Let me just preface this thread by saying that I have been an athlete my whole life. I was actively playing sports up until about 4 years ago after seriously messing up my back at work. But in all that time and with all the teams I've played on or been a part of across many different sports, even with all the closeness and camaraderie that only comes from being on a team. All the fun and heartache of winning and losing championships together and everything. Those were some of the best times of my life. But with the hundreds of people I've met, I've probably been over 5 - 10 people's houses for get togethers and no one has ever done anything for me away from the field, court or ice.

That said, in only 2 months of being in this hobby, (a hobby where you can only basically get to know a person through a PM or an occasional phone call and maybe a meet & greet or benefit) I have met the BEST & NICEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!

In the short time I've been on Pinside, (2 months) I have had MULTIPLE people invite me to their homes from all over the country! (Seriously?) I have incredible people (Rock914 and dgoett just to name a recent few) wanting to give me stuff and have given me stuff that I beg them to take money for. They won't.

I've had more people than I could even begin to remember offer me all kinds of help, tips and encouragement. videorob (who I had never talked to or PM'd) hit me up and invite me to his home to check out his V-Pin because he had heard that I was interested in seeing one and he's close by.

Get this one, I asked Imeh for some VA vacation info. I had never even seen or talked with him before. I just PM'd him out of the blue when I saw a post he made I a thread and noticed that his location was in VA Beech. What does he do? Gives me a bunch of great ideas and advice but then he also Invites me over for the day with my family to hang out and play some pinball if we do in fact go down there. THEN, (as if that weren't enough) he invites me out on his boat for another day of deep sea fishing! YOU KIDDING ME!? Who does this stuff?

I bought an AMAZING custom NASCAR pin off of Prowlerman99 a couple weeks ago. The vacation I was talking to Imeh about was to work around picking up the NASCAR Pin instead of paying $500 for delivery. Well. Prowler not only invites me and my family to his home to play some pinball, but also to take us out for the day to a bunch of historic scenic areas that next to no one knows about. What!? You want to take my family out and show us all these amazing historical sites? Unbelievable!

Yesterday I met up with MinusWorlds at the Wizard arcade in Pelham. Had a total Blast! AWESOME guy. Hilarious, down to Earth and a ton of fun. We had a GREAT time hanging out. THEN, on the drive home, Dannunz texts me..."Sorry I couldn't make it up to the Wizard arcade with you guys today buddy. Have a good time?" My response..."TOTAL BLAST! Driving home now. The only way it could've been better was if you were there too bro." His reply... "Why don't you come on over and hang out and play some pinball for a while?" You believe this!? So I go over to see his AMAZING pin line-up (consider me jealous. LOL) and had a ball talking with him and playing for awhile. I mean, what other group of hobbyist's does this? Now get this...THEN he invites me to go with him to the Allentown Pin-Fest. AND if I wanted, he'll get my NASCAR machine from Prowler (if he's going to Allentown as well) and take it back up to me. WHAT!!!??? WHO DOES THESE THINGS!?

I've been driving poor tjc02002 nuts with Baby PacMan info. He's been way to kind and an amazing help to me with that. He's even offered to do a cap kit on the monitor on it for me. Just mail it down to me he says. I'll get it done right up and mail it right back. Incredible!

All in all, I'm just sincerely blown away by all of you. And this was only some of the stories of the awesome Pinside family I have PM'd with.

I'm beyond convinced that there is NO other hobby in the World where there just seems to be this thing where, if you're into pinball, you are a member of this giant family. And no matter where you're from or what you do, you are welcomed like a brother or sister into someone's home (who you've never met) and you're treated like gold. God I love this hobby and love all of you!

I just want to say thanks to every single person who has reached out to me and been so kind. Thanks for all the help and advice. Thanks for the tips, encouragement and well wishes. Thanks for the invites and for talking and meeting up. I love all you guys. You're the best friends and family a hobbyist could ever hope for. Please always know that if there is EVER anything I can do to help any one of you out with, I'm just a PM away.

God bless always, good luck and have a wonderful day.

Derek.

I love you Kaneda. Let's hug and feel the fat! LMAO!

And yet more invites around the country to come on over if I'm in the area.

You guys are just amazing! Thanks to you all. Of course the reverse is the same. If you're ever out by me...

Step into the light, ALL are welcome!

Tony Cox's character to Bob Chapeska (John Ritter's Character) from Bad Santa...Who's us people!?

Thanks bro. I am in fact on those sites as well and have talked with a few great guys who are not on here. For the most part, everyone is on here. IMHPO, this is by far and away the best site to hang out in for all things Pinball.

As long as he doesn't shoot it like Owen Wilson's character in Wedding Crashers. Remember when he shot Vince Vaughn's character in the azz? Wayyyy too funny!

It was great hooking up with you too yesterday Bro. We definitely have to do that again soon. I think I'll plan a get together over my house once the weather gets better for some Pinside friends to come over. We'll have a nice BBQ and play a little pinball. Notice I said little, as I only have a little collection.

I know, I remember as well as the whole cover up surrounding it. LOL I meant it as if to say, still shooting it like that.

Thanks Home. But with all you great people, how can you be anything less but positive and excited. Sure, every family has their proverbial "black sheep", but for the most part, and as you said, 99.99% of the people here are awesome.

It starts right from Robin (who started the site and works it all based off of donations only) right down to the mods and then to all the varying Pinside family members. Everyone here has just been great and I'm just so thankful I found the site. It's what really got me into buying machines. People's generosity with their time, wisdom, knowledge, homes etc just blows me away, every day.

Thanks again for the kind words.

Well said D. I can vouch and tell you that dgoett wanted to basically give me a $90 OP shooter rod. I said...are you nuts! And had to practically break his arm to accept more money. Then what does he do? I open the shooter rod package and in it is a BUNCH of cool Pin key fobs and stuff. Just awesome! I mean, what else can you say but thank you times a million.

Thanks D. You're a great friend.

It's great to see the passion that flows right on through to the other countries of the world. There's just something that is so infectiously and unexplainable about hitting that little silver ball around these amazingly designed PF's. God I LOVE it.

LOL Kaneda's a great guy. I talked with him several times before in his threads. I have no ill will or hard feelings whatsoever toward him and never did. I love his excitement and enthusiasm. I just want to see him step up and buy one of the great titles he has inquired about so that we can hear him say how much he's loving it. Hopefully he'll build the pinball love up to the level of his video game love.