it's me.  i feel like i should be shyly/abashedly tossing my hat in the asa
door, cuz i've been away for so long.

between all the juggling, catching-up on negelected stuff around home, a
friend staying with me in january, my getting over a cold, as well as a more
agressive bug before the cold, the death of yet another friend, still using
adaptive behaviors with this broken leg (i find out on the 21st if any
healing has transpired), the hospitalization/survival battle of a precious
to me toddler (my deceased best friend's grandson, born three+ years after
she passed away, who is now back home from the hospital, thank goodness.),
helping a neice, helping a nephew, my son tearing his calf muscle, my elder
sister's shoulder surgery (she somehow messed up the last surgical repairs.
it can happen to anyone.), my feeling a bit overwhelmed at times and
needing/taking some inner re-balancing (mind vacations, escapisms like
reading mindlessly fun books) time whenever i needed it, i'm finally back
here with you guys.  i'm sorry, it took me so long.  i'll try to catch up as
much as i can around here, as i am able to.

but, i gotta share this with you guys!   my girlfriend who stayed with me in
january sent me something i'd never heard of before--two "chillows" (the
brandname) for my back, in the mail when she returned home.  so, i've been
doing a lot of blissful chillowing.<smile>  you guys, these chillows are
wonderful!  i can't thank my bud enough for them.  i love that i no longer
have to mess with drippy/leaky/wet ice bags, crushed ice or ice cubes,
dumping the water out and refilling or have to keep releasing the air from
ice bags, nor mess with gel filled thermal/ice packs in the freezer (that
also have to have the accumulated frost/ice wiped from their surfaces, as
well as take up space in the freezer.).  once you follow the chillow's
before use instructions, it stays cold all the time and i just have to store
it on any flat surface.  doesn't get any easier.

you can look chillows up on many sites on the web, if you're curious.  (i
have no vested interest in this product, other than my own back's, knees',
shoulders', wrist's, hips' and ankle's physical comfort and my convenience
in using it.)  all i can say is, if you need to ice down any joints,
chillows are the best thing i've ever tried!  mine are always ready and cool
enough when i need them and are not toooo cold nor too tepid.  (it's a
chemical reaction thing inside the pillow that keeps it cool.)  can you tell
i love my chillows?  but i'll betcha i'm probably the only one, on asa, who
didn't already know about chillows.LOL

anyway, HI! <waving to and smiling at all of you>  i've missed you, my fault
of course.  i never stopped loving you guys!

kate