We made it to Winnipeg earlier than planned. It was about a 12 hr. drive from where I live in Wisconsin. That's with lots of stopping. I had been to Minnesota a lot of times before but never to North Dakota. So we stopped a lot and checked things out.

Made it to our hotel and got a few hours sleep. Driving all night is not fun. Anyway, we go and get the tickets for the events on Sunday. I had pre ordered them on the phone. Well, we get the tickets and on the tickets it states that you have to be 18 years or older to enter the "Beach" (where everything was held). My son is only 12. Nobody told me on the phone (I had spoken to the hotel at least 3 times) that there was an age limit. I show the tickets to Colton and he gets all upset. Dramatically upset. He's 12.....so I know you can just imagine. So I call the hotel manager and explain what's going on. We drove all this way for my son and me to get Bret's autograph and watch him do the interview and now Colton can't participate in any of it. She was EXTREMELY nice....she said to hold on and she would see what she could do. Well, before his auto signing at 4pm...he was doing this luncheon thing with contest winners through the Winnipeg Sun. It was a Father's Day contest...she called me back and told us that we could participate in that. We are FREAKING out...we're going to have lunch with Bret Hart .

So that completely made our day. Colton was a little upset about missing the interview yet but nothing too bad. The hotel also said that Colton and my brother (who went along) could watch the PPV in the hotel restaurant (the same place the lunch w/Bret was taking place). So they were both happy about that. He was going to meet Bret AND watch the PPV. So he was good.

We decided then to go check out Winnipeg. Very nice city. Large...but very nice. Everyone we met was friendly. Even the 20 people we bugged to find directions to the zoo. I kid you not. We got horrible directions from some people...they were nice...but not good at giving directions. FINALLY we find the zoo. Now, this is supposed to be the second largest collection of animals in Canada....I didn't see it. The zoo was nice, but nothing out of the ordinary. Though I'm quite taken with our zoo (The Milwaukee zoo)...so maybe it's not a fair judgement...but we still had a lot of fun at the zoo. The weather was great....and the food was good....

Then after the zoo we check out some of the area's shopping. Bought a few things...had a good time. Saw a very very very good looking "boy" ( I say this because I"m 34 and anyone under 34 is a boy to me)...at the mall...had to buy a caramel apple from him Then leaving the mall...we get lost. Couldn't find our road back to the hotel..it felt like we were driving in circles...finally made it back to the hotel. Went to bed early patiently, waiting for Sunday.

Well, the manager said that they would call around noon and let us know what to do. So we get up early and shower and get ready. Around 12:30 she calls and says that Bret is going to be there around 2:00 so we should come to the restaurant then. Around 1:30 she calls and says we can come now to the restaurant. So we went there. Met the lady in charge of the newspaper. Very friendly. I must say that everyone we met up to this point. EXTREMELY nice. There were 4 other sons there (with fathers..I was the only one w/no father on our table ). About 2pm..we see Bret walk into the restaurant. They had us in a seperate room away from the customers but you could see into the restaurant. I can only tell you how fast my heart was pounding at this point. I looked at Colton and he had this HUGE smile on his face...though he said the same thing about me .

Bret walks in and waves to everyone...he looked great. He had a slight limp yet that you could tell. He was wearing his leather coat (and it was HOT outside) and a black tshirt and some jeans. Well, guess where he sits?? Yup, right next to our table. He sat at a circle table and we were at a long one..but right next to us. So we got to see him up close.

They had announced before he got there that he actually wasn't going to be eating with us...just signing autographs and some pictures and then talking. Which was ok. He was there for over 45 minutes. He walked in and we started clapping. He gave us one of those half grins then which was nice to see. We were the first ones to get to go by him...he said "HI"..and what's your name to my son....spelled his name correctly too...which doesn't happen too often. Almost everyone spells it Colten..not Colton...so I told Colton to tell him where we were from. All Colton says is Beaver Dam....not any state.

Well, Bret asked then where Beaver Dam was..and when we said Wisconsin..he looked at us and said "You came all the way from Wisconsin for this?" and we both said yes, and then the person with him asked how long of a drive etc.....so he signed my pic (I might add that he drew a heart on mine and not Colton's...probably not a big deal..but pretty cool in my mind)....

Then you could only have one picture taken with him....so we just stood behind him and posed. I did touch his back though..I wasn't going all that way and not touching the man. Sorry, I didn't want to touch his hair...well, I did..but thought it inappropriate seeing as kids were there

So then everyone else went up....we were right next to him..so we got to hear everything and see everything which was really cool. At one point he looked at Colton and did his half smile again....GREAT.....Colton was thrilled....he kept saying to me Bret Hart is right there..he's sitting right by us.

Then (this is great)..when he got up to leave...he came right over to our table and shook both our hands (nice grip by the way) and thanked us for coming all that way just to see him and we told him it was completely worth it..and he said well, I hope it was worth it Then he left..didn't shake anyone else's hands So we felt completely special. He did acknowledge everyone.......but we got the handshake!

