December 21, 2010 Tuesday Night

Spent the night watching a few episodes of the TV soap One Life To Live that I have been watching since I was 16 years old. Caught up on about 4 episodes from the last two weeks. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I got up around 7 AM and got the dogs fed and Tony off to work. Read a little of the newspaper and made myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Spent the morning watching a little TV as I did things around the house. About 11 AM I drove to Walgreen's to exchange the cigs I bought yesterday. They gave me the regular size rather than the longs. I did not notice this until I got home yesterday because the checkout lady put them in my bag before I could see them. Then I drove to Tony's shop and picked him up to take him to the big sale at AJ Wright. We spent about an hour in the store and spent about $115.00. Of course most of the stuff we bought was for Tony since I was being my generous self shopping for him and keeping him in mind, and he was shopping for himself as usual. I swear I will get nothing from him for Christmas again this year. He puts so little thought into things like this. I was not happy anyway with him when I walked into his shop to pick him up. Every year he gets a big glass vase of whole cashews from one of his vendors. I tell him every year the day after Thanksgiving that when they arrive to bring them home because I love whole cashews and this is a very expensive present. I again reminded him many times since Thanksgiving this year. I walked into the shop to see this years big vase of whole cashews half empty. I was mad. I guess I am being childish but I honestly don't ask for much and tell him every year I want them. Him and the employees can have any other gifts that come in this time of year. I only want the cashews. Tony told me one of his employees, his brother, opened them after they arrived yesterday when Tony was out getting parts. How frickin dare him. He is an employee, not an owner. What frickin right does he have to open or take any gifts that come to Downtown Auto Body. Of course Tony blew it off like it was nothing again which makes me even more mad. He says he talked to his brother about it, but I honestly know Tony well enough to know not much was said and more should have been said about it. As you can tell many hours later I am still mad about this. What makes matters to me worse is the fact that this could be rectified by him making the employees buy me a new one. But Tony will not be out Christmas shopping for me to even do this. Sometimes I honestly feel Tony puts less into this relationship than I do. Everything I do revolves around him, for good or bad, but he goes through his day thinking about the moment and that is all. Came home and wrapped some of the presents for Tony and then took a short nap with the dogs. Got up around 3:30 PM and started doing a little straightening up around the house and thinking about dinner. I made a salad for both of us and I think a frozen pizza will be the main course. I have no ambition to cook for such an ungrateful man. Will most likely watch the repeat of Glee tonight since it was the Christmas episode. It was only on a couple weeks ago but it was very good. After that it will be a movie or more TV on the DVR since all reruns again on TV tonight. We did get about 2 inches of snow which I shoveled before my bowl of cereal this morning. It got to about 33 degrees today so half the snow is already gone. Tomorrow I have a morning appointment with my therapist. Good timing.

December 20, 2010 Monday Dinner Time

DADT is repealed! It's about time. Why this was able to be enforced for as long as it was is terrible. For once in a long time our elected officials (at least enough of them) did the right thing.

Happy Birthday to my sister. Wow, are we getting old. Did you ever think you would get to this age?

Got up around 7 AM and fed the dogs and got Tony off to work. Made myself a bowl of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch and called my mother to tell her she was right about one of the movies we watched last night. It was a good movie. Last night we watched two movies. We watched Unstoppable and Monsters. Both were very good movies. Unstoppable had me at the edge of my couch for the last half of the movie. I recommend this movie and it is still at most movie theaters. If you don't see it at the theater, rent it or buy it. It really is a good movie. Monsters was also good. I read something about this movie in Entertainment Weekly. Yes the monsters were a little corny lookin but the plot was good and could happen. The acting was also good. Not everyone will like the movie so google it first and see if it is for you. Spent this morning doing a little dusting and vacuuming. Even vacuumed a small dog from under the bed. LOL. My house is clean ........... enough. I would not like someone coming over with a white glove and going around the house, but it is clean when you consider I have five dogs running around and honestly run this household. Everything we do revolves around the five dogs. It is the life we chose. Tony came back home from work a little while ago to get a can of coffee for the shop. I bought a lot of them when they were on sale so I was happy he remembered. When he comes home during the day I always look at him and say 'you didn't call, what happens if one of my boyfriends were here?'. LOL. He always comes back with something funny like 'then I would meet him' or 'he would have told you he stopped by me at the shop first'. LOL. About 11 AM I drove to Walgreen's, then AJ Wright to see what they had for Christmas presents, then went to McDonald's for lunch. The store AJ Wright is going out of business and everything is an extra 25% off. Bought a bunch of little stuff for Tony. Stopped off at Tony's shop to eat my lunch so the dogs wouldn't want half of it if I ate it at home. Tony was out getting parts and was not at the shop. Got home a little before 2 PM. Put some Mariah Carey Christmas music on the sterio and layed down with the dogs for about an hour. Making a beef roast, potatoes and corn with a salad for dinner. Nothing on TV again tonight. I will be so happy when the holidays are over and the TV goes back to first run shows. Will most likely watch something on the DVR or a movie I downloaded. Suppose to start snowing tonight and we might get about 3 inches when it is all done by tomorrow morning. Cloudy and in the twenties today in Milwaukee.

December 19, 2010 Sunday Night

Why do the weekends go so fast when we do so little?

Friday night we watched the movie Dinner With Smucks. It was funny and enjoyable. Went to bed around 10:30 PM.

Saturday we actually slept in until around 7:30 AM, which really is late for both of us. I made us a small breakfast and we spent most of the day on the couch watching TV. We spent the afternoon watching the movie Les Miserables. I would give anything to find a cam of the actual Broadway theater production live. Even if the quality was not good I would pay an arm or a leg for the musical on video somehow. I have searched and searched and still can not find a pirate version of the play. The movie version is nice but I do enjoy the musical which is why I have seen it many times and we have tickets to see Les Miserables twice in April 2011. It is a long movie and I had to wake Tony a few times as we watched it. I was hoping watching the drama version would help him understand the musical, I don't think it did. We went out for dinner with Tony's family for his mother's Birthday. It was good food and we got to see his sister's kids so it was all worth it. Stopped off at a friends bar for one drink since it was the bar's Christmas party. Since we don't drink or go out much we have lost a lot of friends and we are kinda out of the party loop. Came home and watched two movies: Needle and Vampires Suck. Needle was a horror flick and was OK, Vampires Suck was a spoof of the Twilight Movie. It had it's funny parts. We went to bed around 11 PM.

This morning we again slept in until after 7 AM. I made eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast. Spent the morning reading the Milwaukee Sunday newspaper. Around lunch time we drove to the pet store to buy some spray we can put on the kitchen wood cabinets because Bo is always chewing on the corners when we are not home. Most of the corners on the kitchen cabinets and the corner moldings are all chewed from him. I do give him spankings when I come home and find they have been chewed but it has not stopped him from doing it so it is time to try something else. The spankings hurt me more than him. LOL. It is more for show than anything else and he sometimes pees when I am yelling at him so it is much harder in a way on me than him since I have to clean the mess. Wanted to buy a Bitter Apple type spray and we bought a spray called Fooey Ultra Bitter Spray. Of course when we came home from the pet store more wood shavings were on the floor and he had chewed more and did more damage. After his spanking I sprayed all the areas he has been chewing. Time will tell if it works. Bought the dogs a couple toys also. Ate lunch at Burger Kings and came home after buying the weeks worth of lottery tickets. Watched a little TV and then Tony said he was going to take a nap so I went with him and the dogs all followed. After about an hour of trying to nap with no room on the bed I finally gave up and now am writing this post while he is still sleeping. There is nothing again on TV tonight so I figure we will watch a movie or two. I will let you know what we end up watching and if it is worth your time seeing it. So far the only recent movie I would recommend is The Social Network which we watched a couple days ago.

December 17, 2010 Friday Night

Last night we watched the movie Repo Man. It was OK. We then went to bed around 10:00 PM.

This morning I was up by 7 AM and got the dogs fed and Tony off to work. Had a bowl of cereal for breakfast and spent the rest of the morning working on this blog and cruising the Internet. Tony came and picked me up around 11:30 AM to go to lunch with the guys. Had a great lunch as usual. Spent the afternoon listening to the soundtrack to Les Miserables and a little Mariah Carey while I laid on the couch with the dogs. Just finished vacuuming the house and now I am waiting for Tony to come home from work for the weekend together. Making leftovers for dinner. Nothing on TV again tonight so we will watch some more movies that I downloaded. I do spend the day searching for new movies to download and download the ones that sound good or interesting. The only plans we have this weekend is a Birthday dinner for Tony's mom Saturday night. It is suppose to be cold again this weekend in Milwaukee. Tomorrow the weather man is saying a high of 15 degrees. We will most likely spend the weekend watching TV. If I ever run out of movies to watch we do have the entire 6th season of Weeds to start watching. Maybe tomorrow we will spend the day 'smoking' and watching Weeds. LOL. Woke up today with shoulder pain. It feels like stress but I honestly have nothing to be stressed about so I think I must have slept wrong last night.

