You can live with 'em, and you can't live without 'em

No I am not talking about husbands, that is another post, another time; What I am talking about tonight is my love/hate relationship with vacuums.  I have never had much luck with vacuums and it seems to have gotten worse over time; time and four children that is.  Growing up we had an Electrolux; gray with a hose and a canister you would pull around. As one of our many chores, we would have to vacuum and I always volunteered. And thus there began my love affair for vacuums. When I first got married I went out and purchased a Hoover Wind Tunnel, bag-less. It was hunter green and around 175.00 from Sears. Hesitant to spend so much on a vacuum I opened up a charge account and made the investment! Hubby-not too thrilled-but enjoyed our clean house. That vacuum lasted 2 years and later sold and a garage sale. It would clog up too much, suction was poor and basically it wasn't doing it for me anymore...the switch from carpet to tile was a pain...you had to stop, turn the dial at the base and then continue on your marry way. So then came the Bissel vacuum that could not only vacuum dry, but wet as well, making it work like a mop! Oh I had to have...200.00 later from Lowe's. I loved it! It would do everything I ever wished for, vacuum tile, mop it, and vacuum carpet. A dream come true, except two kids later would result in broken pieces, too much to fix, and dirty water everywhere when the kiddos would open the compartment...ugh! This vacuum was sold at a garage sale with missing pieces and a non working wet side...so then came the Electrolux-upright vacumm.  $175.00 from Lowe's again...this was so cute and compact...easily put in my pantry. It was easy to pull out and open up and it vacuumed like it was a big vacuum.  But after time I got tired of changing the bag, it was so small...my house is so dirty from four kids that one swoop around the house and the bag was full...and the chord was too short...always had to re-plug.  And then well, you know the story, it was sold at a garage sale...NO...it was given to my dad. Which he has never used. Then came time to borrow a vacuum because funds were low and we couldn't afford one. My dad let me have his dinosaur of a vacuum! It was an Electrolux...100 years old. A commercial one at that so it was for sure to clean this house good! Well, it had a wonderfully long chord, never had to re-plug, it made a horrific sound, and the kicker? Well it didn't vacuum up popcorn, broken crayons, dried pasta or anything for that matter that wasn't a dust ball...oh dear! One day my mother-in-law came for a week to help out with the family.  She had to bring her Oreck...she swore by this vacuum...900.00 gift from papa...oh how it worked fabulously! My house was spectacularly clean! I wanted one-need one-coveted hers! So one day at Target, I see and Oreck! 350.00, not 900.00...had to purchase!!! And so this is where the story ends...since the Oreck last April, it has been in the shop for a clog (20.00) and in the shop again because my children broke the bag clasps and thus unbeknown to me the garbage getting sucked in, was not in the bag, but in the vacuum body! It was a night mare to clean up, and 70.00 to fix! The vacuum shop let me borrow their vacuum for a week...ahhh! I used it all week, cleaned up everything, popcorn a little difficult, and chord too short, but wow on the cleaning overall! In one week the bag (which they opened up to make me see how filthy my house is) was disgusting, but it had picked up everything! Price tag...$2500.00!!! So here I am left with a vacuum the shop described as crap, fixed, but not doing so good. When oh when will I find the vacuum to end the quest of my vacuum fetish! When I do find one that can withstand four curious children, popcorn, long chord, no suction problem, easy change from tile to wood to tile, and one that can never break, I will shout it from a very high place my overjoyed feeling! For now, I will rest with my Oreck and sweep up what it doesn't get, and pray for a vacuum straight from heaven!