Secret Service Sleep at the JOB?? MORE PO PO AT IT AGAIN!!!??? - Part 1

Just when I thought the dull moments of the week were over…BOY WAS I WRONG!

Netherlands left this morning. Upon his arrival, although he had expressed that he was going to ‘drop’ his bags and go get something to eat downtown since he was in town for two nights... after paying the taxi, we sat on the porch for over an hour. This house is like a suction...once you arrive...you can't just leave!

Netherlands had this love for everything Obama. Prior to his arrival, I had talked him out of buying the Obama tour package and told him prior to his arrival that I would get the car and take him myself thru Hyde Park. I saw the 'tour' and it was a waste of complete good money that could be otherwise used on the locals....such as myself.

When my ‘car’ didn’t arrive, I had told him that we would take the bus.

Upon his arrival, there was a parade rehearsal for the Bud Billiken across the street. He ran into the house to retrieve his camera. He was pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the neighbors. He had me laughing and shocked when he revealed some information during his porch light confession, he made an admission on the tape that startled me.

He had revealed that the taxi cab that he brought him from Union station, the driver told him that this was a dangerous neighborhood. Then he gave him HIS telephone number and told him that he could stay with him if he changed his mind!!!

I asked him what changed his mind? Was it the people who were nice to him or friendliness of the host? He said, ‘actually, I had lost the number!” But in the end, he expressed how he enjoyed his stay. He was still scared but he said it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Because he didn’t have the airbnb ‘other’ guest support group, it was just him, I took it upon myself to tour the city with him. At the end of his one day tou, while we were in McDonalds and he chomped down four burgers, he would sit starring out the window reflecting. At one pointed I asked, ‘what are you thinking?”

He replied, ‘I wish I had more time in Chicago because I have to admit that this is my favorite city so far of all the places that I have travelled’. Then he started to recapture what exactly he should have done in maximizing his stay. But he admitted that he had based his views of U.S. cities based on the look of New York and Detroit. My one day tour with him consisted solely on eating a Valois, a favorite cheap eatery in Hyde park for breakfast by Obama; walking over to his barber shop had the chair encased in glass (of Obama) and taking pictures; followed by walking to his house that was covered by secret service. When we arrived there, secret service was not there in the car...perhaps staked out in strategic spots. Soon after we took pics by the secret service car and sign, the secret service guy saw us, hurriedly came over to us remarking to 'MOVE ACROSS THE STREET'.

But you know me, playing dumb and asking the very upset secret service how we can go and touch the gate of Obama’s house, he angrily said, ‘MOVE ACROSS THE GATE!’….perhaps about 3 times…. Netherlands was growing increasingly nervous but I just kept saying, ‘he just mad because we took pics and he weren’t at his post. I dare him take us in….we got rights! (plus i thought it would make a good story....never been handcuffed by secret service!). But then when I looked back, Netherlands was across the street and I was just talking to myself!

Afterwards we headed over to the law school at the University of Chicago to where Obama taught and showed him some of my favorite spots when I worked at the school. We sat in the lobby of the quiet school as I related tales of when the campaign began and how Michelle got a raise but was never at the university. The stories were a bit of a fascination.

We took the Lake Shore bus to the Shed Aquarium, then took a $7 water taxi over to Navy Pier, boarded the free trolley to Michigan Avenue, answered a few emails in the Mac store, headed over to water tower and then to the Campaign central for Obama at 233 N. Michigan.

Netherlands was sooooo disappointed at this point. He asked, 'Annie, what is this?'"

I replied, 'his headquarters in his campaign according to the tour'.

With a bewildered look upon his face, almost really dismal, I asked, 'what did you expect? Circus clowns?'

His reply, 'I just thought it would be more signs or something about Obama....perhaps souveniers on the first floor and something banners or somehting.'

I answered, 'yeah....you were expecting circus clowns!".

He kept denying it but i knew what he meant. He was thinking there would be Obama overkill in the area of where he was working before he got elected. He failed to realize....he was still a man....a black man...taming a wild beast called politics. At that point I reminded him the words of Roosevelt when he got into office that when coming into office with all the best intentions in the world, trying to change things would be equivalent to trying to change the direction of a wild beast or a monster.

