Third

First of all, I would like to congratulate my roommate on both of the accomplishments he talks about in his blog. When I think about how things were 14 years ago as compared to now, I am very proud of what he has accomplished with his life. His blog is three years old today and if it wasn't for his blog and his encouraging, this blog wouldn't exist. And I'm very glad it exists.

Aside from his blog entry, we didn't talk or really acknowledge the anniversary of this date. We did other stuff. We had errands to run and some bills to pay. I was a total bitchy ragehound while driving. It might have had something to do with having just woken up from a lovely nap or possibly low blood sugar. Logic tells me it was the fact that everyone else on the road was stupid. And they were.

My roommate, who at one point just started laughing at my grumbling, said that for the most part, my commentary to other drivers was coming out in snarls and growls. I guess I saved most of the actual cussing for when I was trying to find a parking spot. This took forever. I think I was only in my parking spot for three or four minutes before he was finished with what he was doing in the store.

My bad mood aside, we ran our errands, got lunch, and came home. The rest of the day has been quiet and peaceful. We watched a couple of TV shows, though they both proved to be confusing and jumbled. I really do not think taking four weeks off during the holidays is a good thing. People lose their momentum and interest in things. We all have short attention spans now.

The thing is, doing the normal things today was, in its own way, the best form of acknowledgement for this anniversary.  Outside of a cure for HIV, the biggest victory comes in the form of days where everything is normal and sedate.  Fourteen years ago, when we found out that my roommate was positive, I didn't know if he would live. I was worried he wouldn't because he was very ill, the medication was very expensive, and we were really far away from any type of assistance.

These days, he works on his health every day. He is on top of his meds and doctor appointments. We have a home, modest security, and a strange little life filled with humor, long conversations, creativity, and cats. I'm very grateful to have that and very grateful to have him.