December 16, 2010 Thursday Dinner Time

We did end up watching two movies last night. We watched the movies Sonny and The Social Network. Sonny was a 2002 movie staring James Franco as a hustler, it was OK. The Social Network took a while to get into the fast talking computer lingo but ended up being a very good movie. I can't believe the guy who created Facebook was such an asshole towards his best friend and tried screwing him out of millions of dollars. Especially when it was because of his friend they had any money in the beginning at all to work with. I also did not know the guy who created Napster got millions of dollars in this settlement also and how much he was involved. It was an educational movie. I do suggest seeing The Social Network. Went to bed around 10:30 PM.

This morning I felt like I could have stayed in bed all morning. Ended up pushing myself out of bed around 7 AM so I could see Tony for a bit before he left for work. After I fed the dogs and got Tony out the door I made myself a breakfast bowl to eat. Spent the morning rearranging the furniture in the living room since the furniture has been the same for so long. Then showered and drove to the bank to deposit my ADAP check for last months health insurance reimbursement. Made myself a ham sandwich for lunch. Spent the afternoon listening to the music from the TV show Glee. Making spaghetti for dinner tonight with a salad and garlic bread. I think tonight is all reruns again on TV so we will probably watch a couple more movies. Tony was hinting last night he needs a little lovin so I will have to give him some tonight. He wanted some last night and I told him I was tired and had a 'headache'. LOL. So I will have to break down tonight and give him some. It is a little warmer today in Milwaukee. I think it got into the 20s today. Big warm up hey? Welcome to my world. It is only December and already I am feeling a little cooped up in the house because of the cold. Don't know what I will do in January and February. Might have to consider doing a little painting or something to keep busy until Spring. Found out yesterday Tony's sisters dog is doing much better and might not have to be put down. This made me very happy. Also found out Tony's brother who is in cancer treatments saved off his mustache because most of it had fallen out from the cancer treatments. So sad. I don't think in the almost 22 years Tony and I have been together that I have ever seen his brother without a mustache. I guess I should be thankful I have AIDS and not cancer. Never thought those words would come out of me. Tomorrow is Friday and lunch with the guys. I love Friday's and lunch with the guys. Not only do I get a good lunch with great friends, but that means two days with Tony coming. Will let you know what movies we end up watching tonight in tomorrow's post. Don't you just love those two videos from Glee I posted yesterday?

December 15, 2010 Wednesday Dinner Time

Got up by 6:30 AM this morning and fed the dogs and got Tony off to work. Showered and left the house around 9 AM and went to Walgreen's to pick up a prescription. Then headed to McDonald's for some breakfast, then to Pick N Save to do a little grocery shopping. Got home a little before 11 AM. Spent the rest of the day listening to music. Tonight we will watch some movies since all that is on the TV is reruns. I have to post two videos. If your a fan of the Fox TV Show Glee you will enjoy the two videos. If your not a fan watch them anyway. It is hard enough to find 'us' on TV and these two videos bring tears to my eyes. I love the show Glee.

December 14, 2010 Tuesday Night

Spent the night watching the CBS TV line up. Went to bed around 10:20 PM after the weather and before sports.

This morning I was up by 6:30 AM and fed the dogs and got Tony off to work. Watched a little TV before showering and driving to Southridge Mall to do some Christmas shopping for Tony. Picked up a couple items that were on sale and even got another 15 % off. Ate lunch at Arby's in the mall. Did a lot of window shopping and the three things I bought could have been purchased at the Kohl's Department store closer to home. Since we really don't need any clothing there is not much else we need or I could find to buy. I will shop one more time next week and if I find something, I find something, if not, I am done. I know I won't get anything from Tony because he hates having to go shopping and this time of year. I remind him daily and show him his current pile of gifts. So far nothing on my side or pile. I always get disappointed from him at Christmas time because he just doesn't care or feel the need to buy me things because he feels I have everything I need already or he bought it already. Hmm. Got home around 2 PM and after a few phone calls I took an hour nap with the dogs. Downloaded a couple movies during the afternoon to watch at a later date. Will let you know if they are good and worth mentioning after we watch them. Making a frozen beef roast, green beans, mac n cheese and a salad for dinner. Will most likely watch the CBS TV line up again tonight since everything else is reruns. Was another very cold day in Milwaukee Wisconsin. The sun was out, but it did not help the temperature get out of the teens today. The dogs are very restless since they have not been outside much because of the cold. When you start to play with one dog, the others all want your attention and want to play also. Not so easy to play with five dogs and only have two arms. Much less when they all start getting into play mood it sometimes can get a little scary and rough.

December 13, 2010 Monday Afternoon

Baby it's cold outside.

It is so cold here in Milwaukee today I am not leaving the house. The high temperature today is going to get to 15 degrees. Wind chills are below zero. I got my last electric gas bill on Saturday and it doubled from the last one. The next bill will be even higher. Yesterday we did very little. It was very windy and cold and my car won't even start. I tried to go buy lottery tickets yesterday and got into my car, which is in my garage, and it was not happy. It would not start. Had Tony drive me to the store in his car since he was dressed anyway. Spent the afternoon watching TV and movies. Over the weekend we watched the movie Saw 6 and Overboard. Overboard is an old movie and I have seen it many times. I love the movie. Not only is Kurt Russell so handsome in the movie, but it is a very funny movie with Goldie Hawn. Made a steak I got from my brother for Christmas via UPS and Omaha Steaks. It was very good. Had a potato, corn and salad along with the steak. Watched Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters before going to bed around 10 PM. This morning I got Tony off to work in the cold. Still all bundled up and haven't even considered a shower yet. Will have to turn up the heat just to take a shower today it is so damn cold outside and inside. Got an email from a guy named Peter that has HIV in Australia. Spent the morning reading his blog all the way to the first day he started it a half year ago. It is a very nicely written blog and I suggest if you like mine, to check his out. The link is: http://lifewithhiv-peter.blogspot.com/ . I found myself in tears as I read some of his posts since they hit very close to home and I can relate. Wrote him a couple emails after finishing reading to the beginning. Hoping Tony will be home soon to try to fix my car since it will not start. I have no plans today and since it is so cold outside I don't want to even think about leaving the house. Tomorrow might be another story so it has to get fixed. Will call Tony soon if he doesn't show up and forgets it does not start. Have a little cleaning to do around the house this afternoon and will most likely take a nap bundled in blankets with the dogs. Not much more going on here in Milwaukee. Did I mention how cold it is?

December 11, 2010 Saturday Lunch Time

Got up Friday morning around 6:30 AM. Was out shoveling the 2 inches of snow around 8 AM after Tony left for work. Took a shower and headed out the door by 9:15 AM. Stopped off at Pick N Save and bought a couple items, went to McDonald's and had breakfast, stopped off at Walgreen's for cigs, and then drove a block down to pick up the books we ordered that Tony and I are in called Shall Not Be Recognized. It was a picture display and video now turned into book form. Since we are a part of it I had to buy two copies. Came home and after a little while left again to pick Tony up at work and go to lunch with the guys. Had a great lunch as always. Came home and spent the afternoon watching TV and doing a little around the house after I took an hour nap. Made left overs for dinner and we spend the night watching the movie The Road. It was OK. Went to bed a little after 10 PM.

This morning we were both up by 7 AM. Fed the dogs and read the morning newspaper before making a little breakfast for the two of us. Tony left for work to handle some things and will be home again shortly. Suppose to get a snow storm again here in Milwaukee but I do not think it is going to be as bad as they predict. It is above freezing right now and mostly drizzle and rain. Suppose to turn to snow as the day goes on. Will most likely spend the afternoon watching TV, maybe a movie or two since it is so nasty outside. Cloudy and dreary looking outside. We were suppose to have a family dinner for Tony's mom tonight but because of the weather it is canceled. Tony's mom does not want to drive to Milwaukee if the weather gets bad. Her Birthday is next week so we will have to meet her for dinner later in the week rather than tonight. Have a good weekend everyone.

December 9, 2010 Thursday Dinner Time

Shortly after yesterday's post I got the mail to find out my food share allowance of $16 per month was being discontinued due to the $1000 I receive monthly from Downtown Auto Body. What? I called food share and they told me they received documentation from the IRS that Downtown Auto Body pays me for 30 hours a week for a total of $1000.00 a month. I told them this was not true and they said to contact Downtown Auto Body. Of course the phone call with Tony did not go well. At one point earlier in the year Tony did contemplate showing me as an employee so I could continue to get my health insurance through the company. We then changed his company to a LLC and me as part owner so we did not have to reflect this anymore due to the fact I don't receive any money from the company and it would effect my Social Security. Tony called the insurance agent which I told him was not to blame. He then called the Accountant to find out that he never stopped this practice for the entire 2010 up to now. WHAT? If I could work, and if I did make $1000 more a month it would effect my social security and ADAP not to mention food share already. I was furious. After many shouting matches on the phone I put my foot down and told Tony he has to have this fixed ASAP. The accountant still had not returned his call by the time he came home early to accompany me for an information dinner on HIV. We didn't say much while he got ready to go to the meeting much less the rest of the night. The meeting was informative and the dinner was good. We came home and watched TV the rest of the night going to bed around 10 PM. Did not sleep well worrying about my social security. How would I survive without it?

