  anti-vaxxers.  COVID has made it hard to keep a blog over HIV.  It's a lot harder running any place with primary services aimed at HIV or HIV+ people.

I'll be glad when this over.   So, people get vaxxed or die already.  I don't  care which.  There's your freedom for you.  You have the choice to save yourself or not.  Hopefully you don't take  others with you.

Cya...

Friday, October 15, 2021

Still Rainy...

 


It was dark & rainy when I woke & I overslept some.  I'm not used to this level of dark morning yet.   I don't know if I ever really get used to them, but I get to where I can handle better than I did this morning.  I almost forgot to post.  We have to go shopping, so this is it for now.  

Take care.

Cya...

Thursday, October 14, 2021

RAIN...

 


We got over October's average rainfall in a 24 period.   October usually has a little over 4" of rain here.  We'd already had about 1.5".  In the last 24 hours it rained between 6 - 7.5" depending on the site you look at.  Either way, we're over the average & there's still rain chances for throughout today & tomorrow.  That doesn't count the remainder of the month.  We were very short for September, this might cover both months.  Too bad it had to fall so heavy & fast.   Most of it'll runoff in floods.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Dour...

 

The last couple of weeks have left me exhausted & exasperated.  So much for a good October.  A lot of things have decided to collide & make my life more challenging.

The weather has been so weird the yard work is still ongoing.  We've been overly grey with little rain.   It's been just enough to hamper getting anything done.   The van needed tires & the car had to get tags replaced.  The tags should've been a non-issue, but every unmasked idiot was there. We've had strange issues with the power flickering.

Then to add to it all, we try to watch TV last night & the channels were blank.  Suddenlink forget to send us a memo that we'd need a cable box for our basic cable now.  I was on the phone with them for almost 3 hours.  Just for them to tell me that & set an appointment for it in 2 weeks.  So for now, no cable. 

This has all been fixable & manageable.  I'm just sick of fixing & managing every damn thing.  Then of course, this morning Windows had to do an update.   That slowed me down a lot more than the cat puking by my door.  

Sorry for the rant.   I'm just tired & frustrated.  I'm in a fairly hateful mood at the moment.  Take care.

Cya...

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

1st Whack...

 

I started the yard work yesterday.  There are 4 areas with shrubs that need handled.  I did the hardest bunch yesterday to get it out of the way.   It pretty much did me in.  I doubt I'll be able to do this after this year.  I took me hours to feel somewhat OK.  I'm a little sore this morning & my breathing isn't great.  It might rain today & I should probably take a break.  I'm not on a schedule.  It just needs to get done.  I haven't picked up any of the cuttings.  I'm not sure I will.  They'll break down eventually.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Monday, October 11, 2021

Fall Maybe...


A storm came through last night.  The brunt of it  missed us.  They predicted inches of rain, we got about a quarter.  It did manage to knock down the temps  & allergens.  At least for a bit.  I hope we have an actual Fall & not just a plummet into the cold.  I'm tired of the abruptness.

That's about it for now.  We need to go shopping.  The mail won't run today.  We'll head out soon. Take care.

Happy Indigenous People Day.

Cya...

Sunday, October 10, 2021

At Home...

 

I know the world of HIV/AIDS is very different from my younger years or even when I was diagnosed.  Still, it's a very difficult thing for most people to find out they're HIV+.  Like most aspects in the fight against HIV, there have been advancements in testing.  It's more accurate, precise & expeditious than before.  To the point it can be done at home via the mail.  

I just can't get myself entirely behind that approach.  I realize the benefits, but I also the pitfalls.  I think there a lot of people, even today, that would be so overwhelmed at the news, it might be the end of them.   HIV may not be a death sentence now, but it is very much the end of the life you were living as you were living it.  Everything changes once you're diagnosed with a chronic illness, especially a virus with such stigma & social baggage.

I hope these at home tests helps those it can.  I hope others are honest enough with themselves to realize this is the right approach for them.  I don't think I  would've handled an at home test well.  Once it came back positive, I'd probably just disappeared.  There  are some things you can find out that are just too much.  Maybe they wouldn't have been at another time, in another setting or with support.  But alone, they're like tidals waves crashing down on you. 

Take  care.

Cya...

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Fall, It Lied...

 

The weather forecast has been off a lot this season.  Last weekend it said there would rain for 4 days & up  to as many inches.   It was supposed to usher in a cool down.  We got a few small rains, that may have been an inch.  The cooldown didn't happen.  It got into the 90s yesterday & looks to be hotter today.

We were ready for this to be over.  It's not record heat, but it's still hotter than we'd like.  I don't  know  when I'll get to finish the lawn work.  It's too hot now & it might rain early in the week.  This Fall is being difficult.

Cya...

Friday, October 8, 2021

2nd Week Begins...

 

This is the start of the 2nd week of October.   It's supposed to get hot.  We have some plans for the week.   I'm not sure how they're going to play out.  The temps & further rain chances may put some things on hold.  This has been a uncooperative weather season so far.  There's Fall stuff to handle before it turns to Winter.  2021 is still no fun.

I forgot to post about the van.  It had to get 2 new tires on Wednesday.  They had a lot of weathering.  My roomie's friend was over yesterday.  I'm glad she got to visit.  Not socializing is hard on people.

That's all for.  I need to get around & head out.  Take care.

Cya...

Thursday, October 7, 2021

Foggy Morning...

