Because I was visiting relatives, I was playing quite late at night (when everyone else was asleep). Now that I'm back home, my play times are going to be more regular. Probably some in the mornings, then in the evening CST.
In addition. If you click on the top left icon in the screen, there is an 'Add by Name' option, which lets you add people to your friend list just by name. I think now you can also right click on their name if they send you a tell and add people that way.