Goodbye July...

 

This is the end of the month, it's been busy.  There's been a lot not normally on our plate.  My roomie has an appointment this afternoon.  Tuesday we took the car it had heat issues on Monday while we were running errands.  We got it back yesterday.   They had to replace the radiator.  There's another $550+ adding to an already expensive Summer.   Tomorrow will be shopping.   It's a busy week for us.

Goodbye July.   A couple of weather sites say we hit 100°.  Some others weren't quite to the century mark.  Either way it was hot.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Car Drama...

 

The car is still at the mechanic's. It needs a new radiator.  This won't be cheap.  It's been an expensive Summer.  Today is the last trash haul of July.  Other than that, we're just waiting to hear from the mechanic.

Take care.

Cya...

Car Again...

 

We have to take the car in again.  It was getting hot & this was the soonest we could get it in.  This is probably going to get pricey.  Anyone who tells money can't buy happiness, has never been seriously poor.

That's it for now.  Have to get around.  Take care.

Cya...

Last July Monday...

 

It's going to be a hot ending to a hot month.  The temps & weather have been about the only things I've had to write about.   Other than some cat issues & the rare article, this has been sort of a bust month for posting.  

It'd be nice if the weather had been a little less on, but things could've been worse.  They have been in other parts.  We didn't get the higher temps or the massive flooding.  There's that at least.

It's a shopping day.  We'll do that & check the mail.  The it'll be back inside.  Take care.

Cya...

Last Week Of July....

 

July is closing down.  It's supposed to be hot.   That should ease up a little as we enter August.  It's weird to think of August as the cooler month.  We'll see.  There's an appointment later in the week.   Other than that, it's just shopping & letting July wrap up.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Almost Forgot...

 

I almost forgot to post this morning.   There isn't much going on today.   It's technically cooler, but so much more humid.  This isn't pleasant.

The electric bill posted & out energy assistance did show up.  We were close to last year's usage.  The city has upped the taxes.  The bill was 18¢ higher than last month.

That's about it for now, take care.

Cya...

Last, Best Choice...

 

The way things are with global funding for HIV, long acting medications may be necessary.  These  monthly to bi-annual injections from Gilead, ViiV, Merck, etc...  may be the only real option.   Even with the extreme costs, these meds won't need as much infrastructure.  Patients won't need daily doses, so that overhead will be less.

Long acting meds aren't cures.  But, if enough people were treated, it could buy time.  Time to either come up with a vaccine/cure or to starve the virus out of existence. 

Even if this is the best option, it may still not be a choice.  These things are very costly & the funds may not be available.  The orange stain declared war on the fight against HIV.  He & his could cost the world decades of advancements.  They are evil & disgusting.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Another Mowing...

 

The lawn was mowed last night.  I did a bit around the yard to deal with any issues.  Within 20 -30 minutes, I was spent for the night.  I'm still feeling off.  Between the heat, the cut grass & blown dust, I'm done.  

We have someone coming over today.  Other than that, there shouldn't be anything for us to do.  I need that after the lawn issues.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Less...

 

Due to the orange stain, a lot of funds have been threatened or completely cut.  This has impeded the fight against HIV.  There have been articles talking about the impact; less testing, less treatment, clinics closing, etc...  So far, I haven't seen any of them giving actual numbers.  Some of this is happening now, more is likely to follow.  This administration is crippling the work done regarding HIV.

Sorry, this is a bit vague.  But there hasn't been a lot of solid citations made yet.  These pieces are purporting ongoing actions & those apt to come.  I'll try to be more direct if the information becomes available.

That's it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Increasing Issues With Articles...

 

Thanks to funding issues due to the orange stain, articles have been more sporadic than ever.  The repeat, rehash & absence of pieces has been an problem for a while.  Now, there are more "half-baked" & "too professional" of articles being posted.   

I don't mean ridiculous when I call them "half-baked".  I mean the topic isn't ready yet, the research is incomplete or lacking.   These might be valid articles in time, with more development.   The "too-professional' are those pieces so deeply into the empirical process & professional jargon, the average lay person will never grasp them.  I'm a decent researcher, but some of these pieces are so into their subject language & process that even I have to google the concepts & wordage.

These aren't good articles, actually they're poor illustrations of what should be posted.   But these sites are desperate for content & are pulling at straws.  This probably won't get better soon.  As long as funding is threatened, nothing will go well in this area.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Monday Morning Again...