By the time I finished my story based on his disappointment, we AGAIN confronted the secret service. Netherlands was always sooo nervous at my endeavors to 'push the envelope' with the cops...although i had no agenda. I can still hear him in the back of my ear saying, 'no annie noo, thats ok!!!....' shhhss I got this!

To me, it just wasn't good enough for me to come this way and see nohting! You don't dragged me out here and not see something! Dog Gonnit.... we gonna see Obama something. My bunions are killin me! That was at least MY resolution....my feet were burning so much that I dont care who you are, I needed somebody to buy me a seat and a buy a seat now!!!!! Blagovaich...where are you when i need you!!

So me and my toothless self confronted the Secret Service again. After I 'laughingly' (showing every gumline in my toothless mouth), explained that my friend came all this way to see his idol Obama headquarters, and they laughed, they told us hesitantly, that this building, the 233 N. Michigan building, was the old location. But then as I explained my creditials as an a citizen escorting a fan (while looking from the side of my eyes that my Netherland friend was somewhat off in the distant wind)....the two guards laughed and pointed that the building across the way was the new location. They then stressed, 'you can't go there. They won't let you in'.

REALLLY?

As we pursued our way over to the next building, the Netherland guy had this vision that the secret service was calling us in thru various facial techologies and he didn't want to get closer. I asked Netherland, "why are you so worried? Even if they had facial recognition sofware, i don't have any teeth and my jaw line would change so much so that they couldn't recognize me even on a good day. I can be anybody. You on the other hand, would just have a hard time comng back into the country!"

So of coarse we didn't pursue that destination. I was looking for a good fight. Take me in....so I can blog about it!

While we walked further away from his idol's headquarters, Netherland's face was increasingly growing a bit disappointed since he thought there would be this barrage of stores that had Obama souvenirs everywhere. He could hardly find really good books about his idol.

Strangely, he kept asking if Obama asked me to work in his campaign would I? I looked at him, because we had this long discussion on my beliefs upon his arrival about who my King was, and i repeatedly said NO. I explained to him, you make Jehovah and his Son Jesus sound like a figment of someones imagination....someone far off. But to me he's as real as you are sitting here. Thats the only King I will die for. (especially since this King has a longer term in office!) For the audience...i dont care what you think...so save it and don't bother emailing about my 'non supportive attitude of your idol'! LOL You want to excite me? Feed me, pay some real bills, and show me a good time! Sorry folks...I digress....been on poverty 101 too long! LOL

After a while, even though I spoke of his idol with respect, he would laugh at the questions he was about to ask about what 'type' of person really excited me. I told him, “somebody who can send me real relief in paying some of my bills. People like him (Netherlands!)” That’s what excites me!

So after finalizing the night with a quick concert at Millennium Park, we adjourned for the night and headed home. My feet felt as if somebody had beaten the crap out of them and hung me upside down like a pig to a slaughter. My body was in constant pain from the 8 hour walk.

And yet I had California coming at 2 in the morning!

So around 2 in the morning, California 2 came in from the airport and about 6a.m. Netherlands was heading for the airport. I walked him to the corner and he said, ‘Annie, I can walk to the train from here’.

Off he went into the sunrise and me to my pillow….until…….

The PO PO!!!!!

I had three more new arrivals to come and stay at my airbnb....France and a couple from Louisiana. It was France FIRST time to the U.S. What happens??? PO PO STOPS HIM AS HE'S GOING TO THE CORNER STORE FOR A HAMBURGER, BRINGS HIM HOME AFTER CHECKING HIS BAG AND HAVE A 30 MINUTE PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH ME IN THE FORM OF INTIMIDATION IN FRONT OF ALL MY NEWLY ARRIVED GUEST SENDING MY FRANCE GUY IN SHIVERS! STAY TUNE!!

Let's just say the night ended with the entire new guests consoling the French guy and talking about rights, prejudice and racial profiling to France. Ahhhhh…..such a warm support group! Not to mention…the neighborhood has been assisting the guest in getting here….including EVERYBODY ON THE BUS! Stay tune!!!