random thoughts – Day 1,104 – (Sunday) – life suck

Several weeks ago, the power brush roll on the stupidly expensive Hoover pet hair pickup vacuum stopped rolling. The brush roll is the part that cleans the area rugs and carpet, removing crumbs, pet hair, and the insane amount of hair that I manage to shed that lands on absolutely everything.

For several years, the Hoover upright vacuum and I got along well handling hard floors and rugs. The stairs were pretty much a death-defying act, but everything else was pretty okay.

The vacuum still had suction, so there was some effect on the rugs, just not the former level of power brush roll cleaning. I was hoping the vacuum would hang on until I mustered the bravery to take the brush head apart and check the belt.

Today, there was success cleaning the hard floors, for which the brush roll is always turned off, and a moderate level of swearing while trying to clean the rugs. To clean the baseboards and the hard-to-reach floor spaces, the extension pole and dusting brush were pressed into service and it was going pretty well. 

I can take a hint.

Suddenly, the hose fell out of the extension pole. That seemed to be the final death knell for the vacuum. The hose doesn’t have any way to reattach and it would take a lot of duct tape to get it back together. I can take a hint. The remainder of today's vacuuming is cancelled. 

The vacuum isn’t even that old, maybe four or five years, and I’m not going to try to fool anyone by pretending I used the thing every day or even every week and somehow wore it out. It replaced a vacuum that was 20 years old. A broom is faster to use on the main living area floors and was the usual quick and regular option. But now, the broom is the only option, at least until a new vacuum arrives.

Thank goodness for online ordering and free shipping. In a matter of days, a new vacuum will arrive at the house, courtesy of Kohl’s, which had vacuum cleaners on sale and a 20% Friends and Family coupon. I could have driven to the store and had a new one tonight, but the online order meant I didn’t have had to wrangle it to a register, then into the car, then out of the car and into the house. Brilliant!

And the best part, I don’t need to feel guilty for not finishing the vacuum cleaning today. The stupid thing broke even more broken that it was a couple weeks ago. Not even my fault! Off the hook.