 

It's July & it's already past warm this morning.  It's going to be hot.  It'd be nice if it was bright as well.  We'll be handling some errands & shopping.  Then, it'll be inside for the day.  The only articles right now are over the foreseen future of the fight against HIV with the orange stain around.  

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Another Slow Sunday...

 

We don't have anything planned for today.  It'd be nice if nothing comes up.   It was hot yesterday & looks to be like way for the duration.  It is Summer.  If the haze, clouds & humidity would just move on for a while.  You can always tell someone who's not from an area with high humidity.  They'll be like, that's not that hot.  Then they face the heat & humidity & double over.  Wet heat, is so much worse than hot, drier air.  

Hope everyone's Summer is going well.  Take care.

Cya...

Summer Swelter....

 

It's been hotter & muggier here.  But, when you're not used to it, this is more than enough to make you feel off.  Even with the fans & AC, there are moments when this is stifling.  It's mainly the humidity.  Our Summers are always sticky.  But the dumps of rain we just before the heat set in has left us in a steam pit.

It looks as if the energy assistance went through.  Yay, we needed that.  It may not be much for other people, but a few hundred on a bill can get us through several months.

Other than trying to stay cool, there isn't much going here this morning.  Take care.

Cya...

Just Haze...

 

Summer mornings used to bright & things drying off as it warmed up.  Now, it's hazy & the humidity doesn't evaporate.  The skies keep a low level of clouds filtering out the decent light & making it hard on the eyes.  At night, clouds dim the stars & blur the moon.  This has been a wet Summer, now it's turned into swelter.

This is probably how the season will go.  It won't be a bright Summer, a time of dead grass & bugs.  Instead everything will linger due to sopping levels of humidity.   I know things need the dew.  Still, as it dries, the air thickens.  I hate slogging through wet air.

Other than shopping & some errands, it should be a nothing day for us.  Take care.

Cya...

Mid Month Thursday...

 

It's mid July & yesterday was the 1st day we had to use the AC.  It's going to stay hot for the duration.  As of yet, nothing's on the list of to-do's today.   Maybe that'll hold.  

The trash has been picked up.  The removal of bees is ongoing.  I'm still worn out from the beginning of the week.  We have shopping tomorrow.   

That's about it for now.   Take care.

Cya...

Tiring Tuesday...

 

Yesterday sucked.  I had to get up early & try to call DHS about Summer energy assistance.   I didn't have to call in the past, it just happened for me because of disability.  I called at 7 AM when the lines opened.  For 2 hours they played horrid, on-hold music.  Periodically, it'd say the estimated wait time.  It started at & stayed at 0 minutes.  At 9 AM it cut me off.  When I called back, the message said it was congested & couldn't take my call.  I tried this morning & it was the same.  I did the application online, but that can weird.  I prefer over the phone.   I guess we'll see how this goes.

We took Millie, our cat, to the vet.  She's been a bit off.  They charged a lot to tell us she seems fine.  I hope she is.

We get home & it's hot & humid.  Just walking inside covered my face in sweat.  Then I saw bees have returned.  It's time to get them to move on again.  It takes a bit to get them to leave.

Yesterday was  exhausting.  That's it for now.   Take care.

Cya...

Trying...

 

I'm having to apply Summer energy assistance.  Until this year, this was a given when I did my overall renewal.  Apparently that's changed.  Probably due to the orange stain.  

The lines opened at 7 AM.  I called at 7.  I've been on hold for almost 90 minutes.  I applied online, but the application was weird.  I'd like to make sure it was done correctly.  I'm sure this line will drop me soon.  This process is tedious because they won't hire enough people to handle it well.

This is my morning.  Take care.

Cya...

More Long Options

Viiv is promoting findings for their long acting PrEP & HIV meds.  They promote data that supports the efficacy of & preference for their long acting meds; Apretude, Vocabria & Cabenuva.  These injections aren't as long acting as Gilead's Lenacapavir.  There may be other reasons to prefer Viiv's options.

The company has also pledged to let some low income countries manufacture & market generic versions of these meds.  Making these drugs far more affordable.  This & Gilead's similar pledge were most likely due to public pressure & the US ceasing funding to HIV programs.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Dark Rainy July...