This morning my final words to Tony as he walked out the door was that he must get this IRS mistake fixed. I then got ready for my 10 AM therapy appointment which was well needed as well as my 11 AM appointment with my case worker to find out what this mess will cost me. Bottom line I have to get off Tony's company's insurance policy the next time it renews. I will then have to go on COBRA for 18 months and then get state sponsored health insurance. When I got home I told him all this and he said he had not heard yet from the accountant. A short time ago Tony called to tell me the accountant will fix the mistake going back to the beginning of 2010. I do blame Tony for all this because if he took more of an interest in his finances and when signing his monthly tax paperwork, we would not have found this problem almost half way through December, 11 months into the year. So it is fixed but is a good example as to why we need gay marriage. If we were legally married I could get on his health insurance no problem as his 'wife'. It would also mean we wouldn't have to have the company in a LLC because of all this bullshit. So if there was ever a reason for gay marriage it is because of health insurance problems like this. After all this paperwork is finally filed I will have to submit it to food share to show them the information was wrong. All this just adds to my stress levels. Spent most of the afternoon watching the light snow fall. We are suppose to get 3 inches tonight and a bigger storm on Sunday. Making a steak, corn and potatoes for dinner with a salad. Will spend the night watching TV and watching the snow fall.

December 8, 2010 Wednesday Morning

Today was much like all the rest. Got up by 6:30 AM and got the dogs fed and Tony off to work. It is so damn cold here in Milwaukee again today. Do not have any plans during the day today and think I will just stay bundled up on the couch with the dogs watching TV. Ordered two one piece pajamas with footies today on line for Tony and I for Christmas. They are red with paw prints on them. We will both look so cute Christmas morning in them. I will make sure I take a picture that morning. Tonight I have an HIV meeting and Tony is coming along with me. It is at a nice steak house here in Milwaukee and figure we both might as well enjoy the information and the free dinner. He said yes to coming along 'this once'. Here are two pictures for you to enjoy. One Tony took last night showing how the five dogs all snuggle on the couch at night next to me watching TV. The other is of Stella and Bo snuggling on the couch together. They just love each other so much.

December 7, 2010 Tuesday Dinner Time

Got up today around 6:15 AM. Fed the dogs and got Tony off to work. After he went to work I made myself a bagel for breakfast and then started cleaning out the spare bedroom closet. The spare room is a catch-all and every now and then needs to be rotated to the basement. After going through a closet full of clothes that we haven't worn in years I bagged up some of them and hoped that maybe someday the rest would get worn again. LOL. Gave Barkley a bath and then showered myself before driving to Bayshore Mall to get my necklace fixed. The chain broke a while ago and I have not gone to the mall in a while where I know they fix things like this. As I drove by Tony's shop I noticed him outside so I beeped my horn. When I told him where I was going he handed me his necklace and told me to get his clasp fixed also. Spent about an hour and a half at the mall waiting for the two necklaces to be fixed. Went through the whole mall and didn't buy a thing. With all the clothes we have that we don't wear, why do we need more? I ate lunch at Rocky Rocco and picked up the two finished necklaces and went home. Took an hour nap with the dogs and now I am making spaghetti for dinner tonight. Feeling very tired today and I pulled a muscle in my left shoulder some time during the night last night. I think I jerked from having a bad dream and that is how it happened. I need a good rub down. Good luck with that one hey? Will most likely go to bed early tonight since I am tired. Tony was falling asleep on the couch last night by 8 PM before I hauled his butt into bed to finish off the night watching TV in bed. He was snoring shortly after his head hit the pillow. I am sure tonight will not be much different.

December 6, 2010 Monday Dinner Time

This morning I was up and out of bed by 6:30 AM. Got the dogs fed and Tony off to work. Started working on the Disco mixes again since I was not satisfied how the songs mixed together. I tweaked the Disco Mix Volume 1 a bit to make it sound better and re posted it. I then showered and went to Pick N Save to buy some food. Got home a little after noon and made myself a ham sandwich for lunch. About 1 PM I took a two hour nap with the dogs. When I got up I did a little dusting around the house and then vacuumed. Paid some bills and got some Birthday cards ready to mail while I watched TV. Making a turkey loaf, mashed potato and corn with a salad for dinner. Tony just called to say he will be home a little late since he has to go pick up a car part. I guess this is good because it means he has some business and cars to work on. Will spend the night watching the CBS TV line up before going to bed tonight. Was very cold in Milwaukee today. I think we had a high in the 20s today. Too cold to take Stella for a walk. I will have to bundle her and I up tomorrow and walk her since she hasn't been on a walk for a couple days now because of the cold. The next heating bill should be huge since it has been so cold here in Milwaukee and being home all day I have to heat turned up to 68 degrees. Our house was built in 1909 so it is not very energy efficient. I do have plastic in the bedroom windows but that has not helped much and the bedroom is usually about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the house. Why we live here in this cold cold state during the winter is a mystery to me. Some day when we win the lottery we will move to a warmer state. It has been so cute to watch Bo play in the snow. He will be a year old December 22nd so this is his first snow he can remember. We got him last March and since he was so young he probably has little memory of snow. Saturday morning when he went out to pee and there was snow, he didn't know what to think of it. Now he runs and runs in the snow and just loves eating the ice chunks. This is the dog that runs to the refrigerator every time I get ice out of the ice maker door. He loves chewing on ice. Now I know what parents feel like when they see their child do something for the first time. When it was snowing Saturday afternoon he would stand outside and wonder where the snow was coming from, looking up, trying to eat the flakes as they fell. It is so cute.

December 5, 2010 Sunday Night

Friday night we watched the DVD titled Dead Alive. After telling my tenant upstairs about how I like Zombie movies he handed me the DVD and said I should like it. It was OK but I would not recommend it. Went to bed around 10 PM.

Saturday morning I made Cheese Omelets, bacon and toast for breakfast. Spent the day watching the snow fall. We got maybe 4 inches. Spent the morning watching Sell This House and Flip This House. Spent the afternoon watching Speeders and Cops on the Tru network. Tony did shovel the snow later in the afternoon. Spent the night watching the movie The Switch. It was entertaining and worth seeing. Got a call in the afternoon from Tony's sister. Their dog named Little Buddy is not doing good at all. He is a daschund and is 8 years old. He is the dog that when he sees me or comes to visit for a day or two never leaves my side and sleeps nose to nose with me at night. I have talked about him in the past. I honestly think my second dog Shadow is in him. I can see it in his eyes. It is always hard to give him back to Tony's sister after we have him for a few days or I see him at family parties. They live in lower Illinois so it is a 3 hour drive to their house. Anyway, being a long daschund he is having back problems and it could cost over $4000 for surgery. He could not walk the last two days. I was told he was in a lot of pain the night prior. She is considering putting him down. Tony's sister later called me and said that she took him to her chiropractor and had him swim in a warm bathtub and seems to being doing better. I spent the afternoon in tears thinking it could be his last days. Such a sweet dog and we have a connection. I will be heart broken when this dog dies. I told Tony if I have to I will drive down to his sisters house and see him one last time if that time comes. I just need to see him one last time. So sad. Went to bed around 10:30 PM.

This morning I made french toast for breakfast. We spent the morning watching TV and Tony went back to bed around 10 AM until noon. After we both showered we drove to a new grocery store in the neighborhood to check it out. Bought some lasagna for dinner tonight. Heating it now. Also made salad and garlic bread. Will spend the night watching Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters before going to bed tonight. Tomorrow is Monday and back to having the house to myself and Tony at work. I do have a lot of Christmas shopping to do, at least window shopping. I will go to the mall at least once before Christmas. I do have to pick up a couple things for Tony that I find appealing. Made some changes to the DJ Dave Disco Favorites Volume 1 so it might be worth listening to again.

