February 22, 2012 Wednesday Afternoon

Spent last night watching the last two episodes of Smash. I do like the series. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Would have stayed in bed longer but I had to pee so bad. Don't you just hate that? It's not like I didn't get up twice during the night already. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Went grocery shopping in the morning. First stopped off at McDonald's for a buy one get one free breakfast sandwich. Ordered the bacon egg and cheese bagel and paid for it. Drove to Pick N Save to eat it before going shopping to find two burritos in the bag, not bagels. My receipt showed bagels. Now I do like the sausage burritos but there was no sauce. So I drove back to McDonald's and went in to the restaurant and showed them what I got for what I paid for. They gave me my two bagels and when they went to take the burritos back I said 'I will take these for my inconvenience'. Figured I can grind them up in the dogs food tonight. Drove back to Pick N Save and ate one of the bagel sandwiches before going in and getting the week's grocery shopping done. Came home around 11 AM and did a little around the house before taking a nap. Was watching one of the judge shows and they had a blond Pomeranian on the show. Always makes me cry and think of my Tiny. It got me thinking what I would like heaven to be like. If there is a heaven that is. I would like it to start something like this:

As the bright light starts to fade and my vision starts to come into focus I would see Tiny and Shadow come running up to me. They would both have a full body of hair, thick like when they were young. I would pet them as they climbed on me kissing my face. Shadow would look at me and I would then know all will be OK. I will see all the torment I put myself through thinking I put her down too soon should not have been. As I bend down to pet them, Buddy comes running up to me, full of life. No heart problem and puppy like, like when we found him. I then turn around and see Betty with no more ear infections and she looks at me to thank me for all I did for her, as she licks my face. I pet her and hug her as all the other dogs try to get my attention. My face would be covered in tears as I am on my knees petting all my little kids. I then would feel a comforting tap on my shoulder and look up and see my grand parents all standing there. As I look beyond them, and the haze starts to clear, I would see all the people that I knew that died before me, in order of how important they were to me. A sinking feeling in my chest would come as I think of the dogs and Tony I left behind. I soft voice would tell me 'they will be fine, you can watch them from here'. My fears of death would be for nothing and I would smile knowing I am where I should be. Finally happy!

February 21, 2012 Tuesday Afternoon

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Spent the morning watching TV and writing some emails. Cut Kali's nails this morning. She is such a good dog and lets me cut her nails. She understands that if she just lays there, there is a better chance of me not cutting too far. She was so good and I did not cut to far. I look at it as just saving $21, rather than if I had had to take her to the vet to have them cut. On that note, I then took Bo to the vet at 11 AM to get two booster puppy shots and his toe nails clipped. Used up the rest of the credit my sister gave me for Christmas and then some. Bo cried half way to the vet. Thankfully the vet is just a mile away. When they took him in the back room to clip his nails I could hear him crying in the back room. When they brought him back to me he clung to me like I was there to save him. Buried his head in my neck and just whimpered. It was so cute. He is such a baby. I trust the nail cutter and they were not hurting him in any way. He is just a big baby. Rewarded Bo with a stop at McDonald's for some french fries and a hamburger for me. Took a short nap this afternoon. I am finally feeling better but still tired. Barkley is starting to sleep soundly in this enclosure at night. So nice to have one less dog on the bed. Making some steaks, mashed potato and corn with a salad for dinner tonight. Will most likely spend the night watching TV. Spent last night catching up on the last two episodes of The Walking Dead. Tony last night was snoring on the couch by 8 PM. Had to wake him to go to bed and sleep. It was snowing this morning, but most is gone since the sun and 40s today melted it away.

February 20, 2012 Monday Afternoon

Spent Friday night watching TV. Took a break in between some shows for a little lovin. Watched a 'movie' during. I guess after 23 years together you need to spice it up a bit. Always felt threatened in the past watching videos during sex. Always feel Tony was comparing me or something. Guess as I get older I am a little more secure in myself and our relationship. Went to bed around 10 PM.

Saturday morning we were up at 7 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. After making some breakfast I got Tony going on the bathroom. It took a little work getting him started. Pretty much had to tell him if he didn't finish the caulking today, I would, my way. That was enough to get him going. Funny how I can do most things around the house but in the past 23 years together I have learned if I want Tony to do a project or finish it, I just have to mess it up royally and he will then step in to finish it. Guess it is my way of putting a fire under him. Tony did work all day on the bathroom. Spent the first half of the day fixing my mess and then moving forward. He got about half way done and it looks good. Better than what I would have done. Still not finished and hopefully next weekend it will be. I went to Kohl's in the morning to buy some new towels on sale. Took me forever to make a decision on what towels to buy. Sometimes I can not make a decision if my life depended on it. After we fed the dogs dinner we went to the Classic Car Show at State Fair Park. Spent and hour or more at the show before getting home around 9 PM. Watched a little TV and went to bed around 10:30 PM.

Sunday we were up at 7 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Spent the morning doing things around the house and around noon we left for my parents house to spend the afternoon with the folks and family. Brought Bo along with us. He cried half way there. Last time we took him he cried the entire drive, so I guess he is learning. The other dogs were not happy they had to stay home but I can not take five dogs to my parents house. Had a great afternoon with the folks and family. Got home around 5 PM to feed the dogs and give Vito his shot. Spent Sunday night watching TV. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Around 10 AM I left the house to go to the pet store and buy some Grain Free Dog Food for Barkley that my sister recommended to help him with his itching and stuff. At $35 a bag it better do something. Jeez, the other dogs don't get $35 bags of food. I guess I am being a good daddy. Went back to Kohl's after the pet store to return 4 of the six towels I bought on Saturday. The towels were just to big and heavy. They dragged on the shower floor when you were drying yourself. Figured since I got such a great deal on them I would keep at least two for pool parties or something. Took me forever to decide again which towels to buy. Finally settled on some cheaper ones because of the smaller size. Came home and washed all the towels and doing more laundry now as I type this blog. Making a frozen Lasagna for dinner with a salad. It was in the 40s again in Milwaukee today. So nice, the sun was even out most of the day.

February 17, 2012 Friday Dinner Time

Spent last night watching American Idol. Went to bed around 10 PM. Barkley finally, after an hour, slept the night in his cage. There is going to have to be a different solution. I am not dealing with a crying dog for an hour every night.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Spent the morning doing things around the house. Honestly, I have no idea where the morning went. Got showered and met Tony and the guys for lunch. Had a great lunch. Came home and moved the cage for Barkley out of the closet next to the bed and simply put up a fenced area for him to sleep in next to the bed. Put his favorite pillow in the enclosed area and took a two hour needed nap. Barkley was fine sleeping on his pillow next to the bed and never cried. I think I found a solution we can all live with? Made some salads and will most likely make a frozen pizza for supper tonight since I am not hungry in the least right now. Will watch a few movies tonight before going to bed. Tony hinted at lunch he was looking forward to a little lovin tonight so I will have to break down and do the loving thing before we go to bed. Hoping to have Tony work on the bathroom all day tomorrow and reward him by going to a car show at State Fair Park Saturday night. Old classic cars. I always figure a Saturday night is the best time to go to the show since at least some of the guys shower for a date night. Not like a Sunday, when all the guys look like they just climbed out of bed, and probably did. Sunday we will go to my parents house to see them and my sister and kids, that came into town for the weekend. Feeling a little better today, little being the word. At least I don't feel worse today than yesterday. Hoping a good night's sleep tonight will get me back on the path or recovery. Maybe the antibiotic I started taking today will help.

February 16, 2012 Thursday Afternoon

Just get the gun and shoot me!
Thought I might be getting better, then I woke up today. Got up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Left the house by 7:15 AM to get my blood drawn for this round of test results. Stopped off at McDonald's for 2 sausage burritos. Came home, ate the food, and in a half hour I threw it all up. Went back to bed shortly thereafter until around noon. I just am so tired. Tried to do some caulking in the bathroom and realized I am not a caulker. Tony will not like what I have done, the little I did, but hopefully it will put a spark under him to finish it himself. Otherwise the rest is going to look as bad as what I have done looks like. Hell, it won't leak, but doesn't look pretty. A caulker I am not. Took a shower and have just laid around all afternoon with no energy. I would go back to bed but then I will not be able to sleep tonight. I am sure my blood results will reflect how crappy I feel, should be interesting. Making a salad and spaghetti for supper tonight. Will spend the night much like last night watching American Idol and then the Mentalist. Barkley only took a half hour to stop crying last night and settle down in his cage. Had to lay there with a spray bottle in hand so he would not begin crying once he stopped. I swear this dog is going to be the death of me. I really want to feel better. It was in the 40s again and sunny in Milwaukee and I did not even feel like going out and enjoying it. The weekend is filling up with plans and I don't want to miss Friday lunch like we did last week. I just want to be better and not feel so crappy. There are a lot of people in the same boat and have this horrible cold going around. Back to the couch.