 

Yesterday was cooler, but not all that easier.  The morning rain never showed.  The air was soaked.   It wasn't hot, but it was so humid just walking left you soaked.   The rain finally showed about dinner time & hasn't left since.  It could be here all the way to Tuesday morning.  I think we'll make our average rainfall average.

Dealing with rain & dark morning is about it for me.  Take care.

Cya...

A Bit Cooler...

 

Not much going on this morning.  It's hazy & I managed to get a bit of yard stuff handled.  The next few days are supposed to be cooler.  The forecast calls for rain.  Hopefully, it won't be any serious storms.

It's a quiet morning so far & I hope it stays that way.  That's it for now.  Take care.

Cya...

Getting Hot...

 

It's July & it's hot.  It'd be nice if this morning haze would go away.  It may tamp down the heat a degree or so, but it cranks the humidity.  It's better to be hotter & drier.

Summer visitors have returned.   For a few years now we've had short yellow lizards & yellowish geckos.  They're hard to tell apart from a distance.   They're nearly the same size & color.   Up close, the geckos don't look quite real.  They look rubbery & squiggle when the move.  Lizards are solid & dart.  Both eat insects, so yeah.  But the cats like to chase, so boo.  At least it'll only Millie this year.  She's less destructive than Machen was.

That's about it for.  We'll head out in a bit for errands & shopping.  Take care.

Cya...

Post Mow...

 

Today could get hot.  Maybe it'll burn off more of the humidity.   It's been very muggy lately.   The lawn guy came yesterday & mowed.  The cut grass & debris have gotten to me a bit.  It wasn't as bad as the last mow, but the grass wasn't as high.  

That's about it for now, take care.

Cya...

2nd Wednesday...

 

Not much going on this morning.  It's decently bright & cooler after yesterday's rains.  We have some errands to run later, but that's about it.  

We're both getting past a bit of feeling off.  I'm still not sure if it was some bug or over exposure to cheap firework's smoke.  Combine that with the heat & we weren't doing great.  It doesn't help we got a letter in the mail.  It was from the vet, the condolence card they send out.  It's never easy getting those.  It's been 2 weeks since Machen's last day.

Here's hoping the rest of Summer goes well.  Take care.

Cya...

It's About Steps...

 

HIV has been with us for decades & some wonder why a cure hasn't been discovered.  There are a lot of illnesses with no cures.  Some don't even have treatments.  HIV is a difficult puzzle to solve & there's always the question of funding.  There's also a possibility drug companies don't want to lose money, so there may never be a cure.

When the virus was 1st discovered there was nothing for it, not even a proper name.  Slowly things evolved.  It wasn't until the later 80s they started treating HIV with AZT, but it was harsh & didn't do the job by itself.  They slowly introduced other meds along side it to boost efficacy.  It wasn't until the mid 90s deaths from HIV started leveling off.

I was diagnosed in 2000 & was given 5 years to live.  I was taking a handful of meds every few hours.  They helped with the HIV, but they were hard to handle.  Slowly my meds changed & I was no longer on the handfuls of horse pills.   I was still dealing with quite a few for years.  They took their toll of me; my hair, teeth, digestion, etc...  Then came my regimen of 1 pill a day.  It was so strange after years of mass pills, to only take a single dose.  Even that med was replaced with a better option.

The point is, there were a lot of steps.  Now, we're moving into the age of long acting injectables.  Some are given every couple of months to twice a year.  These injections can make adhering to a regimen possible for a lot of people.  If these long acting injections are given & viral loads maintained, these people can't transmit the virus.  In a decade or generation, if enough people were treated, HIV could become just a memory.

There problem with is what it always is; funding, logistics & willingness.  None of those things will ever be a given.  Stigma & ignorance challenge willingness.  War, disaster & distance are issues for logistics.  The orange stain & those like him will always complicate funding.  We may have the means to end HIV, but due to social, political & economic factors, it may never happen.  That's on us as a people.  If this continues for generations, it's our failure.  We refused to take the necessary steps.

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

More Steps...

 

Since I'm on disability, energy assistance for heating & cooling is normally a given.  Apparently, that's no longer the case.  I'll have to wait & try to get in with everyone else.  That may not work.  It's not a giant amount of funds, but any helps.  Every time that orange stain opens it's hole, things get worse.   I'll try to get it done.

I hate having to do things that should've already been handled.  That's it for now.

Take care.

Cya...

Summer 1st...

 

The oddest thing in the yard lately has been a groundhog.  It roams the yard eating the clover & other plants.  It's sort of cute in a fat, squirrelish way.

