The Barack O-Baramater

Dear Blogger,
Today we're having a birthday party for the Zabel Brothers. It'll be fun, and it better be fun, because I'm missing an Iron & Wine concert for this.

Remember about fifteen years ago when the big names in Chicago were Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey? Remember that?
We no longer find them amusing. How passé.

The big name in Chicago these days is Senator Barack Obama!

So 3W has taken it upon itself to make a Barack Obama Sighting. It's not easy. Here's what we do know:

1. He doesn't live in Hyde Park, like we thought. He actually lives in Kenwood, which is the neighborhood just north. Though, you would never be able to tell you'd left Hyde Park, so we'll claim him as our own.
2. The good senator isn't in town to often. My teacher Leesa tells me that he is understandably busy, and was only able to attend one of his daughter's soccer games this past year. So we're beginning to doubt that we'll ever actually see him, meaning that we might have to settle for just finding out where he lives.
3. Everyone in Hyde Park that has been here for a long time seems to know him. The Hyde Park Herald had an article a year ago when they interviewed everyone who's ever spoken to him. Apparently, his pizza delivery guy says he's a generous tipper, and Leesa says she saw him at Blockbuster all the time... these are all very encouraging.
4. David supposedly knows the general area where Barack lives. It's a brick house with tall shrubs and a big yard, with security detail in front. A picture of Barack in front waving to me would be a priceless picture.
5. Everyone here agrees that he's just a regular, old boy. That's very encouraging.
   

I can feel the net clasping around him right now.
We're also trying to guess what he'd name his dog. Kari said Sparky, I say Abraham Lincoln. (Another great Illinois politician.)

God Bless America,
Steve