Ode to our Vacuum

Today Scott and I treated ourselves to an elaborate purchase.....a vacuum. And not just any vacuum, a very "special" vacuum. 'What makes this vacuum so special, Sara?' - Well, folks, this vacuum......actually works......a fact that in our household is real cause for celebration. It means that the pine needles are no longer winning the war; it signals the end of my discomfort over lying on the carpet to watch a movie for fear I might get cooties; it represents the dawning of a new era at Chateau Ennui - after six months of living in this townhome, our carpets have finally been thoroughly cleaned.

When Scott and I were married, nearly five years ago, we needed to buy a vacuum, but our funds were limited. We ended up having a ridiculous amount of cash on a gift card from Macy's and that effectively limited our options to buying a vacuum at, well, Macy's. At the time, Macy's was actually the Bon Marche and they did not carry any brand of vacuum but the Shark-brand. Our lack of knowledge about the brand and our limited funding options were not the only reasons we fell prey to the Shark. In fact, at the time, bagless vacuums were just starting to emerge as the "must-have", and wouldn't you know it, the Shark was bagless, so Scott and I assumed we were getting a sleek, top of the line product. However, we quickly learned that we had been duped. This vacuum literally mocks our efforts to keep a clean floor, taunting us with it's deceptive vacuum-noises, all the while ignorning every pine needle, string, and speck of dust. Scott has decided that the Shark simply gives our carpet a relaxing "massage" every time we attempt to vacuum, and stinks up the joint, at the same time. Buyer beware the catchy name: "Shark Pursuit," and flee for the saftey of your hard earned cash.

Scott teaches the Shark a lesson and now it knows where it stands (or lays, literally).

So, we did a great deal of research and decided to invest in a vacuum that would literally do the job and keep doing it for a looooonnnggg time. In the end, I'm embarrassed to admit to all our blogger friends how much we paid for Penny, but she has proven to be worth every penny (no pun intended). She has a six year warranty, a kevlar belt, and all metal engine parts.... so she doesn't mess around. She may not look as sleek as say, the Dyson, but she is German-engineered and highly rated. Introducing the Riccar SL5, copper vaccum (thus her name, "Penny"):

She's "old-school" in the sense that she looks like a 50's model upright, and has no fancy new-fangled attachments. But...she only weighs nine pounds, and we got a small canister vac with tools and attachments to use in our car, on the stairs, and on our upholstery, as a bonus - whoo-hoo!

Scott shows the Shark who his new master is....the Riccar.

And now a haiku written by Scott in appreciation for our Christmas-vacuum:

Coppery vacuum,

Sent from on high; now you are

One of our family.