Door To Door

For years now I have been going door-to-door with my friend Bert DeAngelis, former Plymouth Township Councilman, and GOP Committeeman, in his eighties and still going strong. I was introduced to Bert by former State Representative Joe Gladeck, who also walked some of these same streets with Bert. Of course, the streets we've been doing recently are brand new and didn't exist then. Bert's claim to fame is that he and his late wife, Mav, actually cooked dinner at their home for George and Barbara Bush, when THEY campaigned in Plymouth. Bert and Mav were great Italian cooks and everyone enjoyed that meal, I am sure.
We have a routine, Bert and I. I knock on the door, he stands on the step or sidewalk behind me, and I say, "Hi! Welcome to the neighborhood. I'm Kate Harper your State Rep and this is Bert, your neighbor. " The usually startled, usually sleepy 20 or 30 something new homeowner tries to be gracious. We chat and move on, with Bert accosting dog walkers, power walkers and joggers as they pass, "Hey, come here. I want you to meet your State Rep." It's actually a lot of fun. I like door to door because when someone calls the office and sends me an email, I can picture the neighborhood, and even the street, as we work out problems. And, of course, I love Bert DeAngelis. You're the best, Bert !
Later, if I can figure out how to do it, I'll get a picture of Bert up on this blog. It will take a while because the family IT department went back to college.
Kate Harper