ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are so many people to thank, and I am sorry if I missed anyone. Please chalk it up to a rookie mistake. I have to start off by thanking my wife, Patricia: P, you are a consistent source of love and dedication and have been with me since I made five dollars an hour. Your support has gotten me through a lot and given me the confidence to push on. Oh, thanks for being a great proofreader, too. We also have great kids who understood that when daddy had his headphones on, that meant he was writing, and they shouldn’t jump on him and distract him. I love you, V and A.

Thank you also to my mom and dad for all you have done to instill the confidence in me to strive for anything I set my mind to. And Steph, thanks. I know you think I got special treatment and you never got the credit you deserved, but thanks for making my bed when we were kids and taking down the trash when I forgot. You know I love you dearly.