December 3, 2010 Friday Night

The weekend is here. I love the weekends because then Tony and I are together for the couple days. I get so bored being home all week by myself during the days. I posted another DJ Dave Disco Favorites mix for you all to enjoy. It is DJ Dave Disco Favorites Volume 2. Lot of old disco I heard in my 20s at the straight and gay bars. Brings back memories just to listen to them. Seems like yesterday. Some of you younger people may have never heard a lot of them, but give it a listen. It was what we danced to in the late 70s and early 80s. They are my favorites from that time. I have a couple more in the works.
Got up this morning at 6:30 AM and fed the dogs and got Tony off to work. It is kinda funny. Every morning when he goes to work when we say goodbye at the door, we touch cheeks. We do sometimes kiss goodbye on the lips, but most times out of fun we both turn out heads and just touch cheeks. Guess you have to see it to understand. It is just our way. Spent the morning posting the newest Disco mix and then picked Tony up at his auto body shop to go have lunch with the guys. Had a great lunch as usual. Spent the afternoon cruising the Internet and listening to the music mixes I posted. Also did a little dusting and vacuuming for the weekend. When Tony is home cleaning is not allowed. LOL. He tells me I have all week to get the cleaning done and when he is home it is 'his' time. Time to take care of him. Since I really don't like cleaning anyway it is easy to do, or should I say, not do. Made a salad for dinner but have yet to decide what to make as a side since I am not hungry and Tony will most likely not be either. Will most likely make a side of beef stew or soup to go with the salad. Watched the movie The Crazies last night. I liked it since I like 'walking dead' type scary movies. I do recommend it if you like the AMC show The Walking Dead on Sunday nights or the series of movies like Dawn of the Dead. Will most likely watch another movie tonight before going to bed. Tomorrow we are bracing for the first snow storm of the year. Time to get out the shovels. Thankfully the storm track is looking like most of the snow will be west of Milwaukee, but that is if the lake effect snow doesn't kick in later in the day as they say might happen. Right now it looks like 3 to 5 inches tomorrow during the day. Tony was mad when we watched the news last night and they were talking about the storm. Being in the auto repair business he looked at me and said 'why do we always have these damn storms during the weekends when no one is out driving'. LOL. I assured him that many people will be out tomorrow with Christmas only 3 weeks away. Only an auto body repair man would think this way. It is his bread and butter. He always gets a few customers that drive to fast and smash their cars in the snow storms. Have no plans this weekend. I am sure between the TV and shoveling that will be the most of it. Have a good weekend everyone.

December 2, 2010 Thursday Dinner Time

Yesterday afternoon I had a board meeting for ARCW. Was a good meeting which included a lunch. Came home and spent the afternoon watching TV until Tony came home early at 4:30 PM. He did not have a good day at work and called it a day early. Brought home some extra lunches from the meeting which I served for dinner with some chicken soup. We spent the night watching the movie Piranha. It was actually pretty good. Lot of blood and fish eating people. Went to bed around 10:30 PM after a little lovin.

This morning I was up and out of bed by 6:30 AM. Got the dogs fed and Tony off to work before making myself a bagel for breakfast. Got showered and was at ARCW for a dental cleaning appointment. After my dental cleaning I came home and after letting the dog out I walked across the alley to talk with the neighbor for a little while. After I came home I then drove to Pick N Save to buy some food items that I had coupons for. I saved over $20 bringing the total down to $40.00 for everything I bought. I wasn't going to go to the grocery store but the weather is talking about a snow storm here in Milwaukee this weekend so I thought I better fill the cabinets with food. Actually we could be snowed in for a month and still have food. Spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Mariah Carey and dusting. Making a frozen beef roast, corn, mashed potato and a salad for dinner. Will most likely watch another movie I have downloaded and DVR our regular TV programs to watch commercial free over the weekend. Tomorrow is Friday already, where does the week go? Looking forward to our regular Friday lunch with the guys. No plans this weekend which is probably good considering the 5 inches of snow that is set to arrive on Saturday.

I added a lot of pictures along the left side border. If you haven't ventured down the blog for a while you might want to check out all the pictures I added. Most of the pictures are the Christmas Cards I send out each year dating back to 1995. Also added a little caption with most pictures. As you can see the dogs are our standard Christmas Card each year. As the number of dogs change over the years, it is still not easy to get a picture with all of them, much less them all looking at the camera. Thankfully there is photo shop to alter some of them and finish them as you can see. Hope you enjoy them.

December 1, 2010 World Aids Day

Today is World Aids Day. Take a moment today to think about all our friends and family we have lost to this horrible disease. Take a moment to think of those struggling daily with HIV and AIDS. Take a moment to reach out and hug someone who needs your strength. If you can't hug them, call them, and tell them how much they mean to you and your life. I have personally lost so many friends to this disease it sometimes makes me want to cry. I will instead try to remember the happy times I had with them and know they are never forgotten. Unfortunately, it is because of them traveling down this road prior to us that we have the meds we need to live and can remember them.

November 30, 2010 Tuesday Dinner Time

Tony came home from work last night a little after 6 PM. He was not very happy with the way his day ended. At about 4 PM a customer came to his auto body shop because of a brake problem. The customer pulled up to the front garage doors forgetting his brake problem and plowed right through the garage doors. Tony has had the worst luck with his huge garage doors. He has had them replaced at least four times in the last year for various crashes into them. It is like they are car magnets or something. He kept saying all night 'my poor garage doors'. LOL. Put some color in Tony's hair before he took his shower. Also put some in mine which I am sure will be a mistake because it always gives me a rash. We both are getting so gray. We both look 10 years younger now. LOL. Spent the night watching TV. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up by 6:30 AM feeding the dogs and getting Tony off to work. Did a little around the house before driving to the bank and Walgreen's to pick up a prescription. I am on four or five prescriptions from Walgreen's that seem to come due on differing weeks. I am there at least once a week. Mailed my Christmas cards at the post office. Came home and took Stella for a walk before the temperature drops below freezing for the next week or so according to the weather report. She does love going for a walk around the block and it is good for me also. Made a ham sandwich for lunch and took a nap this afternoon from 1 PM to 3 PM. I know I nap a lot, but you be on Atripla and not need one daily. Got up and listened to some music before watching Judge Judy. Making a frozen pork roast, potato and corn with a salad for dinner tonight. Spent part of the day on the web looking at posts to other blogs and at the websight thebody.com. Some post break your heart. Finding out you have HIV really takes your life for a loop. I know unfortunately first hand. Tomorrow I have a Client Advisory Board Meeting at ARCW in the afternoon. Tony will be home soon from work so it is time to feed the dogs again and get supper finished. Will spend the night watching TV. Here is this years Christmas card picture. Thank god for photo shop.

November 29, 2010 Monday Dinner Time

Sunday morning since we both got up early we drove to Tony's mom's house on the southside and took her out for breakfast. Stopped off at Target to exchange some sweat pants I bought the week prior that ended up being a size too large. Came home by noon and spent the rest of the day just laying around the house and watching TV. Last night we watched a couple movies I had downloaded, one being Paranormal Activity One. It was ok. Was mad they killed off the cute boyfriend at the end. Went to bed around 10 PM Sunday night.

This morning I got up not feeling very well. Not sick, just off a bit. After Tony left for work I went to bed again for about an hour before getting up, showering, and going to the bank to make a deposit and buy a couple items at the grocery store. Came home and made myself a ham sandwich for lunch before going back to bed for a two hour nap. I just can not wake up today. Feel like I am in a fog even as I type this. Must be the cloudy weather here in Milwaukee. Making spaghetti for dinner and will spend the night watching TV with Tony and the dogs. Our friend just picked up his dog we have been dog sitting for the last week. We are now down to our five dogs again, much better number.

November 27, 2010 Saturday Late Morning

Had a great Thanksgiving with my side of the family. Ate a lot of food and went home with a bunch of leftovers. Spent the rest of the night watching TV before going to bed around 10:30 PM. Love the huge newspaper on Thanksgiving Day.

Friday morning we slept in until about 7 AM. We drove to Best Buy around 9 AM determined to either return our washing machine we bought 5 months ago or buy a new one. After talking with the clerk we decided it is best to call a service person first since it is under warranty. It just doesn't get the clothing clean. It is a front load machine and because of the water conserving features, I swear the clothes never get totally washed much less soak. Came home and Tony went to work. I spent the morning listening to music. Tony picked me up for lunch with the guys a little after 11:30 AM. Had a GREAT lunch with the guys. Had more people than normal because of the day after Thanksgiving and not having to work. We spent over an hour and a half at lunch laughing and having a great time. Tony then dropped me off at home and went back to work for a couple hours before returning by 4:00 PM for the day. I made leftovers for dinner from Mom's house the day prior. Spent the night watching some movies I downloaded. Watched The Messenger's and some TV DVR'd stuff before going to bed around 9:30 PM. We both were tired and watched the news in bed before actually sleeping.

This morning after making us some cheese omelets for breakfast we pulled out the washing machine we have to check the hoses. One hose could possibly be the problem since it had a small kink in it. We put new hoses on the washing machine and I am doing the first load of laundry now hoping we solved the problem. If it doesn't solve the problem I will call for a service person to come out and look at it ASAP. No plans the rest of the day or weekend which is nice. It is in the 20s here in Wisconsin and very cold outside so staying indoors is the best option.

