June 17, 2013 Monday Afternoon

Saturday night we made hamburgers and beans for supper.  Spent the night watching the past weeks Falling Sky's episodes and then went to bed around 9 PM, head pounding.

Sunday morning we got up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot.  Spent the morning reading the newspaper as my eye watered.  Not easy to read with your eye watering.  Made eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast since I didn't think it fair to leave the house to go out to eat and ruin everyone else breakfast by the look of my face.    Was happy after breakfast I finally pooped.  Had not pooped for 8 days, since the pain and pain pills started.  Even though I had not ate much in the past week, a person needs to go before the eighth day.  Was not as painful as I was thinking it was going to be and was just happy to have this problem crossed off my list of problems.  It was very nice outside, sunny and in the 70s.   Decided not to go to my parents house for Father's Day since the head hurts so much, the face looks so horrible, and people talking to me is like knives being tossed at my face, the pain is so bad.   Around 1 PM we decided to load up the scooter and check out a car show on the south side of town.  Was glad we brought the scooter since it turned out to be a bigger car show than I thought and walking around the whole thing would not have been an option.  Was happy to be on my scooter with my big floppy hat and huge sun glasses so no one could see me or recognize me if we ran into anyone we knew.  Stopped off at Sonic for some late lunch and then came home.  Was exhausted by the time we got home.  I am amazed at how draining physically this Shingles thing is also.  Spent Sunday night watching the movie OZ The Great And Powerfull and went to bed around 9 PM.  The movie was good enough.  I was happy we watched it.  Tony slept through most of it.  Took another round of pain pills and went to sleep around 10 PM.

This morning I was up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Here is what my face looks like today.  The picture does not show the pulsing pain in my head.

The swelling under my eye has me worried.  I did make a doctor appointment for Wednesday with my regular doctor so she can check me out and see if I am healing as I should or something more needs to be done.  I counted today and I have taken 22 pain pills since Thursday.   Of course in the beginning they were every hour and now I can at least wait four hours until the next round of thunder in the brain and pounding begins.  Any loud noise or fast movement is horribly painful.  It is like my brain moves in my head and hurts, if that makes sense.   Took another pain pill at 11 AM and then at 11:30 AM I decided to take my scooter three blocks down the street to Pick N Save.  Today has been the first day since I bought the damn thing that I even considered going with it to the grocery store.   Made it to the grocery store and back with minimal problems.  I did forget my coin change in the change machine, which I remembered halve way home.  Looked at the receipt to see it would have been 54 cents.  Oh well, I can get over that.  Made the next customers day I am sure when they got their change from paying.  Feeling itchy and tired of the head pounding pain.  Bought some ribs for supper tonight already baked and just need heating.  Will make some salads and a side to go with the ribs.   Will most likely spend the night watching a movie, not going out anywhere and subjecting them to my ugly mug.  Felt sorry for the Pick N Save clerk having to look at my scabby face.  I do have to take Vito tomorrow for a vet appointment.  Depending on my head pain, I might have to have Tony help.  Even bending over just makes the head THROB.

June 15, 2013 Saturday Afternoon

I don't usually post on the weekend but thought I would since I am doing so little else.  Friday night I actually felt like I was feeling a bit better.  My eye started opening to the point where I could actually use it to watch TV.  Put some cold compresses on the eye for a while to take down the swelling.  Stayed up watching TV until around 9 PM, before we went to the bedroom to watch a final hour of 20 / 20 on TV before going to sleep.  Took my anti viral and pain pill before going to sleep and for the first time in a week sleep until 3 AM, getting up to go to the bathroom and take another pain pill because of the head pain. 

Slept in until 7 AM, waking up feeling I was on my way to recovery.  When I say this, it is only because I have gotten to the point where I can control the pain enough to wait four hour in between each pain pill rather than just an hour or two like in the beginning.  Spent all day today doing very little.  Tony went to the shop to cut the grass and go to the bank afterwards.  I took a nap.  Very tired and could just sleep.  Having to put ice under my left eye now to get rid of the swelling where before yesterday the swelling was always behind or above the eye.  So, I slept almost all night and feel like I am controlling the pain for once, rather than the pain controlling me.   Take a deep breath.  Here is what the Shingles virus looks like on my shoulder and face today.  I won't be able to leave the house for months, if ever looking like this.  Looks like I had a motorcycle accident and road rash.

June 14, 2013 Friday Afternoon

Went to my eye doctor appointment only to have to wait almost an hour to see him.  By the time he came in the room I told him we have to do this fast and get me out of here.  Checked my eyes with his machines and said there is no damage so far to the eye, which is good, since now we are on the antibiotic Valacyclovir.   Got home around 5:30 PM and sat in pain wondering what Tony was planning for supper.  Of course, nothing.  After a little arguing, he went to McDonald's.  If I have to tell him one more time to 'look at my face' when he things I am going to serve him or take care of HIM like it is any other day and I don't have Shingles.  Ate a half a burger and little by little drank the strawberry shake, taking it out of the freezer to eat a little all night.  I swear the cold shake was the best just letting the ice cream melt in my mouth.   Spent the night in bed watching old reruns of Everybody Loves Ramond.  Really more listening then watching since the eyes don't focus to good. Not easy to type this either, if you were wondering, with one eye open.  Actually only got up every two hours to take my Oxycodone / Acetaminophen 5-325MG, which is an improvement from every hour. 

Was out of bed by 6 AM and got the dogs fed.  Tony left for work around 7 AM.  I told him to have fun at work today since I am sorry to say home life sucks.  Spent all day doing very little.  I did manage to eat a half a bowl of soup this afternoon.   Weighed myself and was so surprised to see I have lost 10 lbs since last week.  I know this isn't good, but you all know loosing 10 lbs, is loosing 10 lbs, no matter how we do it.  Plus since I quite smoking almost 2 weeks ago I should have gained 10 lbs rather than lost them.  So ..... silver lining?   I now have scabs and pimples all over my body, here and there.  Mostly in the back of my head and neck now.  They itch like hell.  My eye is getting slightly better and I am trying to keep it open as much as possible with drops.   I was able to wait 4 hours in between pain pills all day today, so this is good also.  Most likely will do very little this weekend, poor Tony.  But he always does just want to lay around and do nothing, so here is his time.  Hell, he could do projects around the house but that would be like  ....  work?   Doesn't look like I will be out much this Summer anyway since the scabs and marks on my face will not make me want to go out in public.   Thanks for all your well wishes.  Honestly, they mean more than you would imagine.  Here is a picture of what my face looks like today.  Please do not pass this around the Internet.  LOL.  This is what it looks like to have Shingles in your head and eye.  Not sure you can see the pain?

                                                           Not very pretty, hey?

June 13, 2013 Thursday Morning

Shingles!

Around 2:30 AM last night I packed my bag and drove to Emergency.  My head was hurting so much and my left eye can hardly open.  Plus I am getting scabs and sores around my head, forehead, top of my scalp and my eye burns and waters if I open it.  Got to emergency and was put in a room pretty quick because of how horrible I looked.  Nurse checked me out and soon the doctor came in the room.  She walked up to me and put her hands on my cheeks and looked me in the eye and said, 'Oh, my dear, I am so sorry, you have shingles'.   Soon I was given a shot or morphine for the pain and another shot for ..... I am not sure.  Both in the butt.  Was also given 2 anti viral pills and 2 pain pills.   Called Tony at home and told him to come get me since the doctor didn't want me driving home even though I am only a mile away from the hospital.  I have to call an eye doctor because of all the swelling and the fact the shingles has gone into my left eye, burning like hell and I can not open it.  Waters if I do.  Tony soon showed up and about a half hour later I was released and told to go home and sleep.  I did drive home with Tony following me.  Typing this with my eye closed which is not easy.   So today I have to get my meds from Walgreen's and set and appointment with the eye doctor they gave me the number for on this side of town.  Would hate to loose my eye sight over this.   So, that is it,  I honestly am not happy to hear I have shingles but I must say I am happy I was diagnosed with something they knew so I can fix it.  So best to know even though it sucks what I got.  Going to the couch and will be doing very little today but getting meds and the eye doctor.  Wanted to let you guys all know what was going on.  I should have gone to emergency sooner.  Glad I finally just did.

June 12, 2013 Wednesday Afternoon

Ate a half a slice of pizza for supper and that was it.  Spent the night in bed watching America's Got Talent with an ice pack on my head.  Was up every hour on the hour all night long in pain.  Getting up to take another pill or switch out the ice pack.

