So it's my birthday this weekend, and I was out with my parents and a couple of friends at my favorite Mexican restaurant.
We were having a lively conversation about politics -- my folks are from Michigan and are about to vote uncommitted on Tuesday -- and liberally drinking margaritas and Pacifico while enjoying an excellent dinner.
Just as we're finishing up our main course, there's a little bit of a commotion and my friend tries to get my attention. I'm sort of distracted but few moments later, I catch the back of a tall, dignified-looking African-American man with a closely-cropped haircut as he's leaving the restaurant, accompanied by his wife and a couple of bodyguard-looking types in suits.
Well, you can probably guess who it was! Barack Obama, who was taking Michelle out to dinner! Just the Senator and his wife -- and, okay, a couple of Secret Service agents, which is the price you pay when you're running for national office!
At first I was pissed off with my friend for not doing more to alert me, but if I'd had more advance warning, I'd probably have done something stupid like scream "fired up!", which would have been embarrassing in retrospect. He did shake a couple of folks' hands but otherwise everything was very low-key. Like most Midwesternerns, Chicagoans tend to be pretty reserved, and it's nice that Barack and Michelle can get a decent meal here without creating too much of a scene. In that spirit, I'll keep the name of the restaurant private, but he apparently comes here fairly regularly and I can tell you that Barack and Michelle have excellent taste!
Sorry for the random, Page Six style gossip, but I took this as good omen, and I'm happy that the Obamas could take the time to relax and have a Saturday night out as they gear up for the rest of the campaign. The best birthday present I can think of would be for Barack to win Nevada. Thanks to all the folks around here that are working or donating to his campaign to help make that happen!