Since about the seventh grade, I've lived in Eldersburg, MD, a small town just outside of Baltimore. Currently, my wife, Dawn, and I live in a brick rancher that we recently purchased. We have a large yard and a nice residential neighborhood around us - Sweet Air Estates/Carroll Highlands. Eldersburg is close enough to Baltimore and DC to take advantage of their nightlife and culture, but far enough away to avoid the worst of the big-city problems. Out in Carroll County, we're even considered "rural" compared to our urban neighbors.

Unlike my wife, I am definitely NOT from a large family. My immediate family is just Mom & Dad (Betty & Bob), me and my younger sister, Betsy. Betsy is around 6 years younger than me and is currently in college at Western Maryland College, Westminster, MD. My family also consists of Grandpa Harry in Deer River, MN, and dad's borthers, Tom and Mark, who live elsewhere in the country. My mom is the only child of two only children, while my dad has just the two brothers who we don't see very often. As a result, my wife's extremely large family intimidates me at times, but they're all great people.

Since we don't have a huge number of blood relatives, I have a number of honorary ones. Aunt Gladys & Uncle Dave, for instance, have been friends of my folks since high school. Many of my very close friends are like brothers (and sisters) to me as well, and I'm sure our kids (when we have them) will call them "Aunt" or "Uncle" too.