On the subject of fine folks raising kids not theirs by biology, I would like to thank my steps for being such wonderful people. When I speak of my parents, it usually means my mom and my step-dad. A wonderful guy who wasn't particularly into having kids but took raising us like a duck to water. When people ask him about kids, he always answers: "I have two daughters." There's never any mentions of us being his step-kids, we're his kids.

My step-mom was also a fantastic person and what she was doing with my dad, I never did figure out. But I'm sure glad she was there. It made weekend visits not only tolerable but also fun. She's been dead for 10 years now, and I still miss her very much.