November 24, 2010 Wednesday Dinner Time

Last night we watched the final to Dancing With The Stars. Although Bristol Palin had no business being in the final, I was glad how the ranking turned out. It would have been a more exciting show if Brandy and Jennifer Grey had BOTH been in the final. I was so glad to see my boy Derik Hough and Jennifer Grey win the trophy. Went to bed shortly after the show ended at 10 PM.

This morning I was up by 6 AM and got the dogs fed and Tony off to work. Tony was already not in a good mood by the time I got up since he had cleaned up two messes from the dog we are dog sitting. As much as I love this dog, I hope this is the last time we have to take care of him since he is so old and has lost his bowel strength. Watched the DWTS cast on Good Morning America before showering and heading out for my doctor appointment. The doctor thinks I should continue another two week course of the antibiotic before we proceed with anything else. He also suggested taking two Anti diarrheal pills prior to going to bed each night to help with the morning bowel movements. I will try it starting tonight. Came home after stopping at Walgreen's and picking up my prescriptions. Made tomato soup again for lunch and then took a two hour nap with the dogs. When I got up at 3 PM it was snowing outside. Did a little around the house and am making hamburgers and beans for dinner with a salad. I just hope Tony didn't have hamburgers for lunch. Either way he is having them again for dinner tonight. Will spend the night watching the ABC lineup on TV before going to bed. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to all my followers. Maybe anyone reading this blog could this one time comment and tell me what they are most thankful for this year. I am most thankful that I am still able to get up each morning and go to bed each night, mostly, just to be alive. I also am thankful for all the followers and such that have responded so positively to my blog and continue to follow my daily activities. I consider you all friends. Thank you.

November 23, 2010 Tuesday Night

Got up this morning by 6:30 AM. Got the dogs fed and Tony off to work. Read a little of the morning news paper and then got in the shower to start my day. About 10 AM I drove to Pick N Save and did some grocery shopping. Once again spending more than I would think. Are food prices going through the roof or am I just buying more food each week? Came home and watched a little TV before making myself a ham sandwich for lunch. Spent the afternoon napping with the dogs. We had a high of 32 degrees today in Milwaukee. Yesterday we had a high of 65 degrees. Quite a temperature swing in 24 hours. Made some ravioli for dinner with garlic bread and a salad. I have had pain all day today in my bladder area. I am glad I go to the doctor tomorrow morning for the follow up appointment regarding this pain. I still am on the two week course of antibiotics so I am a little scared. I don't think the antibiotic is working any more or something more is going to have to be done. Either way, I was just hoping this was healing and going away and it is not. A friend dropped off his dog around 5 PM tonight so we can dog sit for the next week. He is the 16 year old dog we take care of often. I've said it before, I need another dog around this house as much as a hole in the head. Six is too many to have under your feet and let out all day. I guess I should be happy they are all house trained. Will spend the night watching the Dancing With The Stars Results Show. Jennifer Grey better win or I will not be a happy guy. She deserves to win based on the fact this is a dancing competition and not a Republican popularity contest. If Bristol Palin wins I will call the show / network tomorrow and complain. Will let you know what the doctor says after my appointment tomorrow regarding this pain that has now been around for almost two months.

November 22, 2010 Monday Night

Was up around 2:30 AM with the runs. I know that is hardly a great way to start today's blog, but it was the way I started my day. Went back to bed and was up again by 6:30 AM with more of the same fun. Got Tony off to work and fed the dogs before making myself a bowl of cereal and going back to bed. Canceled my therapy appointment prior to going back to bed since I didn't feel like leaving the house under these conditions. After I got up around noon I noticed the pain is back in my prostate area. Was going to cancel my follow up appointment for Wednesday, I am glad I did not at this point. I had been pain free for about a week so I am a little concerned as to why the pain has returned. I still am on the antibiotic so this is not good. It might be from being on the toilet so much this morning, but either way, it is real pain. The pain is in my bladder area and goes down behind my left testicle. Damn, I thought I was getting better. Spent the afternoon wrapping Christmas presents and vacuuming the house while I watched the weather reports. It got up to 65 degrees this afternoon but the warm weather brought thunder storms and tornadoes south of Milwaukee. We had rain and thunder this morning also as the warm front came through. It is suppose to drop 30 degrees tonight and winter is coming fast. Making a meat loaf, corn and mashed potato with a salad for dinner. Tony just called to say he will be home a little late as he waits for a customer to drop off a check. Will spend the night watching the final for Dancing With The Stars and most likely go to bed early since I didn't take a nap, and of course the pain. Tomorrow I have to go to Walgreen's and pick up a prescription and a refill of the antibiotic as well as do a little grocery shopping for milk and fresh fruit at Pick N Save. I then have my doctor appointment Wednesday morning. I am not happy about this because the doctor hinted if the pain is not gone by my Wednesday follow up appointment he will have to look up in my butt and prostate more than just a finger. Even though I am gay, I use my butt for nothing else but poopin. Using it for anything else hasn't been an option for about 15 years since I had hemorrhoid surgery. So the thought of him going up there with anything bigger than a finger, which was bad enough, is not a pleasant thought. But might be necessary unfortunately. Hopefully I just strained myself from the runs this morning. I'm hoping anyway. Other than that is was an uneventful day at home. I did take Stella for a walk around the block sometime after noon which was my only time I left the house today. I did go outside to pick up the side yard's dog droppings also. The news is reporting a couple of tornado's near the Racine area and looks like a lot of people are without power. I do love storms, but can enjoy them when they are just a little away as well as if they are on top of us.

November 21, 2010 Sunday Night

Had a great lunch on Friday with the guys. Came home and spent the afternoon listening to music and cleaning the house. Tony got home around 6 PM and we spent the night watching two movies: The Kids Are All Right and Dream Boy. Dream Boy was better than The Kids Are All Right. I have a problem with movies like TKAAR when one of the main gay characters who is a lesbian in the movie, then sleeps with a man. I think straight people see movies like this and think gay people can 'choose' who they want to sleep with. Fact it, if your gay, your gay. You don't go sleeping with someone of the opposite sex unless you bi. Movie like that just feed into the though that being gay is a 'choice'. Went to bed around 10:30 PM.

Saturday morning after reading the newspaper, making a bagel for us for breakfast, we showered and went to Farm And Fleet. Spent $250 on candy and stuff for Christmas. We did buy a lot of chocolate, nuts and candy. Here comes the weight eating all this. We should have gone to Farm and Fleet prior to lunch at Taco Bell. LOL. Stopped off at Tony's brothers house who recently found out he is stage four cancer. He was not home but we spent and hour talking to his wife. I think she needed it. Came home and took an hour nap before getting up and spending the night watching TV shows I DVR'd during the week. We went to bed around 10:00 PM.

Sunday we got up, fed the dogs, read a little of the Sunday newspaper and then showered and drove to Tony's mom's house on the south side taking her out for breakfast. After breakfast we went to Target to do some more Christmas shopping. Spent another $225.00. The good news I am almost done with all our Christmas shopping for the family. I can now just concentrate on things to buy Tony for Christmas. We did not buy any more candy at Target. Tony had a bag of some kind of candy in the cart and looked at him and said 'no more candy'. Got home around 1 PM and spent the afternoon watching the movie The Box on HBO. HBO and Showtime are free this weekend. Walked across the alley and talked with the neighbor for about a half hour before coming back home and watching more TV. It is almost 50 degrees today but cloudy and drizzling. Not a good day. Made salad, soup and bread sticks for dinner. We are now watching Law And Order SVU I DVR'd last week and will then settle in the the Music Awards on ABC tonight. Tomorrow it is suppose to again be about 50 degrees and then winter comes to Wisconsin. By Thursday we are expecting a high in the 20s and snow. YUCK! Tomorrow I have a therapy appointment later in the morning and that's it until Wednesday when I am suppose to go in for a follow up appointment for the pain I had in my prostate. Since the pain is gone and the antibiotic has done it's job I am most likely going to cancel the appointment. No sense in spending $50 to see the doctor to have him tell me he is glad to see I am better. Am so happy to see my visitor counter raise. I have always had a goal of having 10,000 visitors by January 2011. That would be two years to the day of setting up this blog. I think I just might get there since I am over 9000 already. Glad so many of you read my blog and again Thank You. I do it for me as much as you.

