...so where's our rocket packs?
Well, it may not be a rocket pack (it's not the 80s anymore, either, DA), but the Noblesville household has acquired its first robotic implement. After years -- seriously, years -- of threatening, we now have a new friend to help out. Meet Roomba.
This is Roomba Discovery, who was on clearance at Home Depot last week.
We've used this new robotic vacuum a couple of times so far and have discovered that it can vacuum under the table and can maneuver its way out from under dining room chairs. It doesn't deep-clean carpets but picks up lint, fuzz, and small items. (I have not yet crushed a handful of crackers onto the carpet just to test it.) It also does solid-surface floors and has a grand time in the kitchen, and has been known to open a bedroom door that wasn't sufficiently latched (I wanted it to focus its efforts on the hallway).
Little friend won't fall down the stairs, but if it comes to the stairs head-on, it gets stuck there and calls for help. If it comes to the cliff at an angle, it turns away as if it hit a wall. It had some trouble finding its base in the hall, but maybe that was because it wasn't finished cleaning yet.
Mark isn't sure how he feels about Roomba. He enjoyed watching it from the safety of Mom holding him, but when it came toward him in the hall, he dodged out of the way and hurried back to mom once again. It's much smaller than he is, but does make a fair amount of noise (though I understand previous models were noisier).
Both times we have used Roomba, we've had a nice cup of dust, hair, lint, etc., to dump out, so it does seem to be doing its job thus far. Now if only it could do stairs...