This morning I was out of bed by 6 AM since I could not just lay there in pain anymore.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and Tony soon left for work.   Tony has been very good helping a bit more with feeding them and doing things around the house.  I appreciate it so much because listening to teh dogs bark as I get their food ready is painful to the head.  This morning I called my regular general practice doctor to be told she thinks I should go to emergency for the pain since she can not fit me in for over a week.  I just can not see going to emergency and spending the huge dollars to do that if this is just a sinus thing.  Since I still had not eaten anything by 9 AM this morning I decided to go get my 6 month blood test which I had planned on doing tomorrow morning anyway.  I figure if I go to emergency at any time I can always tell them I just had my round of blood tests and hopefully some results.  Plus who knows if I will be dead by tomorrow from the pain, so I better get the blood test today rather than tomorrow.  Not that the blood test will matter much if I am dead.  Stopped off at Pick N Save to buy some fruit and milk for Tony just in case I end up in the hospital.  Not good for me to be out when my mind isn't working because as I grabbed my bags out of the cart and headed to the car I could not find my car and house keys.  Back tracked through the store and finally went to customer service to first be told no keys were found and then as I was walking away she got a call and yelled for me that my keys were found.  Guess I set them down near the cherries.  Wow, I would never do that.  Really didn't need all this problems when my head hurts, pounding in pain.  Came home and spent the day mostly in bed with ice.  Called my HIV doctor this afternoon and he just called me back.  He agreed that if the pain is that bad I need to go to emergency.  So there it is.  Both my doctors telling me to go to emergency and spend a ton of money.  Not very happy right now.  So, the plan I told my HIV doctor is that if this pain is still here in the morning I will go to emergency first thing.  HIV doctor thinks it might be a migraine thing and maybe a scan would be needed.  Sounds like a lot of money out the pocket.  So that is the plan.  I will try to make it thought the night hoping for a break.  If by morning or sometime before that I can no longer take the pain, I will be in emergency.  Guess I have no choice at this point.  My left eye only opens half way because of the pain and for some reason I have two scabs forming, one on my forehead and one on my nose right between my eyes.  Might be a fever thing from all the sweating?  Making some salads and beef ribs for supper along with some potatoes.  I will not eat much or anything but I have not cooked all week and Tony needs at least one good meal.  I haven't eaten much in the past week.  I honestly should weigh myself.  I think that might be uplifting seeing how much weight I have lost not eating in the past week.  Thanks for all your comments.  I read every one and appreciate all and any advice.  I promise, by tomorrow at this time I will either be better or in emergency finding out what the hell is wrong with me.  What a waste of almost a week.  Damn, if I had a job, I'd be fired.

June 11, 2013 Tuesday Afternoon

Had Tony pick up Wendy's food for supper last night.  Ate about half the chili hoping it would open my sinus's before I just wasn't hungry any more.  Went to bed around 7 PM with ice packs on my forehead and moving them around my head to relieve the pain.  I get these sinus infections about once a year which is why I stay an antibiotic ahead in the medicine cabinet so I have them ready to take.  I also have all the pain meds and sinus meds a person could have without being arrested.  In the past if I went to the doctor half way through these sinus episodes I am usually told to continue the antibiotic and sooner or later it just breaks and I am better.  Honestly it has never lasted this long and I am half way through my antibiotic of Levoquin.  Took an 800 mg ibuprofen an hour ago which seems to be giving me some relief.  I can only take them for so long until they rot out my stomach and I start throwing up again.  At least I am not typing and holding my head at the same time right now.  Spent all day today just trying to survive the head pain.  I did get laundry again done today because I woke up dripping wet again this morning.  Vacuumed and did a little dusting before the throbbing in my head began again and soon I was on the bed with ice packs.    I do feel sorry for Tony and the dogs because I have had no love to share with any of them this past week the way I feel.   Making a frozen pizza and a salad for Tony tonight.  Will most likely spend the night on the couch or in bed watching America's Got Talent with ice packs on my head.   I pray this pain ends soon or I will have to call my regular doctor.  That's another thing with having HIV.  Which fricken doctor do you call for things like this?  Only good thing I can think of is the fact it has been one week today that I had my last cigarette.  Made it a week.

June 10, 2013 Monday Afternoon

Had one of the worst weekends of my life last weekend and it just continues.

Went to my 4 PM foot therapy appointment on Friday only to get there with my head pounding.  Looked at the therapist and told him I simply can not do the therapy and I am going home.  Got home and soon got a phone call from my HIV doctor about my Neuropathy and he said he will take me off Truvada and put me on Epzicom with my next refills.  Great, another round of new side effects to have to deal with.  I did look it up on the Internet and Truvada does cause Neuropathy in some people.  Not many though.  Oh well, was in too much pain to ask much more.  Tony got home from work and I put in a TV dinner for him for supper.  We spent the night watching the movie A Good Day To Die Hard, with ice packs on my forehead.  Went to the bed around 9 PM and started taking pills, any pills, sinus pills, pain pills, anything that might stop this sinus pain.  I was up all night.  Didn't sleep even an hour from all the pain.

Got up Saturday morning and after I fed the dogs I went back to bed.  Got up to throw up and then the fun began.  Spent all day Saturday going from the bed to the sink to throw up.  Couldn't even keep down water or crackers.  Of course Saturday was Pridefest here in Milwaukee and I was so mad.  Never in all my years have I missed Pridefest here in Milwaukee.  I kept on apologizing to Tony and told him if he wanted to go he could.  Of course he did not and would would not have either if the tables were turned.  Never ate more than 3 crackers all day Saturday and spent the entire day in bed.

Sunday I was up holding my head in the living room when Tony got up with the dogs.  Fed the dogs and went back to bed for a while.  Not only is this Pridefest, but today is the big Locust Street block party.  Two blocks away and best block party of Milwaukee.  I took a shower around 10:30 AM and loaded up with pills, meds, anything.  I simply could not ruin any more of Tony's weekend so I got the strength to go up to Locust Street, me in my scooter, and watch the beginning beer run around the neighborhood.  I still have not had a thing to eat since Friday lunch and my head still shooting pain.  Stayed for an hour and headed home.  Loaded up on my pills and went to the Pridefest parade on 2nd Street in the Third Ward.  Half way through the parade my feet hurt so bad I was shifting from foot to foot and my head was pounding.  I finally just sat down off to the side not caring about the parade.  We left before it ended I simply could not take the pain in my feet and head.  The pain in my head is like your worst hang over ever.  When you just hold your head and rub the temples hoping for any relief.   I did start an antibiotic on Friday but threw it up on Saturday morning.  I also have not had a cigarette in almost a week now and I am coughing which then feels like my head is going to explode.  Went to the bedroom around 7 PM and just watching TV with an ice pack on my temples.  Was up all night in pain and got less than a couple hours of sleep.

Got up today to feed the dogs and have spent all day in bed.  Head feeling like it is going to split open.  I did get some chicken noodle soup to stay down this afternoon, but it did not help the head pain.  Going back to the couch.  This sinus thing better break soon or I am getting he gun. Will call Tony and tell him to just pick himself something up on the way home for supper.  Not cooking a thing and going back to bed after I spell check and post.  I honestly have taken enough pills to kill a small dog, done nothing for me though.  Forgot to even mention the sweating and having to change the sheets and pillow cases every day since Friday.  I have had this before.  It is an alergy sinus infection and it simply has to run it's course, making life horrible.  I honestly have never had it last this long or be this painful in the past.  I keep thinking every time I wake up dripping wet I might have broke the damn infection.  It better happen soon.

June 7, 2013 Friday Afternoon

Spent last night holding my head and watching the movie A Haunted House.  Seems a sinus infection has taken over and my head was pounding, and still is now as I type this blog post.  Took a bunch of pills and went to sleep around 9:30 PM feeling horrible.  Woke up at 3 AM with my head feeling like it was going to explode.  Took another round of pills and laid in bed, head pounding.

Got up this morning at 7 AM.  Took another round of sinus pills, fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.   Read a little of the morning newspaper and then went back to bed.  Didn't really sleep, just laid there holding my head from the pain.  Can't even breath on the left side of my sinus's they are so clogged.  Got up again around 11 AM, showered and met the guy for lunch.  Seems all us guys are sick with this sinus infection.  Ate lunch and headed home.  Stopped off at Walgreen's to pick up some prescriptions and sinus meds on my way home.  Called my HIV doctor and left a message regarding my feet and if it might be the HIV meds.  Laid on the bed for an hour and soon my HIV doctor called back to talk to me about my feet problems.  He is going to change my HIV meds from the blue Truvada pill to a yellow pill with my next refill, just in case it is the Truvada causing the Neuropathy in my feet.  Didn't even ask what the yellow pill is, figured he knows best.  Will get the new meds in two weeks when I pick up my next months worth.  So I will keep taking the Truvada for another two weeks.  My left side of my head is pounding so bad I don't even know if I will go to my 4 PM foot therapy today.  Not a good weekend to be sick since this weekend is Pridefest and the big Locust Street block party on Sunday.  Will do what we can.  Thankfully Tony is just as sick as me.  Having a real hard time typing through this head pain so I am going end this post for the weekend.  Life just keeps getting more painful.  Between the feet and the head and sinus problems I just want to crawl in bed and sleep until it passes.

