Chapter Two:

I feel rather disconnected from my extended family. They all live in the Chicago area‹those that still live, anyway. Both of my mother's parents died prior to my birth. Aside from my aunts, uncles, and cousins, I know very few relatives. When my paternal grandfather died, I recognized virtually no one at the funeral.

My mother's siblings consist of one sister, Virginia (whom we call Ginny), and one brother, Larry (whom we call Larry). Aunt Ginny married and raised three kids, Adam, Sara, and Justin. Uncle Larry produced two children, Paula and Todd. Furthermore, Paula married and now raises two children.

My father's side contains only one sister, Janet. She married and adopted two children.

Before they adopted, my Aunt Janet and Uncle John spoiled my younger sister and myself rotten. They gave us numerous trinkets, ranging from books to toys. I feel very welcome there, especially since they subscribe to cable, unlike the majority of Chicago area residents, who receive varying degrees of quality from their antenna.

Before my birth, my family (in other words, my mom and dad) moved into a Janesville duplex, and later to a house on Atwood. My father worked in the Janesville schools, and my mother worked in a bank until a job opened up in the Beloit schools.

Both my parents (divorced since the early 90s) worked in the music field. As a result, I gained a higher appreciation for music (real music, not that monotonous trash people like Britney Spears put out). Also, my mother follows Star Trek avidly, another affinity I picked up.

My birth provided one piece of information to my parents‹my gender. When my room got painted, the chosen colors fit either a girl or a boy.

While I do visit my extended family, my immediate family lives with me, and seem a lot closer. If I lived in the Chicago like them, I might feel differently, but I live in Janesville, where the tallest building stands six stories high, and a good many people subscribe to cable..That's fine with me, since I happen to enjoy my 64 channels.