I Found My Lost Step-Nephew Today

I've been keeping a closer eye on my webstats ever since last month's hacking incidents. One of the stats generated is a list of external links to my website. It's a long list. I often find interesting things from the stats, like the picture you see here.

Or, I may find someone hotlinking to one of my photos. That is a big no-no with me. I have a way of dealing with this that amuses me. Sometimes the fools go months without realizing the photo they hotlinked to has been changed.

Now, today's interesting thing from the stats started when I saw my sister-in-law Jill's name in a link on the list. I can click on any of the links on the list and go to the website that is linking to mine. I did so to see that it was a link to a family history website I made years ago. It was linking to a genealogy list. Also on the Jill page was a link to her son's website.

That is the son in the photo. His name is Drew. He is my step-nephew. I am not sure that is the correct term. I've only met Drew once. My brother was not yet married to Drew's mother. I drove my brother and Jill down to my sister's Lake Cushman cabin so Jill could meet my mom and dad for the first time. On the way to Lake Cushman we dropped Jill's youngest daughter, Jaime, off at UPS in Tacoma to spend time with her brother.

After we left Lake Cushman we went back to Tacoma and out to dinner with Drew and Jaime. I liked Drew. He had a well developed sense of humor. Reading his personal info on his website I learned he transferred from UPS up to Skagit Valley College so that he could be close by to deal with family problems. Now, I do remember Drew living at my brother and Jill's new house and I knew there were problems. I did not know Drew moved back to deal with them. I did know he was one of the problems, at least in a couple people's opinion.

I did not know Drew got his SVC degree, then transferred to Washington State. I knew he moved down to San Diego and lived with one of my best friend's from high school's kid. That kid got married recently. I saw a photo of Drew attending the wedding on her husband's blog.

On his website I also learned that at some point along the way Drew took off, by himself, to backpack in Europe for 3 months. I also know, not from his website, but from my mom, that his sister Jaime lived with Drew in San Diego where she went to law school, I think, maybe the law school was elsewhere. I do know she is now a lawyer working as in intern in D.C.

I heard from someone, somewhere that my brother and Jill had spent a lot of time in San Diego helping Drew either buy or fix up a house for him and his girl friend.

I saw Drew on one of my Facebook friends Friend's List. I asked what the connection was. I think I got an answer, but I'm not remembering it right now. Earlier today I was reading in Men's Health that this type memory problem is an early sign of Alzheimers.

I remember the day I met Drew and Jaime, when we were at the restaurant and my brother was being a bit of a bore by being overbearing, when I had Drew and Jaime alone I said something like, "I can sure tell you kids like my brother a lot." Drew said, "He makes mom happy, that's all that counts to us." I said, "Well, I'm a really great uncle. You can ask my nephews, they'll confirm that." To which Drew said, "Yeah, we've already heard that."

I drove Drew back to UPS and that is the last time I ever saw my step-nephew. That was over 10 years ago.