June 6, 2013 Thursday Afternoon

Went out for supper with Tony's sister in law last night and had a great shrimp dinner and french fries as well as great conversation.  When we got home we spent the rest of the night watching the movie It's A Disaster.  About a group of friends together for a house party when the world is attacked and they have to tape up the house and stay indoors.  Of course all kinds of secrets and affairs come up and they cant leave the house.  It was OK.  Entertaining enough.  Went to bed around 9 PM to watch an hour of TV before going to sleep.

This morning I was up by 6:30 AM.  Did the usual morning routine of feeding the dogs and getting Tony out the door for work.  Decided to exchange a pair of shoes I bought a couple weeks ago at Kohl's but never wore yet.  Thought a half size smaller might be better and thought it better to take care of the exchange while I still could.  Drove to Kohl's and exchanged the shoes for a 9.5 instead of a size 10.  They will be my back up pair and stay in the box until needed.  Tried on about 10 pairs of shoes trying to find anything that felt good on my feet.  Finally put on a pair of Crocs and I loved them.  Bought them on sale and even got another 30% off because of my coupon and using my Kohl's charge.  Got the Crocs for $30 which seemed like a deal to me.  I figure I must have spent close to $400 on shoes and inserts in the past two months trying to find anything I can walk in without pain.  Still debating if I am going to return the inserts I bought yesterday.  Honestly I wish I could return the $60 inserts I bought there 2 months ago, or some of the other 10 inserts, since I used them once or twice, and now they are sitting on the shelf with the other 10 or more inserts I bought.  To bad I have had them too long.  Drove the truck so I could stop off at Home Depot to buy some 2 x 8 panels of lattice for under the scooter ramp.  Bought the lattice.  Stopped off for a steak egg and cheese bagel at McDonald's on my way home.  Spent an hour cutting the lattice to fit under the ramp.  Looks real nice.  I am very happy with this ramp project and how it looks and turned out.  Took a two hour nap with the dogs this afternoon since it is cloudy, drizzling and only in the 50s again today in Milwaukee.  Was a great day to take a nap.  My feet feel better today than they have in a long time.  I do think it is because I have not been on them much.  When I say 'better' it by no way means I could run down the street or take a walk around the block.  It simply means I haven't had to use my scooter today yet to get around the house.  It is early yet.  The construction on the apartment complex across the street is in full work mode.  There is a lot of activity as they dig the sewers and water lines as well as digging the foundations of the buildings.  Trucks coming and going all day and there is about 20 guys in my view that I see as I look out the window.  Unfortunately not one is very good looking playing in all the mud.  Today is my third day without a cigarette.  Actually didn't even remember I forgot to put the patch on until I was in Kohl's.  Still have not put one on and think I will make it thought the day not needing the patch.  Not a cig in the house so I will not fail.  Will wear the patch on days I need it, most likely this weekend at Pridefest and Locust Street festival as I see everyone smoking.  Talked with my mom this afternoon for a while.  Had a nice conversation and glad we are so close now.  Time to start supper.  Making a Hormel beef roast, noodles and a salad.  Will most likely spend the night watching another movie.

June 5, 2013 Wednesday Afternoon

This morning I was up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony out the door to go to work.  Spent the morning reading the newspaper and doing things around the house.  The morning went by so fast I could not believe it was time to leave for my foot therapy at 10:30 AM.  Discussed with the therapist how the massage of the feet seems to be the best thing and the ultra sound and electric current things are not doing much for me.  With that said the therapist spent most of the hour just massaging my feet, which felt great.  Stopped off at Pick N Save to do the weekly grocery shopping.  Mapped out the store in my head as I walked in and went down as few aisles as possible trying to be nice to my feet.  Got home with the groceries, put them away, and sat on the couch.  Damn, that felt good to get off my feet.  Thought about shoes again so I went to a shoe store for better shoes.  Was willing to spend any amount if I found a pair that fit good.  Didn't find a pair of shoes but did find an insert I liked.  Going to just relax on the couch for the next hour or so before Tony comes home.  We are then going out to eat at the Track's bar two blocks away to meet Tony's sister in law for supper.  I think if I get off my feet for the next hour I will be able to go from the car to the restaurant.  Will most likely have a drink or two with her and then come home.  Not much on TV again tonight so depending on when we get home we might watch a movie.  Was cloudy and in the 50s today in Milwaukee.  Cold, damp, and drizzled most of the day.  Guess we had our Summer last week when we had two nice days back to back in the 70s.

June 4, 2013 Tuesday Afternoon

Spent last night on the couch with my feet up, rubbing them here and there.  Watched a couple episodes of Operation Repo and then watched the movie 10 Years.  It was a slow moving movie about a 10 year reunion.  I would skip this movie unless you have nothing else to watch.  Went to bed around 9 PM and finished the night off watching a couple episodes of Everyone Loves Ramond before going to sleep.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Read a little of the newspaper and was outside working on the scooter ramp by 8:30 AM.  Thankfully by about 1 PM I was finished because my feet were killing me and I could not stand any more.  Took a quick shower hoping the entire time it would end sooner because standing in the shower was not fun and the pain on my feet was horrible.  Spent about an hour on the couch, which seemed to help a lot.  The ramp turned out better than I could have imagined and I am very happy.  Works great and even took the scooter up and down it a couple times.  It is very strong and could be used for a wheelchair ramp if that day ever should come.  Here is a picture of the scooter ramp I made these past few days.

Making some chicken corden blue and beef flavored rice with a salad for supper tonight.  Will most likely spend the night watching America's Got Talent.  I do like this show but could do without Howard Stern on the show.  He seems to think it is 'his' show.  Seems the Neuropathy is bothering me more than the Mortons Neuroma these days.  I go to my foot doctor in two weeks and then to my HIV doctor a week later.  Hopefully one of them will give me some relief or suggestions to help with the foot pain.  The only way I can explain it best is to have you think of the time you went to Disnew World or something like that and how your feet felt at the end of the day of walking.  That is how my feet feel by noon these days.   I once again have put the nicotine patch on to stop smoking.  I figure smoking can't be helping my circulation feet problems and I should have quit a long time ago.  Not a cig in the house and a full two weeks of patches to wear.  Wish me luck.  It is all part of the new life changes I seem to be going through lately.

June 3, 2013 Monday Afternoon

Spent Friday night watching the two episodes of One Life To Live and then the movie Identity Thief.  It was a great movie and recommend it.  Went to bed around 10 PM for a bit of lovin.

Saturday morning we were up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs and gave Vito his Insulin shot.  Went to Kenosha which is about 45 minutes away to look at and eventually buy the scooter a lady on Craigslist was selling.  Loved it and paid the lady.  Drove home and spent the day doing thing around the house like fixing the gate and making the path in the back wider for my scooter.  By the time night came my feet were killing me.  Went out to eat and had a great bacon cheese hamburger.  Spent the night watching the movies Night Of The Living Dead Resurrection and Seven Psychopaths, as I massaged my feet.  Both were horrible movies and I wish I could get that four hour back and watch different movies.  Went to bed around 10:30 PM.

Sunday we were again up by 7 AM.  Made breakfast and spent the morning playing around the house on my scooter.  I love it.  Even took the scooter out two blocks in the afternoon with Tony to buy lottery tickets.  Around 4 PM we saw a mother bird feeding her baby out front and looked in the nature camera to see all three birds had left the nest during the day.  Ordered a pizza delivered for supper and spent the night watching Million Dollar Listing and then the movie The Falls.  Was a great gay themed movie.  Went to bed around 9:30 PM for some lovin.

This morning I was up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  My plan is to build a ramp in the side of the yard so I can go out with my scooter into the world.  Tony promised to buy the wood I need while I was at my 11 AM therapy appointment.  By the time I got home all the wood was in the back yard.  I wanted to buy the wood on Sunday but Tony was so lazy I made him promise to go buy it today.  Spent the entire afternoon making the frame for the ramp.  I will take some pictures.  Making TV dinners and salads for supper.  Will most likely spend the night watching a movie and staying off my feet.  My feet are killing me from working outside all day building the scooter ramp. 

May 31, 2013 Friday Afternoon

Spent last night watching Motive and Rookie Blue before going to bed around 10 PM, after a little lovin.

This morning I was up by 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony out the door.  I had researched some stores that sell motorized scooters or chairs and started calling them at 9 AM.  Found a place in Cudahy and left the house around 10:30 AM to go to the store.  Learned a lot at the store and realized I would want a scooter rather than a motorized chair.  They are lighter and I like having a handle bar.  Found one I like for $1000.  Said they would hold it until Monday if I came back then.  Will have to make a decision over the weekend.  Got home in time to let the dogs out and then go have lunch with the guys.  Only five of us today but we had a good lunch.  The conversation was mostly on me and my feet problems.  Came home and took a short nap with the dogs.  Spent the last hour or so on the Internet and Craigslist.com looking for used scooters I can buy this weekend.  I honestly need one by next weekend since it will be Pridefest and a local block party we go to yearly.  I am not going to go all Summer not going to a festival.  Found a scooter like the one I almost bought on Craigslist for $500.  Emailed the seller a message and hope I hear from them.  The seller is pretty far away but to save $500 I would go there tomorrow to check it out and possibly buy it.  What the heck is a saving account or credit cards for if not for times like this.  Tony is finally coming around to the idea of a scooter and I already know where I would make ramps and stuff to get into the house.  It is also light enough to pick up by myself, but better if two picked it up to make it easier.  Folds up good to go in the trunk of the car.  So I hope I hear from the guy on Craigslist because I will buy it from him for $500.  Making left over spaghetti and salads for supper tonight.  No plans this weekend and will most likely spend a good chunk of the weekend just being at home, off my feet, and watching TV.  It was about 70 today in Milwaukee and cloudy.  Very humid, but nice breeze off the lake to cool us down and keep it from getting to warm.

