Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 12:52:16 am

Login with username, password and session length


Members
  • Total Members: 37614
  • Latest: bondann
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772947
  • Total Topics: 66310
  • Online Today: 388
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 0
Guests: 363
Total: 363

Welcome


Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.

  • All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

  • Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators of these forums. Click here for “Do I Have HIV?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

  • We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge.

  • Product advertisement—including links; banners; editorial content; and clinical trial, study or survey participation—is strictly prohibited by forums members unless permission has been secured from POZ.

To change forums navigation language settings, click here (members only), Register now

Para cambiar sus preferencias de los foros en español, haz clic aquí (sólo miembros), Regístrate ahora

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the symbol in each box.

Author Topic: The Return to Arizona!  (Read 5337 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Moffie65

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,755
  • Living POZ since 1983
The Return to Arizona!
« on: August 24, 2006, 05:02:01 pm »
Wow, what a day.  Whew.

I awoke at 3am, after a sporadic sleep of about four hours, rushed into the shower and threw the last few bits into the suitcase.  I then hooked the suitcase to the scooter, and headed down to the lobby to find a cab and head to the airport for a six o'clock departure.  I wheeled up to the Delta counter, where a very very handsome agent was quick to welcome me to Delta and my soon to be departed trip.  Well, now the fun really starts.

He looked at my papers and checked out my itinerary on the computer, and quickly stated that I should consider making the 5:30am departure flight that would place me in Atlanta early enough to make it back to Tucson before noon.  I looked at the snaking line behind him, awaiting their turn at the U.S. Customs grilling, and said that there would be little chance of me making the flight as the line was growing by the minute.  He grinned a huge grin, and simply stated that he had a secret way of dealing with convention, and encouraged me to take him up on his offer.  I relented and he quickly printed out my boarding pass on the new schedule, and said that by the time the plane left, he would have my new schedule in Atlanta confirmed and my "Bulkhead Seat" reserved.  He then asked me to wait on the side and he stepped out from behind the counter and asked about my week long visit.  Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.......  He should not ask Moffie about a week with AIDSmeds.com if he is not interested in ALL the gory details.  I started to explain the event, and then enjoyed a fifteen minute conversation with this very handsome, caring and interesting individual. 

Suddenly, he simply stated "Please follow me Sir...." and off we went.  as I was moving slowly through the terminal, he said that we were going to go through the "Crew Line" and soon, a nice man welcomed us into the "INNER SANCTUM".  One person ahead of me, and there I was talking to a nice young man from U.S. Customs.  A very short conversation about some question  of "what do you have to declare?" and I simply squashed my temptation to state that I wanted to declare that this was going to be a beautiful day.  A small turn to the right and the ropes were removed and I motored into the "Crew Security Checkpoint".  I was poked and prodded, but all in the wrong places, and when they found nothing, asked me to replace my shoes and be on my way.  The nice man from Delta received my thanks, with a nice hand shake and off to the gate to await my departure.

Only a few minutes passed, when the nice lady there stated that she had my updated scheduled information for my connecting flight from Atlanta, and that indeed I had a confirmed Bulkhead Seat reserved for that flight also.  I motored out to the plane, gave the baggage handlers instructions on the "Zippy Cart", and an elderly lady who was also a passenger on this flight, picked up my bag and helped me up the stairs to the plane.  The flight attendant on this very small jet with only six feet of headroom in the isle, was a very perky Italian/Irish woman from Boston, that had grown up in Atlanta.  She was a total ball, and after seeing my red ribbon on the cane, and my morning cocktail on the table, simply had to know the back story of my visit to Montreal.  Well, by the time we hit Atlanta, we were fast friends.

Land in Atlanta, and there the Zippy Cart was, waiting right by the door.  I motored out to the concourse after being escorted by this very nice lady from the airport, and was greeted by these two very sweet African American women who just had to know the story of my Rainbow and leather laden "Mobility Device".  They were very taken by the work, and were sufficiently surprised when I stated that I had done the work and design myself, from a "cheap" yard sale find.

Soon enough, my name was called at gate B27 and I was assisted to the door of the plane, and my cart was quickly swished into the cargo hold for the trip.  The crew of that flight was loads of fun, and the "complimentary" celebration drinks were very much appreciated by this traveler.  Celebration you ask?  Yes, they figured anyone that had lived with HIV for 22 years, deserved all the alcohol that Delta could supply.

Arrival at Tucson was before noon, and the onset of last nights floods, and my sweetie was there three hours ahead, as I had called him in Georgia to inform him that everything was progressing above and beyond expectation.

What an exhausting but pleasant trip.

I told you this story, simply because so many times things do go terribly wrong, and when they do, we go on and on about this and that event that screwed up our trip so badly.  I wanted to pen this eventful trip for you to simply prove that sometimes a nice smile and a laugh or two will make all the difference in the world.  Back there in Montreal, I inquired with the first agent to help me as to why he went so far out of his way to help, and he simply stated that when he inquired about my day, I gave him an answer that he had not ever heard at four am, and found my attitude, as a long term survivor of HIV/AIDS, as one of real joy. 