February 15, 2012 Wednesday Afternoon

Last night we went to Butch's Steak House here in Milwaukee for a great Valentine's steak dinner. Had a 12 oz Fillet steak. It was so good. Came home and exchanged cards. Tony then looked at me and said 'after spending all that money, don't I get some dessert'. I told him, maybe later. Watched a little TV and went to bed around 10 PM. Tony then reminded me it was now later, and we did the lovin thing.

Got up this morning at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Went grocery shopping in the morning and then took a long nap with the dogs, trying to get rid of this head cold. Had a good nap with the dogs. Took a walk to the hardware store a few blocks away for a tool for caulking the tub. Felt good to get out and helped my head cold. It was 40 degrees today in Milwaukee and the sun was out most of the day. I love this winter in Milwaukee. Tonight I am making hamburger helper and a salad for dinner. Will spend the night watching TV. Tony says he now has the head cold also and is taking Advil Cold and Sinus every four hours. Sounds like a lot of my friends have this cold also, so I am not alone. Hoping to get up tomorrow and get my blood drawn and tested. Have to remember not to eat or drink any coffee tomorrow morning. I go to my doctor in a week and a half then to find out my latest blood test results. Sure would be nice to get above 400 this time with my TCells, but since I am in the middle of a cold, I don't think the numbers will be that high.

February 14, 2012 Tuesday Afternoon

Spent last night watching TV. Went to bed around 10 PM. Barkley was not happy sleeping in the cage and I think tonight he might be up on the bed again so WE can get some sleep.

Got up this morning at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Spent the morning reading the newspapers and watching some TV. Still not feeling great today so I spent most of the day working on the bathroom a little and then laying back down in bed. Took a two hour nap with the dogs this afternoon. Made a reservation tonight at Butch's Steak House for Valentine's Day. It is one of the most expensive steak restaurants in Milwaukee, but also one of the best. Figure we will have a good dinner tonight and celebrate Valentine's Day. Tony called a little while ago to see if I made the reservation. Hopefully now that he knows he will get home from work in time and we will get to the restaurant on time. I am feeling very tired today. I feel much better than I did last week and over the weekend, but still just do not feel 100% yet. Feel like I could just sleep sleep sleep.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

February 13, 2012 Monday Afternoon

Saturday morning I woke up feeling much the way I did the past two days, sick as a dog. Why do we use that phrase? Neither of us left the house all day. Spent the day laying around watching TV and just trying to survive the day. Saturday night I thought maybe a nice bath in the jacuzzi tub would be a good thing. Of course there is a story coming. As most know Tony has been working on his bathroom with the jacuzzi tub going on three years now. It goes two steps forward and one step back each time he starts working on the continuing remodel. Remember, I am not allowed to work on this project, it has been told to me many times: It is his bathroom and he will finish it. So, I filled the tub with nice warm water and bath bubbles. Tony came into the bathroom just as I was getting into the tub. I laid back and pushed the button to start the jets and .................... nothing. No jets. Jeez, the one time I really need a massage jet tub is now and of course it doesn't work. Tony then kept pushing on the button and of course looked at me and said 'what did you do to it'? Took a bath without the jets. Some more back ground info. Tony just, in the last few weeks, tiled the under part of the tub where you get to the controls to fix such a problem like we now are having. We have fought loud about this and I from day one wanted and bought the supplies I needed for a removable wall under the tub so we can get to the controls, reset button and heater. Do I need to say it again? I WAS RIGHT! Why do some men just not listen. Finished my bath, which really felt good. Would have been better with jets and a massage, but? Spent the rest of the night wrapped in a blanket on the couch with the dogs. Just before Saturday Night Live was to start the news broke in with the report of Whitney Houston's death. So sad. More on this later. Went to bed about half way through SNL.

Sunday morning we were both up by 7 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Felt so much better since I sweated all night as I slept. Wrapped myself up real good and it worked. I at least feel I hit a turning point now and I am in recovering mode. Made eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast. Around 10 AM I asked Tony what he thought was the problem with the tub. Like it had some how gone away during the night. It was on my radar, not his. After watching Tony for an hour do absolutely nothing but try to look under the tub, I took the matter into my own hands. Yes, it took some shouting. I ended up grabbing a hammer and tearing down and apart the wall he built under the tub and told him it was going to be redone MY WAY. Of course this did not go over well and he put his hands in the air and said 'fine, its all yours'. Finally! After I worked on the tub area for an hour I took a shower, got Tony into the shower and told him we were going to the hardware store and lottery tickets. Corner hardware store did not have the wood 2 x 2s I needed and we ended up going to Home Depot. I just needed 2 of the boards and a molding. I already had the panel I was going to use to cover the under tub. Got what we needed, stopped at the corner gas station and got the lottery tickets, and came home. Tony helped carry the wood into the house and when I asked him if he wanted to know my plan or help he said 'this is your project now'. OK, I can do this. Spent two hours working on the wall panel. Turned out great. Cut all the wood myself in the basement and even got a coat of paint on the moldings as Tony napped in the bedroom. By the time he got up I had the panel in place under the tub so he could see what it will look like. Of course I knew I was not going to get the response I wanted. He looked at it and said 'great'. I do still need to put a second coat of paint on the moldings to cover the small nails. Bottom line is I did it my way, the way I had planned all the time, from day one, and it is just how I imagined, DONE. I get so mad because with projects like this I have thought out the project, how I will do it, and how it will look. So if I voice my idea, it is a well thought out idea. And lets just face it, it will most likely in the end be done my way, and should have been from the beginning. LOL Ordered a pizza and garlic bread for supper. Spent the night watching the award shows. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Bo and Barkley had us up last night over and over again. Barkley crying in his cage, and Bo just not being able to lay down and go to bed. Got the dogs fed and Tony off to work. Feeling a little better today. My face and cheeks just hurt, no headache. So I think I am slowly getting better. Guess my body still has some fight in it. Read the morning newspapers, watched Live With Kelly and then popped on some Whitney Houston as I worked on the bathroom, putting the second coat of paint on the moldings. Had Tony come home to turn off the water and disconnect the water faucets so I could work on the base in this area. He was home in a flash and I soon was cutting the parts I needed with hole for the faucets. Turned out pretty much how I wanted. The rest will have to wait for another day since I am ready to hit the couch in exhaustion. There still is so much grout work and such to do, it is not near complete. In fact I can not believe all the work still needed to get this bathroom finished. Hey, it's only been three years. But thankfully, now in my hands, it will move forward.

Such a shame about Whitney Houston's passing. My first thought when I heard the news was 'not another'. I say that referring to Michael Jackson, Elvis, and so many that hit their peak at a young age and then could not live with the lows and the fact they will never reach 'that' peak again. Why can't people be happy with the success they had in the past and move forward with the memory and hope for more happiness in the future. I say this thinking of my life. I honestly think the best years of my life are behind me. I say that knowing I will have many happy events and times in my future, but my carefree days and fun times are mostly behind me. Does this make me sad? Yes, but it also is comforting to know I had those happy high times and I will have more. They just will be different. I am not going to do drugs and destroy my life because the best years might be behind me, I am going to try to create more happy times and remember the times I did already have. I always have said, as I get older, if I was to loose my memories of my family, dogs, and life and my mind goes, there will be no reason to go on. The memories of the happy times I had in life are what keep me going daily and give me hope more will come. Hell, three years ago I thought I was going to die and was ready to accept that. In the past three years I can think of many many things I would truly have missed. Here is a short list:
Getting closer and keeping close with my sisters kids, my nephews.
Meeting the cast of OLTL in Chicago on the last day of the show.
Getting Bo.
Helping Vito go through his diabetes and blindness.
Internet friends surprising me on my Birthday and flying into Milwaukee to see me.
Meeting all the new friends I have met since my diagnosis.
Getting closer to my mom and dad.
Having an even stronger relationship with Tony than I had before.
And so many other happy times, those are just off the top of my head. Wow, it would have been sad to miss all those things above.

February 10, 2012 Friday Afternoon

Still sick here in Milwaukee. Spent all day going from the bed to the couch. Called the guys to tell them Tony and I would not be at lunch today. Didn't want to spread this horrible cold. Made a bowl of soup for lunch. Tony called this afternoon to see how I was doing and to tell me his nose is running and his chest hurts. Guess he is getting it also. Should be a fun weekend around here. Both being sick and all. Funny how when I am sick I still have to do all my jobs around the house. When Tony is sick the world can come to a stop, his world anyway. Got a couple inches of snow today. It is so windy outside the snow is drifting. Went out and shoveled this afternoon, now I feel like I need the bed again. Plus, my nose is running so much it is sore.
Have a good weekend everyone. I will be trying to get through each day.

