Happy New Year's Eve...

 

December is done & 2024 is over.  There's much to celebrate with this year in the rearview mirror.  Too bad we're driving into a potential orange ass, hellscape.  2024 wasn't easy on me, but better than 2023.  Some have reason to redo that order.  

There's only a little over 13 hours left of 2024, so do whatever you're going to quick.  I wish most people a prosperous, bright year with so much joy & serenity.  I think we all need it.  

To the orange ass & his enablers, may 2025 take a dump on you & yours every day & in every way possible.  May his tie catch in an elevator.  

Happy New Year.

CYa...

Today & Tomorrow...

 

Not even 2 full days are left in 2024.  I've seen a lot of holidays & milestones.   Most of them just blur by without much meaning to me anymore.  I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but I think it's probably pretty common. 

There are things coming up that I wish weren't, but there's nothing I can do about that.  I really wish there were things I was looking forward to, but there aren't.  Something could pop up down the road.

I'm just full of  mirth this morning.  But I'm never good with mornings.  At least it's bright.

Take care.

Cya...

Nothing Last Sunday...

 

The last Sunday of the year is grey & dismal.   It's hard to wake up on mornings like this.   I tried to find articles this morning, but the only things I found were  blips or behind paywalls.  Blips are useless & most pieces behind paywalls I've eventually found elsewhere.  So far, none of them would've been worth paying for.  Many of these pieces are rambling rehashes of other articles.   Most of those remaining are too professional for the average reader to glean much from.

That's all for this last Sunday.  The month & year are ending.  Some are nervous about that.  I believe the saying, "Things can always get worse."  That adage has usually held.  Will 2025 be worse?   Maybe, but IMO very little in the 2000s has been that good.

Take care.

Cya...

Dark & Wet Ending...

 

December has decided to go out dark. gloomy & wet.  This hasn't been easy on me.  The dreary mornings are rough.  The month's ending warmer than normal, but it looks like January has plans on more wintery temps.  

The holidays were draining for a lot of people.  The season is creeping in with cold & dark days.  The results of the stupidest election are approaching.  There's exactly zip I can do about any of that.  The best I can do is try to keep in a warm, bright place & ignore the orange bastard brigade as much as possible.

If I do have a resolution for the upcoming year, it's only to send a resounding F'off to the asshats & bastards that brought this crap monger bad as a president.  IMO if every person who directly or indirectly helped him get back office were to fall over dead, the world would be a better place.

That's all I have today.  Take care.

Cya...

The Last Lasts....

 

Since Wednesday we've been on the lasts of December & 2024.  There are no more trash days, Wednesdays through Fridays, only 2 more rounds of shopping & the year will end on a Tuesday.  

There isn't much more for me to say about that.  This wasn't a good year.  The only things I learned were reinforcements of things I already knew or suspected.  

May the rest of the year treat you well.  Take care.

Cya...

That's That...

 

The holidays are passing & Christmas 2024 is a memory.  There are a few still happening & the old year is winding down.  I hope things realize that not every year has to be worse than what came before.  It's not some childish competition.  

At the moment we have new year's plans.  They could happen, but there were also previous holiday plans that went askew.   We'll see when we get there.

It's been a dismal holiday week.  Last night was disappointing.  We were the only house in the neighborhood with any lights on & twinkling.  All we had was a really 3 light candle for the window.  Still, it was more than the rest of them.  

Even with all the drama & awfulness, I sometimes still miss the holidays when I was a kid.  At least then, things could be bright, cheerful & distracting.   I could muster a bit of spirit & pretend things might get better.  That, like most the fun things of my past are gone, just lost, abandoned memories some of us still treasure.  Gen X really should just off everyone else & let things end with us.  At least we could have a decent party.

Take care.

Cya...

Happy Holidays...

Well, it's Christmas & New Year's is next week.  So far it's gone as well as it usually does for us.  We'll have dinner later & that'll be about the end of it.  The decorations will stay up for a while, at least until the new year.  

I never have high expectations for the holiday season, but this time has seemed pretty flat.  There were so few lights & so much humbug & dread.  It's strange how let down you can feel about something you really weren't into all that much.  It's just a big game of anticipation followed by a crash of bright lights, noise & shredded paper.  Then like that, it's over.  Holidays aren't like sex or pizza.  If you had so-so or even bad  sex or pizza, you still at least had sex or pizza.  Off or bad holidays are unfulfilling let downs, that leave marks, questions & hollow feelings.

I hope for everyone else, the holidays were grand.  For me, I'm just ready for them to move on & not have to think about them for another year.  It's bad enough when I'm not good with holidays, but when everyone else jumps on board, that's a little much.

