More of the Crowd Chanting

Barack Obama

Other pictures

Notice the snipers.

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter








Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette



Al Gore

Standing Ovation for Gore

The Convention

(That is a picture I took last night after I figured out the panoramic setting on my camera!)

For those of you who watched the convention last night, you can imagine how amazing it was to actually BE there. (And yes, the fireworks WERE real!) There were a couple of people asking to buy tickets while we were in line, but we had the impression 99% of everyone who was there wouldn't have traded it for the world! It was so amazing to be a part of the excitement. I wish I could re-create it for all of you!

We left the house about 1:45, parked about 2 miles from the stadium and walked. On the way, we walked through a legalize pot demonstration at La Alma park (with free music on a truck I had seen the night before: Party for the People). There were TONS of freewheelin bicyclists which made me regret not getting a couple of bikes for us! I mean, really: what were we thinking?!

Anywhoo, we arrived near the stadium around 2:30--we got IN to the stadium 2 hours later and I think we were LUCKY. Here is what the line looked like when we arrived:


AND, it wrapped around. We weren't even in the parking lot at this point. Once there, the corrals wrapped around. It seemed interminable. But, we made it!

It was hot. And all the vendors were selling BUTTONS. FOOLS! They would have made a FORTUNE on water! But, once we got in to the parking lot, Coke gave out free water (and encouraged recycling with some catchy slogan like, "that bottle's not done"--I can't remember, I was about to pass out by the time we got to them).

The general atmosphere was that everyone was so happy to be there. There wasn't the usual complaining about lines or heat or anything in the crowd. (Ok, except for me, but I am an old lady)

Here is Dave and me with our cool passes:


(tilted one way, you saw just a flag; tilted the other, you saw Barack Obama in front of the flag)

We were in the way top level, but with the jumbo trons, I couldn't complain. (Plus, we were maybe 20 feet from where they shot off the fireworks! Thrilling!)

The early speeches were eh.

The music was great! will.i.am and John Legend came out and sang just the regular version of Yes We Can (considering Dave and I spent almost an entire evening watching the video over and over, I think they could have done an extended remix and gotten the crowd more involved.) Sheryl Crow played 3 songs I think--I liked that she played "A Change Will Do You Good". Stevie Wonder played a couple of songs including "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" which he dedicated to the Obamas. Michael MacDonald played "America the Beautiful" which was good... except that he asked us to sing along (which, as you know, I was ready to do) to his "jazzy" version, making it stilted and awkward ("Aaaaaaaa-merica. Aaaaaaaaa-merica...")

The speeches geared up with Bill Richardson. I guess I haven't seen him make many speeches, but his was very good. Then Al Gore. Man! I do not remember HIM being such a great speaker! He really was inspiring. I also thought the retired general did great as well as the 6 regular people who got to join Barack backstage.

And then, the main event. Well, you saw it. I will have to see it on tv to really see it considering I was taking pictures, screaming and/or crying most of the time. In fact, I have a video featuring my lungs. (I still have my voice!) I may post that at some point, but it's LONG.

Here is the stadium after the big show:

Our Ts

Mine has a quote from Michelle: "I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it's made me proud."

















Dave's: "I face this challenge with
profound humility and
knowledge of
my own
limitations, but
I also face it
with
limitless faith
in the capacity of
the American people." (FRONT)

"America, this is our moment. This is our time, our time to turn the page on the policies of the past, our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face, our time to offer a new direction for this country that we love. The journey will be difficult. The road will be long." (BACK)

You know how sometimes things that are real seem like hoaxes because it's just too freakin' exciting?!

UPDATE: IT'S REAL!!! Dave just picked up our credentials!!! We're going to see Obama at Mile High!!!

THANK GOD I switched my flight to Chi!!!


I just got an e-mail that looks legit saying I can pick up my credentials to see Barack Obama's speech at Mile High next Thurs.

I called the Obama headquarters and the woman I spoke with confirmed.

*pee all over my chair and floor at work... and a little bit on the wall*

Barack and Michelle giving me a shout-out

Things to do in Denver when you're Dem

This post is inspired by one found on Face the State

In it, the independent Colorado state and local politics news source laments outsiders (such as the Economist and NYT) trying to sum up what to do in Denver during the Convention and makes a few of its own suggestions.

