This weekend I cajoled Hambone to by me a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner. After our success with the Dyson, I am optimistic about new innovation in vacuuming.
The Roomba is a cute little thing that beeps cheerfully when you set it to do the most mundane task in the house (next to dusting, but so far there aren't robots for that). It reminds me of the game "Simon" from the eighties. Happy sounds, blinking lights, what's not to love?
I put the Roomba down in the middle of the living room, in view of its infrared docking station where it can recharge itself and then immediately start vacuuming again. I went outside and had a glass of wine, and when I came back it was still happily roaming the floors.
Its suction isn't much, but it was very successful picking up the tumbleweeds of dog hair littering the living room. I liked that very much.
Maggie is a little less in favor of the Roomba and eyes it with great suspicion. When it runs, she likes to perch on the very top step and watch it to make sure it doesn't cause us any harm.
Yesterday I set it to run all day while I was at work, which was a little... less successful. Evidently, it got stuck on Maggie's favorite rug and ran until the batteries wore out. This made Maggie so upset that she threw up. The barf ran all down the stairs, which ironically the Roomba can't clean.
Ah well. I still like the Roomba. Today I am testing it upstairs.
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