Tuesday 4 March 2014

The endless fascination of everyday life.

Here it is, Tuesday already. How time slips away. So much to do.

This morning is a day with no actual activities and thus free choices abound. I have been changing the sheets, doing the washing and thus, while indulging in this domestic role, why not choose to explore the new vacuum cleaner?

First unpack it. Not easy. Box resists manfully. As they do. Sharp instruments needed. Finally manage to extract all the pieces. Goodness, what a a lot of them there are! How to put it all together?
Better find the manual and read it, and try to understand its contents, and all the diagrams. There are many.

The manual  has many languages, so I have to find the English one. On my way through I note that there is an Italian version, so I speedily have a look at that.

Having been working hard on the use of the imperative tense, I note that in Italian you can use the infinitive as the imperative. This usage is, I think, for recipes and manuals. I resolve forthwith to take the manual to class, and read it aloud. The class is sure to be edified and rivetted by this treat.

I have now vacuumed three rooms, not very expertly, being rather out of practice. I must be doing something wrong. This vacuum cleaner does not like being pushed, which has hitherto been my preferred modus operandi for vacuuming. It wants to be pulled. The suction is very strong, which, in a vacuum cleaner, is surely a good thing, but I now feel quite puffed, as well as confused about the trillion and myriad instructions. So here I sit, resting the arms and that part of the brain which (allegedly) copes with manuals and instructions. Is there a special push mode?

After having rested, I will lug the machine upstairs and do the bedroom.

Then I might guiltily examine the contents of the bag and find out just how bad a housekeeper I have become. It seems increasingly probably that at last I will get my act together and employ a cleaner.

Perhaps before lugging the machine upstairs I might go out and buy a coffee. And then sip it while perusing, deciphering and thinking deeply about how to use the machine effectively. Or perhaps I should go and do some food shopping.





1 comment:

Elephant's Child said...

A coffee and a little (essential) shopping sounds like the best plan to me.