A Roomba of one's own

Our vacuum cleaner has been on its last legs (literally, the second set of wheels fell off and so it didn't really move anymore, rendering it fairly useless for cleaning) for a long time now. Not that we really notice too much, since it doesn't get out of its spot in the basement as often as would be needed to keep the house clean. That would be daily, which of course is not possible, so why bother? Or so my thoughts usually go. We are a bit better with the broom, and given that most of the house is not carpeted, it is the tool most needed anyway.

Yesterday we had a gloomy weather day and had a hard time getting inspired to go anywhere or do anything. The cats were all out of food and cat litter, however, necessitating a trip to Target. Where a stroll down the home appliances aisle revealed one giant hunk of plastic after another, all of which seemed destined to be future landfill in far too short a time frame. (Though I do intend to take my broken vac to a repair/used vacuum shop I found, and give it away/pay them to take it off our hands.) These machines all talked a big game but left me feeling uninspired.

Until I spotted her:
She was different. Sleek, smart, and self-sufficient. Yes, this was my girl. Daily vacuuming? Sure, how about while you are out? Hardwood floors and carpet in the same room? No problem. It was time for Roomba to come home to Mama.



And the unexpected bonus? She babysits!
I was all set to have her clean A's room while we were at the park, but A was so entertained by her that we had to turn her off and save it for when we got home. So dinner was cooked while Adelaide and Roomba played in her room with the door closed.

I wonder what other sort of robots we could adopt. Maybe some sort of miracle device that would wash our dishes for us . . . if only such a thing were possible.