November 19, 2010 Friday Morning

Spent the day yesterday listening to old disco and made a loop of my favorite old disco songs that shaped my life back in the 80's. It is not really a mix, since the songs are hard to mix, as it is a loop of all my favorites. Depending on how popular it is will be the key to me making more. I do have thousands of old disco on my computer and a lot more favorites I could make loops out of. Maybe someday I will try to make a 'mix' of them rather than a 'loop'. Hope someone remembers the music and enjoys it. Did not do much else yesterday since it was cold. I never even left the house and only went outside to pick up the dog droppings in the afternoon. Made a pork roast, corn and mashed potato with a salad for dinner. Tony got home last night around 6 PM. After drinking his cup of coffee and eating dinner he showered and then we had a little lovin. He never left the bed after that and slept the night away as I watched TV in the living room with the dogs. I keep telling him he needs to come home and nap with the rest of us daily so he is not so tired at night. I guess that is hard to do when you own a business and work. Makes for a lonely day when he leaves for work by 7:30 AM, gets home at 6 PM, and is sleeping again by 7:30 PM. Even though I went to bed to watch TV at 9 PM and turned it off by 10 PM I woke up tired today. I think it is because of the weather and boredom to be honest.

This morning I was up by 6:30 AM and got Tony off to work by 7:30 AM. Will spend the morning cleaning since I did not yesterday. The dust is piling up as well as the house needing a good vacuuming. Then I will shower, pick Tony up for lunch, and have lunch with the guys. It looks pretty cold this weekend so I am sure we will not do much but catch up on the stuff I DVR'd during the week on TV. I would like to go Christmas shopping at least one day this weekend. If I don't start making Tony look for anything for me, I will get nothing again this year for Christmas from him.

November 17, 2010 Wednesday Morning

Brandy got robbed on Dancing With The Stars last night.

Got Tony off to work and the dogs fed yesterday before I began my day. Spent the morning doing a little work around the house before showering and going to my 11 AM therapy at ARCW. Had a nice hour of therapy. I was a little afraid I was not connecting after my first visit with the therapist but yesterdays appointment made me feel a bit better. I felt better as I left his office. Stopped off at Walgreen's to get two prescriptions and a couple other items before walking across the street and buying a sub at Cousin's. Came home and spent the afternoon setting up my Christmas village. I put it in the outside sun room this year. It takes up too much room in the house. Made spaghetti, garlic bread and a salad for dinner. Tony was home shortly after 5 PM and after eating dinner we spent the night watching TV. Dancing With The Stars was a joke last night. I feel Brandy got robbed. Once again the Republicans voted for 'their' person rather than the 'best' person. Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough deserve to be in the top three. Bristol Palin does not deserve to be in the top three. Tony and I just sat there in shock as the results were given. Bristol Palin has been in the bottom almost every week and she makes the top three? It was not right and the top people did not make the top three as far as I am concerned. I LOVE Derek Hough and hope to make him my husband some day. LOL He looks so snuggable. Bristol Palin should do the right thing and bow out of the competition to let Brandy be in the top three where she belongs. Shame on the Palin Republicans who voted for the wrong person and not the right person. Shame Shame! My heart goes out to Brandy. I went to the DWTS message boards today and read a lot of the posts. So much is made of Brandy's face after finding out the results. What kind of face should she show? She got robbed by the Republicans. Enough said! Went to bed around 10 PM. Have I mentioned my rabbit is back? Yes, the last couple days I have looked out the back window and there he / she is. I had not seen the rabbit for weeks and was afraid a stray cat might have killed it. I feed the rabbit every day at dark so the squirrels don't eat all the bread and carrots I put out for the rabbit. I named him Roger Rabbit.

Got up this morning around 6:30 AM and right away got on the Internet to read more posts from DWTS. I still am in shock at the results. Just watched Brandy and Maks on Good Morning America. Would hate to get my blood pressure checked right now since I am still mad. It is cold and damp in Milwaukee this morning. I have to go grocery shopping this morning and plan on just spending the rest of the day napping or listening to music. Don't have much else planned and happy to stay home today in the warm house. I am so cold all the time and with winter coming I am not happy. I always wonder why I live in this state that gets so cold in the winter. Will watch the ABC comedy lineup tonight before going to bed. Tony informed me this morning that tonight he needs a little lovin. We all know what that really means. LOL. Will have to break down tonight and give him a 'release'. Only takes him about 10 minutes so I think I can find the time. LOL.

November 15, 2010 Monday Night

Got the dogs fed and Tony off to work this morning by 7:30 AM. Spent the morning listening to some old disco music while cleaning the house. Dusted, vacuumed and put some more Christmas decorations up around the house. Made myself some tomato soup for lunch and talked to my mom on the phone early this afternoon. Spent about an hour taking a nap with the dogs. Visited my usual web sights which includes queerty.com. Read a story about lesbian's being kicked out of an Oklahoma school. In the story the phone number of the Principal was given so I decided to call and leave my two cents. I left a message with my phone number. Basically left a message that if the story is true they should all be ashamed of themselves. About 10 minutes after leaving the message the Principal of the Oklahoma school returned my call. I was shocked. We had a very nice conversation and it does go to show there are two sides of every story. She was very concerned about the news story and has three children of her own. She assured me there was more to the story and that the school is very tolerant and the lesbians have graduated and every gay or lesbian student is welcome in their school. It was really a nice conversation and I felt very good after it. I was saddened to hear from the Principal that of the over 75 hateful, threatening messages, that I was the only message that left a return phone number. After our conversation I posted on Queerty.com my conversation and how wrong the gay community is to leave hateful messages without a return phone number to hear the other side. It is not fair. The Principal is so sorry this story got out of hand and wishes she had a way to reach the media again with her side. Once something like this is printed or reported we all know it takes on a life of it's own. I felt good, I got what I wanted to say out there, and got the response I would want to hear. I feel the Principal is a good person and mother. So, I guess the lesson is: If you leave a message about a differing opinion, be man enough to leave a return phone number so you can get a response and possibly a different perspective. Made a Turkey roast and mac and cheese for dinner with a salad. Tony was home by 5:30 PM tonight. Spending the night watching Dancing With The Stars and Castle before going to bed. I was suppose to have two appointments at ARCW tomorrow, one being a dentist cleaning and one being to talk to my therapist. I got a call this afternoon that the dental appointment had to be rescheduled because of a conflict. I must admit this happens almost every dental appointment at ARCW here in Milwaukee. Took Stella for a walk late this afternoon to enjoy the 50 degree weather here. It won't last forever.

November 14, 2010 Sunday Night

Saturday morning we both got up by 7 AM. After feeding the dogs, reading a bit of the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee, I made breakfast. Tony soon left to go to work for the morning, I went back to bed. Got back up out of bed around 12:30 PM, showered and Tony got home shortly after that from work. We spent the afternoon watching TV shows I DVR'd during the week. After feeding the dogs dinner we went out for dinner and then stopped off at the Casino here in Milwaukee. For some reason I felt luck. Well, thankfully I am so cheap and when we do got to the casino I put a very tight limit on both of us. We ended up walking around the casino for about an hour spending $25 each for a total of $50.00. We never won anything close to a big jackpot during the night. It is amazing to me how crowded the casino was and how much people just throw at them, or should I say give to them. I felt bad losing the $50.00. I think of what I could have bought with that. I can't imagine losing more than that for a night. Came home and watched Twilight New Moon before going to bed around 10:30 PM.

This morning we were both up by 7 AM and like most mornings after the dogs were fed we drank our coffee while reading the morning newspaper. I then made breakfast again like yesterday. After breakfast we got into a fight about something and Tony got in the shower while I brought up the Christmas decorations from the basement. I put a little around the house and hung a few strands of lights outside. Not one of the nearly twenty strands of lights from last year worked again this year. What is up with that? Had to use the strands that I still had from last year still in a box. Tony took a little nap while I went and bought lottery tickets for the week. When I got home he was cleaning the front rain gutter because I mentioned it had to be cleaned because it was full of leaves. I figured it was the one thing he could do around here this weekend because he has done little else. We spent the latter part of the afternoon watching Twilight Eclipse. Figured we might as well watch the third part while the second part is fresh in our minds from last night. Made a canned ham, potato's and mixed vegetables for dinner. We are now settling in for the night and will watch Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters before going to bed. Was in the 40s today in Milwaukee and later in the afternoon we had rain which looked like it would turn to snow in no time. Ended up being a little sleet, but no snow yet. Monday I don't have a lot on my plate except cleaning because not much of that happens on the weekends. I think the antibiotic is doing what it should because the pain is almost gone at times. Guess the doctor was right.