May 30, 2013 Thursday Afternoon

Spent last night watching the movie Jack Reacher.  It was OK.  I am not a Tom Cruise fan but the movie was entertaining enough.  Went to bed around 10 PM.

Was up this morning by 6:30 AM, dripping wet.  Had cold chills and sweating like crazy.  Got up and fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot.  Told Tony on his way out the door that I HATE MY FOOT.  Called and canceled my therapy appointment since I did not feel good.  Put shoes on today and got rid of the boot.  It is doing no good for my foot.  Spent the morning searching the web on information on Mortons Neuroma.  Nothing good and no good answers or remedies.  Shots and surgery are options but have little success.  Most just seem to say to buy new shoes that are wide and deal with it.  Read the shots are not just 'one shot' but a series of shots.  I am so scared of needles and the posts say it is very painful.  I am so damn depressed.   Spent the afternoon laying on the couch with the dogs listening to slow music and feeling sorry for myself.  Made a short video this afternoon on the computer since I can't do much walking.  Here it is.

Making spaghetti for supper tonight.  Will most likely spend the night massaging my foot and watching TV.  Still not feeling good and hope I am not getting a bug or something that is going around.  I have enough to deal with with the foot, I don't need to be sick on top of it.  Figure I am going to get through the weekend and if no improvement by Monday I am going to have to just call the doctor and schedule cortisone shots. 

I also added a link at the bottom of this page to our Holy Union from May 22, 1993.  I had to cut the first and last songs as well as the Communion to make the video small enough to upload.

May 29, 2013 Wednesday Afternoon

Spent last night watching the HBO movie Behind The Candelabra.  It was a good movie but man was Liberace screwed up.  Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Read the morning newspaper and then showered to start the day.  Left the house a little before 10 AM to take Kali to the vet to have her anal glands cleaned.  Vet said it was a good thing we brought her in because she was 'full'.  Got breakfast at McDonald's on the way home.  Spent the rest of the day just doing things around the house and reading my mom's book she gave me.  Took a short nap with the dogs but had a hard time laying in bed with it being so nice outside.  It is sunny and 70 degrees today in Milwaukee.  In a half hour I leave for my 4 PM foot physical therapy.  Going to pick up some subs and soup at the store next to the therapy and bring them home for supper.  No cooking tonight.  Will most likely spend the night watching another movie since there is very little on TV other than reruns.

May 28, 2013 Tuesday Afternoon

Spent Friday night watching the movie No Night To Long.  It was a gay themed movie and was pretty good.  Went to bed around 10:30 PM after the news.

Saturday morning we were up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot.  Read the morning newspaper and waited for Tony's employee to show up so 'they' could start the upstairs kitchen counter and sink project.  By 10 AM we started without him.  Tony could not get hold of him all day so we did the counter and sink without him.  Such loyal employees he has.  Finished by about 4 PM and it turned out OK.  We did make a cut too long on the sink when the saw slipped.  Thankfully it was Tony and not me who screwed up the counter.  Nothing a little caulk couldn't fix.  Ordered a Pizza delivered for supper and spent the night watching Any Day Now and Struck By Lightning.  Both were very good movies.  Went to bed around 11 PM.  Here is a picture of the kitchen counter and sink we installed today upstairs.

 

Sunday morning we were up again by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot.  After we read the morning newspaper we showered and then drove to the south side of town to have breakfast with Tony's mom.   Had a nice breakfast and took the lake front roads home.  By the time we got home Tony's employee had called and he met us at the house so him and Tony could work on the hot water in the shower upstairs.  They had the clog cleared in no time and just had to go to the hardware store for a washer and it was done.  They now have a good stream of hot water in their shower upstairs.  As they worked on the shower I road my bike with my boot two blocks down the street to buy the weekly lottery tickets.  Glided most of the way to the store.  Took a two hour nap finishing off the nap with a little lovin.  Made some steaks on the grill and spent the night watching the movie The Guilt Trip.  It was a good enough movie to rent but could have been much funnier.  Went to bed around 10 PM.

 

Monday morning we were again up by 7 AM.  Saturday and Sunday were in the 60s and partly cloudy, today it was rain all day.  Made pancakes and bacon for breakfast.  My foot was killing me from going up and down the stairs so many times the prior days so we decided to do very little all day.  Tony was napping on the couch by 11 AM as we watched TV and listened to the rain fall.  Took a nap in the afternoon which again turned into a little lovin.  Spent the night watching the series final of Smash (will miss this show) and then started watching the movie Dark Skies.  Was a good scary movie.   Went to bed around 10 PM.

 

This morning I was up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Read the morning newspaper and left the house to go to my 10 AM foot therapy appointment.  Told the therapist I hate my feet and if I could walk on my hands I would.   Bought some potato soup at the deli next door and came home.  After I ate the soup, which was very good, I took a two hour nap with the dogs.  It is warming up outside to the 70s but it rained all morning and more rain is coming this afternoon, tonight, and the next few days.  Making a Hormel beef roast, mashed potato and salad for supper tonight.  Will most likely spend the night watching the HBO movie Behind the Candelabra since I downloaded it yesterday.

May 24, 2013 Friday Afternoon

Spent last night watching this weeks episodes of One Life To Live on Hulu.com.  The show is moving too slow and I can see why more people are not watching the web soap.  Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up by 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony out the door to work.  Read the morning paper and then I put another round of Just For Men Color in my hair and mustache.  I look ten years younger now.  LOL.  Now my head will itch for days from the color like it always does.  Showered and went to my 10 AM foot physical therapy appointment.  Got home and had enough time to let the dogs out and head back out the door to have lunch with the guys.  Had a good lunch.  One of the couple's is out of town so there were only five of us today.  Even so, the conversation and laughs never stop.  Came home and took a short nap with the dogs.  It might have gotten to 50 degrees today only, but the sun is out.  Will most likely spend the night watching TV from the DVR and a movie I downloaded.  Spending the weekend working on the upstairs tenants apartment putting in a new kitchen sink and counter.  Hopefully also fixing their hot water flow in the shower.  Have a great Memorial Day Weekend everyone.

