After much discussion, today I went out into the 112* heat and bought a Roomba. (The discussion mostly went "It's a robot!" "And it vaccuums! I have to have one!" "Yeah you do!")
So, now we have a robot around the house. Steady named it Manny (because it's funny). Naturally, we waited until it was charged and running to begin thinking of names... I mean, we had to know something about its personality first. (Which brings us to mary ann's personal mission: don't anthropomorphicise the robot too much...)
It works really well. We let it loose in the living room for a little while, and you would never believe how much cat hair it found to eat. Its little "dirt detect" light went on every single place that I'd spilled an ashtray in the last year and round and round in a circle it went, until it was satisfied that all the ashes that the normal vaccuum hadn't found were taken care of.
The bathroom floor has never been this completely free of errant bits of cat litter before. (We set it loose in there while we went grocery shopping.)
Seriously, this thing really highlights what a poor vaccuumer I am.
So, what everyone wants to know... Did Monster attack Manny?
No.
My cat is currently developing a nervous disorder about the presence of Manny in his home. He would like for you all to know that he prefers the living room be as coated in orange hair as possible, and that Manny is the scariest thing he has ever seen.
This from the cat that once jumped out an open window expressly to attack a running lawnmower. He has not yet determined that Manny can't get him if he is anywhere other than the floor.
I can't stop watching it. Steady's gone to the other room to read, but I can't leave it alone. The floors are so clean! And I am doing nothing! This is the best robot ever!