February 9, 2012 Thursday Night

Spent last night watching TV. I did attempt to clean out Barkley's anal glands, something I have always taken him to the vet for. I did get some nasty stuff out of him but was not sure what I was doing and didn't want to hurt him. Hoped I cleaned him out. He had been leaving marks where he lays and I had to put all the blankets and sheets in the laundry again. Another reason we have had him sleeping in a cage next to the bed the last few nights. Went to bed around 10 PM with a cough. Took some cold pills prior to going to bed and they did not help me sleep. Barkley slept
in his cage and was quite after about an hour and yelling at him to lay down about 10 times.

Woke up this morning at 6 AM feeling like crap. Sinus clogged and running, chest hurting and coughing up stuff. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Went back to bed putting Barkley on an old sheet so not to leave a stain. Around 9 AM I rolled over and noticed a stain and grabbed the cell phone and called the vet. Made a 11:30 AM appointment to take him in and have his anal glands cleaned. Rolled back over in bed until about 10:30 AM, feeling like I was dieing. Got out of bed around 10:45 AM, put all the beding in the laundry, washed my face, put on a baseball cap and eventually drove Barkley to the vet. Had the vet do the extracting as I watched and she told me what she was doing. I can not afford to keep taking him to the vet for this monthly like we have been. God this dog is a pain in my ass and I wish I had not adopted him three years ago at the age of 8. A lot came out of him and if anyone has done this, they know the smell is horrible. Got Barkley cleaned up and to the car. Since the vet is right next to McDonald's we stopped for a hamburger and medium french fries. If I don't buy the medium french fries I will have to give them all away to the dogs and there will be none for me. So a small is not good enough if I want some french fries. After lunch we all spent the afternoon in bed again with the TV on in the back ground. Got back out of bed around 3:30 PM and started to get things done around the house. Still feeling like crap. Made some salads for supper and a can of spaghetti O's for Tony. I will just eat some toast since I do not feel good or hungry in any way. Tony came home around 5:30 PM from work. Fed him and now I type this waiting for American Idol to start in about 10 minutes. Better spell check and get back to the couch. I sure hope I feel better tomorrow or I will have to miss lunch with the guys. I would hate for anyone else, besides Tony, LOL, get this cold.

February 8, 2012 Wednesday Afternoon

Spent last night watching The River on ABC. It was OK and we will continue to watch the series. Went to bed around 10 PM after a little lovin. Barkley actually walked into his cage on command, which was surprising. Only had to yell at him a couple of times to stop wining and crying before he settled down in his cage and slept for the night. Was so nice to have one less dog on the bed.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Went grocery shopping in the morning, stopping at McDonald's for a couple sausage burritos before the shopping. Got home before noon and spent the rest of the day on the Internet and took a short nap with the dogs. Yes, I let Barkley lay on a blanket on the bed for the short nap. Much easier than trying to get him to nap in his cage. Making a pre made meat loaf and rice for supper tonight with a salad. Will spend the night watching American Idol and then TV shows on the DVR. The sun was out all day today in Milwaukee but it is below freezing and never got out of the 20s today. Nice in the sun, but cold in the shade. Thanks for the comments on my poem in yesterday's post.

February 7, 2012 Tuesday Afternoon

Barkley was not happy sleeping in the cage last night. Tony came home from work around 6 PM. Ate dinner and after his shower we did the lovin thing, otherwise he falls asleep on the couch. Figured I better gets some while he was awake. Spent the rest of the night watching TV on the DVR before going to bed at 9 PM to watch Castle in bed. Barkley was up until about midnight crying in his cage. He then spent the night quietly when he realized crying was not going to get him out of the cage. Jeez, the cage is right next to the bed.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Read a little of the morning newspaper before showering and getting on with the day. Tony came home around 9 AM to do something, saw him rummaging through his safe here at the house, probably for a title to a car. After he left I left the house also to go to Walgreen's to pick up a prescription and then to ARCW to pick up my other HIV prescriptions. Picked up my monthly food at the pantry while I was there and got a bunch of bread for the rabbit I feed daily outside. Got home a little after 11 AM and spent the rest of the day doing things around the house while I listened to the Madonna Collection. Guess her Super Bowl Concert got me in the mood to hear more. Making a canned ham, mashed potato, corn and a salad for dinner tonight. Will spend the night watching more TV on the DRV as the DVR records tonights shows. It is hovering just around freezing here in Milwaukee today and cloudy. Could be much worse this time of year in Milwaukee.

Sometimes when I lay in bed I make up words to songs or poems. The other night I got out of bed a bunch of times as this poem came to me. Not sure if it means anything, but it is what I wrote the other day:

Sometimes I Feel
Like A Grape On A Vine
Just Withering Away
Biding My Time

I Thought Just Per Chance
When You Gave Me A Glance
You'd Pick Me In Time
And We'd Make A Fine Wine

My Vine Now Is Bent
For The Days Came And Went
I Keep Getting Older
Soon It Will Be Colder

If I Don't Get Picked Soon
I'll Shrivel Up Like A Prune
A Raisin I'll Now Be
But I'll Still Just Be Me.

February 6, 2012 Monday Dinner Time

Friday night we watched the movie 50/50. It was a very good movie and I recommend it. Went to bed around 10 PM.

Saturday morning we slept in until 7:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Spent the morning doing things around the house. Around 11 AM we drove to Mequon to look at a massage chair for sale on Craigslist. We have one now and I use it daily. Unfortunately it is going on over 10 years old and not looking the best shape with 5 dogs around the house. Decided not to buy it although it was very nice. Just couldn't see spending the money when the old one still does the trick and cracks my back. Came home and soon left again to go to the Dog Show at State Fair Park. Got a lot of food samples and bought Stella a sweater. Only spent about an hour at the show because I could see Tony was not having fun. Came home and after feeding the dogs we went out for dinner at Pitches Ribs here on the Eastside. Had a great steak and rib combo dinner. Spent the night watching the movie The Mechanic. It was OK. Went to bed around 10 PM.

Sunday we were up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Read a small amount of the newspaper before showering so we could go to a Baptism at 9:30 AM at a church north of here. Was not far from the house. After the Baptism we went to their home for some food and family. Had a great time and got home around 2 PM. Spent the rest of the afternoon taking a nap with the dogs. Made a salad and left overs from the night before for supper. Spent the night watching the movie Shelter, which was also pretty good. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Tony took my car to work to fix a headlight. Spent the day cleaning and doing laundry. Moved the big dog cage into the bedroom closet so starting tonight Barkley can sleep in the cage and not on the bed. He licks his sores all night and then there are stains on the bed in the morning. Enough of doing the bedding laundry daily. He will not like having to sleep in a cage, but it is going to be that, or the pound. Will let you know how it goes. I am sure the first night he will cry and want to come on the bed with the other dogs. Hopefully in time he will just fall asleep and maybe even like his cage. Don't think so, but I am hopeful. Making chicken and pasta for dinner with a salad. Will spend the night watching TV on the DVR. Tomorrow I have to pick up prescriptions at ARCW and Walgreen's that I called in today. Hopefully I will have a car tomorrow.

February 3, 2012 Friday Afternoon

Tony called me yesterday around 4:15 PM to tell me he went to the Department Of Motor Vehicles to renew his driver's license and could not pass the eye test. He said he tried three different reading glasses and still could not read what was on the screen. They sent him on his way and told him to return when he gets a stronger pair of glasses. LOL. He came home from work in a very lousy mood. Tony then told me he already made an appointment with an eye doctor for Friday and hopefully he will get a pair of glasses so he can pass the test at the DMV. I looked at him and told him 'it is bad enough I can not move the furniture around the house because of Vito, you mean to tell me by the time he is gone I still won't be able to move the furniture because you will be blind also'. I then continued 'you better be nice to me or the furniture will be moved around daily'. LOL. Spent last night watching some shows we DVR'd during the week. Went to bed around 10 PM. I did not sleep well and got up to pee 4 times during the night. I think I need to stop drinking anything earlier in the night.

Got up this morning at 6 AM. Fed the dogs an gave Vito his shot. Tony left for work a little after 7 AM. Spent the morning doing things on the Internet. Showered and met the guys for lunch. Tony did not make lunch today due to an eye doctor appointment. Had a great lunch. Stopped off at Big Lot to buy a token present for a Baptism we have to go to Sunday. Came home and spent some time listening to David Guetta and LMFAO. They are my favorite CD's these days. I like almost every song on both CDs. Making a salad for supper tonight. Will not be hungry for much more because of the lunch today. Tony will need more than a salad so I will make him some left overs or something else. Will most likely watch a movie tonight. This weekend we have plans on Sunday to go to a Baptism and hopefully tomorrow I can talk Tony into going to the Dog Show at State Fair Park. We go every year. I love seeing all the dogs and stopping at all the vendor booths. In the 40s again today in Milwaukee. Starting to sound like a broken record when it comes to the weather here in Milwaukee, mind you I am not complaining. Cloudy today which has made it hard to get my mind going or have much energy. Hopefully the sun will come out this weekend. Have a great weekend everyone.