To which, I would add:

1. Eat Uptown - 17th Ave between downtown and York is always hopping after work and through the late dinner hour (which seems to be around 7pm in Denver). Restaurants include Uptown Tavern, Steuben's, Hamburger Mary's, Las Delicias, Strings, and Pasquini's, to name a few. Further down, there are a handful more restaurants which are smaller, but close to the cool spots of St. mark's Coffee Shop and The Thin Man (bar). ALSO, smack in between is JR's (a gay bar, but SO fun who would notice) and the vegetarian mecca, Watercourse restaurant and bakery. 17th Ave is also dotted with other unique places like the Wrangler (another gay bar) and that breakfast place where the waiters serve you in drag...

2. Cruise Colfax - It's the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, people! As described by Jack Kerouac when he lived in Denver. While Colfax still has a seedy reputation, you can safely walk from Downtown eastward... until you get to La Cueva (which is the end of my personal experience walking along Colfax). Highlights are too numerous to mention here, but TRUST ME - the places you find on Colfax will be the ones you remember, whether it be the hip new places or the hip old places (broken up by the inbetween divey places). Also, Denver's own Tattered Cover bookstore is now on Colfax and definitely a place to visit. If you like books.

3. Shop and Bar-Hop Along Broadway - I am partial to Broadway because I live one block away. Broadway is home to the indepent theatre, the Mayan. During the day, you can check out Broadway's unique shops (my fave: Decade), the thrift stores (the new Goodwill is AWESOME, but don't forget BigLots and Arc (a little further down). There are numerous bars and pub crawls along Broadway are always a good time. The ones that come to mind (and, keep in mind, I am neither a big drinker nor a regular pub crawler): the Hornet, 3 Kings, Irish Rover and SoBo. There are also some really good restaurants (Mona's, Blue Bonnet) and some good dance clubs (Vinyl).

4. Don't Forget Lincoln - Which reminds me, Lincoln (the street I live on) is also very cool. Basically, Broadway south of 3rd Ave is the place to be; Lincoln north of 6th--got it? On Lincoln: DC10 bar and club (I have only been once, but I picture very pretty people there--all the servers wear '60s throwback stewardess outfits), Sutra (another lcub, but the bar attached seems to have good drink specials), the Church, Dazzle (a jazz club, even for those who aren't into jazz) and the Funky Buddha (think martinis and techno spun by a DJ, but also a great rooftop area). Plus, the Beauvallon (a residential development around 10th--you can't miss it) has a bunch of restaurants and bars. The one on the corner (of 11th, I think) is great--basically a gourmet take on comfort food (they have Rice Krispy treats on their dessert menu). Oh! and Le Central which is a truly affordable French restaurant.

So, I guess I would lump the places on Lincoln as more upscale than those on Broadway, but not by much.

Anyways, there is much, much more as I have only covered a few areas near where I have recently lived. I will have to post again!

DNC Fever

If you have it too, go to http://www.demconvention.com/

If you don't, go to http://www.demconvention.com/

I think my feelings are one part love for Barack Obama, one part being a good Democrat, but TWO parts hometown pride. I love Denver ANYWAY, but everything they are doing to show the country its best side makes me even MORE proud of the city we call home.

Now that we're down to the last 2 weeks before the Convention, I think I will blog more about preparations. That means I will have to take my camera and waddle towards downtown... but it's my chance to show off Denver, too (and for the benefit of all of you who formerly lived in Colorado).

The DNC is in DENVER this year!

It's starting to get pretty exciting around here. For example, the recent issues of 5280 arrived in the mail:


Also, random parts of the city re getting prettied up. We were at City Park tonight and it's all sodded up and ready to impress.

I am hoping that a certain someone from the Mayor's office will show up to weed our front yard. What? Hickenlooper shoveled snow during the blizzard!

I was also trying to read up on all the protests. There will be an anti-immigration protest in Congress Park. As one blogger advertises it:

We've got some BIG NEWS for you -- the all-star lineup of speakers at the MASSIVE Anti-Illegal Immigration Rall Rally Against Illegal Immigration just got even BETTER!

We've just confirmed that Ambassador Alan Keyes, Congressman Bob Barr, and Reverend Chuck Baldwin -- all of them running for U.S. President -- will ALL be speaking at the day-long rally, RIGHT THERE near the Democrat National Convention!

Ummm... not exacttl "RIGHT THERE". But what REALLY cracked me up were the pictures of the noted speaker above which had THIS GUY lumped in:

Although, when I right-clicked it, I recognized the name as some outspoken opponent of immigration.

It's just... this is exactly what I picture when I read the excerpted piece above, what with it's strong anti-immigration (what? like, none at ALL?) stance and alternately CAPPED and UNDERLINED (or shall I say capped AND underlined) talking points.

Like, EXACTLY.