November is wrapping up. At least it's ending on a bright note, even if it is frigid. This hasn't been an easy month, but what has in 2025? We'll have some carry over business into next month. Hopefully that will get resolved quickly.
I don't have a lot to say about this month that haven't already discussed. We're moving on the end of the year. I hope the month ends well for everyone. Take care.
Cya...
The last Saturday of the month has opted for miserable weather. It's dreary & sprinkling. The next several days with have overnights below freezing. It's supposed to be bright tomorrow. That'd be nice.
I've not been doing that well. There's been a lot going on & I've been trying not to get sick for some time. I've felt off for quite a bit. It'll be nice when some of our going-ons are handled. 2025 has been rough.
I guess that's all I have this morning. Take care.
Cya...
This is the last Friday of November. There are only 4 more remaining in 2025. The holiday came & went. I hope everyone got what they needed or wanted from the day.
The countdown is really on. There are 27 days until Christmas & 33 left in 2025. In 36 days this blog & my HIV diagnosis will be another year older.
That's all for now. Take care.
Cya...
It's the holiday. Eat up & move on to the next festivity. I have cats & my roomie in my life. Most everything is near the bare minimum. I do know things could be worse, but sometimes it'd be nice if they were better. Here wishing everyone a happy holiday.
There's stuff I could've posted about, but not today. Some days you should just set back & let things go for a bit. Maybe tomorrow, but not today.
Take care.
Cya...
Since everyone's holiday plans are so busy & scattered, there'll be a late lunch stand-in today. After that, it's the holiday rush. There'll be holiday stuff, appointments, errands, bills & car things to be handled. There's so much & possibilities of screw ups, I probably won't be anywhere near calm for a while.
That's a problem for people in chronically bad situations, even good things can be stressful. Just it's presence is so out of routine, it comes with risks & stress. Will this actually work or am I just getting myself psyched up? What if this doesn't work or worse it screws up? Until this stretch is behind us, I'm going to be somewhat off. Even then, I probably won't trust it.
I've got to get around. At least the fan got installed. There's light in the living room. Here's hoping it doesn't screw up. That's it for now.
Take care.
Cya...
It stayed dark & stormy the entire time we were out yesterday. The appointments & errands took much longer than expected. It was dark when we got back.
We have someone coming to install a new ceiling fan. Hopefully this goes well. Things need to get off the plate. The holidays are coming fast; 2 days til Thanksgiving & 30 for Christmas. But the best day is still 111 days out, when daylight saving time begins.
That's it for now. We still have other errands to handle. Take care.
Cya...
There's a lot to handle this week & most of it has nothing to do with holidays. It was already hectic before the ceiling fan light went down. Now that needs to be replaced. It's the primary light in the living room. We'll try to pick something up today & get someone out soon to install it.
There are appointments & dinners this week plus our normal routine. It's storming, let's make it dark & wet. I'm not sleeping as well as I should & all of this is making things a lot harder. I'm tired, stressed & fraxious.
We have to go soon. My roomie has an appointment & we have to get a ceiling fan. Maybe the storm will let up before we head out.
Take care.
Cya...
It's been a bad morning. The living room light is screwing up & we're having to figure a plan. Of course, it's this week. There's appointments & stupid holiday BS. In addition, it's dark & probably going to rain for the next couple of days. I hate mornings & I'm not fond of holidays at the moment.
Cya...
This piece is about palliative care for those living & aging with HIV. This is the article's primary site, Get Palliative Care. This is an area of medicine many people are unfamiliar with & often misunderstand. While, often associated with end of life care, that isn't all it does. It can help with people who face serious illness, usually chronic, like HIV. It isn't about curing the patient, but improving their quality of life.
This can include helping with actual medical side of things & the fallout from that like side effects & other symptoms. It can be assistance in handling the daily things of life. It may guide with future planning & networking. Often it's about finding support, emotional & otherwise. Palliative care is an across the board approach to wellness management for people whose well health isn't going to improve.