February 2, 2012 Thursday Afternoon

Got through yesteray afternoon, only having to hit the toilet three times. Will never buy a deli sandwich at Pick N Save again. Spent last night watching American Idol and then the movie Stolen. It was a good movie. Went to bed around 10 PM for some lovin before we went to sleep.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Spent the morning giving Bo a haircut which is a slow process. Doing it little by little and letting him run around inbetween cuttings. Bo looks so cute with his hair cut. I can't wait until Tony gets home to see him. He looks like a little baby black lamb now. Then took a shower with Stella since she needed a cleaning. She was starting to smell like a dog. LOL. Laid on the couch for a couple hours listening to music. Now I sit here writing this post. Making hamburger helper and a salad for supper tonight. Will most likely watch American Idol and then another movie, much like last night, before going to bed. It is in the 40s today in Milwaukee. Still much warmer than it ever is this time of year. Actually last year on this day we got hit with one of the biggest snow storms in Milwaukee history. What a difference a year can make.

February 1, 2012 Wednesday Afternoon

Last night we watched the movie The Tree Of Life. WTF? Has anyone else seen this movie? Did you understand it? What the hell was it about? Who's kid died in the movie and what the heck was Sean Penn doing in the movie? It was a waste of 2 1/2 hours if you ask me. Someone please help me with this movie if you saw it. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Read a little of the morning newspaper before showering and headed out the door to go grocery shopping. Stopped at McDonald's first for 2 sausage buritos. Bought another deli sandwich like the one I got the other day that was so good, I did buy it at a different Pick N Save. This will make sense in a bit. Did a little around the house before going to the bedroom to take a nap with the dogs. Took a good 2 hour nap. Woke up with a stomach ache and just as I was about to write this post I knew something was not feeling right. Ran to the bathroom an crapped water. Sorry, to be so graphic. I guess there must have been something wrong with the sandwich because I have a feeling I am going to be back on the toilet again soon. Having cold chills now also. Great! Not in the mood to make any supper tonight but will have to anyway to feed Tony. Making a salad, steak and green beans. Will spend the night watching another movie before going to bed. Hopefully it will be a better movie than last nights The Tree Of Life. What a god awful movie that was.

January 31, 2012 Tuesday Afternoon

Is this Winter or Spring?

Last night we spent the night watching last weeks TV shows on the DVR. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Spent the early morning reading the newspaper and watching the news. Around 9 AM I went to Walgreen's to buy some sale items. Came home and decided around 11 AM to take a walk since it is so nice outside in Milwaukee today. The thermometer outside says 52 degrees in the shade. WOW, this is still January in Milwaukee. How can people say global warming doesn't exist? Walked to the grocery store and bank to make a deposit. Bought a sandwich at the deli for lunch. Stopped off at the neighbors house for a half hour to talk with her before coming back home to eat the sandwich I bought. Did a little around the house which included calling Sprint again for the third month in a row about them charging us roaming minutes. On the phone for over a half hour to get $2.50 off the bill which shouldn't be on it anyway. We have roaming minutes blocked so the fact this is the third month in a row really pisses me off. Took a little nap with the dogs and now I sit here typing this post. Making spaghetti and meatballs with a salad for supper tonight. It is so nice outside you only need a light jacket. Suppose to go down to the 40s the rest of the week, but still, this is unbelievable. It is also nice to see the days light getting longer each day. In December it got dark at 4:30 PM, now it is still light out after 5 PM. Can Summer be far off? Lets hope not.

Have to ask the following: Why do some partners just not work good together when doing projects? I ask this because when I was at the friend house yesterday setting up the cameras it was so unbelievable how well we worked together. It was like we would anticipate each others next moves and needs, handing the hammer and such when needed. Was like a doctor in an operating room. When Tony and I work together on a project it is more a fight first, then like the city workers, one doing the work while the others watch. LOL. Tony being the one doing the watching. Mentioned to the friend as we were working how good we worked together, he agreed and said his wife and he are much more like Tony and I when they do projects. Guess opposites attract? I wouldn't mind more unison between us.

January 30, 2012 Monday Afternoon

Tony and I did very little all weekend but watch movies I had downloaded.

Friday night Tony came home in a bad mood from work. He and I are so tired of people trying to screw us. I guess a customer stopped at the shop to ask how much it would cost to fix a car. The customer did not drive the car to the shop and said it was at his home. After the customer found out how much it would cost to fix the car he asked Tony how much he would give him for at as is. Well, the guy said the car had under 100,000 miles and was a certain year old car. Tony offers the guy $700 for the car and has it towed to his shop on our dime. Once the car got to the shop Tony finds out the car has over 180,000 miles on it and is two years older than what the customer said. Plus the title has a problem. Tony then tells the customer he doesn't want the car. The customer wants it towed back to their house on our dime. That would all be fine if it was not for the fact the customer totally lied about the car and if Tony new the truth ahead of time he would have never wanted to buy it, and would have not had it towed to the shop. Anyway, as Tony left work the lady was screaming in his office at him and threatened to call the police. He told her to go ahead and call them and told her to get out of his office and locked up the shop and went home. He left her car in the open lot so they could do what they want with it and hopefully tow it themselves back home. I hate people who lie or misrepresent themselves. This customer knew his car had twice as many miles, knew it was smashed on both ends and knew they lied about the date of the car. Made Tony a TV dinner and a salad for supper. Friday night we watched the movies In Time and The Woman. Both were very good movies and I enjoyed them. Went to bed around 10:30 PM after the second movie ended.

Saturday morning we were up at 6:30 AM. Had made a Saturday morning vet appointment for Vito to have has nails trimmed. It is just easier with Vito for us both to take him to the vet being blind and all. At least then I can hold him while Tony drives. Stopped off at McDonald's for some breakfast on the way home. Shortly after getting home and eating the food Tony left to go to work to check on a car the guys were working on and see if the car from the other night was still on the lot. While Tony was gone I watched the movie Nature Of Existence. Was a good movie and I think I watched it long time ago when I was not in a good frame of mind. Was able to take a lot more away from the movie this time. After Tony got home we spent the afternoon and evening watching more movies. Watched the movies Dirty Girl, Dream House, Drive and How Do You Know. All were good movies but Dirty Girl is a MUST SEE movie. It was such a good movie. Went to bed around 10:30 PM.

Sunday we were up at 7 AM. After feeding the dogs and giving Vito his shot I made us some eggs, bacon and English muffins for breakfast. Around noon we went to get lottery tickets and got some lunch at a Mexican restaurant on the south side of town. They serve the food on paper plates. The food is so good and you sit at huge tables with other people you don't know. The food is real Mexican food and the best in Milwaukee. I had the pork ribs dinner. Came home and spend the rest of the day watching more movies. Watched the movies Abduction, The Double, Restless, Seconds Apart and The Thing. I though they were all very good but still have to say Dirty Girl was the best movie of the weekend. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Spent the early morning reading the newspaper and getting things done around the house since I had promised a friend I would come over today and help him install his security cameras and DVR that he had purchased a long time ago. Went over to his house around 11 AM and didn't get home until after 3 PM. Got it all set up with 3 out of four cameras working and recording, all going to his computer monitor. He wasn't sure where he wanted the fourth camera. The friend is actually a friend of Tony's he went to high school with. Also the same friend that took care of the dogs for the day when we went to Chicago a couple weeks ago. Since it was in the 40s today in Milwaukee it was actually a nice day to be outside hanging the cameras. Came home exhausted from going up and down the ladders and stuff, and laid on the couch for an hour before I got up and figured I better type this blog and get going on dinner. Will spend tonight watching things on the DVR we recorded last week on TV. Tony will come home tired being a Monday. Should be interesting to see how long he can stay awake, which is the reason I tell him to get in the shower before he nods off on the couch. Suppose to be a very nice week in Milwaukee weather wise this week. Above freezing during the day each day. I still can not believe this winter and how nice it has been in Milwaukee.

Rent or download the movie Dirty Girl. It is that good.

