Okay I flew into Baltimore that morning and met up with dad at about 8 I seriously thought about buying another four rolls of film but I figured that 5 would be enough shows me what a little extra planning can do I then went to the hotel where Kurt was staying to meet up with 2 of my other online friends and had a bite to eat we then walked around to the atrium and sat there and waited for Kurt to come out of the elevator so that we could give him the journal, during the 2 and a half hours of eating and waiting we saw Dick Button (said Good Morning to the three of us), Danny Kwan, Elizabeth Punsulan and Jerod Swallow and Galina (I am not even going to make an attempt at spelling her last name) I think. Well after waiting all that time we did not recognize Kurt when he got off the elevator, Dewey was with him and Kurt was playing a little game of let's hide behind Daddy and walk as fast as we can so that by the time I realized that the guy was KURT he was already heading out the side door of the hotel Laura Bedard headed out after him but could not catch them it seems the men of the Browning Family have a way of disappearing into thin air :o) Well since Laura and I knew that Kurt had left the building Laura and I headed for the bathroom as fast as we could on the way back Laura told me that I had to stay really calm because we were about to go right past his mother, what she did not tell me was which one of the ladies that we were passing up was his mother...well it turns out that Neva Browning was just a few feet ahead of us in a full length purple coat and we both thought from the way she was walking that she was going to take a stroll through the atrium as well, but as we got ready to turn to the left Neva decided to turn to the right to go up the elevator with one of her friends who from what I gather was anxious to see if her picture had been signed yet, (can't say as I blame her at all for that) Laura had to very quickly jerk my wheelchair over to avoid running Neva over, we quickly said good morning and excuse us and then headed back to the chairs where Joy was sitting...when Neva had gotten in the elevator and the doors had shut Laura and I breathed a huge sigh of relief we told Joy about it and then we all had a good laugh about it I mean we could not imagine what we would have said to Kurt if we had hit her. Well I hoped that Kurt would make it back to the hotel before my father and step-mother came back to get me but I did not have luck on my side when it came to that. Dwala, my step-mother showed up to get me before Kurt reappeared so I left the journal and a couple of pictures of Kurt with the girls so that they could give the journal to him and get him to sign the photos the photos were ones of Kurt that Barry Mittan had taken but on the Brick House one my father had played around and made Kurt's hands and face turn blue I would not be surprised if I get that one back signed "Kurt the Smurf Browning 98 :o)" Anyway I left the hotel just a little disappointed at not meeting my angel then but you know the saying "the best things come to those who wait"? Well in this case it was definitely true :o) Dad, Dwala, and myself toured the area a little bit and about 2 hours before the show we went to this little Italian Resturaunt to eat but needless to say my mind was not on the food and on the little television in the resturaunt they were watching the Keri Lotion Classic I am sure that I let out a squeal or two. Well after I ate we headed for the arena. Dad and I quickly found the section that we were sitting in I ran to the restroom (did not want to have to get up During any performance and especially not Kurt's) and when I came back dad had this worried look on his face he said that our seats were not fifth row but that they were first row!!!!! Another squeal not unlike the one that Tara Lipinski gave off came out of my mouth ? We climbed down to our seats and it turned out that they were first row after the accessible seating platform but still very, very, good. Well Dad got a couple pictures of Kurt during the introductions and warmups and I got one or two of him and Mr.J over near Kiss and Cry when all of the men were over there before the warmup. The two of them are very small but if you look close you can see them. During the entire night I took photos used up all five of the rolls that I had too...I will scan the photos in the next day or two enlarge and crop and e-mail them to you as soon as I get the chance. Kurt did not disappoint me at all he did the Clown program...you are right that program is so cute!!! Well he pulled up from fourth to second place and at the end of the program did the spread eagle, wave and land on the Judge's table....I was laughing so hard I almost could not take photos but I did get one shot of him in mid air in mid jump, and one of when the little boy who was there to pick up flowers and stuffed animals draged him off the ice by the ear and one of him walking off the ice with the "Skater of the Year" Award in his hand. Anyway during the evening I was asking dad if he would lower me down over the railing after the thing was over and he kept saying no until my step-mother came into the arena toward the end