I'm just tryna get home... 47th Street

Many people may know, but I always seem to have a story about my adventures of taking the #47 bus and Green line to church on Sundays. It really never fails. I recall when venturing to church on Easter Sunday last year, this brotha asked me "since it's the holiday and all, why don't you partake with me in a lil' wine," as he breaks out his flask. Really brotha? On the day that Jesus rose from dying for our sins? My people...

Part 1:
So I'm now addicted to attending 8am service. You can't beat getting the Word first thing in the morning, getting out at 10am and having the entire day to yourself. Yesterday, I'm traveling back home from church, and as I get on the #47 bus, I see most of the passengers eyes glued to a scene outside. The bus driver turns around and says to everybody, "you see they got that boy." Undercover cops have a man hemmed up against a store by the 47th Street Green line station. One cop is choking the brotha, while the other is holding his arms. It's obvious the man is trying to swallow whatever contraband he had on him and they're trying to make sure he doesn't. Next thing I know the man is flailing his arms and legs, kicking at the cops... they continue to break him down and until he vomits up whatever he has in his mouth. A crackhead starts bothering the cops and they have to hit at her. Next thing you know, they have this man cuffed, reading him his rights and scraping up the drugs that he threw up on the ground. I felt like I was watching a scene out of The Wire. Once again... my people.

You are probably wondering why am I able to see all of this. Because the bus driver says "I am running ahead of schedule so we can sit here for a few minutes..." Really brotha? What if something had popped off, where this man's cronies wanted to go out blazing. I don't need that... *sigh*

Part 2:
I am fully aware that 47th street is going through gentrification. It has been since I moved to the Chi four years ago. There are million dollar homes in the area and the area is truly becoming diverse, however I am hoping to know from one of my fellow Chicagoans (or anyone who is very knowledgable about gentrification and how it worked in other cities) why it is taking so long for the area to come full circle.

I Got that Goose

As many of you know I'm on my workout grind...up to four times a week now (yeah!). So today, personal trainer cutie offered to give me a ride home since he drove to work. Well, he parked in the South Loop (southern area of downtown for my non-Chicagoans). But I wasn't complaining since I'd be in a warm vehicle (and he owes me BIG time) instead of waiting for the bus in the frigid air. In order for us to get to where he parked, we have to jump on the red line. Now, the red line going and coming anywhere between South and downtown can be quite an adventure (as well as the Green line, which I have great stories from riding to and from church).

So we're sitting across from each other chatting it up, this brotha with a large coat proceeds to move so that he's now sitting next to us. Trainer and I both give each other the "ok, what he want?" eye. Brotha proceed to ask, "yall drink?" Trainer answers "naw man." Brotha proceeds to say as he brings a fifth of Goose out the inside of his coat, "oh ok, 'cause I'm about to say, what yall need, cause I got it. Goose, Remy, Henn, and it's half off." And like that he brings out a fifth of Remy, Henn along with the Goose. I immediately crack up laughing because never have I seen a brotha selling liquor. We all know that brothas be on their hustle in the Chi. Socks, washcloths..DVDs, CDs. I have even been in the beauty salon and some ladies came in selling panties from H & M. Yes, panties!

But I digress. So, Trainer humors him and says, "so how much you selling that Goose for?" Hustleman: "It's $35 but for you $20." Trainer goes on to explain that he doesn't have enough cash on him, and Hustleman proceeds to bring out a 1/2 of Goose saying "well if you can't afford the 1/5 I got the 1/2 and the small bottle. I even got Absolute," as he goes in a pocket and brings out a small bottle of regular Abso, and turns to me and says "I know the girls can't handle the strong stuff so I got the Citrus for you." He speaks of Absolute Citron. At this point, my head is down and my laugh is muffled. And, I'm not sure if I'm laughing at the fact that Hustleman is selling liquor, he called Citron citrus (I know it's the same thing, but he said it so seriously), or that he was able to walk around with all those bottles of liquor! He had to have had at least 10 bottles on him..but I guess if he was breaking a sweat, he was probably keeping him warm in this darn cold.

You gotta love Chicago right?