A LEGO fan as a kid, after college my mom called and asked if she could give my LEGO sets to a friend's kid. I wish I could go back in time and say "No!" but I acquiesced, thinking I needed to abandon such "childish" pursuits. After the 9/11 attacks, I turned away from all network news, moving to a steady diet of comedy, sci-fi and LEGO.

After the diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumor in 2014 which was accompanied by diminished vision, I reluctantly stopped building LEGO IRL, sticking to LDD, but I kept everything this time. The tumor continued to grow and eventually doubled in size, and a skilled neurosurgeon was able to remove it. My vision is somewhat improved but I have difficulty distinguishing colors in LEGO instructions. I struggle with memory as well as planning and completing tasks. I hope others will be patient with my questions.