The Old Man is Snoring

It is pouring here.

Literally and figuratively.

It is a universally-known fact that big life things come at you in groups. This makes me feel better, like things are simply out of my hands and at the fate of the cosmos.

Take, for example, my most recent discovery. On top of everything else, I now have a dead vacuum.

I know, I know. It's life. I expect it. It's just that I am so cheap.

We've been expecting the retirement of this marvelous vacuum for the past two years. I think it's circa 1970 (maybe not that old, I don't know), but was gifted to Lane by his uber generous grandma nearly 4 years ago.

It is the most amazing machine. Best vacuum I have ever seen -- in fact, it works so well, it foiled the Kirby salesman's pitch when he tried to compare his machine to ours. I just laughed silently to myself as I heard him mutter, "this thing's got a car engine on it."

But three nights ago, as I vacuumed our family room rug, I smelled something amiss. Lane glanced up from his computer and stared at the vacuum roaring in front of me.

"That's not the belt," he said simply.

I looked at him with sad eyes and his response was, "It's the engine. I can't fix that and I wouldn't use that vacuum anymore."

So now I'm in the market for a vacuum ... and quickly. Cosmo sheds like a Mohair sweater on a summer day and I can not handle dog hair in this house.

I need something that vacuums carpet and wood at equally marvelous levels. And I don't want to spend a bunch. But I am a bit of a neat freak, so suction is paramount here.

Any suggestions?