January 27, 2012 Friday Morning

Spent last night watching American Idol and then the a movie I downloaded called Kickoff. It was foreign movie and very had to understand the accents. It was very gay. Went to bed around 10 PM after a little lovin.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Spent the morning on the Internet and reading the morning newspapers I get. All showered and soon I will meet the guys for our weekly lunch. Yesterday someone I have not talked with in a long time asked me how I am. I sat back for a while and thought about it. I responded that 'I am doing great and have nothing to complain about, even the weather has been so nice here in Milwaukee'. it got me thinking. Wow, I have nothing to complain about. The bills are paid, the dogs are doing well, the house is in good order, and Tony and I are healthy. In fact I have to admit I feel the healthiest I have felt in 3 years. That's petty cool in my book. I think the poem I received yesterday helped my think about this more, here it is:

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time to call and say, ‘HI

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last..

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

I think I should start living my life more like this. Enjoy the now, just slow down.
No plans this weekend. Looks like we will be above 30 for most of the weekend. Suppose to get an inch or so of snow tonight and tomorrow night. Hopefully it will melt away during the day. Have a great weekend everyone.

January 26, 2012 Thursday Afternoon

Last night we watched the movie Moneyball. It was OK. I am not a sports person so at times it was boring to me. Tony slept through most of the movie. Went to bed a little after 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Got an email today from someone who found my blog. He has a blog of his own and can be found at the following link: http://www.pozrob.blogspot.com/view/classic
I put a direct link at the bottom of this page in the Other Must See Links called Surviving AIDS, PML and Me. I have to admit I spent most of my morning reading all the way to the beginning of his blog. WOW. When you read about how other people have lived with AIDS and overcome all the problems associated with it, it can really be unbelievable. I guess I am so fortunate I got this disease now and not 20 or more years ago. I am amazed at times how strong the need to survive is no matter how many obstacles come along during life. I am so awestruck by how strong some people are and what they have gone through. I can pretty much say that I believe most people like myself who have blogs like this did not start the blog for sympathy. Every blog I have found was made to help others living with this disease. Giving others a chance to see what life is like living with HIV and AIDS and how we survive daily through the infections, stress, and lack of understanding of this disease. I admire everyone who came before me and those who continue to put their lives out there for others to see and learn from. I guess that's what I do when I read someones blog. I think I learn more coping skills in some way. I become stronger knowing someone else might have had it the same or worse, yet chose to fight and continue life. I try to channel their strength and add it to mine. I guess I am very fortunate to be as healthy as I am, living with AIDS. I also learn things and take away something from their blogs. I today learned I should be more forthcoming with my thoughts and feelings and not just what I do all day. Trust me when I say, every time I hear the word AIDS or HIV on TV or in a movie, my heart skip a beat and I am reminded. Every time I take my pills, I am reminded. We are constantly reminded all day we have AIDS or HIV. It can really bring you down if you are not careful to filter it. When someone lets you into their life, their thoughts, their fears, it can be very moving. I hope in writing my blog and sharing it, I give someone hope and strength.

It is cloudy today in Milwaukee and in the low 30s. Vito is having some problems seeing and getting around. Tony mentioned he noticed also before he went to work. I sometimes can not believe how much Vito depends on me to get through the days. It is comforting to know he is still happy because of all the help I give him during the day. I talk to him all day letting him know where I am and when he sits next to me I put my hand on him. His tail always gives me a wag telling me 'thanks, I feel more secure knowing my daddy is next to me'. I guess there is a purpose for me to be here if not only to take care of Vito and make sure he stays happy being diabetic and blind for whatever years he has left. Barkley needs me to clean his ears daily and bath him weekly so that he is happy. Bo needs me to play with him and toss the tennis ball all day. Stella just needs a tummy rub a couple times a day. And Kali is always just happy to be in the same room with me and get a tummy rub, to burp, after eating. I sometimes wonder what life would be like if I changed something along the way in my past. Every time I go down that path of thinking I always come to the same conclusion that I would not change a thing. Thinking if I changed 'something' all I have would not be here today, is not a happy thought. I am glad I have my dogs, Tony, my family and friends, and if the thought of not having what I have now, is scary. So I guess that means I am happy? Most days.

Around noon I went to the UPS store to return the old ATT cable box. All went smoothly and I walked across the parking lot to that Pick N Save and bought some sale items the other two were out of. Came home and spent more time on the Internet before taking a nice long nap with the dogs. Making baked chicken breasts and Mac N Cheese for dinner with a salad. Will spend the night watching TV with the dogs.

January 25, 2012 Wednesday Afternoon

Spent last night watching the last of the shows on the DVR in preparation of getting a new DVR box through ATT. Cleared and watched everything we wanted to watch, four episodes of Hot In Cleveland were to the last to be viewed. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. After reading the morning newspaper I showered and soon the new cable box arrived via UPS. Of course when I plugged it all in all I got was error messages. Had to call ATT for help. Got disconnected and had to call back again after 20 minutes on the phone with the guy. All said I was on the phone for 45 minutes getting the new box to work. Time will tell if this solves the problem. I did ask the person where they were, he said Asia. Wow, no wonder the unemployment is so high in the USA when our companies have their help phone centers in other countries. Not that I have anything against Asia, I just wish the jobs for US companies stayed in the USA. Around 11 AM I drove to the post office to weigh my tax envelopes to find out how much postage I need for them. I am not mailing them until February to make sure nothing last minute arrives and I have to redo them. Then I went to the Pick N Save in Shorewood to pick up sale items I had coupons for. Couple of the items they were out of. Everything I bought was sale items. I can not believe the cost of food these days and when something is on sale I try to match a coupon with it and go on Wednesday's for double coupon day. I get a kick out of seeing how much I saved. And I never buy things we don't need just because it is on sale. Don't think I will go to that Pick N Save on a Wednesday again since I found out today it is senior citizen day and they were bused in. The store was full of very old people. Had to ask three different ladies to move their carts as I tried to get past them. I don't think they can hear you behind them so good at that age. I am sure I will be much the same when I get that old. Stopped off at McDonald's for a burger and fries before coming home. Did a little around the house and paid a couple bills from today's mail. Laid on the couch for an hour before a phone call got me up. Honestly, people have no idea what it is sometimes like to just get up and get the phone. Usually I have a blanket wrapped on me and at least 3 or more dogs all on or around me. So to answer the phone I have to move them all just to get up off the couch. Making a frozen Lasagna for dinner with bread and a salad. Will watch a movie tonight since the new DVR is empty and it needs to start filling from our shows we have programed daily. Will most likely watch Moneyball tonight staring Brad Pitt. Was pretty happy yesterday I got two responses on Facebook from posts I made on David Gregory's wall. I am still so amazed he remembers me from over a week ago. Happily amazed he takes the time to talk to me. I think I am one of his biggest stalkers. LOL. Tomorrow I will have to find a UPS store to mail back the old cable box. I think there is one downtown somewhere.

January 24, 2012 Tuesday Afternoon

Spent last night watching TV on the DVR, finishing the night watching Castle in bed. Went to sleep around 10 PM. Tony was sleeping by 9 PM, the minute his head hit the pillow. Didn't sleep well all night, tossed and turned and got up many times during the night.

This morning I was up at 6:30 PM. Before I could feed the dogs Tony was telling my the cable was not working again and channel 12 was not coming in. This happens almost every day and I then have to reboot the system to get channel 12, which is ABC and Good Morning America. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Then rebooted the cable system to get channel 12 working. Tony left for work around 7:15 AM. Around 8 AM I called ATT to have them tell me a new cable box would be sent to the house and I will just have to send them back the old one. I think it is not the box but since the guy told me they have newer boxes with more memory I thought best to just have him send it to me so I could get the better box and see if it works first. It might be a wire coming loose at the pole outside since we have switched out our boxes for this problem in the past. The new box should be here tomorrow so I will have to make sure we watch everything on the DVR before I hook up the new one. Since there is not much on TV tonight we might be able to watch most or all tonight. We did a good job over the weekend on catching up with the DVR TV shows. Had a bowl of cereal for breakfast and took a shower. Headed out the door around 10 AM to return the bulb from the other day that doesn't work. Then went to the copy store to make a couple copies of my taxes before I send them in. Did a little around the house before putting on some music and laid back on the couch with the dogs. Figure I will make some pasta and salad tonight for supper.

I'm not sure if it is like this with other diseases like Cancer but there sure are days that the 'little voice' in your head shouts a little louder telling you, or reminding you, that you have AIDS. When I found out three years ago and the thought would cross my mind, my heart would sink and I was out of breath in panic. Today that 'little voice' is a little less loud, but I still get that sinking feeling in my heart every time it crosses my mind. Do people with other diseases get this also? As time goes on in the years since finding out about my HIV status I have come a long way in getting past the 'little voice'. But it is still there daily. Maybe it just gets easier to push the 'little voice' away as time goes on. Every day I wish I did not have this disease. You have no idea how many nights I look up at that first star in the sky and make the wish: I wish I didn't have AIDS. Some days it just feels like you have a ticking time bomb waiting to kill you.

