Well, another Carnival has been and gone...is it just me, or do they go by way too fast? Meeko and I started the day by going to the Photo Booth and and lining up for pics with Bret. We were 2nd and 3rd in line. Actually, the lineup for pics with him was really good, very fast moving, and occasionally sparse=) When I got my picture taken with him I told him quickly of a few messages from people that wanted them passed on....for you Skates In The Park people, he said he probably will be there...take some pictures=)

We stayed around the photo area and took some video and pics (they'll be up anywhere from tonight to next week sometime) The house band from the Roxy, Dr. Strangelove, was playing, and they kept bugging Bret to go up and sing...but no luck in that department=)

I also got to meet Kat and May=) I was surprised I was so recognisable, but I guess two still cameras and a video camera, plus the fact I was planted near Bret kinda gave me away.

At one point a went over to Bret and asked if he'd mind if I could take a few pictures to put on the site. He said ok (I think he felt bad that the Carnival helpers were trying to avoid people doing what I was doing) but he was nice enough to let me take a few. I asked him if he'd seen the site, and he said yes...but it must have been ages ago...he hadn't seen the audio and video (Actually, he seemed surprised you could do that on the net....). Since I told him about it at the Carnival last year, he probably saw it around that time, and never again. I think since he's so modest he probably finds this whole concept kind of strange.

After that, we went on a dressing room tour and took some video. The beverage fridge was a highlight...Volvic spring water, Five Alive, Diet Coke....and Coors Light??? If these guys are drinking it before the game, we have an excuse for the standings this year=) Oddly enough...the Coors Light shelf was the emptiest....

While we were in "The Room" (Aka The Joico Library) we were totally blind and missed seeing Mike Keenan...it was only when we got home and watched the video that we noticed he was standing practically behind us for most of the time we were in the dressing room, and we didn't even notice.

After the tour, we went to the autograph booth. The lineup wasn't too long...although, longer than the photo line...maybe ten bucks is a little too much for pics with Brad May and Bret Hedican? =) I mean, when Brad May is taking pictures with stuffed animals...lol...I have to say Brad May seems like a really funny guy.

As we got up to the autograph area we were told to be "inconspicuos" while taking pictures, since it really wasn't allowed. Bret was asking us to make sure we didn't put up pics that might get the organizers in trouble...since they weren't technically allowed to let us take pics. He must think Orca Bay monitors the site or something...actually they've been really great about it, they said they'd give me any info I needed to make the site bigger and better, and I have to thank them for being so great!

He signed our photos (from the Photo Booth), and I asked him about Skates In The Park. We said thanks for everything....I must have mouthed those words a million times when I was taking pictures on the floor...every time he looked over towards the camera and I took a picture I said thank you, and he'd nod. All his politeness was rubbing off on me I think=)

We left after we got our autographs. The Carnival didn't look as if it had been as well attended as in previous years...perhaps all the trades, the loss of people like Odjick and Linden, and the addition of many new faces made fans think it wasn't worth their money. But the Carnival is always fun, and the players are great to meet, it's nice to see the new faces, and I think they really enjoy it too (look at Orca Bay's photos and you can see how much Brad May enjoys the merry go round=). It also benefited a lot of great charities, so an event like this will always have me there for it. Congrats to Orca Bay for another great Carnival=)