May 23, 2013 Thursday Afternoon

Tony was home before 5 PM.  After we fed the dogs he showered so we could go out for supper.  Had a great supper at one of our favorite Italian restaurants.  Even ordered the deep fried eggplant as an appetizer.  Got home by 7 PM and exchanged our cards.  I have learned in all the years with Tony that it is much easier and less of a disappointment on holidays to dates to celebrate, to just let him know in advance what I would like from him.  He is not good at surprises and puts little effort into any event if I don't let him know what I would want.  If I don't I am just disappointed and the day or night is ruined.  So this time I told him all I wanted was a card, but I want him to not just pick the first card he reads.  I told him I would like him to read at least FIVE cards and pick out the best one that is sentimental.   He did not pick a sentimental card, but it was just as good and I was happy.   The card was two cartoon figures and they were pictured in different scenarios.  It started out saying It's Our Anniversary.  'Things may have changed a bit since we got married', with a picture of the two at a drive thru saying 'no fries, honey?' and 'no, just a cheeseburger'.  It goes on 'We still go to dinner (but perhaps they're not quite as romantic'.  'And we still like to see a good movie (but not necessarily in a theater)'.  'We still like to write each other little notes (although the subject matter isn't always love)', with a pic of a refrigerator and post its of 'call the dentist', 'grocery list', 'toilet keeps running'.  'And we still like to stay up together (but maybe not as late as we used to)', with a picture of one of the two characters sleeping on the couch snoring.  'But one thing hasn't changed at all ... and that's the special way we feel about each other'.  With a pic of the two holding hands saying 'I love you'.  He did sign the card '20 yrs, wow, who woulda thought'.   'Tons of love Tony'.  So the card did fit us to a 'T' and I was happy.  We then watched last weeks episode season final of Grey's Anatomy, which really upset me.  I was not happy they had one of the two lesbians in the relationship on the show cheat on her spouse.  When they showed the two together we both looked at each other and at the same time said 'how could she do that with all they have been through together'.  I know it is just a scripted TV show and all but I feel it cheapens how people look at gay relationships.  We continued the discussion for a while how we wish the plot would not have been written like this because of all the shit that the two lesbians had been through, much less they got married and have a kid.  As we talked about this it was like we were talking to each other in hidden code.  It was like we were both saying to each other 'I would never do that because of all we have been through together'.  I think most know Tony had heart surgery years ago and he almost died.  I found out I was HIV four years ago.  We have said goodbye to 5 dogs we considered our kids.  And said goodbye to many friend and family including Tony's father.  So we have been through a lot together and been there for each other.   I also have said before how Tony has never looked me in the eye and accused me of how I got HIV.  It has always been like 'what is done is done'.  I have so appreciated that and don't think discussing the details would help in any way.  The past is past.  I honestly don't know how I got HIV, so assuming would be futile.  My point is, it was 'a moment' in our relationship where I felt this connection in what we were saying.  It was like we raised to a higher level in just that conversation.  After 24 years together it is nice to have those moments.  We went to bed around 10 PM and as we were cuddling Tony said to me 'I love you'.   Tony does not say it often but was the first to say it when we were dating.  So hearing it makes it seem with more meaning.  I told him I loved him also and after a little more cuddling it turned into a round of lovin.   No, he didn't say I Love You just to get some lovin.  I'm pretty easy in that department with out the I Love You first.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM.  Was hard to get out of bed.  I felt so tired today.  Of course the rain and cloudiness didn't help.  I swear on these med on cloudy days my mind just doesn't fire up in the morning.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony out the door for work with left overs for lunch from last night.  Read a little of the morning newspaper and then went back to bed around 8:30 AM.  Slept until 11 AM.  Saw the sun was trying to come out so I got up.  Can't sleep the day away even though I feel like it now.   Had another cup of coffee and started doing things around the house.  Sewed on a button and sewed a pocket that had a hole in it in one of the leather jackets.  Got a load of laundry going and vacuumed the house.   Showered and then sat back and read two chapters of the book I started last week called After Life that my mom gave me.  Was nice to read that our pets will be in heaven.  I honestly would see no reason to go to heaven if my dogs were not going to be there to greet me.  The sun is out but it has only warmed us to 45 degrees as I post this.  Coldest day of the week and suppose to warm up from here forward.  Will most likely spend the night watching TV from the DVR.  Just making a frozen pizza and salad for supper tonight since we had a big supper last night and we both had left overs for lunch today.   Thanks for all your comments.  I do appreciate them and read them all.

May 22, 2013 Wednesday Afternoon

Tony got home last night from work around 5:45 PM.  After he ate and showered we did the lovin thing so that we were not too tired to do it later.  Spent the rest of the night watching the Dancing Results and we very happy who won.  Went to bed around 10:20 PM after watching the local news.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM.  Was a bit cold this morning in Milwaukee.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and said goodbye for the day to Tony.  Read a little of the newspaper and then showered to go to my foot physical therapy at 9 AM.  Had a good therapy but was told to stop wearing shoes and continue with the boot or I will be pushing my recovery backwards.  OK, back to the boot when I go places.  Stopped off at Pick N Save on my way home and did the weekly grocery shopping.  Bought mostly fruit and produce.  Got home and did things around the house.  Tony come home around 1:30 PM with flowers for our anniversary.  Twenty years ago today we had a Holy Union.  Was a great time.  Ceremony at the church, drove to the dinner in our convertible with cans and streamers as well as Just Married.  Had a big sit down dinner with about 80 people and DJ played music until midnight.  We both wore white tux and looked so good back then.  Time has not been kind.  We were a little before our time since 20 years ago not many 'straight' people knew what a Holy Union of two guys even was.  Funny how many people came up to us at the reception telling us it was 'just like a real wedding'.  DUH  !  That was the plan.  My best man was my ex and Tony's best man was his ex.  We started on opposite sides of the back of the church and when the wedding march started we walked towards each other and then hand in hand up the aisle to the front of the church, were our best men were already with the pastor.   Have to pull out the photo album tonight when we are sitting watching TV.  Took a nice two hour nap with the dogs and soon Tony will be home so we can go out for supper and celebrate the anniversary.  Will most likely go to a restaurant we had our first supper together at even though it has been remodeled and under a different name.  The menu is Italian and I always have the crusted chicken Parmesan.  Will most likely be home early and spend the rest of the night watching TV with the dogs.  Rained all day today and was only in the low 60s.   Warm enough for me but the rain was a bummer.

May 21, 2013 Tuesday Afternoon

This morning I was up by 6 AM.  The windows were open and the birds were so loud there was no way I could stay in bed any longer.  Got up and fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot.  Soon Tony was saying goodbye to go to work.  Read the morning newspaper.  Was mad the Business Section was missing.  Should have called for another paper and would have if it was any other section missing.  I do read the Business Section, but toss the Sports Section off to the side never to be read.  Left the house around 9:30 AM to go to Kohl's to return the two pairs of shoes.  Ended up just exchanging them for larger sizes when I found two pair that fit great.  I am actually wearing a pair I bought today and no boot on.  They are comfortable enough but would not want to walk around Disney Land with them.  My feet would be killing me in no time.  Got home around 11 AM.  Stopped at McDonald's for breakfast on my way home.  Spent the day doing things around the house.  It was close to 80 degrees today and partly cloudy in Milwaukee today.   It would have been too hot and the air conditioning would have to be turned on if it were not for the lake breeze.  The dogs are just laying round in the heat panting so any hotter and I will have to turn on the air.   The trees are getting all their leaves finally and the Lilac tree has white flowers on it.  The yard is looking good.  Will most likely hit Tony up for some lovin after he gets out of the shower tonight, before the final of Dancing With The Stars starts at 8 PM.  Tired of the excuse he is too tired or sleeping.  Been way too long since we did 'it'.  Better to hit him up for it before we even lay back and watch TV for the night.  Tomorrow is our 20th Anniversary of our Holy Union.  Where has all the time gone?

May 20, 2013 Monday Afternoon

Spent Friday night watching the movies The Haunting In Connecticut 1 and 2.  The first one was better than the second.  Went to bed around 10:30 PM.

Saturday morning we were up by 7:30 AM.  Tony went to work around 10 AM and I left the house right after him to stop off at two rummage sales on my way to Kohl's to buy shoes.  Spent over an hour and a half picking out two pairs of shoes at Kohl's.  Even brought my inserts to make sure the shoes fit with them OK on my feet.  Came home around 12:30 PM.  Tony was home from work so we went to another rummage sale at his old high school.  Last year we got a ton of crap at the rummage sale and this year was not much different.  Walked out with all we could carry for $40.  Got some big blankets and holiday decorations along with a bunch of other ................. crap.  I kept telling Tony 'I don't want to find any of this in the basement a month from now'.  Came home and spent a couple hours at home late in the afternoon.  Got my new shoes out and tried them both on again only to not like either one.  They were now too tight.  They fit Tony perfectly but I didn't by $110 worth of shoes for him to wear to work and ruin in a day.  Was pretty mad because now I was back to not having any shoes to wear because not one of my pairs seems to fit and feels so tight and hard to walk.  Just easier to walk with the boot and the one shoe I still have that fits.  Figure I need to go up a size.  I was always a size 9 shoe but now I think I am a 10 size for some reason.  Do feet keep growing?  Even at 52?  Fed the dogs supper and then went out to Tracks restaurant down the street for some hamburgers.  Spent the night watching the weeks worth of One Life To Live on Hulu.com.  The plot sucks, it is so slow, and I have a feeling this show is not going to go on for long on Hulu.com.  Kinda sad since I watched it for over 30 years on TV never missing an episode.  Went to bed around 10:30 PM.  Tony was asleep by 9 PM on the couch and I had to wake him to go to bed.

Sunday morning we were up again by 7:30 AM.  After I read the newspaper I made breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon and toast.  Got the ladder out and fixed a siding panel that is falling on the back of the house.  Showered and left the house by 11:30 AM to go to a car show on the south side of town.  Wore my boot and padded up the other foot's shoe good.  Took a cane with me to help take some pressure off the foot.   Never thought I would be walking around in a boot and cane.  Stopped at Kmart after the car show to see what they might have in shoes.  Actually bought a pair of size 10 wide tennis shoes and a pair of size 10 leather slippers.  Both fit great with my inserts.  I am so happy.  I have shoes.  Not the best of shoes, but shoes that fit that I can wear outside the house when I take off the boot.  Drove through the park and took the long way home along the lake front.  Got home and spent the rest of the afternoon with the dogs doing things around the house.  I was doing things, Tony watched TV.  I was just about to make supper at 5:30 PM when the across the alley neighbor called to say some girl from the block south was in the alley crying because two kids came into her 6 foot high fenced in yard and stole her white Pit Bull.  Got outside an heard her story and soon Tony and I were in the car weaving the streets looking for the kids.  So damn sad because you know this dog will now be in a Sunday night dog fight.  We spend almost an hour looking for the dog with no luck.  Made some peanut butter and honey sandwiches for supper which Tony called 'unacceptable as a supper'.   Too bad.  Told him he was more than able to make anything else if he was still hungry.  Around 7 PM I took a walk down the alley to see if I could find the girl with the stolen dog and did find her and talked with her.  She thinks she knows where abouts the dog might be but the neighbors are not talking.  Nobody wants to be the snitch.  I will look for her again tonight.  I gave her my email and phone and told her I would love to hear a happy ending to this story.  I would be going nuts if someone stole my dog and I didn't know what they were doing to him or her.  I would go absolutely crazy.   Spent the night watching the music awards and went to bed around 10 PM.   Tried to get some lovin out of Tony but he was 'to tired'.  Was a dry weekend in the loving department this past weekend.