He was really nice through out the entire thing. Actually everyone with him was really nice. They thanked us afterward and said we could order anything we wanted (we ordered pizza)....what a GREAT moment....not the pizza..but meeting BRET....

Ok, on to the rest of the day. Colton couldn't join in anything else....because everything else was at the Beach. A night club connected to the hotel. At 4pm he was starting to sign autographs so we got there about 4:30 pm....see, during his luncheon he signed pictures that he brought...we couldn't have other stuff signed. I had taken along some of the older Stampede wrestling programs and then something I made on the computer to have him sign. So we decided we already had the tickets might as well have him sign some more stuff. Plus the interview didn't start until 6..so we had plenty of time. I was the only one that stayed for the interview. My brother went back with Colton. We didn't want to leave him alone for too long in the hotel room....so Rick just came with me to get the autographs and then left.

Now comes the only part I wasn't real thrilled with. We get to the Beach and at the door you had to walk through metal detectors and stuff...not a problem..BUT they weren't allowing any cameras in there...so I wasn't able to get any other pictures of him...a LOT of people were upset at this. You could either take your camera to your car or they took it and held on to it. So I was a little upset at that...I had one picture already..so I wasn't as upset as some others. Then, the people that worked at the Beach were NOT friendly at all. Especially the lady working at the door.

I've been to alot of autograph signings....and this was probably one of the worst. Only as far as the people running it went...seeing Bret again was great.....but it wasn't horrible or anything..just seemed a little too strict as far as their policies went. Well, when we got up by him...my brother handed him the Stampede Program and he chucked and said..Wow..that's old......(this was where I was getting out the other ones JUST to show him and the guy watching said ONLY ONE PER PERSON)....anyway, I had this thing I had made a collage on the computer and had him sign that..he checked out all the pictures I had..he didnt' say anything about them though....but I did say "Me again" and I think he said something like that's ok...the music was pretty loud and I really couldnt' hear him that well...but he was still really friendly..made eye contact with everyone..didn't shake everyone's hand...but that's ok .

Then the interview started...good interview..nothing really new was said....I think there's a link on here to read it....or it gives the details of it....BUT about half way through this guy and girl stood right in front of me so I couldn't see him that well But I still got to hear it and see him when they shifted......it was great just being there and watching him do this. The crowd was a good crowd. I would guess a couple hundred people showed up to watch the interview. More for his autograph but I noticed a lot of people leaving after they got his autograph.

I decided to NOT stay and watch the PPV there (it was hard leaving though knowing Bret was still there but I did it so I could join up with Colton)..but instead decided to go to the restaurant and watch it with Rick and Colton. Get to the restaurant and find out they are having problems receiving it and it wasnt' going to be shown there after all. So none of us saw the PPV

We went to bed though that night very very happy people. It was truly worth the trip just to meet Bret up close and personal. All in all it was a very pleasant trip.

Bret looks really good. I was watching some of the things he did...like take the cap off of his water bottle and stuff. I was also listening to some of the things he was saying..and he sounded really good....looked really good...He did mention in his interview that someone wanted him to smile for them and he doesnt' feel comfortable doing that yet .

It was a GREAT time. I just woke up....and have to leave in an hour or so...but I re read what I wrote last night..and surprisingly...it was better than I thought....I actually made sense.

He didn't have any of his kids there with him that I saw. He did mention to one of the other families that he celebrated Father's Day w/his children and his father the day before..so that Saturday. He didn't say what they did...but that they celebrated it.

He had 3 guys with him....bodyguards I'm assuming. I don't know what Marcy looks like (His assistant) but there were no females around at all except for the manager of the hotel and the one in charge of the contest through the Winnipeg Sun. So I don't think she was there. The Beach (when he did his auto graph signing) had their own security...they were mainly by the doors and one was by the table with Bret. I did find out that there's been a lot of crime lately around this place...which may explain the metal detectors.....

SO all in all....we really did have a great time.

Oh, something not Bret related.......did anyone see the movie "Wrong Turn"? Well, it's about these people getting stuck on this back road in the middle of a forest and then 2 inbred guys killing them.....well, on the way home..we decided instead of taking a major highway and not seeing everything we were going to take some lesser highways and check out Michigan scenery. So on one map (and only one the other ones didn't have the road marked) there was a road in Michigan that led to Wisconsin and it seemed faster than driving to the interstate...well, we turn on this road and there are no signs or anything..so we're praying we went the right way......well, this road looked exactly like this movie's road..only it was paved where the one in the movie was gravel...but there were gravel roads leading off this road....we had my son completely freaked out (me too for a while) about this....my brother pretended the car was going to quit....are we mean or what?? It was like driving through the middle of the forest..with an occasional bog on the side every once in a while......we didn't see another car or human for about 20 miles..seriously..all we saw were deer on the side..and turtles on the side of the road.....it was freaky...

That was pretty funny.....Colton didn't think so at first but then he was fine.......

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