This kind of care isn't just for the patient. It's also for family, friends & caregivers. This is a link to stories of how this approach helped people.
None of this is anywhere near me. But maybe it's near you or someone you know. Give these sites a look. This is something a lot of people are going to need in their life.
Take care.
Cya...
My appointment went well. She did a routine thyroid test. It's a little out of range for this lab, but not bad. It's been higher & my meds weren't altered. Overall, it went smoothly. It's just the day that sucked. We get over an inch of rain.
It's brighter this morning, but we're heading into cooler weather. Midweek could be getting into frigid, overnight temps again. It'd be nice if it didn't or at least not last long.
Thanksgiving is next Thursday & Christmas is a little over month out. Nothing feels like the holidays any more. I see stuff at the store, but it doesn't feel like anything but a cash grab. Maybe that's all it ever was.
That's all for now, take cae.
Cya...
Not happy I'm up early for a medical appointment. Earlier appointments tend to mean shorter wait times. So, I opt for them. It doesn't help I didn't sleep well. Nor that it's dark & trying to storm. A check up is my to-do for this morning.
I hate the 'Ber months. We're back to dismal gray. It could stay like that for a bit. Winter sucks & we aren't even there yet.
That's it for now, take care.
Cya...
The wind is making breathing a bit of an issue. It's blowing stuff about & not letting anything settle. This week will probably be the end of the unseasonably warm reprieve. Then things are supposed to be normal for November. There could be another overnight freeze next week. I hope not. We're not even into Winter yet.
There are some errands & things today but not much. Tomorrow, I'll see my medical provider. If things go well smoothly, this should be an in & out kind of thing.
That's about it for now, take care.
Cya...
It's gusty this 3rd November Tuesday. The flying debris isn't helping my head. We don't have much planned for today. There are some errands & outings tomorrow. Thursday I have a check up in town.
There weren't many articles to work with today. Most the news was about Lenacapavir rolling out in Africa. The rest is about the orange stain.
That's it for now, take care.
This article isn't professional but it has a point. The piece is about a woman who lost her "best friend" after revealing was HIV+. I put those words in quotations because a person who genuinely cared for another might freak out, but not abandon a person over a virus.
This wasn't in the olden days of HIV/AIDS. This was 2021, decades into the fight against HIV. The woman in this piece details her situation & what she wish had been different.
It's the 2020's & ignorance & stigma are alive & well. The problem is they always will be with us. Stigma is a result of ignorance, hate, control... A + diagnosis threatens those things. They can't punish a virus, so they go after the person. I think it's time to stop fighting stigma & just help people learn how to handle those situations as best they can. You can't control other people.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
Yesterday morning started with a split tree crashing into a fence. It was loud & blew debris everywhere. My sinuses paid for it. I spent the day congested & sneezing. Today looks to be worse. The neighbors had people out to deal with the tree mess. They cut the thing way back. It should come back next year. For now it looks like a bad buzz haircut on some unfortunate boy.
It's another warm day, but not as windy. It's bright out, so I'm trying to focus on that. By the end of the week the warm reprieve will be gone. For now, the sky's clear & shiny.
Take care.
Cya...
We handled our Friday stuff then went for the last round of the shingles vaccine, Shingrix. They said there could be fluish like reactions. So far I'm doing alright.
There was a surprise this morning. I was waking up when there was a loud noise outside. Part of my neighbors tree had fallen. Between the wind, remaining ragweed & that; my sinuses are shot. I've been sneezy & congested this morning.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
Since the government has reopened, the benefits have been restarted. I checked this morning & they are posting. However, there was a lot of harm done to people & small businesses during the closure. That hasn't & probably will never be addressed. There's no telling the fallout from this closure & its resolution.
I saw some articles but most were lacking. There were a few on new medications being developed, but nothing far enough along to be of interest. There were some concerning vaccines, but they didn't offer much & were highly jargonized.