 

This isn't a great morning.  It's foggy & backlit with a strange, yellow glow.  It's not easy on the eyes or waking.  It's warming up for the weekend again.  Allergens are still hanging on.  The rain that was supposed to happen last weekend, didn't.  So here we are again.

That's about it for now.  Hopefully the fog will lift soon.  Take care.

Cya...

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Nerves...

 

I've been dealing with a moderate level of nervousness for a while.  It could be from a lot of  things.  My nature, seasonal changes, house issues, Windows updates, loads of noise... take your pick or all the above.   It's probably a mix of it.

I wish I didn't have to sleep.  It seems every time I do, little F'ery gremlins show up & screw with things.   Then I wake up to a variety of stressors.  This morning my computer told me, my system can upgrade to 11.  I looked at my roomie's & her's can't.   Joy.  To hell with Microsoft for adding this level of  drama during COVID.  No one needed this.

I won't even consider upgrading for quite a while after it's offered.  I'll wait until at least some of the bugs are worked out.  I don't want to be a beta tester for  Windows.  Do they even beta test anymore?  Or do  they just make it, send it out, hope for the best & then shrug when things go wrong?

That's all for. I need to get cleaned up & gather trash.  Then maybe I can calm down a bit.   I hate waking up.  I wish I knew how other people managed to stay de-stressed, that's something I never learned.

Cya...

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

There But Not...

 

There were lots of articles this morning, just none that postworthy.   Most were information for those newer to the situation or in need of info over HIV basics, like regimen types.  Not bad pieces, just not what I was looking for, maybe later.

There was supposed to have been a lot of rain last weekend.  It was supposed to bring the end to the warmer temps & ragweed.  We didn't get the rain & the effects are wearing off.  It looks to be another warm, allergy ridden weekend, like we need that.

That's all for now. Take care.

Cya...

Monday, October 4, 2021

Newsish...

 

I saw a couple of pieces today, neither really worth citing though.  The 1st noted ViiV is filing with the FDC to lower the weight of person allowed to take Triumeq from 80 to 30 pounds.  This would allow the medication to be used in children's regimens.

The next piece was a continuance of the confusion surrounding HIV & COVID.  This focused on HIV+ people's strength of reaction to the vaccine.  This brief stated in their research HIV+ people had lesser responses to the vaccine, but I never saw a suggestion of how much weaker.  It also implied the recipients of  Pfizer's vaccine had a far weaker response than those who'd received Moderna's.  Info regarding everything connected to HIV & COVID has changed nearly weekly.  I'd wait & see how this plays out before putting stock in this.

Cya...

Sunday, October 3, 2021

Aware Of It...

 

I've seen pieces for a while about how healthcare professionals are worried about people experiencing developments during the pandemic.  Many people are not used to isolation or restrictions.  For the introverts, that may not be a problem.  But, most people aren't hermits. 

The pandemic has caused many to lose direct access healthcare professionals.  Others have had no or limited social contact/support.  This can be very damaging for some.  People are mostly social creatures.   For  those  already restricted, this  added level of isolation can be devastating. 

The levels of substance abuse, overeating, other  indulgences & mental disorders have risen.  Some  face depression, worsening  mental conditions, suicidal ideation, etc...  Others dove into substance  abuse  or overindulgence. 

The professionals say they're  aware  of his.   Yet they act surprised.  The actions & reactions these people are taking are direct responses to the trauma & uncertainty they're facing.  Many lacked coping strategies or if they had them, they weren't possible or practical during COVID.  Why the surprise?  This seemed pretty much expected.

We're going to come out of this with fewer people.  There will be heavier people.  There will be depressed, anxious, suicidal people.  That's what happens during & after a crisis.  The best we can do is to mitigate the numbers & help those who come out the other side.

That's all for now, take care.

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Multidiscipline...

 

I saw a couple of pieces this morning over utilizing a multidisciplinary approach to treating illnesses, such as HIV.  The concept is valid, too bad the articles were just blips.  Maybe they'll put out something with more substance.

Health & disease have rarely, if ever, been solely medical issues.   They have almost always been mired in the classes, economics, religions, culture, etc of  the given society.  The rich rarely face the same level of health risks as the poor.  Even if they do, they enjoy better resources to handle it.  Class systems,   religions & racial beliefs have added to the disparate reactions & reasoning regarding illness.

Very little in any society is the same across the board.  That's not a judgement call, it's just what is.  Until  that is recognized, considered & addressed the treatment of any illness will widely vary across the population.   Some of these reasons are biological, but most are sociocultural. 

A multidisciplinary approach is needed for any health care organization.   Just don't saddle that on actual  medical staff.  Those jobs are for case workers, social workers, resource managers, counselors, etc...  Those titles & more are necessary if we wish to end HIV/AIDS.

Cya...

Friday, October 1, 2021

Hello October...

 

Hello October.  It'd be great if you were a nice month.  Focus on the good stuff & let go of the drama.  Not sure I have high hopes on that after the rest of the year.  September left with a rainstorm & washed away some of the pollen.  It's the 1st time in weeks pollen levels aren't in the red.  It may go back up, but for now my body is thankful.  

I saw a piece on smart bottles to remind people to take their meds.  I'm not surprised it worked.  It's not hard to remember to take a pill, but it's easy to forget it.  I've got a system of reminders to help me.  You have to, if don't want to miss a dose.  When it comes to taking meds, find what works for you.  

That's  all for now, take care.

Cya...