November 12, 2010 Friday Morning

Woke up yesterday and after feeding the dogs and getting Tony off to work I went grocery shopping and then to ARCW to pick up my monthly food. I did get a call from the nurse yesterday after I returned home telling me she spoke with the doctor regarding my concerns about the antibiotic and that the doctor still thinks it is the best course of action and to try it for a week before giving up. I accepted that. The doctor thinks I was not on the antibiotic long enough the last time for it to work the way it was suppose to work. I then asked for the results from my blood and urine test on Monday and she told me she did have the results but the doctor, not her, would have to give them to me. I told her she was scaring me with that statement and that I can take any news good or bad. I was most interested in my PSA levels because my dad has prostate cancer. She said she would have the doctor call me as soon as possible with the results. The next ten minutes were very long. The nurse called me back and said she talked with the doctor and he said it was alright to tell me the tests came back OK, within the regular limits, and that I did not have to worry. I was happy to hear this news. So I guess I will have to give this antibiotic a chance to work before going any further. I am a little mad that I had to have a CT scan for all this when if the doctor / specialist would have seen me first, I would not have this expense coming my way. I am sure it will not be cheap and since I have a $1500 health insurance deductible I am sure it will cost that much or more. Where the money will come from is a good question. Spent the afternoon taking a nap with the dogs while I listened to music. Tony got home around 5:00 PM. He has been home early lately because his business is very slow. We need a good snow storm and some accidents unfortunately to get his business back on track. That or he needs to sell some of the cars he has for sale. Not much money has been coming in on his end of things lately which scares me. I can not pay all the monthly bills on what I get from social security each month. Made boneless ribs, mashed potato and corn with the salad for dinner. We spent the night watching TV and went to bed around 10:30 PM. Had a hard time getting Stella into the house because there must be some animal under our side porch and she is bound and determined to get it. I looked with a flash light before going to bed and could not see anything. Stella had this on her mind all night and wanted to go out several times during the night. This led to a very bad night of sleeping last night.

Got up this morning at 5:30 AM because Stella once again wanted to go outside and sniff under the porch. I still can not see what she is trying to get at. Tony left for work shortly after 7 AM and I went back to bed for about an hour. Got up and showered and now I am ready to go pick Tony up in a little while to have lunch with the guys. I am happy it is Friday. Not only because of our weekly lunch, but because that means Tony will be home for the weekend and I will not be alone all day like I am during the week. It is suppose to be a rainy cold weekend here in Milwaukee and we have no plans, so I am sure we will spend the weekend watching movies or TV and just having a very relaxing weekend. I suggested last night that we have a snuggle party with the dogs tonight. I call it a snuggle party when I put pillows and blankets on the floor around the front of the couch and we all lay on the floor with the dogs at our sides and feet. I think that is the way I would want to die when that time comes. It is getting cold outside and rained this morning. It is cloudy which makes my mind not want to start. I know it is the Atripla which makes cloudy days harder to get through then a sunny day. Thankfully since we have no plans this weekend there will be no reason to get my mind going accept to make it through the day taking care of the dogs and Tony. I still laugh when I do a spell check before posting, I am so bad at spelling. You would all laugh at my spelling if there was no spell check.

November 11, 2010 Thursday Morning

Yesterday was a long day of tests. It started at 8 AM with drinking two bottles of barium before my 9:30 AM CT scan. I have had this test done about 10 years ago and I must say the barium you have to drink is much better and has a berry flavor. It was drinkable. In between drinking the two bottles I went upstairs to my doctor's office and asked the nurse if she can do anything to get me in to see a specialist before next week. I was in a lot of pain the night before and there was no way I could wait another week. I was scheduled an emergency appointment at 10:30 AM after my CT scan. The CT scan went well. The worst part was the injection of iodine which makes you feel warm and a feeling like you are peeing in your pants. It is a weird feeling and not one that is pleasant. The specialist / surgeon examined me and looked at the results from the CT scan and said he thinks I have a prostate infection, not a hernia. The CT scan did not show a hernia. I was happy to hear this news until I filled the prescription for the antibiotic only to notice it is the same antibiotic I had been taking during this month of pain. I then called the doctor's office and talked with the nurse letting her know that I had already been on this antibiotic with no positive results. She is talking to the doctor today and will get back to me. So it was a roller coaster ride of feeling good about the news, then learning he might be wrong. I spent the afternoon taking a nap with the dogs since I was so tired from all the procedures and doctors all morning. Made leftover's for dinner and went to bed early last night. The pain was not as bad as the night before. The night before I was seriously thinking about going to emergency I was in so much pain. So now I wait again for the doctor to call me back. I am sure he will tell me to continue with the antibiotic and see him in two weeks for a follow up appointment. I just hope I am not wasting two more weeks, with pain, to need more tests. Time will tell. I now am bleeding from my butt so I am not happy.

This morning I was up by 5:30 AM feeling a bit better but still in some pain. I have to get a lot done today since I have not done much this week. I have to go grocery shopping and to the bank this morning. Have to vacuum and dust the house. And have to go get my monthly food from ARCW. I hope to get most of this done this morning so I can again take a nap this afternoon since I have not been sleeping well from the pain. It is uncomfortable to lay down and sleep in any position. I also don't want to over do it today and be back in the pain I was two days earlier. The only good thing that has happened in the last days is that our tenants upstairs moved in a friend for a week or so because he broke up with his girl friend. He is very handsome and nice to look at. Hey, I have to look at something as good news at this point. It is again going to be in the 60s here in Milwaukee. We are in a warm front, but the weather is changing after today and this weekend looks in the 40s and rainy. We usually get snow around Thanksgiving so it is just a matter of time. Got to get showered and get on with the day. Will try to post an update after the doctor calls me today.

November 9, 2010 Tuesday Night

Did a lot of research on the Internet last night and my money is on a groin hernia. Everything I read and the pictures I look at seem to tell me that is what I have going on. Spent the night watching Dancing With The Stars and Castle before going to bed.

Got up this morning around 6:30 AM. After feeding the dogs and getting Tony off to work I spent the morning listening to music and reading the book Nine Days In Heaven that my mom gave me. Actually finished the book today. Made Tomato soup for lunch and then took a long nap all afternoon with the dogs. Made spaghetti for dinner and now I am ready to settle in for the night. I did get a call from the nurse today, no test results yet, but I have a CT scan tomorrow at 8 AM. The worst part will be the drinking of two bottle of barium. Had this test many many years ago for bowel problems and the drinking of the nasty tasting stuff is the worst. Remember well after the scan having to run to the bathroom and 'discharge' it all. At least this test will be over by tomorrow night and my doctor's next week will have all the test results to tell me what is going on and what is next. Going to the couch. The pain is a four and getting worse. Glad I finally broke down and having this looked at and didn't wait any longer. Thank you Megan for the comment on your dad, it is appreciated.

November 8, 2010 Monday Night

Today was not a good day.

The weekend went by very fast. We did very little over the weekend but watch a lot of TV and go out for lunch and dinner once each day. We did have breakfast with Tony's mom on Sunday morning and went to Big Lot to do some shopping after breakfast. Came home and took a nap and spent the night watching TV.

This morning I had an appointment at ARCW with my new therapist. He seems OK and I see him again next week. After that appointment I came home for a short time before going to my regular doctor to find out why I have this pain above my groin area which radiates below my testicles. After being at her office for over an hour I was sent downstairs to get a PSA blood test to check for cancer and a urine test to test for, have no idea. I then finally got home and made an appointment as directed with a surgeon and a urologist. I see one next week Wednesday and the other next week Friday. The pain is up to a level 3 out of 10 so I have to do all this crap. It is not going away on it's own. My doctor is calling me tomorrow with the blood and urine tests as well as scheduling me for an MRI to see what can be seen in that area, and letting me know what date the MRI is scheduled for. Since my dad has prostate cancer it is possible it could be that. My doctor thinks it is most likely a hernia of the groin. Either way my head is just swimming right now from all this news and the possibilities that could come to pass in the future. I do not like pain, procedures, doctors, hours wasted waiting, much less the thought of surgery or a cancer treatment of some kind. I of course was hoping for a pill to correct the problem fast. Doesn't look like that is going to be the way to fix this problem. I honestly just feel like crying. Will have to do a little research on the Internet to see what the hernia will all entail if it comes to that. If it is cancer I am sure a doctor will give me my options. I am so tired of being sick and having health problems. Wasn't dealing with HIV enough? I know others go through worse things, but this is me. It is happening to me. I am going to log off and relax on the couch for the night. I feel like just going to bed and crying. If anyone reading this has had a hernia surgery or knows someone that went through it I would love some input.

November 5, 2010 Friday Morning

Wednesday night we saw the play Young Frankenstein at the Milwaukee PAC. It was entertaining. Got home and watched a little TV before going to bed around 11 PM.

Yesterday I spent most of the day laying around the house listening to music. I am not sure if it is the weather or what but I have no ambition lately to do anything. I am so tired all the time. I am making a doctor appointment today to find out what this pain is in my bladder area which goes down to bellow my testicles. It comes and goes, but at times is very uncomfortable. I have been holding off making a doctor appointment hoping it would go away, and because of fear it might be something worse. Either way, I have to have it checked out by a specialist. Tony came home from work early yesterday around 4 PM and after making hamburgers and mac and cheese for dinner we spent the night watching TV before going to bed around 10 PM.

