So, I have so many pictures to share from tonight, that I'm going to split my report into two threads. The first will be a description of what I saw, and the second part will be all the photos.

Basically, after I posted my thread earlier this afternoon, I headed down to the field to see if I could get some good shots, and just to get oriented, with the intention to go back up to the blogger's lounge and post some updates, go get some more stuff, post some updates, etc, and then finally settle down to watch Obama's speech.

However, my plans were foiled when I got down there and realized that pretty much every seat in the section I was allowed to sit in was already gone. So, I stayed. Luckily, Hissyspit was up in the blogger's lounge and able to post updates, but I was glued to my seat and guarding it strongly.

I was actually pretty close to the stage, in section 131, immediately to stage left. People were particularly thrilled to see Bill Richardson, Al Gore, and Joe Biden. The place was absolutely packed. Anyone who was worried about the place not filling up worried in vain. By about 5 pm local time, the stands were about 3/4 full, and a guy sitting right in front of me said that the line to get in was still wrapped around blocks for as far as he could see.

By the time Obama accepted the nomination, there wasn't an empty seat in the house (except the seats directly in front and behind the stage, which no one was allowed to sit in, because the view was entirely blocked). The stadium was pretty cool, and I have to say that when the first set of fireworks went off right behind me, I jumped, startled, and couldn't help but think for a split second that someone had set off a bomb. People were trying to get "the wave" started all afternoon, mostly unsuccessfully, until closer to the end when it went several times through the stadium.

For about 45 minutes before Obama actually took the stage, people were anxious, expecting the next person to be him. Finally, he came out, and of course everyone went crazy. At several points during the speech, I noticed people wiping their eyes.

Personally I was a little surprised at how strongly he came out against McCain. I've been programmed over many years to think that Democrats running for president can't go on the attack that strongly, but it was so refreshing to hear him give McCain hell. And then thinking about how Obama's political career was forged in the fire of Chicago politics, I thought that no matter what happens, Obama is not going to go down without a fight. Win or lose (and I'm extremely confident that he will win), no one will be able to look back and say that when he started to eat punches, he didn't swing back and bloody McCain's nose.

On the drive back to the hotel, the BBC was reporting that republicans seemed "hurt" that he was so mean to them tonight. It cracked me up to hear that.

So anyway, I will now go edit all the photos I took, and post a thread with those shortly!