Hi Gina,

Your post is keeping me good company! It's good to know i'm not the only one struggling with these issues.

I actually do have a hobby -- and a serious one at that. I play competitive Scrabble. I've been playing for 15 years. There's a club in town and we get together once a week. I won the trophy for top player in my division last season -- the first time i've ever won it! I'm having a display case built over my bed for it! Not!

But even with Scrabble i have the problem with instability. I'll go on a kick where i'll be really into it and do such an uber nerdy thing as studying lists of obscure words for several hours in the afternoon and then play online for several hours in the evening and count the days til club night. I put so much time into it it's almost like a job. Then i'll go thru periods where i could care less and don't go to club for a year or more, don't play online and certainly don't study.

I'd be so much further ahead if only i could be consistent! But, it's a hobby, so i just go at my own pace. I feel sad that i'll never be an elite player, because i certainly have the brains, but there's just all this other borderline and bipolar nonsense in the way and i'll have to be happy being in the junior ranks.

Anyways, just wanted to share my passion! On-again-off-again tho it is.