We're nearly halfway through November. There 13 days until Thanksgiving, 41 until Christmas & 47 days left in 2025. More importantly there are still 114 days until daylight saving time. I have my priorities.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
My dentist appointment went OK yesterday. I will need a couple of small fillings. It's been years since I"ve had to have anything besides a cleaning. Best to get it handled now, while it's a minor thing. That'll happen the beginning of December.
The government shutdown has come to an end. I'm not sure how soon things will return to normal for benefits. We'll see how badly this screwed everyone over.
That's it for today. Take care.
Cya...
I have a dental cleaning today. There's stuff to be handled before & after. This is going to short so I can get around. Then I need shower, eat, take out trash & get on the road.
There isn't much else to write about at the moment. I'll post again tomorrow. Take care.
Cya...
There's a little progress on the shutdown. It's still not over, but it's a step. There were partial payments on some people's benefits. Maybe they can get this wrapped up soon.
The cold weather looks to be out of here for a bit. The forecast doesn't show any overnight temps needing drips or heaters soon. That's better for us.
That's about it for today. Articles are still duddish. Maybe tomorrow. Take care.
Cya...
There are many angles being researched in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Improving the means to detect, treat, eradicate & hopefully cure the virus. Including new & novel medications, gene therapy, stem cells, antibodies, various techniques, etc...
These approaches vary, but all share some issues. HIV is a difficult problem to solve. Research takes time, skill & funds. The orange stain & his idiots have gutted funding. Who knows how much damage this administration has done to HIV & medical research? These were deliberate choices to bring harm to those with HIV & other illnesses.
The shutdown may be ending. I'm not sure what all this will mean. The timeline for things is still unknown. It'd be nice if it were now.
That's it for now, take care.
Cya...
PS - Last night was the 1st night we went below freezing, had faucets dripping & had a stove on overnight. Looks to be the same tonight.
It's dark this morning & the temps will drop this evening. The next couple of days will be our 1st dip into frigid temps. I didn't need or want this.
Other than the yuck weather, there isn't much else going on. Nothing good has popped up in the news, but all the crap is ongoing. I really hope all those needlessly endangering the wellbeing of so many people suffer.
There wasn't anything notable in HIV news today, so that's about it for now. It's less than 3 weeks until Thanksgiving. I don't think is going to be a good year for holidays. This shutdown will have major ramifications for the rest of 2025 & beyond. This won't just be for the people either. A lot businesses will suffer because of this.
That's it for now, take care.
Cya...
The time change happened last week & I never handle them well. Add to that, all the issues happening right now. We have a lot going on & the government crap is still happening. Our area is supposed to get it's 1st freeze tomorrow, oh joy.
The change of light is being rough. Now, it's dark by 5:30. That'll be 4:30 in December. Being dark that early throws me off. We still have 120 days until this switches back.
Between weather changes, the government crap, all the to-do's & the darkening, I'm not OK. The biggest problem, there isn't anything I can do about any of it. So, no, I'm not doing that great.
Cya...
The week is handled & it doesn't look like next week will be as busy. Shopping & Friday errands should be all there is today. It'd be nice to have a quiet weekend. Too bad it's supposed to get cold. This could be our 1st freeze.
The benefit matter is still up in the air. The government shutdown is ongoing & the current administration is utterly useless & debased. This needs to get fixed soon.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
Other than driving my roomie to something, my day should be free. I hope it stays that way. These last 2 weeks have left me winded. I didn't even do much yesterday, besides get around a little earlier. It's my roomie doing most of the appointment stuff. I do have a dental appointment next week, but that should be relatively easy.
Here's hoping my day stays event free. Take care.
Cya...
I drove my roomie to an appointment yesterday. We'd done this gig once before. The 1st time it took a little over an hour. There was less being done this time (so we thought), we figured it'd take less time.
