Well, here I am in Charlotte attending my first convention as a Delegate from teh 13th Congressional Distict.  We arrived in Charlotte this afternoon after taking a short side trip on the way down.  We got in here in plenty of time to shower, change, and rush down to the lobby to catch the first shuttle to the Mint Musuem where several delegations were being welcomed to Charlotte.  However, the bus that was to take us there were held up in town by protesters and never made it.  I took a cab with a group of people, and others in the hotel I am staying in also took cabs so we all eventually made.

Downtown Charlotte is really rolling out the welcome mat.  Tomorrow there will be a large event called Carolina Fest which is causing many street closures.  There are police from all over the country for added security.  They also have a Labor Day parade going on before the Fest, and the news are reporting warnings that downtown may not be a place you want to be unless you are involved in the festivities and take public transportation.

It should be a really interesting exprience and I am glad to share it with you all.