Hey all.

I know there's been a lot of silence from my little corner of the Interwebs lately.  And I'd like to apologize to everyone for blipping out and not telling anyone why.

Life has been a bit stressful for me lately.  This past semester was the roughest I've ever had...  I had to get back on antidepressants for the first time in years.  But I'm doing better now, and my mental health is no crazier than it was before.

Also, I've had family difficulties.  My mother has power of attorney for my three great-aunts, and it's been very hard on her.  I've been doing what I could to help, because Lord knows no one else on her side of the family would lift a finger, if they care at all.  It makes me mad that they assume my mother will just take care of everything (which she does, and it makes me madder because she doesn't ask for help), but that's a different matter.

A few days ago, my mother's favorite aunt (my grandfather's twin sister), who was more of a mother to her (and grandmother to me and my sister) than my grandmother was, had to be put on hospice.  She has advanced Parkinsons', has had a few strokes, and has been slowly going downhill for a few years now.  Basically, a large part of my family is slowly crumbling, and it's been hard on me to see my mother so depressed.  So I've taken some time away to help where I can, and just be there for her when I can't.  On top of that, my sister is now studying abroad in a small town near Kyoto, so there's nothing she can do to help.

Arrangements have been made, I am back at school, and nothing more can be done by any of us.  So we're hanging in there (We're Texans, we're tough like that). 

I'd like to apologize for not telling anyone why I was leaving.  I remember reading in the IRC how you all felt when Zealisee disappeared, and I feel terrible that I might have made you think I had done the same. 

This will sound lame, but you guys here are seriously some of my best friends.  I have few friends in real life because I'm painfully shy.  I'm very lucky to have found a site full of so many wonderful people.  And I just wanted to say that I'm back.  It'll take me a while to catch up with things, but I'll try. 

I hope you understand. 

-hug-

Good luck with everything.