I'm alive!

I was nudged to update weeks ago, and as you can see, never got around to it.  These past two months have been such a whirlwind, I haven't even kept up with my LJ reading, which I usually do even when I don't post.  My weekends have been filled with traveling, while my weekdays have been filled with schoolwork.  I'm only taking four classes this semester (and unfortunately, unlike last semester, none are all that interesting to me), but since I don't have time to do schoolwork during most weekends, and each semester-long class is squeezed into seven weeks, they keep me on my toes!

( Cut for pictures and a lengthy post... )