Today I got up around 6:30 AM and after feeding the dogs and getting Tony off to work I printed out letters to our tenants. One of two is leaving to move to Texas at the end of the month, the other is staying and taking over the lease. The letters reflected these changes. I have to pick up a prescription at the vet for Barkley and then lunch with the guys like every Friday. Today's lunch should be interesting because a new guy is joining us for our group lunch. I spoke with him on the phone yesterday. He is new to Milwaukee and looking forward to meeting new people that are also HIV+. It is in the 30s this morning here in Milwaukee. Only going to get to a high in the 40s today which is another reminder that winter is just around the corner. Will most likely spend the afternoon cleaning the house for the weekend and taking a short nap. Tonight we will most likely watch the movie Run Wild Run Free that I ordered over the Internet on DVD. I saw the movie as a child and enjoyed it. Hope I enjoy it as much now. Not much more to report since I really have not had a lot of energy lately and have spent a lot of time sleeping. Will write more as time permits.

November 3, 2010 My Election Review

As I went to bed last night it was becoming very clear that the Democrats were not going to do well in this election. I did not sleep well last night knowing this. Tony got up early this morning and I could hear the TV in the back ground and what I was hearing was not good. First off, this is my view, it's my blog, so I am allowed to say what I think and feel. Since I am gay, I am a Democrat. My sister in law asked me what the Democrats have done for me lately. Unfortunately I have to somewhat agree. My only response is that at least the Democrats believe we deserve fairness and equality. The Republicans want us back in the closet and don't believe there are hate crimes and injustice when it comes to gays. The Democrats would live with us, the Republicans would be happy for us to leave the country and stay silent. In Wisconsin Scott Walker, the Republican, wants to abolish the Domestic Partner Registry. Why? How is it hurting anyone? Ron Johnson said he would not hire a gay person. What? And I live in this state? Obama has had less than two years to fix the mess Bush did to this country. How much can he do when the Republicans block any and all ideas simply because they are Democrat ideas? The Republicans did not want the Hate Crimes Law to go into effect and fought it until the end. The Republicans do not want to repeal DADT because it would cause problems in the military. Problems? How is someone living their life like there fellow soldiers causing problems? Trust me, I am sure many gays in the military do not care what you look like in the shower and would not come on to you while showering. Aren't they all there to fight for our country straight or gay? Much less why is it OK for a straight soldier to talk about his relationship with his fellow soldiers but a gay person must keep it to himself? Does that really seem fair? So, you can go see your family and come back and tell your fellow soldiers about your weekend, but a gay soldier can't? As for health care, it is simply getting unaffordable to the middle class such as Tony and myself. Why is it wrong to make everyone pay for it rather than just the people who can afford it. Why is it wrong to stop the health care companies from excluding people with pre-existing conditions? Have you been to a Hospital Emergency room lately? Most there don't even have health insurance which is costing those who do more because we are picking up their tab. Don't even get me started on the tax cuts for the 1% that can afford to pay more. The upper class is not struggling in this economy, the middle and lower class are struggling. If the upper class thinks they have to down size their million dollar home or vacations, you wont see a tear from me. I haven't had a vacation in 10 years and my home is comfortable. It is not so big so I can brag to my friends how I live. On the economy. I did not agree with bailing out Wallstreet or the Mortgage and Auto makers. But honestly, if President Obama would have done 'nothing' you would have heard the Republicans bashing him about that also. The deficit is because Bush got us into 2 wars we can not afford to pay for. I could go on and on. My suggestions: Tweek the Health Care Reform, don't just scrap it. Stop bailing out businesses that fail. Stop the big wigs in Washington from giving themselves raises every year, salaries the rest of their lives, health care that is better than the public has, as well as pensions we can not afford. Make the big wigs join any Health Care Reform that is passed, if it is good enough for you and I, it should be good enough for them? Start making laws and decisions that are fair and just, not just politically for their party. As for Sarah Palin, I think she is a joke. I wish she would just go away. I pray one day one of her kids tells her they are gay. When I hear her voice I get sick to my stomach. The USA is so divided right now I see no change coming. This past election was filled with negative ads. The amount of ads actually saying what the candidates stood for paled in comparison to the negativity towards there opponent. The outside money the Republicans got to overthrow the Democrats is shameful. I propose this also: I want each state to have their representatives sign a pledge for the next election that they will not use negative ads in future elections. We the people must decide then not to vote for anyone who uses negative ads whether they are Democrat or Republican. Also, what a waist of money those ads are. If we were to add up all the money spent on negative ads we could help the poor, feed the hungry, and help the people who need it most, the middle and lower class. I guess we will all have to live with the results of this election. Now lets see if things get better or worse. I am open minded and welcome your comments, in fact I look forward to them. Enough said!

November 2, 2010 Tuesday Late Afternoon

Did you vote today?

Got up around 6:30 AM this morning and got the dogs fed and Tony off to work. After reading a little of the morning newspaper I went back to bed for about an hour. Got up around 10 AM and got showered so Tony could come and pick me up and we could go vote. Voted down the street at the place we always vote at. After we voted we went to George Webb's for lunch and then checked out the half price candy from Halloween at the Walgreen's across the street. Bought a couple items. Tony then dropped me off at home. I spent the afternoon watching TV and just laying around the house. Feeling very tired today. Should have taken a nap because it will be hard to stay up tonight due to not taking one. Looking forward to watching Oprah at 4 PM today because Ricky Martin is on her show. I am going to order pasta for dinner from Pizza Hut in a little while. I don't feel like cooking tonight. I will make us a salad to go with the pasta. Will spend the night watching the Dancing With The Stars Results show and then just watch stuff we DVR'd since election coverage will be on the rest of the night. I have a feeling most election results will be too close to call until tomorrow so won't waste my time until then looking at the results. Not going to be good her in Wisconsin anyway. The only good thing about this election is the fact it is almost over. I am so tired of the negative TV adds I could puck. The Republicans have twisted all the facts and have no solutions as for as I am concerned. I think they all deserve to be thrown out of office, Democrats and Republicans.

November 1, 2010 Monday Night

Woke up at 2 AM Sunday morning with a terrible stomach ache and the runs. Did not sleep well after that. Tony was up early Sunday morning with the same thing. We both had such pain all Sunday morning and spent so much time on the toilet we did not go out for breakfast with his mother. It must have been the chili I made Saturday night for dinner. Can not think of any other reason for it. I made two cans of Southwest Chili for dinner that night. It was very spicy but I think there must have been more going on here because we both had the same problem and it lasted until noon on Sunday. Spent the morning just trying to get through the day. We then took a nap for a couple hours before getting up, showering, and then going to a bar called Horny Goat for a Brew City Bully Club fundraiser. We ate at the bar and I had one drink. Got home around 5:30 PM and fed the dogs before spending the night watching Desperate Housewives and Brothers And Sisters before going to bed. Still had some stomach problems at the end of the day.

This morning I got up by 6 AM because Tony was already out of bed and reading the morning newspaper. After I fed the dogs and got him off to work I went back to bed for an hour. After getting back up I went outside in the cold and started working on the pond. Disconnected two of the pond pumps. Got one running in the middle of the pond that I can keep on most of the winter, and got the floating heater in place ready to turn on when the ice starts to form. I have stopped feeding the fish to let them know it is time to start hibernation. I then put up the two glass panels we bought on Saturday to replace the two that shattered in the wind storm last week on the side awning. After I had that all done I got showered and drove to Sears to return the garage door opener we bought on Saturday. Sears wanted to charge me a 15% restocking charge because I had to destroy the packaging it was in to get to the remote. I asked for a manager and told him he could shove the restocking fee up his ass until they come out with packaging where you can open something without a scissors. You know what I mean? These days most thinks come sealed in the hard plastic and you have to cut it open to get what you buy out. They waived the fee. I then went to Burger King for a kids hamburger meal before stopping at Walgreen's to check out the half price Halloween candy. Bought a couple popcorn balls and some peanut butter ghosts. Came home and took Stella for a walk around the block before I took a little nap with the dogs for about an hour and a half. Taking Stella for a walk daily seems to be the best thing for her knee. Was tired from all the work and driving to Sears, hence the nap. After I got up I walked across the alley to have coffee and gossip with the neighbor for a bit before returning home. Waited until 5:15 PM to feed the dogs. I have to start feeding them later and later as the week goes on because when we turn the clocks back next Saturday they will be looking at me at 4 PM to get fed. So I start adjusting the time as the week goes on so it is not such a shock for them. The sun just went down and boy does it get cold and damp outside. It was close to 50 degrees today and sunny. But when the sun goes down the temperature heads south to the 30s. Will spend the night watching Dancing With The Stars and Castle before going to bed. Tomorrow is election day. Get out and vote. It is not going to be a pretty election here in Wisconsin. I think the Republicans will be taking over and that scares the hell out of me.