Our Glorious Days: That Little Black Thingy?

I cannot count how many times I have thought "If someone asked me what one of my favorite things in the world were to do, I'd say, vacuum"

I LOVE to vacuum. Love to vacuum, love to vacuum, did I mention I love to vacuum? I also love carpet. I had a house that was solid hardwood for about 4 months. Yeah, I don't think so.

We knew a family who had solid hard wood, they looked real nice. They also had super great decorating skills, neat pictures on the walls; awesome, comfy furniture; a bookcase to die for and the hardwoods always seemed clean and perfect. They worked the hardwood thing and it all looked great. And I'm pretty sure they didn't try, it just worked.

Yeah, not me. I really don't have any good pictures, I don't have good decorating skills, and our furniture is not good. My bookcase is little and ugly and I teach 4 kids out of it ; - ) But, my carpet. ahhhh, I love carpet. I love to stretch out on the carpet to get away from the ugly furniture sometimes, ya know?

However...

I've been out of vacuum bags now for 4 days. Oh, yes. I'm a vacuum bag type of girl. I kissed my "bag less" vacuum goodbye about a year ago. I got tired of that thing not working. I mean we did the consumer report check on this thing and it just didn't make the cut. After purchasing the same one TWICE, I decided I wanted a simple good 'ol fashioned vacuum. (Oh, goodness, I sound like my mother)

So we bought this one. I really wanted this one but, that wasn't gonna happen =) In fact, I am pretty sure that one doesn't have bags but that ball has to make all the difference. To be honest, I'm happy with the one we purchased. It's commercial so the cord is super long. I can plug it in at one area of the house and never move the plug. It's simple, no bells and whistles. But last week it went kaput. It needed a bag.

Well, I've never bought bags for the little guy before. He came with all the bags I've ever needed. So, I had to pick some up. I forgot.

Have I mentioned we live 30 minutes from the nearest town? I know that isn't a big deal to most, but it sure is to me. It's not like 30 minutes of turns, exits and merging like Springfield, It's 30 minutes highway. When you forget vacuum bags, you wait until next Sunday when you're already going to be in town.

Until you just can't take it any longer. Seriously, I was sweeping our carpet last night. Daniel said, that's it, I'm picking you up some vacuum bags tomorrow." So, I called like four times, "Hey Honey, you get those bags yet? Oh, just checking... don't forget." =)

He remembers. I change the bag. It's glorious.

The kids are outside playing, every window in my house is open, even the back door. The curtains are blowing in the breeze. I am dancing around the house picking up the floor as happy as a new bride.

"Oh look, I told them to clean that up."

(in a singing tune) "Oh, well"

"Oh lookie, they forgot that too."

"Oh, I didn't realize they got that out."

"What is that stuck to the carpet?"

(again, the singing tune) "Oh, well I don't care. I'm off to vacuum."

Push the button.

Hmmm, what is that rubber smell?

Push the button again.

Vacuum off.

I ~~yelled at the top of my lungs~~ called sweetly for Daniel. "Honey, it didn't need a new bag, it needed a new belt." "Look! The belt is ripped in two."

"Ha!" He laughs. "That's OK" he says; "We have another."

"We do?" I say puzzled.

"Yeah, it's usually hanging right there on the handle."

"WHAT? You mean that little black thingy that's usually by the cord? The thing Jordan asked me a couple of weeks ago...

"Mom, what is this?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, something to keep the cord together, maybe?"

"Oh, can I play with it?"

"Sure, I don't care."

...that little black thingy?"

"Yes", he says... "Why would you let the kids play with the spare vacuum belt?"

Why does the vacuum company hook a spare belt to the handle of a vacuum?

So, I call all the kids in, "Hey kids", big smile on my face like I'm trying to trick them or something. "Can any of you remember the little black thingy that was hooked to the vacuum handle?"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Really?!" I reply, "Where's it at?"

"Oh, we don't know, we just remember it. We think we put it back. Can we go back outside now?"

Do you know how hard it is to find a little black thingy when you need to? Oh, yes, there are lots of little black thingy's around the house when you don't need them. Where are them when you need them?

I searched and searched and searched for that little black thingy. I would pause for a second, praying it would be in the spot I was about to look and giving God a second to make it appear.

It never did.

I put the vacuum back, sad.

So, later in the night I asked Daniel if Walmart sells vacuum belts. He says, "No, we're not going to go buy one, we have one here." At this point I am seriously thinking I had an OCD moment and threw it away. But, Mr. Cheapo was not going to give up. He set out like a hound dog and found that stinkin' little black thingy.

OH MY GOODNESS...

I kissed that man, we turned the music up loud, the baby ran naked through the house, the kids jumped up and down on the furniture and I...

...vacuumed. the. house.

Oh, the little joys.