"I Need a Decent Vacuum Cleaner"

My neighbor lent me his, and said "it doesn't work very good" What does that mean I wonder? Then why keep it? What it means is that, for it to pick up anything you need major woman power, you have to press the vacuum into the carpetwith all of your might. You need to keep this up for the entirety of the apt.

Today, since it is payday I toyed with buying a vacuum cleaner. I constantly have to assess what is a need? What is a want? You know when you're behind some guy in line and he tells the cashier that "I need 3 packs of Marlboro" Since I think so much about want vs. need, I think to myself: "YOu don't need cigarettes, you want cigarettes!

I've often wondered whether or not it is a good idea to buy electronics from the Goodwill. What choice do you have if you can't afford real stores. Because in a real store, you'd likely need all monies up front for an electronics purchase which is often out of the question.

The goodwill near me really stinks, but I have no choice but to go in there. I've noticed, and this happens multiple times every day, that when you say to a clerk "I have a question" they always reply "I can't guarantee you that I'll have the answer" Now what the hell kind of customer service is that?! Shouldn't you listen to the question? So today was no exception. And I replied: "Well, if you don't know then who else would there be to ask?"

I ask, with vacuum cleaners, since you have no carpeting here, how do I know I'm getting a working product.

"She looked over to another employee, hoping that employee would know the answer"

"You don't."

Elana-"How long do I have to return the product"

"There are no returns" "There is a swath of carpet in the front of the store that you can try the vacuum cleaner on"

I bring over a hoover. I turn the button on, and all sorts of flotsum starts flying thru the air!"

I said, "well this doesn't work"

clerk-"Let me see if it has a bag"

"It doesn't have a bag"

"You can try our bags and see if that works"

I ask if I have to pay for the bags just to try out a vacuum. She said, no. Then she started waiting on customers who came after me. I sort thru 6 or so sets of bags, some look like they are at least 50 years old. I'm not sure what model this Hoover is. I wait for her to finish ringing people up. She finally yells over for Grace to help me. Grace doesn't look like she's going to be much help. I suggest to grace that we try the only bags that say they are for hoovers. Grace opens the vacuum, and says, "no bag is going to be adequate becuase there is a piece missing"

She tells me to go to Wal Mart and buy something on layaway. I go to Wal Mart. I ask "how does layaway work?"

"We haven't had layaway in 2 years!"

I find a bissell for 50 which is well worth it, but I'm really afraid to spend that kind of money all in one fell swoop. I ask different employees if they know any stores that still do layaway. I wonder if it would be a wasted drive to go to Target in Westminster. I wondered if you can put a 50 dollar item on layaway. I wondered if they'd run a credit check...............................

I'm exhausted! Maybe that carpet doesn't need to be vacuumed after all!