This morning I was up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony out the door for work.  Spent the morning reading the newspaper and doing all the dogs blankets and our bedding of laundry.  Four loads of laundry in all.  Went to my 11 AM foot therapy appointment.  Had a different guy but he gave me a great foot massage.  Worth the therapy just for the foot massage.  Stopped at McDonald's for a $1 double and came home.  It is close to 80 degrees today in Milwaukee and I had to go for a walk along the river.  Got my feet all ready, boot and shoes padded and headed out the door.  Figured I would walk what I could and always could take a short cut if the feet started hurting.  Walks slow and made it around the river on my 'short' usual walk.  Felt good and was so happy to sit and watch nature around me for a while.  All the windows are open and soon I have to start making supper.  Making sweet and sour chicken and rice with a salad.  Will spend the night watching Dancing With The Stars Final.  I hope Kelly Pickler and Derik win.

May 17, 2013 Friday Afternoon

Got up this morning at 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and Tony out the door to work.  Spent the early morning reading the newspapers and doing my usual movie downloads.  It rained all morning so I thought it a perfect time to start a new book.  Got a book called After Life from my mom and started reading it.  Got though the first two chapters before I had to leave the house at 11:30 AM to have lunch with the guys.  Had a great lunch as usual.  Came home and left about 15 minutes later for my 2 PM physical therapy appointment.  Was at the therapy for about an hour and a half.  Took my history, massaged my foot and then did the ultra sound and electric therapy on the foot.  Made appointments for three times a week.  Will make some salads and a pot pie for Tony for supper tonight.  Will most likely spend the night watching TV from the DVR and maybe a movie I downloaded.  No plans this weekend except a couple rummage sales around the neighborhood.  Will most likely spend most of the weekend off my feet since my other foot is now getting the same thing as the left foot.  Would love to buy a new pair a shoes since I have ruined two right foot shoes wearing the boot on my left foot all day.  Not a good time to get new shoes with only needing one so I hope I find a pair of shoes at one of the rummage sales.  If not I will end up at Kohl's for some shoes.  Have a good weekend everyone.

May 16, 2013 Thursday Afternoon

This morning I was up by 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and soon Tony went out the door to go to work.  Showered and was out the door by 8:30 AM for my 8:45 AM foot doctor appointment.  The doctor looked over my foot and the new problem happening on the third toe.   I asked him if he has ever seen this problem and corrected this problem before and he told me he had many times.  I finally found out what is wrong and when I look it up on the Internet it fits to a T.  I have Morton's Neuroma on my left foot.  Basically that means "an injury to the nerve between the toes, which causes thickening and pain.  It commonly affects the nerve that travels between the third and fourth toes".    The doctor suggested a cortisone shot and after we talked about how I would rather not have a needle or shot he said we can do physical therapy first.  So I start physical therapy tomorrow afternoon to have them do ultra sound and electric current therapy on my foot.  If that don't work then it will be a shot and or surgery to fix the foot.  So I am hoping the physical therapy works because surgery doesn't sound good on a foot.  The house would fall apart if I had to stay off my feet for any length of time.  I also have to continue wearing the boot which is giving me as of today, the same problem now in my right foot.  Hate my feet and walking.  No pain to speak of, just very uncomfortable like walking around with a marble or jelly bean in your ball of your foot behind your toes.  A person could never walk in high heels with this condition.  Thankfully I have never and don't anticipate walking in high heels.  After I left the doctor I went to the therapy place a block away and set up the appointment for tomorrow to start the therapy.  Twice a week.  Came home and left the house again at 11:30 AM to go to my board meeting with ARCW.  Had a speaker today on Street Drugs and HIV.  Was very informative.   Picked up my monthly food at the pantry and came home.  Making a pizza and salads for supper tonight.  Will most likely spend the night watching TV from the DVR like we did last night.  Watched last weeks Bates Motel.  Love this show.  And a few others.  Was sunny and almost 70 degrees today before the wind shifted and dropped us to the low 60s.  Can feel the breeze off the lake and smell the lake air.   Feeling very tired from the long day and going to the couch to watch Judge Judy.

May 15, 2013 Wednesday Afternoon

Can you believe it is the middle of May already?  Days just fly by.

This morning I was up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Spent the early morning reading the newspaper.  Showered and went to McDonald's for breakfast on my way to Pick N Save to do the weekly grocery shopping.  Got home by 11 AM and started some laundry and little projects around the house.  Laid on the deck with the dogs for an hour before I decided to pad up my shoes and boot and go for a walk.  Went for a short walk to the top off the bluff over looking the river.  Walked about 2 blocks on top of the bluff stopping every once in a while to just look at the nature.  I sure miss my walks and it killed me not to be down by the river.  Took an anti inflammatory and pain pill prior to the walk which was a good thing because my foot was hurting by the time I got home.  Not easy to walk in a boot and you use a lot more energy and hip action just to try to walk.  Was nice to get out of the house and back to the paths / trails.  Hope soon I can go for a full walk down by the river.  I do go back to the foot doctor tomorrow so I will know more then.  Making some chicken cordon blue and rice with a salad for supper tonight.  Will most likely spend the night watching TV from the DVR.  It was in the 70s and sunny today in Milwaukee.  Very nice day with a breeze off the lake.  Love this weather.  Remind me of this in the middle of the Summer when I complain about the heat.  Soon we will start going to car shows again for supper as the weather gets better.  Will be nice to get a break from cooking.  So many times I look into the full freezer and just don't know what to make for supper.  Congratulations to Minnesota for allowing gay marriage.  I still can not believe there are now 12 states that allow gay marriage.  Who would have thought in our lifetime's.  I still dream some day Tony and I will be able to legally get married.  With Scott Walker as our Governor it will never happen.  He is too deep in the tea party pockets.

May 14, 2013 Tuesday Afternoon

Got up this morning at 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his Insulin shot and soon Tony was out the door to go to work.  I read one of the newspapers and then was out in the front porch by 8 AM to continue painting.  Spent all day painting the ceiling, window frames and trim.  Got done by 2 PM which gave me an hour to clean up and get things looking nice in the room.  Happy with the color and the way it looks.  The paint in the front porch was the only original paint in the house since we bought it 22 years ago.  I am tired, beat, and the pain is setting in from bending and stretching to paint.  It was very nice out today.  I think it was in the 70s and sunny most of the day.  The wind shifted about an hour ago and we have dropped about 10 degrees since.  Made some salads and will make some steaks on the grill tonight with baked potatoes.  Will most likely spend the night watching NCIS, Dancing Results and Body Of Proof before going to bed.  Still mad ABC canceled Body Of Proof.  Just as mad about Smash, Rules Of Engagement, Malibu Country and NCIS NY being canceled also.  One of my nature cameras is in a bird wren nest.  The eggs hatched and there are two babies that I can see.  The camera looks directly into the nest and you can see the babies stretching out with mouths open wanting more food.  Too cute.  I fear my Mourning Dove has lost it's partner since it would have been on the nest by now and I only see the one.  I used to see them always together. 

May 13, 2013 Monday Afternoon

Spent Friday night watching TV from the DVR.  Went to bed around 10 PM for some lovin before we went to sleep.

Saturday morning we were up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot.  Spent the morning reading the newspaper and watching home improvement TV shows.  Tony went to work from 10 Am to noon.  When he got home I made soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.  Took a nap with the dogs for a couple hours.  Tony then had to go back to the shop from 3 - 4 PM to deliver a car.  I kept busy all day doing thing around the house.  After he got home and we fed the dogs we went up the block for supper and had a great BBQ bacon cheese burger.  Spent the night watching more TV from the DVR.  Honestly we record so much I couldn't begin to tell you all the shows we watched before going to bed, much less do I remember.  Went to bed around 10:30 PM.

