It matches my jewelry

It's been a helluva two weeks, but I've managed to get through work without slipping into old habits, except yesterday. Too much work, including overtime, coupled with poor sleep was wearing me thin and pushing me close to old, bad habits (I think the Universe loves pushing the envelope).

After such a week, there's nothing like having an old friend drop by for a visit. I was so looking forward to it, that I even tackled picking up the place with a fair amount of joy (and setting the timer for 15 minutes at a time). Then it came to time to vacuum.

My trusty ol' sucker of 19 years just wouldn't unwind the electrical cord, so no vacuuming. Well, it had already started to leak around the hose, and I hadn't gotten around to duct-taping that, because deep down inside I really wanted a new vacuum cleaner, anyway.

So I didn't get upset, and I was saved the bother of driving myself nuts vacuuming. Did I mention I hate vacuuming? It's the one household chore that has always bothered me. I have never met a vacuum cleaner that would willingly follow me around the house and not deliberately grab onto furniture for dear life and force me to stop and go to it and coax it into joining me in the next room. My old vacuum would also pretend to be a lizard: Going underneath the sofa or around the table leg meant danger so it would instantly toss a body part, meaning I'd have to get down on the floor and fetch the attachment. Nothing like adding a nuisance interruption to an already frustrating task.

Anyway, my good friend doesn't notice my housekeeping, and we had a lovely visit last night, and he was also willing to pick me up today so we could go vacuum cleaner shopping. And so we did.

My new household appliance is small, light, has electronic buttons (sheesh, even vacuums have become electronic), I can control suction from the handle of the wand, and the attachments can be attached to the wand, the wand can be attached to the vacuum itself for resting or storing, and everything snaps and locks into place and won't play lizard. (Can ya tell it's been 20 years since I looked at vacuum cleaners?)

I read the instructions (it was a vacuum cleaner, not a computer, 'K?), plugged it in (ooh, a light!), and turned it on. Well, hot damn. It worked. I then proceeded to push it around my floor and discovered that the vacuum cleaner not only worked, it worked with me, not against me. Its three little wheels move smoothly in any direction independently of each other, and it actually came along on its own, totally oblivious to grabbing onto some corner. (I swear I think it wanted to whistle cheerfully. I know I did.)

I just may have unjinxed myself with this purchase. No more loathing to vacuum. And it's silver. It matches my jewelry.

Comments

Anonymous said…
What brand of vacuum is it? The last time I got one, I got a cheap one, so I don't expect it to last long. Next time, I want to invest in a good one. These: http://www.dyson.com/ intrigue me because the technology is supposedly new, but I don't know much about them yet...
--Alice
Keera Ann Fox said…
I had actually looked at the dyson.com site but ordering now is a moot point. :-) Cheaper than I expected, too.

My thinking when I went shopping for a vacuum was like yours: My first one was a cheapy, and I didn't want to short-change myself this time. I bought a Miele S4780 because it is small, has practical details, and its 2004 version came in 3rd in consumer tests and among the ones good for pet hair (no's 1 and 2 weren't available at the stores I was in). Miele is also a familiar and reputable brand here in Norway so I expect to get bags, parts and service easily.

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