Tales from the DNC: Day 1

It's day one in Charlotte, and the DNC is just getting underway.  Today was CarolinaFest, and the start of activities in Uptown Charlotte.  Uptown is really downtown in Charlotte...they sort of do things backwards in the south.

 It was a day without structure.  Lots of fun activities for delegates.  I spent last night with my best friend from college, who lives nearby, and my parents, who relocated from Amsterdam, NY to Hickory, NC about 10 years ago.  My folks left in the morning, and I was free to explore.

This was the first sign that I was getting close to the action:

I was close...the Charlotte Convention Center.  Security was crazy.  Access on many streets was limited, even to pedestrians.  But like many delegates, I wanted to scope out the place I'd be in the coming days.  The Convention Center is across the street from the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which hosts a Buffalo Wild Wings in the lobby--which is the New York Delegation's hospitality station for the week.  (Yes, friends, that means all the wings, and other deep fried delicacies I can consume, on the hizzouse!)

Oddly, Fox News had an outpost just outside the NY station.  No one was there, 'cept the crickets.  I'm hoping I can debate Glenn Beck in the coming days.

This woman embodied everything I imagined a convention delegate to be.  Cool costume, hat, pins, the works!



And later in the evening, at the Governor's party, I had a blast.  We were at Strike Center--a huge bowling alley with the whole NY Delegation  Here's me with Albany's Mayor Gerry Jennings and NYS Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli.  It's going to be a fun week!

And here's me and the folks, just before they left!