Sunday we were up again by 7 AM and did the morning routine with the dogs.  Spent the early morning reading the newspaper.  Tony called his mom around 9 AM to see what she wanted to do for Mother's Day.  I had for the second year in a row given up going to my mom's house, since I have a father and we see them on Father's Day, only to have her tell us again, for a second year in a row, that she is not feeling well and will take a rain check.  I figured I had things I wanted to pick up at Steins Garden on her side of town so we decided to go out for breakfast where we usually do with her, without her, then went to Steins, and then stopped at her house and dropped off some flowers and chicken noodle soup from the restaurant.  Wasn't going to let the day go by without doing something for one of our moms.  Thankfully I sent my mom flowers in a vase with a picture of her parents from a long time ago when they were alive.  Only stayed for a second at her house since I didn't want to get sick if she was.  Stopped off at a market where I knew they sold licorice snaps and bought 3 containers of them.  Guess I will have licorice snaps now for a while.  Picked up some ham and rolls to eat for supper later in the day.  Got lottery tickets and came home.  After we were home for a while I simply couldn't just lay around watching TV, so I got Tony to go a couple blocks down the street to a hardware store to pick out a paint color and paint for the front porch, my next project.  Took a little persuading but got him to go with me.  I went right to the paint samples, he went to the clearance rack.  I picked out a couple samples and he walked over with a can of pain already mixed for someone, on sale for $7, which was pretty close to the colors I had picked.  Bought the paint and saved ourselves about $20 because a can of paint there was about $25 mixed.  Spent the rest of the day watching more TV from the DVR.  Had ham and rolls and a salad for supper and spent the night watching the season final of Revenge.  Was so sad they killed off the kid I like on this show also.  They really didn't show him dead, so in TV shows who knows for sure until next season.  Did the lovin thing and went to sleep around 10:30 PM.

This morning I was up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot, and Tony a kiss as he walked out the door to go to work.  Read the newspaper and was out in the front porch by 9 AM taping things off and eventually spending the day painting the walls with the paint we bought Sunday.  Took my until around 3:30 PM in the afternoon to put two coats of paint on and do some touch up.  I LOVE the color and couldn't have picked a better color from the samples if I had picked the paint myself.  Times like this I realize how important Tony can be because even though I can build or make just about anything, I have horrible fashion or color sense.  No gay decorator gene in me.  Creative, but a good decorator would laugh at my work.  I don't have a problem with that in any way.  Showered and soon I will make supper.  Making salads and a chicken parm pasta for supper.  Will spend the night watching Dancing With The Stars and Castle before we go to bed.  My body aches from painting today but it feels good to be alive and feel the pain to be honest.  Just wish my foot would get better.  I go back to the foot doctor on Thursday.  I get around pretty good with the boot and it really doesn't stop me from doing what I want to do.  Figure the doctor is going to tell me I have to stay off my foot for a while so I have to get as much done as possible before then.  It got to 49 degrees today and sunny.  Warmer the next couple days and back to Spring type temperatures thankfully.  We had a frost this morning it got so cold over night.

May 10, 2013 Friday Afternoon

Spent last night watching TV from the DVR.  Watched last weeks Bates Motel and a couple other shows before we went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and gave Tony a kiss as he walked out the door.  Spent the morning reading the newspaper.  Had a conference call at 10 AM for the board I am on to talk about next weeks meeting.  After the call I went quickly to Pick N Save to buy some milk, lettuce and grapes for the weekend.  Met the guys for lunch and had a great lunch as usual.  Love my Friday lunches with the guys.  Around 2:30 PM Tony showed up with 7 guys and delivered the back end of the 1962 Cadillac for the front yard.  Here is two pictures of the car part and the entire front yard.

I think it looks nice but I would have rather put it on the right side of the yard facing North.

Met an past tenant at his house around 4 PM to help screen the people to possibly rent his house.  It is the first time he is renting his house and asked for my help finding and screening people since I have done it before and continue to do for our upper apartment.

It was a cloudy day today in the 40s.  Suppose to get better as the days go by and next week Tuesday we might hit 80 degrees.  No plans this weekend but to take Tony's mom out for a Mother's Day breakfast or lunch.  I sent my mom a vase with a picture of my grandparents and flowers for the vase.  Ordered it online and I think she liked it a lot.  She got it yesterday.

May 9, 2013 Thursday Afternoon

Tony got home from work around 5:15 PM last night without a car for the front yard.  He was having problems finding 8 people at the same time to help carry it into place from the flat bed.  It was a good thing because we went outside and looked again where it would go.  Tony started cutting the pine tree branches and making room.  He then started digging which with the pine trees we have in the front, turned out to be futile.  I made him stop because I said I am not going to kill our pine trees for a front yard car ornament digging up the tree roots.   Simply put, he will have to cut more off the car so it sits on the ground and does not go into the ground at all.  Ate supper and spent the night watching TV from the DVR.  Watched a couple episodes of How I Met Your Mother and NCIS LA.  Went to bed around 9:30 PM for some lovin before sleep.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Spent the early morning reading the newspaper and doing things around the house.  Took Bo to the vet at 11:30 AM to get his nails trimmed.  Stopped off at McDonald's for a $1 double and french fries for the dogs.  After lunch I went through some of the cans of paint we brought home from the shop.  Someone had given Tony about 25 cans of paint at one time.  Stirred them all up and not one was really a color I want to paint the front porch.  Took a two hour nap with the dogs.  I have a bad rash on my forehead from the sun.  I get this every year and will have to put on sun screen or wear a hat from this point forward when I work outside.  Itches like crazy.  Making spaghetti and salads for supper tonight.  Will most likely spend the night watching more TV from the DVR.

May 8, 2013 Wednesday Afternoon

Spent last night watching Splash and Dancing Results just as planned.  As we started watching Body Of Proof the phone rang and it was the neighbor across the alley.  She told me the neighbors dogs got one of the cat we saw earlier in the day.  She said it was horrible and I should come outside.  I put on my sweat shirt and told Tony to get outside.  The neighbor said the two Pitbulls next door cornered the black cat in corner of the fence and it was a big fight before the neighbor got out and pulled his dogs off the cat.  She then said the neighbors just went inside and she watched the cat try to drag it's body down the sidewalk.  I came outside with flashlight and soon we found the cat hiding under their back porch, bloody, torn and in pain.   The neighbors with the Pits wanted nothing to do with the situation since their dogs attacked another dog last Summer in the alley.  We called the Milwaukee Animal Control and they arrived in about 45 minutes.  Nice guy and did a good job of getting the cat out without causing to much pain.  I actually walked away from the porch and into the alley as the Animal Control guy tried to get the cat because I thought the sounds would be too horrible to sleep with tonight.  Makes me so damn mad that people leave their cats to run the neighborhood.  I don't let my dogs run the neighborhood.  Poor cat.  I am sure it has bad injuries and a broken leg from what animal control told us as they had the cat in the cage.  Blood everywhere.  So damn sad.  What really makes me uneasy is the fact that yesterday afternoon after I had heard there were two cats in our yards, as I tried to take a nap, I had this awful thought about the dogs across the alley getting one of the cats.  I even said to myself to remind them again later that night to look for the cats before they let their dogs out.  I honestly had a hard time getting this thought out of my head while I tried to nap and now am shaking my head as to why I had this vision 7 hours before it happened.  I would rather have animal control help the cat than have it slowly die in pain.  So damn sad.  Life is so hard for nature.

This morning I was up at 7 AM.  Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot.  Tony had mentioned last night that the new addition to the front yard might get delivered today.  He has been working on the back end of another Cadillac to put in the front yard.  We went outside before he left for work and planned where it will go and cut back some of the bushes.  He left for work.  I then read a little of the newspaper, showered, and headed out the door for McDonald's and Pick N Save.  Got home around 10:30 AM and started cleaning the windows in the front porch.  These windows probably haven't been cleaned in 20 years to be honest on the front porch.  We never use the porch and hardly use our front door that enters into it.  It took me all day to clean the windows inside and out.  The window frames are over a 100 years old so you have to be careful they don't fall apart as your cleaning them.  It is a little after 4 PM and Tony has yet to show up with the car for the front yard.  Making salads and pizza for supper tonight.  Was in the 60s and beautiful all day today in Milwaukee.

May 7, 2013 Tuesday Afternoon

This morning I was up at 7 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and Tony a kiss on the way out to work.  Read the morning newspaper and showered to get on with the day.   Dragged the water hose to the front yard and sprinkled weed and feed on the little grass we have between the road and sidewalk.  I hate dandelions.  Hopefully I got them before they even think of growing in my grass. Went to Home Depot in the morning to buy some flowers for the flower pots and around the fence area.  Bought only a few plants and some other items.  Stopped off at Tony's shop on the way home and grabbed 14 more brake car disc parts for under the remaining path lights in the side yard.  Spent the afternoon planting the flowers and putting the brake discs under the path lights.  Was about 65 degrees and sunny today in Milwaukee, PERFECT!   I would give anything for it to be 65 all year long.  It is warm enough to wear shorts during the day and cool enough to sleep at night with the window cracked open a bit.  Making a Hormel dinner, mashed potato and corn to go with the salads I have already made.  I did pick Tony and I up a double $1 burger at McDonald's on my way from Home Depot to his shop so I am not hungry yet.  Will most likely spend the night watching Splash, Dance Results and Body Of Proof before we go to bed tonight.  I've got the yard looking so nice and soon it will be almost done and I will just have to spend the summer maintaining it all.  Took a picture of the sign I put in front of the Cadillac to shame the person who took the tail light.  A new one did arrive today in the mail and I just ordered it Sunday.  Thankfully I didn't pay for faster shipping since it got here in 2 days anyway.  Here is the picture of the shaming sign.