Take care & may the rest of the year be kind to you.

Cya...

Rainy Eve...

 

It's Christmas Eve & my roomie's birthday.  While I'm glad we handled things yesterday, it did cause an issue.  Turned out the place we'd planned on going, wasn't open.  Mondays are their day off.  Our bad, we should've looked better.  

We had a backup plan.  It went well enough.  It's probably not a place we'll frequent.  We still want to try the other place that was closed.  Other than the restaurant snafu & the gloomy weather, it was a good outing. 

It's dark & raining this morning.  It'll probably be all week.  Great holiday weather.

That's it for now, take care.

Here's hoping the holidays go well for all of us.

Cya...

Cloudy Outing...

 

The holiday week is here.  We've got some shopping & then we'll run over to Fort Smith.  It's been hard ever since COVID for us to keep our holiday outing schedule.  Between COVID & the movie strikes, there hasn't been a lot we've been interested in seeing.

It looks like the holiday week is going to dreary & wet. Sunshine would've been nice, but that's not happening.  The dark of the year is crap.

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

Cya...

It Begins...

 

The holiday fare starts today.  My roomie will see her family this afternoon.  Tomorrow, we'll head over for her birthday meal.   Tuesday is her BD, but why tempt fate on Christmas Eve out of town.  Wednesday is the holiday & then it's on to New Year's. 

That's about it for now.  We're nearly down to the last of the month days & the year.  In some ways 2024 did better than 2023, but not in others.  

I hope the rest of the year treats you & yours well.  Take Care.

Cya...

Happy Solstice...

 

Yule is here.  It's supposed to be a time of light & being merry.  I'm not sure how that's going for everyone.  This is the long night.  From here out the daylight will start lasting longer.  We've gained a couple of minutes in the afternoon, but mornings are still coming later.  Things won't really start leveling out until mid January.

I know 2025 brings issues for many of us, but I hope you can find some comfort in the season.  Take care.

Happy Solstice, Winter is here.  The King slumbered as Holly, but woke as Oak.  

Cya...

It's Supposed To Be The Holidays...

 

It's not unusual for me to be off about holidays.  We don't have the best relationship.  But, over the last few years the whole world seems to have gone off of them as well.  There's hardly anything at Walmart or in town telling you it's the holidays; few (if any) decorations, no music, few specialized gifts, no Salvation Army bell ringers, etc...

The number of TV holiday specials has dwindled.  Then channels that look like their showing stuff, it's just a few things on loop.  Normally, I can get lost in the twinkling lights.  Not this year.  Only 1 other house besides us is consistently doing any lights & both are very minimal.   Even the homes that have lights up aren't turning the on.

What little holiday spirit I can usually muster with the lights, music & specials isn't here this year.  Except this time, it's no me.  It seems like everyone has bailed on things this year.  I'm sure they have their reasons, but still I miss the lights.

Apparently the Grinch succeeded after all.

Cya...

Bright Morning...

 

There wasn't much for articles this morning.  At least it's bright & not raining.  The weather still isn't cooperating, I'm pretty stiff & sore.   It'd be nice not have allergy issues throughout the year.  Guess that isn't happening.

In a few days it'll be Yule & then it'll be my roomie's birthday followed by Christmas.  2024 is winding down.  Here's hoping the next 4 years aren't as bad a predicted.  

That' it for now.  Hope your holidays are go well.  Take care.

Cya...

Outing & True Colors...

 

We went to see a movie yesterday & it went well.  The only real annoyance was all the stoplights.  I hate blinking yellow turn lights.  It was a pretty good day for us.

As the year ends, there are memes thanking the year for showing the poster the "true colors" of people around them.  It makes the round every December.  

If you pay attention to what people do more than they say, they're almost always telling you who they really are.  Sometimes you get surprised & can only roll with it.  I'm sure a lot of posters are referring to the election this year.  I wish it hadn't gone this way, but I'm not surprised.  There are too many people who can't handle the thought of a woman in charge, especially a woman of color.  There were too many people who couldn't get off the butts & vote.  Finally, fortune doesn't usually lean my way.

You don't have to be a mind reader to know people's "true colors", just pay attention.  Whether it's politics, life or movie reviews, people can't help outing themselves.  Sometimes we try too hard to see people as we'd like them to be & not as they are.

Take care.

Cya...

Rushed Morning...

 

This is a hurried morning.  We have things to do & need to get around on the way.  We're going to see a movie & get something to eat.  It's been a while.  I just wish it wasn't another dark day.  They're really getting to me.

That's about it for now.   Take care.

Cya...

Drear & Haze...