January 23, 2012 Monday Afternoon

After I posted yesterday we went to Baker's Square for breakfast. Just didn't feel like making a mess in the kitchen and cooking. Stopped off at the hardware store after breakfast to get a florescent light bulb for the lighted guitar in the screened in porch. Then went to Pick N Save to buy some groceries. Taking Tony grocery shopping with me is not fun. I spend the entire time taking things out of the cart he puts in and hiding them in a different aisle. Everything just looks good to him. I figure since I am the one who will have to cook or prepare it, it is going to be a food I like and not hard to prepare. Much less just because he sees something that looks good now doesn't mean it will ever get eaten. Came home and worked on the guitar light. Of course it still didn't work so Tony then went back to the hardware store, three blocks from home, and got a starter for the light. Maybe that is the problem. He bought two. The first one broke in the light and after that it seemed hopeless. I then decided to drive to the hardware store for a third time and just buy a new light for the guitar. Tony then spent and hour putting it together and getting it to work. For a while we thought it was broken until we tried the second bulb, in the pack of two, to find the first bulb was not working. Maybe that was the problem to begin with? Unbelievable. Now I have to return the bulb that doesn't work and it was in a two pack. Spent the rest of the day watching TV on the DVR. Made some salads and steaks on the grill with corn for supper. Went to bed around 9 PM and had a little lovin before sleep.

Got up this morning at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Fed Kali her special rice and hamburger for breakfast. She seems better now that she is eating this special food. Thankfully we dodge a bullet this time with her. I didn't need the vet bill or the sorrow if things went a different way. Called my mom and dished with her for a while. After I read a little of the morning newspaper I went back to bed with the dogs since it is cloudy and drizzling in Milwaukee. Woke up a little before 1 PM and got out of bed to start the day again. Showered and ate a banana for lunch. Spent the afternoon doing my Federal and State taxes. Thankfully it is easy enough for me to do myself since I didn't make any money last year except for the rent upstairs and my social security. I will get some money back from state for Homestead credit. The temperature is dropping, was over the freezing mark all night and day which has melted most of the snow. Now the snow just looks dirty. Looks like we will get above freezing most of the week during the day. Making a frozen beef roast, mashed potato and salad for supper tonight. Will spend the night watching TV since Tony always comes home tired on a Monday. Got a letter over the weekend saying my health insurance is in effect and paid. So all the new insurance headaches are over and it should be smooth sailing. Tony's is another story and the insurance company is still asking for this paperwork and that. My ex is helping him so it should all be good in the end. Bottom line, I am covered by health insurance which is important in my condition.

A friend of mine did something funny on Facebook I have to share (and might do myself for laughs). He posted the following:

Ok, I want all my Facebook friends to comment on this status, sharing how you met me. But, I want you to LIE. That's right, just make it up. After you comment, copy and paste to your wall so I can do the same. I bet HALF won't read the instructions right....now GO!!

The responses have been so funny. Here are some of the best:

I use to own a bed and breakfast and you stayed there for a weekend. You wanted a room with a big soaker tub and candles to relax for the weekend. You had a little problem with the candles and your hair. Now you are the newer owner and a good friend!

As I was walking down the Red Carpet my publicist noticed a man standing by bleachers snapping pictures without a press pass. The guy was also waving something in the air. After award ceremony as I was leaving clutching my newly won Oscar, guy from earlier was stlll there. I walked cautiously by him & he yelled 'I have something for you' so I walked over and he handed me a beautiful angel sitting on a cloud of spun gold. I asked his name after thanking him and it was Jack, just Jack. We bonded over angels/spun gold and continue the friendship all these years later ;)

I was a waitress at a well-known rib joint in Knoxville. You came in, sporting the latest Lady Vol t-shirt and we hit it off immediately--kindred spirits that we were. I'll never forget what you ordered as I had never had an order like that before, or since: two full racks of ribs; a brisket sandwich; a pulled pork sandwich; a quart of slaw; a quart of beans and five orders of corn bread! I didn't think anyone could eat all that, but you did! Then you told me you'd meet me after my shift---I toured you around town and in the wee hours of the AM we went for a big breakfast--and I was shocked to see you still capable of eating--you polished off a four egg omelet with country fried steak on the side!

We were stand ins for Donny and Marie on their show, whenever they'd fight we'd go out and wow the crowd with more talent than they realized the duo had... when they were getting along we'd hang in the dressing room we shared and eat pizza and drink light beer, then throw it up! (Yes, the last part of that last line was borrowed from "Miss Congeniality")!!!!!!

It was like 2:00 am and we were both in the same holding cell at the jail. We didn't speak much that night but a week later we met up again picking up trash in the park for our community service. We've been fast friends ever since but I still don't know what you were in for? lol

I wrote: I met Jack while we were both Pole Dancers at the strip club in Maine. Jack taught me all my moves. We soon started tricks on the side for more money and tips. I finally stopped doing it and moved to Milwaukee because Jack kept taking all my customers. We have kept in touch since then. I hear he is the best pole dancer in Maine.

It was a dark and stormy night. I was sitting in the chair at a tattoo parlor in Old Orchard Beach. The door opens and this guy all in black leather and with a silver cross dangling from his right ear comes in on little cat feet (disguised by motorcycle boots of course) and demands a tattoo of Betty White on his right arm. Naturally I had to find out who the hell that madman was! The rest, as they say, is history.

I was working in a tie factory and Jack was my boss. I could tell he really liked me because he invited me out for cheesecake and fries. One day after work we were walking down Broadway and ran into "Rhoda" and Mary Tyler Moore. From that day on he became a star magnet and moved on to The Meadowmere. To this day I cannot look at a tie without tearing up!

We met while I was visiting another inmate at the Maine Correctional Center. You were in for theft of produce, and swore to me that if you ever got out you would never eat another vegetable. A promise you have kept all these years. Way to go Jack!

I was visiting a marina in Santa Barbara from Ohio. I saw they had three hour cruises available, so I said "Why not!" You were the skippers right hand man... and clearly the brains of the operation. We set sail on a beautiful sunny morning, but soon the weather started getting rough. Our tiny ship was tossed! If not for the courage of the fearless crew we all would have been lost...

Jack was a bouncer at the bar I was working at and as usual he was leaning up against a wall flirting and getting a phone number to the trashiest chick in the place, when all of a sudden he heard someone yelling across the bar...."Hey Sweetie..get me a frozen mudslide right now, as she snapped her fingers" well thats all it took, Jack dove over the bar and tackled that woman and threw her out. Ever since then, we get together and try to out do eachother with amazing weird people stories! hahaha

January 22, 2012 Sunday Morning

Friday afternoon we got to our usual restaurant for lunch to find out they had no hot water. Had to go down the road to a sports bar. Had a nice cod fish fry with french fries for lunch. Came home and spent the afternoon listening to music as I cruised the Internet. Around 4 PM Tony called to tell me he was fine, but just had a car accident with his plow truck. Guess a guy in the snow storm ran a red light and slammed into Tony plow on the truck from the side. Messed up the plow totally and it does not work. Of course this has to happen as we are having snow that needs plowing. Guess the other driver admitted he was at fault until they got the police department and then changed his story making it seem like Tony went through the red light. Tony was very upset by this and let the guy know to his face he is a lying and hope he can sleep tonight. Sucks because the damage is going to be the deductible and the driver of the other car has the same Insurance company we have. So both will most likely have to pay their own being a his word against mine thing. Just pisses me off. Fed the dogs around 5 PM. Around 5:30 PM Kali threw up her supper, twice. From that point on all night you could tell she was not feeling good at all. She was panting with her tongue out and shaking like she was cold. I did the best I could to comfort her all night. Even put her on a the top of the bed by my pillow wrapped in a blanket as I held her with one hand. It was not a good night's sleep since I was up most of the night talking to her to get her through the night. I several times thought she would be going to the Emergency 24 hour Vet on the other side of town. Made it through the night.

Saturday morning we were up at 7 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Kali seemed to be doing better. Spent the morning watching TV and doing things around the house as Tony sat on the couch doing nothing. Around noon we went to George Web's restaurant for a cheap lunch. Came home and spent the rest of the day watching TV shows on the DVR. Made a couple steaks on the grill which Tony over cooked and they were like shoe leather. Went to bed around 10:30 PM with Kali by my pillow.

