Hello October 2026...

 

It's October, but September didn't leave without a couple of slaps.   The piece we needed to replace on the kitchen faucet isn't being as easy to find as we'd hoped.  It's still a process.   We got home to test the new aerators & they weren't great.  We went & to get another kind.  In between the trips, the trash was shredded.   The culprit, a pig.  Yes, the neighbors have a pig.  I got the trash gathered & went to get a trash can.  By the time I got back, the pig was back at it.  I called animal control.  I'm not sure what will be done about it.  True to form, it was Sucktember.

This 1st day of October we get notified there will be a planned power outage Monday for several hours in the morning.  Great, there goes my morning routine & It's going to make shopping questionable.  The pole situation had been ongoing since August.  There's been a pole in the side yard for over a month.

Wow, October's starting off just great.

Take care.

Cya...

There's The Door September...

 

This is the last day of what I like to call Sucktember.  It may be the month I was born in, but it's usually a wretched month for me.  This year it tried to cook us in an air fryer; hot, dry & windy.  Now, part of the kitchen faucet has broken.  Hopefully, we can just replace the part & not the whole tap.  If not, it's a new faucet & a plumber.

This is a link to AMFAR's site over current statistics concerning HIV in the US.  It' covers basic matters & demographics.  It's general info, but things we need to keep aware of.

That's all for now, goodbye September.  Why are  you never a good month for me?  Take care.

Cya...

First Jolt...

 

I'm not sure why, but I had my 1st jolty waking of the season.  I never do well with seasonal change.  But, so far, the shift hasn't been that notable.  I wasn't in a weird place when I went to bed, but still there was a jolt & I was a awake.  

It's almost always the same.  I wake & set straight up only for the cortisol to kick in hard.  It takes me a while to get things to calm down & sometimes I'm not awake enough to realize what's happening.  Things can get worse then, panicky.  But this morning, the jolt was accompanied, but a sudden nose bleed.   By the time I got to the bathroom to clean up, it had stopped.  I guess I'm too dried out from fans & ragweed. 

I hate jolting awake.  Cortisol kills me & can trash my energy levels for the rest of the day.  Yay, the dark of the year has arrived.  To hell with everything from from the 'Ber months until April.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Short Days...

 

The dark outlasted the light yesterday.  The days are getting shorter & I'm trying not to focus on it.  The sun's nearly gone by just after 7 PM.  The Harvest Moon took Summer & the light.  Maybe it took some of the harshness with it as well.  

Having less fans on is a mixed bag.  There's lower electric use & less fan drone, but there's a lot more background & outside noise now.  The fans muffle a lot of other sound.  Now, it's back to relearning what the normal sounds are, so I can tune them out. 

Of all the birds to come back, it's either a mockingbird or catbird.  Their loud calls are similar.  It's sort of amazing such a small bird can make that much noise.

Like it or not, Fall is here.  I hope I do better this year.  I'm not asking for well, that's a biggie, just better.  A couple more days & Sucktember will be over.

Take care.

Cya...

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day...

 

Today is NGMHAAD, I'm not typing that again.  Here are a couple of sites, AIDSVU & POZ.  AIDSVU was the better piece, POZ's seemed like an afterthought.  HIV.gov & the CDC used to have good pages, but not this year.  Gee, I wonder why?

There used to be more info on this day.  Any way, these 2 sites can get you started.  This is a day of awareness, learning & remembering how things were.  There's been enormous efforts made to move us forward.  But there's always been resistance.  It's not over yet & may never be.

And the band played on...

Take care.

Cya...

Harvest Moon...

 

Last night was the 1st night of the Harvest Moon.  This moon marks the change of seasons & intent.  It's important partly due to agrarian ties.  It'll be cold & dark past this.  It had many names but the meaning stayed the same.  This is the last chance to do what you need to do & let go of the rest, the door's nearly closed.  

Tonight's the height of the moon.   There are practices of noting of what you're grateful for, what's been challenging & what needs to left behind.  It's a time for letting go those matters & that you.  I wish I was better at that.  I never have been.  Some of us have been so defined by those challenges, obstacles & things that would destroy us, we're not sure what, if anything, would be left of us, if we were to release those things.

If I had learned how to let go when I was young, I doubt I'd even recognize that version of me.  If those things had been removed, let go of or recovered from, this me would not exist.  It's a thrilling concept, but also a little sad & awful.  This me can only exist if there is the crapfest, trainwreck known as my life.  Isn't that a joyful thought.

Still, the moon makes me smile & let go, even if just a for a brief moment.  I try to look for it as often as I can.  Stars are nice, but none of those wishes ever came true.  The moon's just there, a rare constant in my life.  Look up, remember, try to forgive yourself, let go & make way for the new.  

Take care.

Cya...

The Lasts Of September 2026...

 

Yesterday was the last Thursday of the month.  A couple of more shopping trips & another round of trash to the curb & this month's have-to's will be handled.  As usual, this hasn't been an easy month for me.  The heat & humidity nearly did me in.  There's almost 2 hours less light & the dark days are nearly here.  

I'm hoping September takes the heat with it.   August gave us our highest electric usage bill ever.  September's wasn't far behind.  But last night I only had the table fan near me.  Not the small window fan, the box fan & the giant metal beast going.  The metal fan hasn't been on in a 2 days now.  Last night was the time in months I've only needed the side fan.  Maybe this month's bill will be closer to normal.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...