We had a physician friend caution us about door-knocking today in this heat, so Art and I heeded his advice, walking slower and taking more breaks, drinking plenty of water.  I believe any candidate – regardless of party affiliation – who cares enough about Iowa families to work this hard on the campaign trail, will work just as hard once in office.  (This experience has also given me a greater appreciation for our mail carrier and she is getting a much bigger tip this Christmas.  Not only do I love getting mail delivered to my front door, I’ve finally walked a mile in her shoes!)

Although our contacts were fewer tonight, there were some serious issues brought to our attention.  Lack of jobs, no affordable health insurance, large class sizes-fewer teachers…this may seem like a familiar refrain to our FaceBook readers, but each night we go out, we meet new people, new faces with similar concerns.  These concerns, coupled with the heat, completely zapped my energy as we walked by yard after yard of browned grass.  At our last door for the evening though, we met Sally(name changed).  Sally, bubbling over with energy, bounced out of the house to join us on her front stoop.  She didn’t really have any concerns or suggestions to share with Art, so we briefly chatted with her about her job.  She works in one of the local school kitchens, and I just bet the kids (and faculty and staff) really enjoy being around her.  Sally is a Pollyanna With An Attitude, spunky and bright but also a bit seasoned by life’s circumstances.  She has two vehicles that aren’t running, but is confident that her friends will get her where she needs to go.  She told us that when her washing machine recently went belly up, friends and acquaintances found her a new one – for free!  Speaking with Sally was just the elixir I needed to re-energize.   People do care about one another in Cedar Rapids.  If you don’t believe me, spend an evening door-knocking!