This morning at 4 AM I woke to hearing Kali trying to throw up. Clasped my hands together and caught the little bit as I yelled to wake Tony up for some help. Got her outside and back into the house. As I went to put her back on the bed I noticed she had thrown up on the bed. Had to strip the bed down to the mattress and start a load of laundry. What a nice way to start the day. Went back to bed for a while and got up at 6 AM so I could make some rice and hamburger meat mixture for her breakfast. Of course all the dogs now got up and I had to do it fast. Fed the dogs, giving Kali just rice and hamburger meat. She always has had stomach problems since she eats too fast and it just doesn't seem to digest well. There are days I actually put her on my shoulder a half hour after to eats just to burp her like you would a baby. She is always fine then. This seems a little more serious and I will have to feed her some special food for a while and maybe even take her to the vet this week if she doesn't get better. Kali is going on 13 years old so I do worry. So now it is Sunday morning, almost at 9 AM, and I have read most of the Sunday newspaper. Tony and I are not speaking much, which is best with all the tension in the house this morning. Will most likely shower and go out for breakfast since we are up and awake. Suppose to rain this afternoon turning to snow so it will be a good afternoon to take a nap. Will have to get our weekly lottery tickets sometime today, most likely on our way back from breakfast. Will keep you posted on Kali. Jeez, between Kali and the car accident you would not believe the tension in the house. We never do handle stress in this house well. But then again, 23 years tells you we do something right?

January 20, 2012 My David Gregory fan video posted on YouTube

Not sure why the sound doesn't match the lips moving. David's reply was: I'm so touched and humbled by this. Thanks, David (and Tony) for all your support! it means the world... Hello, Milwaukee!

January 20, 2012 Friday Morning

Brrrrr it's cold outside.

Yesterday the temperature in Milwaukee dropped like a rock. During the day it was in the single digits most of the day. Spent the day feeding my Facebook adiction. In the afternoon yesterday I had a board meeting for ARCW. Had a good meeting. Took a lot for me to venture out into the cold. Spent the last couple nights watching American Idol. I must say I was a little bored with the past two nights shows. Same old stuff, nothing new. I have been more excited in the past for this show to begin each year. Went to bed last night around 10 PM after a little lovin.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs, gave Vito his shot and got Tony off to work. Checked my emails and saw I got a response from David Gregory on Facebook. I posted a fan video for him on his Facebook page that I made yesterday morning. I posted it on Youtube and when you watch the video the sound does not match my mouth movements as I talk. They are a little off. Oh well, he obviously got the message and liked it. He commented back saying: I'm so touched and humbled by this. Thanks, David (and Tony) for all your support! it means the world... Hello, Milwaukee! How cool, hey?
Last night it was below zero in Milwaukee with a wind chill of 13 below zero. Very cold and the furnace is running nonstop to keep the house warm. The next gas bill will be huge. Today I just have lunch with the guys. Going to have Tony pick me up so I can get into a warm car and have him drive me to lunch. Bring the pictures from last Friday in Chicago on my Laptop to show the guys. Will spend the rest of the day in the house trying to stay warm. More snow coming this afternoon also. We are suppose to get another 4 - 6 inches this afternoon and should start around lunch time. Will not be fun shoveling the show in this cold. No plans for the weekend, will most likely catch up on the shows we have on the DVR and play with the dogs. When the temperature gets this low I have to get the dogs out and back inside the house fast or their feet freeze and I have to go out and carry them back into the house. I wouldn't want to be a dog in this cold weather.

January 18, 2012 Wednesday Afternoon

Went grocery shopping this morning. After being home for a while I got the crazy idea to drive to Stein's Garden on the other side of town to see if they had algae remover for the pond. Yah, it's frozen over, but I want it on hand because of the warm winter we had the weeds in the pond have grown to much. I put the last I had in the pond prior to it freezing over. Of course they did not have it yet in stock from this Summer or have it for next yet. Oh well. Bought a floating flower on clearance for $6. Making spaghetti for dinner with a salad and bread. Tony could eat spaghetti 7 days a week if I made it. Will spend the night watching TV staying warm. It is going to get the coldest of the season tonight and tomorrow. Only calling for a high of 13 degrees tomorrow. Days like this I wonder why I live in Wisconsin.

I have to admit. Since last Friday I have become addicted to Facebook. Totally addicted. I have added every one of the soap stars from OLTL as well as searched for a few old friends to add to my 'friends' list. I now spend my days and nights cruising my Facebook page as well as my 'friends' on Facebook. Guess I replaced my soap with Facebook. Could be a worse addiction I guess?

January 17, 2012 Tuesday Afternoon

Last night we spent the night watching the Betty White specials on NBC. She is so funny and the show was very good. Her half hour show afterwards was not so good. Went to bed around 9 PM to watch Castle and after a little lovin we went to bed. Bo was nice enough to not bother us this time.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. It started snowing around 7 AM this morning and didn't end until around noon. Spent the morning watching the snow fall while I order another book from Blogs2Print of my blog for the year 2011. It is easy enough to order and the hard copy of the years blog is worth the $80. After the snow ended I shoveled the front, side and back yard and drive. Called Tony to let him know the alley is ready to be plowed. As I was in the shower I could hear him plowing the back alley. Spent the rest of the afternoon listening to some music and cruising the Internet. It is around 30 degrees right now but the temperature is suppose to drop tonight and tomorrow to be very cold in the the teens. I will have to bundle up tomorrow to go grocery shopping. Tonight we will stay home and watch TV. I am making hamburgers and baked beans with a salad for supper. Wish I would have taken a nap this afternoon but too late now. If I nap this late in the afternoon I have a hard time sleeping that night.

January 16, 2012 Monday Dinner Time

Saturday we were up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Tony went to work in the morning to see if the guys did all they were told to do while we were in Chicago. I guess all must have been OK since he came home in a good mood. Saturday I spent the day posting a lot of the pictures from Friday on my Facebook page. Also was busy cruising the Internet for any information. Watched a lot of TV as I was busy posting. It takes a long time to post pictures and update things, longer than most realize. Saturday night we went to our favorite Italian restaurant for a nice dinner. Came home and spent the night snuggling on the couch with the dogs watching the DVR.

Sunday we were both up at 6 AM. Would be nice to sleep in on the weekends but when I realize Tony is up, I figure I might as well get out of bed also. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Read a little of the newspaper and asked Tony if he wanted to go have breakfast with his mom since we were up. Showered and went to pick her up and then had breakfast. Man, is his mom a nut case. I will leave it at that. It does make for interesting conversation on the way home going over all she imagines in her life. Watched a little TV before deciding to take a short nap and a little lovin. At the critical point Bo decided to start throwing up all over the couch next to the bed. Jeez, he couldn't have just waited 1 more minute? Stopped what we were doing to attend to Bo and clean up the mess. Thankfully I have the couch covered and can just throw it in the laundry. By the time I was finished cleaning up the mess I noticed Tony back in the room waiting for 'the happy ending'. Was not easy to get back into the mood but I managed being the good husband and all. Made a salad and frozen food for dinner and spent the night watching TV with the dogs. Bo is fine.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Tony left for work by 7 AM. Spent the morning doing some cleaning, reading the newspaper and watching TV in between backing up all my files on the hard drive from Tony's shop. I once a year, this time of year, back up a hard drive of all my files and then have Tony take the hard drive to the shop so it will be safe if the house burns down some day. Would hate to loose a lifetime of pictures and music. Still very sad my show is no longer airing. I am not sure what we will do in the four hours or so each week we watched. Went to Walgreen's in the morning to buy some sale items. After I got home I laid on the couch with the dogs for an hour. Went across the alley to talk with the neighbor for an hour. Set up Skype on her computer and told her all about last Friday, showing her all the pictures. Was in the 40s today in Milwaukee which melted half the snow. Still very warm for Wisconsin this time of year.

January 14, 2012 Chicago Video Feed

If you look you can see Tony and I in the bar.

January 14, 2012 Saturday

I hardly know where to begin the story of yesterday. Sit back and enjoy the tail, this might take a while.

We got up Friday morning at 5 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Got the dogs food ready for tonights feeding just in case we are not back from Chicago. Since it snowed all night, Tony went out to shovel the back sidewalk and drive and I shoveled the front sidewalks. We showered and left the house on schedule at 8:30 AM. Our friend came at 8 AM to be with the dogs. He felt more comfortable being here when we left rather than arriving after we left. Stopped off at McDonald's for some breakfast to eat on the drive down. The drive down was not so bad considering the weather. I did have to keep telling Tony to slow the hell down the entire drive down to Chicago since I think going over 80 miles an hour is too damn fast. Traffic was OK and we finally arrived and parked at 10:45 AM. It was hard to find the bar and parking because all the street name signs were covered in snow and you could not tell what street name you were on or looking for. As we walked up to the bar Tonja Walker pulled up in her limo and we saw her walk in the bar. Stood in line in the cold for a minute before they called for all the VIP people. Thats us! They took all 20 of us in through a side door, through the bar, and after coat check, to a special room. In this side room with an open bar were all the stars from One Life To Live there to talk to and meet. At first we just stood there in awe and then I grabbed Tony and said 'come on, lets meet them'. Of course the first person was my David Gregory who played Robert Ford. He was so handsome and I let him know it. I later in the day asked him if he wanted to go back to Milwaukee with us after the event. He smiled politely and said he couldn't. Of course I had to ask. Got some pictures with him and got him to sign a photo of him and my OLTL 30th Anniversary Book. Tony and I gushed as we talked with him for quite some time. Here are the pictures of Tony and I with David Gregory.

