Vacuum Cleaner Heaven

Our Kenmore vacuum cleaner, who served us faithfully for over six years, was taken to the garage last night and put to sleep. She'll now serve as a shop vac (which is vacuum cleaner heaven) sucking up sawdust, plain dust and dirty air.

She's gone to a better place. (Can I get a hallelujah!)

No longer will she be forced to choke down chunks of dried up Little Caesars pizza crust. No longer will she suffocate on size three Thomas the Tank Engine training pants that languished in the dusty behind of the boys' dresser. She'll finally be spared breathing itsy-bitsy shreds of junk mail that went through our "shredders" (child #1, child #2, and child #3). And no more Christmas wrapping paper.

She had the heart of a fighter and the soul of a tornado. We will miss her.

So, this Thursday, May 1st, I will drive down to Sears, pick out a new model, and drive her home.

Here are my priorities:
1. Has to be upright (because canisters aren't powerful enough)
2. Has to be bagged (because bagless vacuums are dirty, dirty, dirty)
3. Has to be a Kenmore (because I trust the brand)
4. Has to have suction to the edge (otherwise the edge of the room doesn't get clean)
5. Has to be a normal color (sunflower yellow doesn't do it for me)
6. Has to have a couple attachments and a hose (because I like to vacuum out my car and van)
7. Has to have a dirt sucking meter (so I can watch the light to see if I sucked all the dirt out)