Our Newest Addition

Baby #2, The Dyson

Alas, I have a new baby, one that I have been waiting for, dreaming of, for over a year. Steve finally broke down and gave in to my shameless begging for this fine machine. Really, I've had it for over a week and it's even sweeter than originally thought.

As reigning Queen of the O'Brien household, it is my duty to keep our sweet, little abode (aka two bedroom apartment) spic and span. Only the best instruments to aid me in this process will do. Our old vacuum cleaner did not live up to the job. I would vacuum over the same piece of string on the carpet over and over again. This leads to frustration, which lead to a hatred, developed over time, towards said vacuum cleaner. The final straw came about eight months ago, while attempting yet another disappointing vacuuming session, the filter flew out of the side of the canister, dumping the whole wretched contents all over our lovely cream carpet. Disgust! I shared my frustrations with Steve, who responds - can we hold off for a little while on this purchase? (No, we can't, I think, but since I'm such a GREAT wife, I answer "sure", only half meaning it..)

For the next eight months I toil over this carpet, with my less than par vacuum cleaner, plotting its demise. I even told Steve one time that I thought it smelled like it was going to catch fire (which it did), so that he would give in. He didn't....Another strategy would be necessary to get my dreamy Dyson.

The window of opportunity appeared last week when the Kohl's flyer came. I peeled back the sticker, and underneath, lied the letters 30% off. This never happens. We always get 15% off. My heart started to race. I did the calculations in my head. With the 30% off, and Steve's employee discount, my dream of Dyson ownership could be achieved at almost half off. Before I reveal my discovery of the coupon to Steve, I must research the options thoroughly. Which I did, lickety split. A little search on the internet yielded me the information needed to select which model was the one of my dreams, with options. Lovely. I test the waters. "Steve, we got a 30% off coupon on our Kohl's flyer today"...pause..."Wow, that's pretty good", he says. "Is there anything we need at Kohl's? Now would be a good time to buy it"...Ahaa...He's caught in the trap...."What about a new vacuum?" I ask. "How much?" His response....Now, this was the pivotal point of the conversation...I think, don't tell him how much, but go over my research. He loves research. He researches everything, smart guy that he is. After I tell him what great reviews I have found on the vacuum, I reveal the make, model and price. Then the clencher - "Hon, with your discount, we could almost get this thing half off!" He loves a sale. A good deal. Feeling like he made out like a bandit. He must have been feeling sorry for me, because he agreed to go look at it on Saturday, the next day.

So first thing, bright and early, I get Kylie and myself dressed and ready to go. I had to get to the store early, before he changed his mind. When I let him know the gals are ready to go, he looks at his watch (it's barely 9am). Now? He says..Well, anyway, around 2pm we made our way over. We gazed at my pick, went over the final cost, as well as the other models on display, to make sure our choice was sound. Finally, my dreams were achieved. We made the purchase. We brought it home in its pretty box, and laid it to rest on the dining room floor. My sweet husband lost focus, retiring to the couch to watch a little t.v. He'll put it together later, he says. Well, I always say - Never leave something to a man that you can do yourself. I decide to put this beauty together, no problem. I open the box, locate the instructions (yes, we women know that instructions are meant to be READ), and put that thing together like nobody's business. LOVE IT!!

To conclude, the Dyson lives up to the hype. That baby purrs all over our carpet, removing dust and grime in its wake. It takes no prisoners. Our carpet now looks brand new. Thank you Dyson, for helping this Queen clean up her empire, one vacuum at a time. Welcome to the family..