Yes, I was glad too! It's quite curious, here you become to feel quite close to some people, even if you never have direct interaction or a conversation with them.
Happy to be back, and thanks for the kind thoughts
If anyone's curious, my long break had nothing to do with anyone or anything here... as several others have mentioned, raising 2 children will tend to re-prioritize one's life. I was obliged to spend a lot less time on the internet, as well as having greatly reduced opportunity for classical music listening (not to mention reduced funding for purchases). It wasn't so much a conscious choice to leave as a case of getting distracted and pulled into other things.
But my kids are now in middle and high school, so my free time is opening back up. I put on a CD a few months ago, which brought back to mind pleasant memories of GMG, and so I logged back in. I
f I'm being honest, I've also been fighting back a bit of depression the past few months, since my mom passed away over the holidays -- feeling a part of a community helps a little, especially one that is a complete shift from my day-to-day life (not many folks in my circle of friends who've even heard of Bruckner, much less can hold up an argument on Jochum EMI vs DG in the 8th). I've been re-reading some of the old stuff (dug up my copy of the old "Fighting About Chopin" thread, and have been slowly working my way through Gurn's Haydn Haus, all 200 + pages of it). Funny how one's taste changes over time. It is a bit sad to see so many of the old familiar names gone, though I guess I'm not in a position to talk

Though hopefully some of our missing folks are in a similar situation to mine, and may stop by again when life turns back around, as it often does... and it is good to see some newer members as well, with whom I hope to become better acquainted.
Cheers!