 

It got dark early yesterday & finally stormed last night.  It's not only dreary this morning, it's hazy as well.  Haze is hard on the eyes.  It doesn't let much light though, but what it does is rough.  It's warm today, but supposed to cool back down midweek.

This is the halfway point of December.   5 Days are left until Yule season starts with the solstice.  There's just a little past that before Christmas & New Years.

That's about it this morning.  Take care.

Cya...

Maybe Finally...

 

According to this piece, the CDC is taking input on modifying their recommendation for HIV testing with primary care providers.  They are pushing for the test to become part of standard care.  It would be as common as a CBD, CMP, Lipid Panel, etc...  It would be just another lab drawn.  

The goal is to diagnose the illness as soon as possible.  That way treatment has a better chance to prevent damage to the patient.  If the result is negative, it can provide an opportunity for education on the virus & it's prevention.  

The more common this test, the less startling it will be.  If capitalism holds, commonality should drive down the cost of it a well.  Instead of being a novelty for a questionable population, it would be standard care.  This is something people have been trying to accomplish for a long time.  This basic step could help millions.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Dark Morning Again...

 

It's dark this morning after raining most the night.  It didn't dump the month's worth on us in a single storm, only about half of it.  We need the rain.  But, the dark, wet & cold are pretty hard on me.

We don't have much planned.  I'm glad for that, the rest of the month could turn out to be busy for us.  We're normally not out much on Tuesday's, but that seems be the day a lot is getting handled.  

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

Making Plans...

 

We're trying to get our holiday plans set.  We'll see how that goes.  We have some ideas of what we think will work.  Some of it depends on things beyond us.  Hopefully we can get this ready & not wind up just winging it or doing nothing.

It's a very dark morning.  It's supposed to storm this evening.  It'd be nice if it wasn't a big storm.  We need some rain, but the rest of it is unwanted.

That's all for now. Take care.

Cya...

Polypharmacy...

 

This article is about polypharmacy in patients with HIV.  Polypharmacy is the act of taking numerous medications for 1 or more conditions the patient may have.  The more medications the higher chance of negative outcomes from polypharmacy.  This can lead to numerous dangerous side effects ranging from minor conditions like low energy to more serious outcomes such as frailty & cognitive decline. 

The article talks about this & attempting to rule out this phenomenon when considering what is polypharmacy & what is an actual comorbidity.  This was an interesting piece.  The possibility of polypharmacy & comorbidity both increase with age & illness. 

When starting a new medication, you should always check with your medical provider or pharmacist for interactions between drugs.  There are several places online for checking to see if meds have interactions.  This is the site at Drugs.com.

Give this a read.  Take care.

Cya...

Yesterday...

 

Yesterday didn't go as planned.  The pharmacy didn't get my meds in so we didn't go there.  Hopefully, they're in today.  We did get the sofa & chair ordered. We got a reasonable price buy.  I just hope they're decent pieces.  The only place with furniture in stock around here is very expensive.  They won't get delivered for up to 2 weeks out.  

OK, we did it.  We bought furniture.  Something we've been knocking around for quite a bit.  Here's hoping it goes well. 

That's all for me today.  Take care.

Cya...

Bigger Shopping...

 

It was bright for a bit when I woke this morning & then it turned hazy.   Thanks for the blip of sunshine.  This is making very difficult to ever wake up.

We're going to look at furniture today.  The couch has needed replaced for a while.  I just haven't felt up to it.  We'll  also be looking for a chair.  We haven't purchased any furniture in a while.  I always dread buyer's remorse, but the sofa needs to go.

That's it for today.  take care.

Cya...

Not Good On Repeat...

 

Yesterday wasn't good for me.  It was very humid & dark.  The air's been thick with moisture & it's taking it's toll on me.  The cold & wet has already given me chilblains, swelling & rough breathing.  It's not been great for my mood either.   Too bad, this looks to be the weather for December.  The dark of the year sucks.

I handled last Winter better than I am so far this year.  It didn't seem nearly as humid.  I didn't get any major issues until well into the season.  

I've got to get around.   We have shopping to handle.  I'm hoping that's about it.  I don't feel like dealing with a lot more.

Take care.

Cya...

Dismal December...

 

December's being December, a suckfest of cold, drear & ick.  I woke to thick cloud cover.  It looks to be mostly cloudy throughout the month.  There goes any chance of me feeling decent.  It'd be easier if the days were clear even if they weren't bright.  

It's not being a good holiday season.  So many people who normally are holiday happy have checked out this year.  Maybe they're just too burned out to handle holiday things.  I miss the lights.  The lights are about the only things I really like about the holiday.  

