Thank you Cousin Debbie (and Cousin Everett)

My life has been changed by this visit. I am sure that, as I talk to friends and family over the weeks to come, that my perspective on what happened to me this week will evolve, but as I write this I am clear on one thing; I witnessed history and leave here with a renewed commitment to public service.

I am packing and preparing to leave this village in God's sky and am actually a little sad to be going so soon. I have a few people to thank for making this possible to me.

Thank you to new and old friends. I have met wonderful people including a kindred spirit in a book/art store dealer in Lyons (Nick) and in Stan and Gayle Brooks with whom we watched Hilary speak. And you won't believe this one, but I also 'refound' my high school sweet heart (Randy Gietzen) living just down the hill in Nederland. All good people and who helped to make this trip special on so many levels. I saw so many wonderful people from Atlanta and every state of the union who were a moved as I and who shared a special moment with me. I talked and laughed with people I never saw before and will never see again but we bonded immediatly and so deeply over this common experience.

Thank you to all my friends and family who read my blog and commented, sent emails and text messages the entire time I was here, encouraging me and enliving me. Your energy and support was full of play and enthusiasm and so very appreciated.


Thank you to Miki, my mother, for encouraging me to keep this journal and for her tears, but mostly for the foundation upon which I stand that gives me the strength and courage to offer myself humbly for public service.

Thank you, finally, to my wonderful, smart, politically correct Cousin Debbie Colburn, There is NO ONE in the world I would have rather spent this week with – you are my hero. Keep up the great work you do in Denver serving the underserved. You have always been an inspiration to me and spending this time with you has been one of my greatest joys.

Home now. Back to reality. But with a renewed faith in our political system and a joy that will fill my heart as I work on Jim Martin’s campaign knowing that I too can make a difference.

Hugs and Kisses to you for reading this and for joining me on my sojourn.

WE HAVE TICKETS TO SEE OBAMA TODAY!!!!!

Cousin Debbie came through. Here is the schedule
http://www.demconvention.com/thursday-schedule/

Great music, great speeches, great people (John Lewis and tribute to MLK, Howard Dean, Al Gore - I can't take a deep breath I am so excited!)...and then our next President!!!

We are going to get there around 3PM so its gonna be a loooonng afternoon, but no complaints here. I am going to witness history.

The party atmosphere here has not overshadowed the clear weight of what is really happening. Miki called me in tears yesterday, and I so totally understood where she was coming from. How did it take so long for us to get here? and... How wonderful it is that we finally are!!! She was remembering all the people who aren't with us anymore and who deserved to see this day...Bud, for one. Papa has been very present for me while I have been here. There is a t-shirt sold on the street here that reads 'This is What a Feminist Looks Like', and I kept thinking that, if he were still with us, I would have bought one for him, and he would have worn it proudly.

Gotta leave this village in the sky for Denver go get the tickets and figure out how to get to the field. Look for me in the cheap seats!

What a wonderful world...

Quick update from Internet Cafe on Pennsylvania St In Denver

Working on about 4 hours of sleep because Cousin Deb and I partied with New Hampshire delegation until 1AM (she was a former State Legislator for 8 yrs in NH - did I mention that before?). Then drove 1 hour back to her cabin in the sky and then up at 5:30AM to drive back to Denver to crash the GA Delegation breakfast to hear Jimmy Carter speak. It was standing room only, but we found a couple seats and made ourself to home.

There have been 3 events so far this convention that moved me to tears - Unconventional Women's forum, Hilary's speech and now Carter's speech. I have goosebumps just remembering how gracious and unassuming he was at that podium, but so crystal clear that we must now unite as one party to make REAL change for those that need it most. A dear, wonderful man - the Pride of Georgia and a gift to our Nation.

Saw some wonderful old faces and new friends -Chad Brock from Jim Martin's campaign (who told me I had just missed Jim - damn!), Richard Ray and Lonnie Plott who I worked with when I was CEO of IBEW's Credit Union (Lonnie hired me - and today gave me a warm hug when he saw me), Kwanza Hall (got a great picture of him with President Carter).

Another long day ahead of me, but I think I'll have time to recap yesterday's and today's events tonight, in my next blog entry - and upload some more photos.

Kisses from the mile high city!

Conventation Day 1 - Its all about the Women!!

I am exhausted and my feet hurt. Up at 5:45AM. But, what a GREAT day!!! I am ready to run for public office! I am motivated. I want to be part of the solution! I listened to about 50 elected women from all over the country today. I am SO sold! I am SO pumped!

It was an estrogen fill day, let me tell you. Started with morning Roundtable discussion (see this article http://www.politicswest.com/node/27558/print) - today's policy discussion was on health and wellness. It is so clear to me just how behind the times my state is when it comes to implementing solid and sound preventative care policies in Georgia. We do so little to encourage good healthy life style and food choices to our children. We make so few walking trails. Colorado is a leader in this area. I learned a lot at this session. And have a new found respect for people running around in bicycle spandex.

My 2nd session was almost overwhelming to me. The UNconventional Women's Forum
(the list of all the women who spoke is to long for me to list here - see this article http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/08-19-2008/0004869974&EDATE=). I was moved the most by Barbara Boxer. DO WATCH a recent documentary entitled '14 Women'. This is the year of women for the DNC.

By 3PM, the headiness of the day’s experience was so great I needed a drink. Cousin Debbie and I found a bar just down the street so I could have a rum and Coke and she a margarita. Whew! I could barely articulate where my head was while we were sitting there. I felt the weight of history. I felt the pressure of obligation. I have so much and feel an overwhelming draw to public service.

As if this was not enough, we crashed The NOW Reception at the University Club (which was being harassed by a barrage of anti-abortion protestor with those horrific photos of mutilated fetus’ – like that is going to do anything to improve the lives of women). Hung out with newly re-elected GA State Rep for 59th district, Margaret Kaiser and Atlanta’s own "Able Mable" Thomas and listened to 20 of the most incredible and intelligent women in Congress and State legislatures from all over the USA I have ever heard, and they were telling me that I need to run for public office. I AM READY – TAKE ME!!!!

Cousin Debbie did remind me that there were a few missing faces at our ‘all women’s day event’ – we didn’t see Hilary or Pelosi. And then I realized we didn’t see Shirley Franklin either (the USA’s most popular female Mayor). Hhmmm..

I did hear my first controversial rumor. ‘Don’t eat any food at the Pepsi Center because infiltrators have gotten into the Center and put animal feces in the food.’ Personally, I suspect this is one of those urban myths circulated by wanna-be infiltrators who couldn’t actually get inside.

BTW – did you notice I didn’t do any volunteering today….me, too. That’s because I lost my volunteer spot ‘cause I wanted to party too much and the volunteer coordinator wouldn’t work around my play schedule. The worst part of this all is I don't have tickets to see Obama on Thursday. Now I gotta find a good bar to watch the speech. So finding just the right bar is my new purpose in life.