We then went around the room talking with each and every one of the soap stars that were at the event and had our picture taken with them and had them sign photos and my OLTL book. Here are more pictures of me with the soap stars.

After we made sure we got everyone's autograph we then took some random pictures as we continued to work the room. Here are two of my favorite pictures. One is of David Gregory signing my book, the other is David Gregory with his TV brother Lenny Platt.

From about 11:45 to 12:00 we sat next to the main stars giving a TV interview. Tony and I were 5 feet next to them and I am sure we got on the Channel 7 Chicago news. I recorded most of it in between taking pictures. Here is a picture of the four stars giving the interview.

Around 12:15 PM we were asked to go into the bar where reserved seats were waiting for us in front of a row of the stars on stage. For the next 45 minutes we drank and listened to stories as the stars spoke one by one about their characters and what it was like to be on the show. It was soon 1 PM and the final show began. We all watched it together on the numerous big screen TV's throughout the bar. Of course we got to watch the show less then 10 feet from the stars, the rest of the general admission people had to stay behind the ropes and bar.

During the commercials other stars from the show called in on cell phones to the stars and they were put on speaker as they talked. It was really cool. We teared up many times. The show soon ended at 2 PM.

After the show ended there was a raffle and auction of some items. Tony did go up to $100 on the Asa Buchanan hat, but it went for $350.00. It was then question and answer time with the stars again until a little after 3 PM. At about 3 PM the general admission people were asked to line up so they could now meet the stars and get autographs. We sat around for a bit and then decided to say our goodbyes and start the drive back to Milwaukee. We figured the stars were now too busy for us VIP people with the over 100 other people who now wanted to meet them. We drove home which was not fun in Chicago rush hour traffic. We got home around 5:15 PM with Wendy's food in hand. Spent the night downloading the photos and going to web sights about the event.

The dogs were very happy to see us. I called the friend on his cell on the way home. He had stayed at our house until about 3 PM and then went home, to return at 5 PM. I told him he did not need to return, thanked him and told him I would call him tomorrow after he gave me a brief low down on the day with the dogs. If I knew we were going to be home this early I would have just had him come around noon to just let them outside for a bit. Went to bed around 10 PM. I could not sleep last night since I was still so excited from the day. I took over 60 pictures and about 10 videos of the event so I will be looking back for a long time. I am so glad Tony talked me into the VIP tickets, it would not have been the same otherwise. Of course on the way home Tony did bring this up. I am so happy we went and would do it all over again. So sad now my show is all over, 35 years of watching OLTL.

January 12, 2012 Thursday Afternoon

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Tony left for work around 7 AM. Around 7:30 AM Tony calls me from work asking me what I think he should do with the two dogs he has in his car. I guess on the way to work he saw two Australian Shepherds running in the street and he turned his car around to try to get them. Pulled up next to them as he watched them in traffic and yelled for them to come to him. When they got to his car he asked the two dogs if they wanted to go for a ride and they jumped in his car. I told Tony I would be at the shop soon with the cage enclosure, leashes and food. Got to the shop and Tony had already pulled his car into the shop and the dogs were in his office happy as can be. Very pretty, very well trained dogs. I made a call to the local vet and then to Animal Control. Animal Control said they would be over soon, I told them not to hurry they were fine and being well attended to. Tony was at this point cutting burs out of their fur. If I did not have five dogs already I would have brought them home. Tony called around 10 AM to tell me Animal Control picked up the dogs. Soon after I got this idea to have Tony print out some pictures of the stars we will see tomorrow so I can have them autograph the pictures. Downloaded and sent him pictures to the shop so he can print them out on his color printer. Tony just called to say we should have checked Craigslist. Guess the owner of the dogs called Tony after Tony found his ad on Craigslist about his missing dogs. Tony replied to the ad and they got in contact with each other. The owner Thanked tony up and down for finding his dogs safe and said he would be going to Animal Control to get them. Wish we would have waited a bit and found the ad before Animal Control had to get them. It will cost the owner some money to get them back. But maybe that will teach him a lesson. The dogs had no collars or tags. It is snowing today in Milwaukee, of course it is, we go on a road trip tomorrow. Been snowing since about 10 AM. Suppose to snow until late tonight and total about 5 - 7 inches. I honestly can not believe the one time I schedule a trip and plan an event a snow storm has to hit Milwaukee and Chicago. Hopefully by tomorrow morning the roads will be clear and it will not be as bad as I am imagining. Going to sit back and listen to some music as I watch the snow fall. All packed and ready for tomorrow as long as Tony prints out the pictures and doesn't forget to bring them home from work. Will spend the night with the dogs, most likely be out shoveling late so we have little clean up tomorrow morning before we leave. Our friend is going to be here at 8 AM so he is here when we leave. He is recovering from surgery so he is looking forward to just watching TV with the dogs all day. Tomorrow we will be up before 6 AM in order to be on the road by 8:30 AM at the latest. I am so excited about tomorrow, yet very sad. There will most likely not be a post tomorrow unless we get home early. Will post pictures as soon as I can.

January 11, 2012 Wednesday Dinner Time

The first major snow storm is a day away, don't it just figure?

Last night we spent the night watching TV on the DVR from the week. Also watched today's episode of OLTL and had tears watching Robert Ford die. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Read a little of the morning newspaper before I showered and started the day. Since a major snow storm is coming tomorrow I thought I better fill the car up with gas today for Friday's trip to Chicago. Got gas and then stopped at Little Caesar's for two $5 pizzas. Took them to the shop for Tony and the guys. Had a couple pieces myself. Came home and spent the afternoon with the dogs watching TV. I can not believe the one time we plan a trip out of the state and spend a lot of money a major snow storm is about to hit the day before and day of the trip. Suppose to get 5 - 7 inches of snow. What is more unbelievable is the fact it was close to 50 degrees today in Milwaukee. Only in Milwaukee can you go from 50 degrees to 7 inches of snow in 24 hours. Come hell or high snow we will be traveling to Chicago on Friday to see my soap stars. My fear is they are not able to fly in for the event because of the snow in Chicago. We will just have to see. I am sure it will be a nail bitter all the way down to Chicago in the snow. Will most likely spend tonight watching TV from the DVR again. Seems so much easier to just DVR everything and then watch it fast forwarding through the commercials. Tomorrow I will stay home all day and shovel the snow around the house as it falls trying to get as much done as possible before we leave for the day on Friday. I am sure Friday morning we will have to shovel one last time before we leave. I can't expect the dog sitter to do all the shoveling of snow when we are gone. At least Tony will be able to try out his new snow plow finally. Will post again tomorrow and let you know how the snow storm is doing before we leave for the day on Friday.

January 10, 2012 Tuesday Afternoon

Spent last night catching up on all the episodes of OLTL. Looks like the heaven episodes are coming to an end and hopefully most of the people in Llanview will survive. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. Got showered after reading a little of the morning newspaper and then headed out the door to go to McDonald's for some breakfast and then to the grocery store. Got home from shopping and took a longer walk than normal today due to the warm weather. We are about to break a record in Milwaukee today it is so warm. Suppose to get to 52 today in Milwaukee which is unheard of in January. Spent some time listening to music before I started watching today's episode live on TV of OLTL. I just couldn't wait until tonight but will watch it again with Tony. I am SO upset. I can not believe it. They let all the people live but one. My favorite character Robert Ford played by David Gregory died today on the show. Yes, the guy we are most excited to see this Friday in Chicago died today on One Life To Live. I honestly was in tears. I can not believe the show could not just let Ford and Jessica finish the show happy together. I am so upset I can hardly type. I posted on his Facebook page along with all the other people very unhappy about today's show. This is just wrong! I had to call Tony at work and tell him.

Will spend tonight watching today's episode of OLTL and other shows we have on the DVR tonight. Not sure if I am making dinner tonight. The friend taking care of the dogs Friday might come over and have us leave to go out to dinner so he can be with the dogs alone and see how they act. I have a back up plan for dinner just in case he doesn't come over tonight. Not much else to write at this time since I am so upset about my soap and the way it is ending. ABC and OLTL should be ashamed of themselves.