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Friday, January 23, 2009

It must be Haiku

Mindless, boring drudgery.
Housework leaves me
Uninspired;
But, it's clean.


That is, if you don't count the dirty windows and the dust bunnies cavorting under the bed. Amy wrote a haiku about rice pudding and when I commented that nobody informed me that it was haiku week, she challenged me to complete one by tonight. Well, there it is, such as it is. Can you tell what I've been doing today?

Hey, it's got seventeen syllables. Okay?

My new vacuum cleaner makes a big difference in the cleaning. It was the only thing I wanted for Christmas. I picked it out myself and went and bought it myself. My favorite kind of gift. That way you get exactly what you want.

This vacuum cleaner is great. Everyone supposedly in the know recommended the new rage, a Dyson. But, frankly, the thought of emptying the canister filled with dirt and pet hair and god-only-knows what else just icks me out. Plus, I don't want to see that yuck floating around in there everytime I turn on the machine. And have you seen how huge those monsters are?!

I've been researching for a couple of years and had visited a local vendor who sells this one until he probably thought I was lying about a future purchase. He is also the guy who had serviced my old Sharp vacuum cleaner several times. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the old one, but the operative word here is OLD. Like 14 years old.

 
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So, a Riccar it had to be. Other than Oreck (which I'm not impressed with), it is the only vacuum cleaner still made in the U.S.A. It is a very well-made cleaner and it seems to me to have been designed by a woman. I won't go into all the features here. You can check out the link yourself. But let me tell you, it could "suck the chrome off a trailer hitch". With apologies to the writers of The Electric Horseman.

22 comments:

Amy said...

Nice haiku! Good job. I have been very interested in getting a Dyson but have been holding out until the price drops more. I tell ya, a good vacuum is wonderful to own. I actually like vacuuming, much more than cleaning windows!

VioletSky said...

I treated myself to a Miele a few years ago. I do a lot of vacuuming to get rid of nasty cat hair. And other nasty cat stuff. I love my Miele. I'd better, for what it cost.

Susan said...

Amy, thanks! I'm sure you're just being polite. A poet, I'm not.

I'm with you. When you're vacuuming, you see immediate results. It's probably the house-cleaning job that I hate the least!

Susan said...

Sanna, I looked at the Miele vacuum cleaners and they are great, but I just couldn't choke down the exorbitant price. Even for the nasty cat stuff, of which I have plenty. The Riccar does the job nicely at about 1/3 the price of the Miele.

Ruth said...

OH! First off, the haiku made me smile.

Second, Don and I were looking at Dysons too. But I'm glad we didn't buy one. Maybe I should send you a survey about the Riccar's features. Does it have attachments? I'm so tired of pulling around our old canister Sears model. It does a good job (sort of), but it's such a pain to pull up the 3 stairs from the laundry room and then pull around the house. Bleh.

Susan said...

Ruth, please do send me the survey! I would love to brag about my new love! As already noted, don't love the bagless V.C.'s. And the Dyson is so bulky. Mine is trim and slim and so easy to use. Bring it on, girlfriend!

VioletSky said...

I've never heard of Riccar. Then again, unless it has been well advertised, I'm not likely to pay any attention. I got a good sale price on the Miele, plus a trade-in deal, otherwise...

Are those headlights on the Premium Radiance Riccar vc?!!
Oh, just checked further, they all have headlights. Cool.

Russell said...

This will sound a bit strange, BUT... I have been seriously looking a vacuums this past month. Now that I live in my house alone (and now that the good vacuum is no longer here - heh!) I am serious need of something that will work.

A couple of weeks ago I stopped at a store in Des Moines that is called the Good Cleaning Store or something like that. It turns out they sell Simplicity vacuums. Of course, they are the BEST (just ask them!) and for only several hundred dollars you can take one home, too!

I said I would keep looking, thank you very much... and I still am. I will take a hard look at Riccar. I had not heard of this brand before but had heard of several others.

Thanks for the tip and I enjoy your blog.

Susan said...

Sanna, I hadn't heard of Riccar either until the research. They don't advertise.

Yes, very bright headlights! The cat yack never escapes me now! :)

Susan said...

Well, Russell, you are in luck, because Simplicity is virtually the same as Riccar, so if you can't find a Riccar dealer in your area, I think you would be safe to go with Simplicity. The Riccars are fairly pricey. Mine is one or two notches down from the flagship model and it was around $400. But the warranty is fantastic and the dealer services in-house, plus he offers an annual tune-up free for the first 3 years. Happy hunting!

And thank you for the compliment. I enjoy yours as well.

Don said...

we need a new vacuum, but I hate spending over $25 on anything. I think I will have difficulty finding this good of a deal. I'll just leet Ruth buy it. Then I won't be spending money.
:D

Susan said...

Hey, Don, that's the way it works in our family, too! Just let us women handle it! It doesn't hurt nearly as much. :)

GailO said...

People do get emotional about their vacuums:)...I must have bought a new vacuum every two years and didn't care for any of them until I finally broke down and bought my Electrolux canister...If one can say one loves an appliance then I love my Electrolux!

Cindy said...

Vacuum cleaners... very interesting blog topic! My husband and I had only been married a couple years when I bought him a Royal vacuum for father's day... not very romantic I know. That was nearly 12 years ago. We now have a cleaning person every two weeks, so we don't have to use it very often and that's a good thing because it doesn't suck too well anymore. I thought these things were suppose to last a lifetime.

Ruth said...

Ok, I will try to come up with some questions . . .

Susan said...

Oliag, I guess the reason people are emotional about their V.C.s is because it seems as if we spend half our lives using them. And when you have one that doesn't perform well, it just makes one's life more difficult and aggravating.

I did the same thing as you with Hoovers and Eurekas until I bought the Sharp which lasted forever and performed well. I'm hoping the Riccar lives up to the hype and serves me as well as the Sharp.

Susan said...

Oliag, I forgot to say that I purchased an Electrolux upright for my son and daughter-in-law that is serving them very well. My mom had a circa 1950's Electrolux that she used for twenty years.

Susan said...

Cindy, I never dreamed that a post about V.C.s would get this big a response. Who'da thunk it?

I don't know if they even make Royals anymore. How nice to have a housekeeper. I tried it a couple of times, but I always felt as if I should help her. :)

Anonymous said...

Love your Haiku and your new vacuum!

Susan said...

Thanks, Tipper!

Char said...

I always find Haikus so challenging...let's see if I can do this.

thank you susan dear
your comments are summer sun
upon winter's soul

Susan said...

Ohhhh, Char, that was so sweet! You made my morning, my whole day....thank you.