of the night and suggested the very same thing...okay fast forward through his cute speech cause let's face it I don't really remember much of it except for after Sandra Bezic Gave him the award (which he accepted in the clown costume) he gave her a kiss and then took the microphone and said "for all the guys out there I just kissed Sandra Bezic" and then fell face first to the ice like he did a couple of time in the routine and in his "That's Entertainment" Medley. Well while all of the skaters were still on the ice getting a group photo taken Dad climbed over the railing and then reached up for me I guess you could say I did a half Star Lift almost a Detroiter to get down to the ground but hey anything to get just a little closer to Kurt LOL!!! The security guard just looked at us like "What the hell are they doing?!!?" I went over and sat in one of the chairs that was on the wheelchair platform and waited for the skaters to head in my direction when Kurt did head to get off the ice I yelled but he did not come over so I handed my Dad the program and said (I think) "Dad, go catch Kurt catch him" dad came back a couple minutes later with the progam and I asked him if he got him, he flashed the signature in my face and I screamed and started to cry...after a minute or two I calmed down, turned to the security guard and asked for the quickest way out of there he pointed down the ramp and around the corner....which turned out to mean that we would be taking a walk through the backstage area!!!!! Well the first skater I saw backstage was Oksana Biaul so I waited "patiently" for her to finish talking to a guy that my guess is she had worked with recently and then I asked for and received her autograph on her picture in the program!!! Then about a second or two later I saw Elena Leonova(sp?) and got her autograph, too. The ladies were both very sweet and accomodating. Then we headed on back and in the next little area there was almost no one there was however Dick Button talking to two of the people who had been doing behind the scenes work all night and when he finished talking to them I asked if he would sign my program and he did I told him about the time that remembering all the pointers he gives on laybacks got me in trouble in my history class we both laughed. Then I headed on closer to the elevators and before I knew it I had spotted our angel, Kurt Browning. I ran to get a little closer to him and then called out his name at first he looked around to see who had called him and then I called his name a second time and he came over to me I gave him a quick little hug and asked if he would sign my copy of his book...he seemed surprised that I had a copy or had it with me at the least. I told him thank you for all the skating that he had let me enjoy over the years and then I told him that it was because of him, Scotty, and Katia that I had the courage to get out on to the ice, he was a little surprised that I skated but he wanted to know how I skated did I take the walker out onto the ice or could I skate without it. I told him that I take the walker out there with me right now but that some day I hope to skate without it. He told me that once I get gliding down I am just going to feel so free out there I told him that it already felt so good to be out there. I kept thinking that I should have told him that one of my dreams was to skate with him but part of kept thinking what if there is someone upstairs that has not met him yet? It would not be fair of me to keep them from meeting him just because he up and decided to make another of my dreams come true...I have to stop thinking of so many other people when it comes to skaters but especcially Kurt. During all of this conversation he had been taking the clown nose off and peeling the sticky stuff off of his nose. At that point he asked me did I know what else feels good and I asked what and he said getting that stuff off his face we both laughed and then he told me to give him a hug so I wrapped both my arms around him and gave him a huge hug, as we were hugging he was like "Wow, you're strong!!" I told him I had to be. Then he gave me a kiss on the cheek! And told me that I reminded him how lucky he really is. We then started to say our goodbyes and he said that if I ever had skate problems to give him a call because he know all about those I laughed and agreed with him on that one. We started to walk off me with an incredible bounce in my step and the world's biggest grin on my face, when Kurt ran up to us with his CBC Sports ballcap in his hands and asked me if I would like to have it he told me that they were the company that did all of his specials and most of his interviews (as if I did not know that) and that he had worn the cap on a few interviews but that they would give him another one so I said yes that I would like it and thank you again. My dad took the hat and put it on my head and Kurt was like "It looks good" then we left me with the big grin and tears in my eyes at having met my angel. We did not get any pictures backstage because I had used all the film out front (I knew I should have picked up those extra rolls!!!) but I swear I will never forget that night as long as I live.