My answer when he asked about my day and trip so far.  "I am having one of the best days of my life!!!", delivered with a huge smile and a chuckle.  So you see guys, when you think that the whole world is "going to hell in a handbasket", skip the negativity, line the damn basket with leather and lace, flowers and candy, and hang on for the ride.  You just never know how much people are looking for a happy person to  fill their day with just a touch of joy. ;)

In Love, and total appreciation for wonderfully nice people!
The Bible contains 6 admonishments to homosexuals,
and 362 to heterosexuals.
This doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals,
It's just that they need more supervision.
Lynn Lavne

Offline J.R.E.

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,207
  • Positive since 1985, joined forums 12/03
Re: The Return to Arizona!
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2006, 05:12:05 pm »
Hello Tim,

Thanks for sharing, and glad to hear that you arrived back home safely. It makes for such a nice trip, when you are dealing with people who truly are concerned, and take their jobs seriously. Sounds like you had a great trip back. Now it's time to relax unwind !! Welcome back  :)




Take care of yourself---------Ray
Current Meds ; Viramune / Epzicom Eliquis, Diltiazem. Pravastatin 80mg, Ezetimibe. UPDATED 2/18/24
 Tested positive in 1985,.. In October of 2003, My t-cell count was 16, Viral load was over 500,000, Percentage at that time was 5%. I started on  HAART on October 24th, 2003.

 As of Oct 2nd, 2023, Viral load Undetectable.
CD 4 @676 /  CD4 % @ 18 %
Lymphocytes,absolute-3815 (within range)


72 YEARS YOUNG

Offline livingpositively

  • Member
  • Posts: 369
Re: The Return to Arizona!
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2006, 07:08:43 pm »
Moffie,

WOW, what to say.  You are an inspiration.  What a pure (well, maybe not too pure  ;) ) and simple joy to meet you - an absolute delight.  I will be forever grateful to have been in your presence.

Love you

Shane
4/6/07   CD4 450, % 23, No VL
2/19/07 CD4 487, % 26, VL 47,500
1/4/07   CD4 357, % 27, No VL
10/3/06 CD4 500, % 26, VL 18,000
7/6/06   CD4 530, % 29, VL 83,800
4/6/06   CD4 555, % 28, VL 13,000

Offline Basquo

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,385
Re: The Return to Arizona!
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2006, 07:30:24 pm »
FANTASTIC!!  Good things happen to good people, my hippy chick friend said when I told her about my opportunity to go to Montreal...

...YOU JUST PROVED HER RIGHT AGAIN!!! and I'm a better person for having met you.  Plus, I know now how to work with saw palmetto!

Rock on, and keep rolling, my friend!

Love and Hugs,
Creighton

Offline Quarter Horse

  • Member
  • Posts: 77
Re: The Return to Arizona!
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2006, 07:51:26 pm »
All I can say is, I LOVE YOU MOFFIE!!!

Brian
In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: IT GOES ON.

Robert Frost

Offline Lou-ah-vull

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,029
Re: The Return to Arizona!
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2006, 11:33:32 pm »
Tim,

What a perfect ending to your trip!  Many of you may not know, but Tim was one of our "pilots" for the excursion to Quebec City on Sunday.  When we got seperated from the group at the end of the evening, he patiently piloted us (with some guesswork directions from yours truly) back to our hotel in Montreal.  It was one of my many highlights in Montreal to get to know Tim and to see and talk with him up close.  The Rainbow Scooter was truly a sight as it motored through the Gay Village (not to mention Old Quebec City!)

Gary
Diagnosed Oct. 2005
10/05:  367 (26.2%), 24556 VL
01/06:  344 (24.6%), 86299 VL
04/06:  374 (22.0%), 87657 VL
05/06:  Began HAART 05/15/06, Combivir/Kaletra
07/06:  361 (27.8%), 1299 VL
10/06:  454 (32.4%), 55 VL
01/07:  499 (38.4%), UD
02/07:  Switched to Atripla 2/8/07
04/07:  566 (37.7%), UD
08/07:  761 (42.3%), UD
06/08:  659 (47.1%), UD
01/09:  613 (43.8%), UD
07/09:  616 (47.4%), UD
01/10:  530 (44.2%), UD
07/10:  636 (48.9%), UD
01/11:  627 (48.2%), UD
07/11:  840 (52.5%), UD
01/12:  920 (51.1%), UD
07/12:  857 (50.4%), 40
10/12:  UD
01/13:  710 (47.3%), UD
07/13:  886 (49.2%), UD
01/14:  985 (46.9%), UD
06/14:  823 (47.2%), UD
01/15: 1366 (45.2%), UD
07/15: 1134 (50.7%), UD
02/16: 1043 (55.1%), UD
08/16:  746  (55.4%), UD
08/16:  Switch from Atripla to Genvoya

 


Terms of Membership for these forums
 

© 2024 Smart + Strong. All Rights Reserved.   terms of use and your privacy
Smart + Strong® is a registered trademark of CDM Publishing, LLC.