This is the best explanation I've seen. https://steemit.com/steem/@biophil/decreasing-steemit-payouts-will-it-continue -- The price of steem is only part of the issue. The biggest piece is the fast draining of what's in the reward pool. It's the opposite situation of how HF 18 had to be refilled. It does look like things are stabilizing, because the payouts for posts are staying more stable across their 7-day active period. Welcome back to the complexities of Steemit! You will need another vacation soon, lol! ; )