The T-shirt says Firefox 3.5. That probably tells you something about how long I’ve owned it—and how much of a geek I remain.

But putting it on today, I found myself thinking that it looks rather good on me. Particularly across the chest. At forty-eight and a half, I’m quite happy to take that.

Living with HIV, being on dialysis, and having a body that requires rather more maintenance than I ever anticipated, it’s easy to concentrate on whatever needs attention next. Medication, appointments, blood results. Today’s cough is making its own contribution.

Sadly, I didn’t make it to the HIV conference in Dublin today. I’d been looking forward to being there, but I wasn’t really well enough to go. I’m disappointed to have missed the conversations and the chance to spend time with other people living with HIV.

That’s part of today’s picture too. I can look at this photograph and like my shoulders, appreciate how the shirt fits, and feel pleased with my chest, while also feeling too unwell to make the journey.

Looking well doesn’t tell the whole story of living with illness. And missing something I wanted to attend doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a moment of feeling good about my appearance.

Today, there’s an old geeky shirt, silver hair, a cough I could do without, and a man who rather likes what he sees—even if his plans for the day didn’t work out.

The browser version may be ancient. The hardware is still looking respectable. A quiet day will have to do for the maintenance.