I got a surprise this morning.  It was so small & quick, I barely saw it.  But for a few seconds a tiny hummingbird flitted near the crepe myrtle in the back.   Judging by its size & lack of distinctive color, it was either a small female or juvenile.  I used to see a lot of hummers.  Last year I only saw a few.  The way things are going, this may be my only little hummer of the season.  I hope not.

Summer's rolling along.  So far it hasn't been too hot.  It's stayed very hazy in the mornings.  That's not god for waking or seeing.  

I need my hummers, dragons, porch cats & other little creatures.   I saw a lizard on the back screen.  Those lizards & the geckos could be back soon.  These little beings give me something to focus on, a distraction.  They help me not fixate on the crap going on around us.  They let me stay in the moment, the now & somewhat sane.

Well that's it for the 6th of July.   Take care.

Cya...

The 5th...

 

There'll still be lingering fireworks for a bit, but the holiday has passed.  It wasn't all that great either.  Each year the fireworks get smellier, smokier & do less.  When we 1st moved to this house, we could sit on the porch & watch the show.  It'd easily clear the treetops by 2 - 3 times.   There'd a loud rumble boom & then the lights.  Then unfortunately, the smoke.  Each year, the lights in the sky got lower & the treetops obscured more of the show.  Last night, unless I looked at a very specific angle, the fireworks were completely concealed by the trees.  The booms were louders & the air was filled with more smoke & odors, but the lights were hidden.

Just like with everything else, the show has gotten more expensive.  While the event happened, the pyrotechnics were much lower quality.  They paid as much or more for the show & got less each passing year.  In a few years, it'll just be sparklers on a podium.

All the 4th brought us was noise, litter & smoke.  My head is dealing with the aftermath this morning.  My eyes, nose & throat are hating it.  Glad this only happens once a year.

On to other news, this article, actually an abstract from the National Library of Medicine of the NIH.  Deals with the idea that even if a cure for HIV were found, it wouldn't solve everything for those living with the virus.   This is something I've personally thought & worried about.  They made 4 points.  1) a cure for HIV would not deal with health damage already incurred from or exacerbated by the virus.  2) you'd still have to deal with the stigma of being the person who had HIV.  This could make reentering "normal"  life difficult or impossible; try finding a job after a decade with no work experience due to being HIV+.  3) People who were cured could lose all public assistance leaving them more economically vulnerable.  4) There's no guarantee a cure would be available to everyone.  Without the means to aid people who've been living with HIV for years of decades, a cure could be more problematic than the virus.

That's it for now.  Hope you had a good holiday.  Give the article a read.  Take care.

Cya...

Happy 4th...

The lights, sounds & smells of fireworks have been here for a bit.   This is the day, after this they should dwindle.  To those who celebrate it, have a Festive 4th.   I've not been much into any holidays for a while & this is no different.  Some of the big displays are pretty, but they get smaller, lower & smellier every year.  

That's all for now, take care, happy holiday.

Cya...

Not A Good 3rd...

 

Yesterday was a crap day & on top of that, it was a week out from Machen passing.  The day was stressful & left me feeling like crap.  I'm sore & exhausted this morning.  It doesn't help the car was acting up yesterday.  We don't need that.  

It's cloudy with a small chance of some rain.  It'll most likely just stay gloomy & humid.  This is July & it looks like April.  

I need to shower.  We have bills to pay.  I hope this goes well.  I'm too tired for  more.

Cya...

PS - Optimum for out for over 14 hours.

Bad Start...

 

I just wanted an easy morning before started our day.  That's not going to happen.  The damned net crashed  again, so things I wanted to do, can't be.   Somehow, Optimum sucks even more than Suddenlink.  I blame the damned fiber.  Ever since that came in, the service drops all the time & take out the cable as well.  

I have no idea about articles this morning.  I'll look tomorrow.  Take care.

Cya...

Hello July...

 

July is here & this is going to be busy week.  The 1st of the month bill run will be rushed due to Friday being a holiday.  Speaking of which, fireworks are smelling horrid this year; somewhere between burning tires & scorched ham.  

I wish I felt better about this month, but I don't.  Maybe I'm just becoming a pessimist.  But this hasn't been pleasant year so far.

OK July show me I'm wrong about this month.  Be a good month & let there be some fun.  That would be nice.

Take care.

Cya...