On Sunday, President-Elect Barack Obama arrived in our nation's capital and has temporarily moved into a hotel.
Malia and Sasha Obama start school today so they had to be in D.C., today.
Barack Obama is a neighborhood type guy. He likes walking around the hood, going to the barbershop and local restaurants and stores. It's the one thing he has said he dreads about being president. The isolation. He says he will gaurd against it, somehow. He dreads losing his Blackberry. He knows it's too easy to hack, but he hates losing that easy contact with people.
As he (Michelle and Sasha and Malia are already in D.C.) left his house for the airport, he was emotional. "I gotta say I choked up a little bit leaving my house today." I know he was thinking about going to order some Harold's Chicken or to Italian Fiesta Pizzaria for his favorite thin crust, spicy sauced pizza, or to Valois for breakfast and conversation. He said he'll hate having a barber come to him and will miss going to the barbershop. It's about more than just hair.
Obama talked about Malia's friend coming to the door on Saturday after his daughter had already left for Washington.
"Malia's friend had dropped off an album of the two of them together," Obama said Sunday. "They had been friends since pre-school, and I just looked through the pages, and the house was empty, and it was a little tough -- it got me."
I don't know if the Obama's are planning to keep their house here, but he says he plans to come back and visit Chicago often. I hope they do.
To Barack, Michelle, Sasha and Malia who are all leaving friends, schoolmates and family, I wish you a smooth adjustment.
8 comments:
Jackie,
Your post is making me want to catch a plane to Chicago and go on an Obama tour. lol They do have those don't
they?
Happy New Year to you and your sweetheart! :)
Great to hear from you! Happy new Year back atcha!
Obama tour? That's a great idea. We can eat our way through Hyde Park. Harold's Chicken, Valois, Fiesta Italiano Pizza and Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop. Mmmmmm mmmmm!
Actually, even though we need him badly, I really feel for him personally and what he's giving up. Life goes on, and it was his choice....sweet that he was emotional at remembering though. Speaks volumes of the man we have chose, doesn't it?
There certainly are big advantages to being the prez and big sacrifices too. Sacrifices by his whole family. I'm sure taking the kids from their lifelong friends put some heavy parental guilt on Obama. Just think, after two terms, Malia will be 18 years old when he leaves the White House. Wow! That's really something to think about.
Jackie,
Next time I'm in Chicago I'll head over to Hyde park and get my grub on.
Y'all got a Giordano's in your hood?
Girl, yeah we got Giordanp's and Leona's and you name it, we got it.
And We WILL get together next time!
lemme know.
Yea, I hope they do have a really smooth transition!
Dawn and I are penciled in for the Remenyik Open that happens on the Northwestern U campus around October.
I'm about 80% certain I'll be in Chicago for the Blogging While Brown conference.
Any earlier and I'll definitely let you know.
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