My birthday is in a week and my wife left me out of the blue last thursday………

I’m so sorry, possibly she just needed some time to sort things out and will return?

Well, the only birthday story I can think of right now is last years. I treated myself to an early birthday gift…a road trip to Canton to attend the enshrinement of DT (RIP) in to the NFL HOF. DT’s enshrinement ceremony was on the 8th of August, my birthday wasn’t until the 20th of August, but close enough, haha.

While in Ohio I also visited Marblehead Lighthouse on the shore of Lake Erie…which is my favorite place in the U.S….of those places I’ve been fortunate to visit that is. Marblehead is about a 2 hour drive from Canton. I’ve only been able to visit Marblehead twice, both times I was also visiting the HOF in Canton. I sure will make it a point to visit Marblehead whenever in Ohio. I love it there! I’d live there if it was feasible. There is the most charming quaint Victorian Farmhouse a few feet from the Lighthouse. The farmhouse, lighthouse, Lake Erie Shore also just a few feet away…is my idea of the perfect dream home!

Yes it was a once in a lifetime event! I posted a short story and pictures of the event, including us tailgating…in the picture forum here at Chiefs Crowd the end of August last year. They may still be there, as I didn’t delete them.

There’s more to the story, haha. You see, shortly after DT lost his life in 2000…I made a promise to myself come hell or high water I would attend DT’s induction. The day before Super Bowl Feb. 09 they announced DT was a finalist…I was overjoyed, it was a 9 yr wait! I bought advance tickets to the ceremony a couple weeks later.

Well, an unforeseen turn of events led me to a major life transition in April…which then had me convinced I would need to cancel my plans to attend. My Chiefs friend Kelly, who lives in WI…I met in early May, selling him some Chiefs items on Ebay. He asked if he could pick the items up when he came to the KC area next related to his career, I agreed. We stood in the parking lot talking Chiefs & other stuff for darn near two hours I think it was. I learned at that first meeting he also had plans to attend the induction. From that point we stayed in touch via email, becoming Chiefs friends…and he began to encourage me more to keep my plans to attend the induction, regardless of life circumstances.

My best friend Cindy then agreed to make the road trip with me, so I wouldn’t have to make the 15 hr drive alone…she’s not even a football fan, hahaha. It was great road tripping with her, as well as us sharing 4 days together. It had been several years since she & I had that sort of friendship quality time.

We had a great time! As well, we were tailgating near the HOF the afternoon prior to the evening ceremony, and were interviewed by a KC Star reporter also in Canton for DT’s induction. He included our story of being there to honor DT within his front page story! haha He mentioned our small group of friends who had met up there by name.

On the drive home Cindy’s cell rang, and it was her sister telling her someone had told her our names made the front page of the KC Star…but they didn’t tell her sister why. So she wanted to know…the first words I heard Cindy tell her were, “no! we didn’t get thrown in jail for partying too much & being rowdy!” LOL

I was like, what in the heck is she talking about! Heck, we didn’t have a clue who the reporter was, nor with what paper…so were surprised ourselves to learn we’d made news on the KC Star’s front page, LOL.

Here’s what the article said copied & pasted from my Canton file…the giant red truck would be my truck he mentions, hahaha:

There’s a hospital near the Hall of Fame in Canton — Mercy Medical Center — and on Saturday afternoon there were a bunch of Chiefs fans wearing Derrick Thomas jerseys and sitting on lawn chairs in front of a giant red truck with the Chiefs logo on the side.

They were grilling, of course. Two of them — Tanja and Zan McCurry — were from Bend, Ore. Two more — Connie Emery and Cindy Kloepper — were from Kansas. There was a family of Simpsons — Kelly, Brett and Chad — and they were from Wisconsin and Ohio. And, finally, a man from Kansas City dressed up as a superhero called X-Factor, and his father, Daddy X-Factor, sat on the curb.

They knew each other through various coincidences and connections. Yes, Derrick Thomas brought them together.
“Even though he’s gone,” Kelly Simpson said, “we had to come.” The others nodded and ate and offered food to security guards and others who were passing by. That’s what Kansas City Chiefs fans do. They offer food.

A slow but persistent rain fell from under a dark gray sky. The Chiefs fans talked about the sacks Derrick Thomas made just when the team needed it most. The smoke drifting off the grill smelled like 1997.

I think is a best birthday story thread so this could be a good thing. If not forgive my ignorance and I feel for for you.

My last birthday was pretty good.. I turned 18 which is supposed to be a monumental birthday but it wasn’t at all. However on my 16th birthday I finished high school.. so I guess that’s my best birthday story. :toast2:

I graduated the top of my class, I was captain of the football team, prom king… and queen.

I was homeschooled:D