Yesterday I had a moment of self-discovery about the way I live and how it conflicts with the way I want to live. I haven’t yet managed to banish bottled water from the house, though I’m working on it. I have parked the car in the driveway for more whole days at a time, and am consolidating any and all trips. We buy as much produce as we can from the local farmer’s market. I haven’t yet bought a bicycle, but am seriously looking into it. And I’m working out more ideas for doing art that doesn’t harm the planet.
But back to yesterday’s story. Because of three dogs and two cats who constantly shed their hair all around and, in addition, track dirt in and out from their multiple daily trips outside, I had decided I needed a new, updated, high-tech, lightweight, and super-efficient handy dandy cleaning tool. A friend had gone on and on over dinner, extolling the virtues of a popular stick vacuum with dual dry/wet capabilities, and how it was her new “little friend” that she uses a half dozen times a day.
So I’d been thinking about that little gadget for over a month, until yesterday when I decided I had to have it. I looked online at popular stores who carry that item, trying to see where I could order it for the best deal. I also saw that they all carry it in their stores. In a weak moment, I decided I had to have it and have it now.
So we got in the car and headed out to the nearest big box store. No luck. Down the block and across the street to the next one: Nope, not there either. Our plan was also to grab a nice lunch together during our shopping outing, which we also did, and then resumed our hunt. We stopped again to do another quick errand, then to yet another store looking for that cute little vacuum. Not a one in sight. So I said very loudly “I’ll just order the damned thing online, which was what I almost did anyway.”
On the way home I realized I had already caused us to spend the shipping money on gas, which I had originally hoped to save by buying it locally. Later in the day, as I stood there and pumped almost eighty dollars worth of gas, I thought long and hard about that new, updated, high-tech, lightweight, and super-efficient handy dandy cleaning tool.
I came home and hauled out my old, worn-but-trusty broom, dust pan and dust mop and looked at them with a little more respect than before. Since most of my house is ceramic tile, I can clean the whole place with just those three pieces of equipment, primitive and uncool as they may be. So that’s what I did. It felt great to go low-tech to accomplish a job that isn’t any more fun even with power tools anyway.
The benefits:
I get just a tad more exercise
I get to feel self-righteous
I’ve saved maybe fifty bucks
Time’s up, Mom: Here is my darling Reno this morning, who wants to go for her walk in the woods. When she can no longer wait for me to finish surfing and blogging, this is the look I get.
Hope you’re having a wonderful Sunday.
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