<3 <3 <3
Also, since this thread is so conveniently located, I'll add that I'm not dead, either.
My life is approximately this:
5:30 AM -wake, eat, hygiene, dress, check e-mail, hit the road
6:45 AM - arrive, spend nine hours doing stuff that may or may not matter in the least
3:10 PM - return home, grab violin, hit the road
3:15 PM - arrive, spend 45 minutes at a baby grand piano, practise Christmas music, Madrigal music, music for the grade school solo kids, since I'll be accompanying them
4:00 PM - demonstrate to teacher that, whether or not I actually practise more than 45 minutes a week, I'm bloody good at b.s.ing my way through Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Chopin.
4:30 PM - demonstrate to teacher that I really DO practise my violin, but I'm still an amazing b.s. artist.
5:10 PM - return home. Write a very long paper. Play community psychotherapist for my online people, when necessary.
6:00 PM - dinner, bath, finish another paper. And ANOTHER paper. Check RAF, if I have more than a few minutes left over. Spend four hours dealing with stuff heaped onto stuff. Say exactly the right thing at exactly the right time, and hope to God that I don't screw it up.
10:00 PM - shut down computer, set alarm clock, pass out on the bed. Maybe even shove a pillow under my head, if my eyes stay open long enough.
10:10 PM - snap out of my comfortable snooze when the dog begs to be walked at an unGodly hour. Feed the cat. Fight severe insomnia for the rest of the night. Pray that I won't be a zombie the next day.
5:30 AM - repeat, ad infinitum.
Then, WEEKEND: Pass out on the bed sometime around Friday night. Try not to let anything wake me. Remain catatonic until Monday morning.
Monday: repeat the vicious cycle until after December.
Sorry, folks. I'm not going to be my usual bubbly, active self until January, in all likelihood. I have stuff going on every night for a long time.
*great big hugs to everyone, and thanks for the patience*