It'd be nice to have something positive to say or a solution to offer.  But, I don't have either of those.  Maybe someone else will, but not me.  I'm staying far too in the moment for my own sake.  Not sure what I can do about that.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Mores +'s...

 

This article is similar to others I've seen lately.  It deals with a notable uptick in HIV cases in New York.  The researchers doubt it's due to an actual increase in cases existing.  They think it's due to an increase in testing.

3 factors are presented.  COVID knocked back access, availability & willingness to get tested.  Next, besides being more accessible, testing has improved.  Finally, some outreach programs in previously hesitant groups are starting to show some results.

This was a decent piece of the matter.  It wasn't necessarily that the cases weren't there before.  They just weren't getting diagnosed & counted.   Education, awareness & testing will always be as important as any other factor in the fight against HIV.

Take care.

Cya...

1st December Friday...

 

This is the 4th to last Friday of 2024.  We have shopping to handle this morning.  It got fairly cold last night, but the next few nights should be a bit warmer.  We don't have much planned.  I hope nothing pops up demanding attention.  

I guess that's about it for now.  I didn't see much in the way of articles.  Maybe everything is winding down for the year.  

More tomorrow.  Take care.

Cya...

Not Clicking...

 

There are seasonal things I can usually use during the holiday times to help me through.  They aren't working well, if at all, this year.  Normally there's TV specials, lights & music.  The holidays specials usually started the Friday after Thanksgiving.  So far, there's been none of the standards.  The only lights I'm seeing are those in our window.  I can usually get lost in the blinking lights, but not this year.  I can hardly get myself to listen to holiday music.   I'd guess that I was just off holidays again, but no one else seems that on about it either.  A few stores have put things up, but not many houses.  

I'm not handling the cold as well this year.  The light levels are draining me.  The dark of the year is just cold, crap.  Maybe things will pick up a bit.  They probably won't, but that'd be nice.  I doubt I'll find the holly or the jolly this season.

Take care.

Cya...

IMO HIV FIght's Big Problem...

 

I think a serious problem concerning the fight against HIV is rarely addressed.  Yes there's stigma & costs, but I'd still say the biggest problem I face is how removed everything is from my everyday life.  This fight is over 4 decades old, with over a million patients, yet it's still treated as if it's a specialty.  Nearly every aspect of HIV care could be handled locally by general medical providers.   

This article stresses the importance of community involvement.  It's a good read taking into perspective the need for more awareness, testing, normalcy, connection & support.  If you're in a large, metro area, there may be a lot of options.  If you're in a small town or rural area there's not much.  I have access to a telemedicine place & a lab, that's it.  There are no local support groups or services.  It might've been better if I'd had access to those.  It might've just been weird for me.  Either way, it would've been a very different experience than what I've had.

Give this article a read.  The fight against HIV needs to reach out.  That's all for now.

Cya...

Off Monday...

 

I didn't have a good morning yesterday.  My PC was a little wonky (worked this morning).  I didn't wake up well.  The later morning light is really screwing with me waking.   Combine that with the early dark & my body isn't doing well.  We had less than 10 hours of light yesterday.  By mid month, we'll have later sunrises than now.  The sunset will slowly start edging later, like by half minutes.  But by late December, sunrise will be almost 7:30.  It won't start lightening again until mid January.

Add to that, my trip to Walmart wasn't good.  I had to ask someone where an item might be.  My mistake, the man promptly took offense & bit my head off.  Another associate saw it & helped me report it to the manager.  They didn't even have what I was looking for.  He could've just told me that.  The other associate told me later I wasn't the 1st person to complain about the man that morning.  Apparently someone was having a bad day & I was a convenient target.  Still, I just figured out this morning, that I was so distracted that I forgot some things.  Something else I'll have to handle.  

I've got to get around.  Today is bill & errand day.  At least it's bright out.  Take care.

Cya...

1st of Month December...

 

The 1st of the month is here & that means bill stuff starts.  Had to handle the beginning of that this morning.  I'm not having an easy time waking lately & to start the day my PC was glitchy.   I think it was the high humidity & cold temps.  I guess we'll see.

We've got to go shopping.  This will be it for the morning.  

Take care.

Cya...

Hello December & World AIDS Day...

 

Hello December, maybe you won't suck as much as the rest of the year.   It'd be nice to have a decent month.  I know the way things are going that's a long shot.

Today is World AIDS Day.  The Org & HIV.Gov have pages on this.   This year's theme is collective action.  Working together to sustain & acerlate HIV progress.  

The last month of 2024 has begun.  I wish I had a brighter outlook on things, but I don't.   Every year since 2000 has steadily gone downhill.  That's really bad considering I was diagnosed in 2000.  

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...