The Dustbowl

I cannot stop coughing. I've even been wheezing a bit this week. I decided if I am really to clean this place properly (it seems the trash just replicates itself and even the path I made in the living room has closed in, though I've added nothing to it) I have to clear the hallway first. I Lysol the shit out of it a few times a day to placate Annie Wilkes, though I'm sure my ledger statement has hundreds in fines for a smell that comes from downstairs rather than me (ok maybe it's partially from me but that doesn't explain any of the other odors other people aren't getting fined for) because she's a vindictive liar. I started filling bags and boxes (why break them down if I can reuse them?) and the dust rose and rose. I've found the floor but my lungs are upset with me. Yes, unfortunately there was cat feces under much of it from the period during which yours truly hit bottom (funny how it took losing my health insurance and weaning myself off my meds - doc will kill me for not telling her - to get me to get proactive). I'm not proud of it but she has a clean box now and was never unhappy or unhealthy, though I wept many tears promising her better than what she was getting.

Anyway, I've had a canister vac (a pretty purple one) with a HEPA filter that was an impulse purchase by my stepfather a few years ago. My mother didn't like the suction and was going to make him take it back but a few months later they picked me up for breakfast and brought me the vacuum (which replaced the Dirt Devil upright, another hand-me-down from them; the Dirt Devil replaced an ancient upright hand-me-down stepdad gave me when I was 20). I digress. The point is, I've been trying to unearth this canister vac for a few days now and have been unsuccessful. Finally, the other day I found the cord and the hard tube. The hose took more searching and I finally found it yesterday under the kitty condo that lays on its side in the bedroom doorway. I thought I'd dislodged it but it was stuck under the bed somehow and I couldn't figure out under what. I pulled a bit and it came out, but the part that snaps onto the hard tube was broken and there was this unraveled plastic coil at the end of the hose. The vac still ran but the suction wasn't great. I thought of ordering a new hose (which I still may do and donate the thing if it still works) but I knew I couldn't get one last night and I NEEDED to get a vac in here before the next heat wave. Man, vacuum cleaners are really expensive! And the prices I found ranged from $15 to $800. Ugh! The $15 ones are the Walmart ones and of far lesser quality and would need to be replaced in 6 months (that's how Walmart keeps you poor and desperate, people!). I found that Lowe's has a tool on their website that helps you shop their selection based on your needs. It narrowed me down to two models; a $129 and a nearly $400. The pricier one was out and the less expensive canister vac was out of stock in every store in the city and suburbs here. I noticed a bug though. There was a featured sale item that didn't show up in the searches that was highly rated for pet hair, allergens and bare floors. It was an upright (I'd really rather have a canister because of the longer hose). It was also in stock at a store less than an hour away. Both the upright and the out-of-stock canister vac had positive ratings from Lowe's customers, although the canister vac had only one review and that review read like an ad. I checked them both on Consumer Reports and the canister vac had never even been tested and the brand name was listed as having a frequent need for repairs. The upright was rated 68/100 (No model rated higher than 73) and had good comments from testers AND consumers, so I bought the Bissell and although I would love a longer hose, I am happy so far. It has a five year mfgr warranty which is good because I plan to give it a year's use in the next several weeks.

I also plan to invest in some paper masks because as I filled the box the vacuum came in plus two garbage bags this afternoon, my nose ran, my eyes watered, the (smart) cat hid, I coughed and sneezed and now I blog, even though there is so much more to do. Oh I can't wait to break out the Murphy's Oil Soap. And I must do so with expediency as tomorrow will be 92 out and the following day 94 *cry*. I so desperately want to spend the next several days at the parents' house in the a/c. There was a portable a/c unit at Lowe's I covet but it's $300. I have a window unit but I have always been nervous regarding window units and after I almost dropped it, I gave up on it. Perhaps once I clear out the bedroom I'll Craigslist it. That portable a/c unit isn't going to happen though. Amazon has some less expensive ones but I have no room yet and I won't be able to afford it till next month...although if it continues to be this hot, perhaps late fees on the monthly condo-from-hell assessment might be worth it. Having it overnighted is a tempting notion at the moment.

I hate being poor. I hate having to depend on hand outs from my mother. I apply for jobs, I try to clean a little, I play the MMO (too much) and I wait for my "allowance." Tonight, however, will be an allnighter (as I've been slacking and falling asleep around 2am without bringing anything down) because it smells in my hallway now that I've uncovered what I have and I'm sure it will seep out under the door once the temps start climbing again.

:-(

Oh yeah...I found another pair of shoes....