We were very wrong. There were less tests, but these were more comprehensive & thorough. Then there was a technical glitch with their internet. Communications between the techs & the doctor broke down. Eventually, after 2+ hours, I left to handle some other errands that needed done. Finally, she got out. There were still a couple of errands to handle. We didn't get home or eat until pretty late in the afternoon.
It was an exhausting day & my roomie's week has a lot more in it. Luckily, most of that doesn't include me. I can rest up while she's trekking between appointments.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
This 1st week of November is filled with stuff to handle. We handled most of the bills yesterday. We should handle the rest today. My roomie has a lot of appointments throughout this month & I have 2. I have a regular meeting with my medical provider & a cleaning scheduled with my dentist.
It's the beginning of holiday season. Halloween's done. There 23 days until Thanksgiving & 51 before Christmas. Next Tuesday is Veteran's Day. The mail's going to be so off. Not that we get much anymore since most of ours went online.
The shutdown is ongoing & the benefit situation is still not settled. There are some elections happening across the states today. We'll see how that plays out.
That's all for now. Take care.
Cya...
Since we moved to this house, porch & yard cats have come & gone. We've done what we could. Some of them move on other neighbors or areas, some just disappear. Some don't make it. I can only hope if something happens to them, it's quick. Most won't let me touch them, so I can't do much to help them. They're just to scared.
About a year & a half ago, we noticed a scraggly cat with a kitten. The kitten grew but stayed near her mother even after the next litter arrived. At some point the kitten had grown & we didn't see it anymore. The new kittens were growing & there was the girl Shark (she'd dart out of nowhere to get food), Little Spot, the reclusive Grey girl & the talkative Stripe. Shark was never friendly & after Little Spot passed, she was even less so. Stripe was interactive, but skittish. He eventually wandered off. During all this the mother cat got pregnant again. She didn't look well. She vanished & was never seen again. That was over a year ago.
During this time, Shark had a litter. Grey & Stripe had left. I'd occasionally see them for a while. Shark had 4 kittens; 3 yellows & a greyish calico. They were named after sharks. I could never tell the yellows apart. The 1st kitten died about 2 months ago. He was just lying on the drive, barely breathing & then not. A little over a week ago, it happened again to another yellow. The last yellow, seemed to have the most health issues & has a hazy eye, but he's still here. The grey calico, Goblin is still here.
Recently, Stripe showed back up with a flea collar on. Maybe he found a person (I hope). This morning I saw a cat lying in the road. I'm fairly sure it was Shark. Stripe may be the last of generation & then the 2 kittens.
Please be kind to strays & ferals. Their lives are hard enough without anyone bringing them harm. Days like this are rough. I can barely keep myself going & can't help those who need it.
Sorry for the downer, take care.
Cya...
2 things returned that I didn't want. We've had overnights in the 30s. Nobody in this house wanted that. Then the damn time change happened. It'll be dark at 4:30 soon. They say it's for the children & school. BS, it'll still be dark when most of these kids are going off to school. What it will do, is make it so some people never see sunlight. It's dark when they go to work & dark when they get out. DST should be year round. Make Winter hours if you want. A lot of places had those when I was a kid.
The benefit thing is still up in the air. The orange stain & his cronies are evil asshats. They call themselves christians. I guess they are. That's how most religious people have always treated me. Their disdain for everything is palpable.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
November is here. It'd be nice if it weren't a disaster like the rest of 2025, but I think that's a pipe dream. It'd be great if life was a magic slate. The kid's draw toy where you can lift the sheet & erase everything. I''d lift everything back to before 2000.
The 80s were fun, the 90s were OK, but everything past that got progressively worse. The politics, the economy, the social scene, etc... it all went to hell. I got my roomie, some cats & saw some movies. Other than those things, delete it all.
This is going to be a busy month for us. It'd be nice if everything just got in line & played along. I doubt that will happen, but it would be awesome if it did.
That's all for now, take care.
Cya...