 

Here is a picture of the brake discs under the front path lights. It keeps the lights from moving from people kicking them or the squirrels knocking them over.

May 6, 2013 Monday Afternoon

Spent Friday night watching an episode of Smash and Grey's Anatomy from the previous week.  Went to bed around 10:30 after a round of lovin.

Saturday morning we were up by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot.  Tony had said he needed to work the afternoon so I got him to help me return the 2 extra roof panels and some other stuff we bought for the project at Menard's.  Tony went to work around noon and I went there a short time later to look for more car parts to put around the path lights and around the yard.  Loaded up my car with what I wanted and spent the afternoon working in the front yard.  As I was working in the front yard I notice one of the four red tail lights on the Cadillac missing.  Makes me so made when people steal stuff off the cars in our front yard and ruin the art.  Ordered another online later in the day for $21 which should get here in a week.  Went out to eat up the street at an Italian restaurant and had ................... spaghetti.  In fact we both did.  Spent the night watching TV from the DVR like Undercover Boss, Criminal Minds and Hawaii Five O before we watched a gay themed movie called K-11.  It was a prison movie and not very good.  Very hard to follow and outrageous plot.  Went to bed around 11 PM.

Sunday morning we were up again by 7 AM.  Fed the dogs and such.  Spent the early morning reading the newspaper and watching TV from the DVR.  Made eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast.  I worked outside in the yard again in the afternoon in between watching TV with Tony.  Did the lovin thing as we watching TV in the living room sometime in the afternoon.  Yes, we close the curtains.  I did get Tony to walk up the block with me for lottery tickets with Bo.  Spent the later afternoon watching a couple episodes of Smash (was so mad they killed off the gay kid who wrote the play Hit List.  He was the only moral trustworthy person on the show),  a couple episodes of Glee, and a couple episodes of NCIS.  Spent the rest of the night watching Amazing Race and Mentalist before going to bed. 

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Was out the door a little after 9 AM to get a different boot.  The side strap support had ripped loose and the boot was now defective.  Had to drive to the south side of town.  Got a new boot since it was less than a month old.  Doctor wanted to give me a different boot but I didn't like how it felt and decided to keep the style I had.  Have had a taste for licorice snaps of all things lately.   Can't find them any where.  Stopped off at Target and a Dollar Store with no luck.  Drove home and stopped off at two other stores and no luck.  Ended up at Walgreen's buying the ones they sell that I really don't care for as much because the are too chewy.  The ones you find in bulk are harder and I like them better.  Will have to hit a car show or something where someone is selling candy at a booth and stock up next time  I see them.  Spent the afternoon working around the yard and then I put the two lounge cushions side by side on the deck in the shade and laid on the floor with the dogs listening to the birds and machinery across the street.  They are digging and making noise today.  Going to be a noisy Summer with the construction across the street.  The dogs loved laying on the deck with me and Vito and Bo took turns licking and licking my face to thank me.  Washed my face since then.  Made some salads and will heat up last nights left over pizza.  I pan fry reheat pizza and it makes it just as crispy as when you got it delivered.  A little Olive oil and low heat makes the crust crispy.  Will spend the night watching Dancing With The Stars and Castle before going to bed.  Was in the 50s most of the weekend.  Today we got to 60 degrees and it felt so good.  I love 60s.  Had the windows open and got the pond wires for the lighting all buried in the rocks this afternoon in the beautiful weather while I listened to Madonna.  Yah, sometimes it feels good to throw on an afternoon of Madonna.

May 3, 2013 Friday Afternoon

Spent last night watching CSI and Law And Order from last week, before we started watching this weeks episodes of One Life To Live on Hulu.com.   I had watched OLTL for over 35 years before ABC canceled the show last year.  I missed my OLTL characters and was so happy to see so many of them return for the Internet series.   The new shows plots started basically four years after we left them a year ago.  Was really kind of cool how they could swear and do things now on the Internet that the show could not do when on ABC.  To hear them say the words 'shit' and 'shitty' and 'asshole' on an Internet show that used to be on TV was weird and made the show more real.  I looked at Tony several times and said 'they wouldn't have been able to talk like that when they were on ABC'.  Watched all four episodes from this week on the Internet before going to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Spent the morning reading the newspaper, starting my usual Friday download of movies from the newspaper, and watching TV.   Showered and headed out the door at 11:30 AM to stop at the local hardware store for some light bulbs for the bathroom mirror and living room ceiling fan light.  Bought the bathroom bulb but they didn't have the kind I needed for the living room light.  Met the guys for lunch and had a great lunch as usual.  After lunch I decided to go back to Walmart for my refund the clerk didn't give me yesterday and see if they had the light bulbs I still needed.  Got the light bulbs and the refund from the prior days coupon the clerk didn't scan.  Came home and after I put in the light bulbs I went outside and quickly straightened up the garage.  We had quickly moved things around last week to get a bigger car in the garage and things needed to be put back in a better order or place in the garage.  Only took about a half hour so I then laid down with the dogs on the bed and took a nap for an hour.  It has rained all day here in Milwaukee and only been about 42 degrees.  Cold, winder, cloudy and damp rain.   A bunch of piping was delivered to the across the street construction site today.  Looks like Monday might be the day they start digging the sewers and power lines since they left a couple big shovel machines in the fenced in area with all the piping.  Making salads and some left overs for supper tonight.  Will most likely spend the night and weekend watching a lot of TV from the DVR.  Not suppose to be nice again outside until Monday so it will be nice to stay in for the weekend dry and warm.  We have no plans but you never know what the weekend might bring.  Have a great weekend everyone.

May 2, 2013 Thursday Afternoon

Spent last night watching TV from the DVR.  Watched a couple episodes of Operation Repo, Revenge and The Following before going to bed around 10 PM.  Was not happy with The Followings final show.  Heck, they killed everyone off we cared about and watched all season.  Not sure where the show will go from here next season.

This morning I was up by 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Spent the early morning reading the newspaper.  Showered and headed out the door by 9 AM to get breakfast at McDonald's and then go to Walmart.  I do not like going to Walmart and only go every couple months to buy Insulin and needles for Vito.  While I am there I stock up on needed household items to last a couple months.  Ended up spending over $300.  Of course the Insulin and needles were $80 of the total, but I still could not believe when I was told how much my cart of stuff would cost.  Was mad when I got home and looked at the receipt to see the clerk did not put my $2 coupon for canned dog food I bought.  The only reason I bought the damn food was because I had the coupon.  Not much I can do now.  Would have paid for the two breakfast burritos I had at McDonald's.  Got home by 11 AM and unpacked all the bags.  Spent the afternoon listening to music, taking a short nap with the dogs on the bed, and making a mix CD of my favorite songs to play in the car.  Making a Hormel beef roast, beef rice and salads for supper tonight.  I am sure we will again spend the night watching TV from the DVR since the DVR recorded shows all night last night while we watched what was already recorded.  There are over 55 shows on the DVR right now so we have a lot to watch to get caught up.  It was 80 degrees yesterday at noon.  Today at noon it was 42 degrees.  Quite a change and I am not to happy.  It is windy, cold, cloudy and rain is coming.   Not much change the next few days.  Guess we had Spring the past two days and it's over?

May 1, 2013 Wednesday Afternoon

Went out to eat last night and had a large margarita with my taco and rice and beans.  Came home and spent the night watching the ABC TV line up.  Went to sleep around 10:30 PM after the local news.

This morning I was up by 6:30 AM.  Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work.  Read the morning newspaper and then left the house around 9:30 AM to get breakfast at McDonald's and then go to Pick N Save to do the weekly grocery shopping.  Got home around 10:30 AM and spent the rest of the morning doing things around the house outside in the 80 degree weather again today.  Took a short nap with the dogs, couldn't sleep with the windows open and the birds making so much noise.  Trimmed and cleaned up Bo some more with a hair cut.  I got him much better looking and no hair hanging longer than an inch or so.  He looks so cute and puppy like with his hair cut.  Of course he freaks out from the feeling of not having hair, running around the house like a crazy dog.  The cold front is coming and the temperature has already dropped 10 degrees to the 70s.  We are suppose to get to only 50 degrees the next few days.  Making hamburgers, baked beans and a salad for supper tonight.  Will most likely watch TV from the DVR since there are over 54 shows on the DVR now from the past week.  Hopefully we can get caught up on Bates Motel and a couple shows tonight before we go to bed.

Just a note.  I do read all comments and delete those that have nothing to do with HIV or seem to be not true or spam.  If I delete a comment and it was not the above, I am sorry.  Sometimes I read them too quickly I guess.  Sorry if I deleted a comment that was not spam.  I just don't want people getting false information from my blog or using it to promote their own cause unless it relates to HIV.