What's a girl to do?

Being that we have another round of guests staying with us this weekend, I began to clean the house on Thursday.  I got the major pain in the neck cleaning done such as the bathrooms, dusting and cleaning the finger smudges off every glass surface.  

Royal pain.

I thought I'd leave the floors last and do them all on Friday, the day the first group comes in to town.  I had not vacuumed in a few days, so the floors definitely needed some TLC.  All three levels.  It's not very fun dragging a very heavy Kirby vacuum cleaner up and town the stairs, but she's all I got.  She's been a part of our family for 10 years and has seen her fair share of crumbs, dust mites and dog hair.  Yes I am speaking about my vacuum cleaner as if it's a person.  Step off.  We basically paid an adoption fee to get her, but that's another post for another day if I ever can get past my embarrassment enough to tell it. 

I pull her out of the closet and start the job in the office and here's what happened.

Do you see?  Her wheels fell off!  I tried to get all the pieces back to together and it seemed like I had, but when I went to push it again - pop goes the wheel and the wheel goes pop!  Ugh!  And of course, Mr. Fix It (a.k.a. my husband) was at work.  I tried my best to vacuum without wheels, but it was pointless and pretty stupid looking.  Yet I was desperate.  How could I have guests come to my home when it looked like a parade had marched through it? 

I called the Kirby company and ordered a replacement part, but it wouldn't be shipped until Monday.  Luckily it was only around $20 so I knew I wouldn't have to buy a whole new vacuum cleaner - whew!  But in the meantime I couldn't sit around and not clean.  

Off to Target I went to see if I could find one of those manual push brooms like you see used in restaurants.  I've actually had one before and loved the quickness and convenience of it.  But I had no such luck and was running out of time.  I settled for this cute little purple guy.

Hello - he's PURPLE!  And he was on sale - love!  Could it get any better?  (I also found a really cute peacock feather shirt (I have this thing for feathers right now) and a bag of Easter M&M's!)

I brought my new friend home, took him out of the box and attached his handle getting all excited to try him out.  Then I looked at the directions and found out I would have to wait 14 hours for the battery to charge.  ARG!  (Now I sound like a pirate.) 

So here I wasted my time shopping for a 'temporary' vacuum that I wouldn't be able to use until the day after my guests arrived.  I resorted to the ol' dustpan and brush method down on my hands and knees.  Hey - I was desperate!  And it was better than nothing.  

I will never take my little Miss. Kirby for granted ever again.  Even if she's not purple.