When I got my robot vacuum, I believed the ads that promised I could twiddle my thumbs while Robbie the Robot Vacuum did the floors. Being a keen sci-fi fan, I felt that my step into the latest technology in housework would free me from tasks I really don't find very interesting or creative. Vacuuming is one of these, and dusting is the other. "Real" cleaning when I see things that are dirty in the true sense of the word, are what I would rather do. Mopping up spilled food spots, wiping down door frames and light switches, washing the windows or scrubbing bathroom fixtures are jobs where you can see what you've accomplished. Dust is almost invisible and thus more elusive. Robbie, my robo vacuum usually hides under a chair quietly biding his time in the dock he feeds on when he's not working. Today was his time to get at it. I poked the "clean" button and obediently he began making his effort noises. He couldn't seem to back out of his resting place. I had to help him leave. Apparently, he was not pleased and went right back in. He proceeded to give his own little spot under the chair a repeated circular and thorough tidying up. When I found he was overdoing his own housework, I had to encourage him to get busy on my floors. I have to admit that before I allowed Robbie to start work, I went around and made a trail for him such as folding back rugs and picking up little items that he might become tangled in. The door stop is very small but for some reason, Robbie finds it a great toy and loves to play with it until I am forced to intervene. It's something like a dog and his bone. Next, I had to follow Robbie around because he finds certain areas that he enjoys and if I don't give him a little push away from dancing endlessly around certain pieces of furniture or little bumps in the floor, I fear he might wear the pattern right out off the engineered hardwood. When Robbie is at his business of keeping my floors clean with his little brushes out the side and his powerful motor that can be heard two floors away, he likes to bash things. He bashes into my small end tables with such gusto that they skew from their sites to others he favours. When he's done, my room looks like a crazy show. And Robbie is a bit naughty about being under things where I cannot see. He lingers in them like under beds, couches and tables for undue amounts of time. Eventually, however, he exits looking quite innocent and tootles on to other venues with me following close behind. He plays the odd trick on me, too. If I don't watch it, he will go into a bathroom and somehow close the door staying there pretending to clean it, but I think he runs around in circles hoping his "dock me" light will come on and he can get back to lolling under his chair. What I do is spy on him. When he gets near the bathrooms, I stand guard to make sure the doors stay open so that he can't get behind them and shut them. As I said, he is quite strong. If I forget to take away the little step ladder tucked behind a certain door, I will hear a loud crash. Robbie likes to hit its metal legs to make it topple. One of my jobs to help Robbie, is to put anything up that he might knock over. I know he can't smile but when I follow along behind him often guiding him into or out of a room, I have a feeling that if he could, he would. Once when I was in the process of directing him out of one of his obsessive circles and into another room, I caught my foot on his edge and over I went. This doesn't happen with my other light robot floor mop but Robbie is a big boy and doesn't direct easily. The neighbours say they hear banging sometimes on the walls. My usual protective answer is "Really? How odd." Finally, at this moment, Robbie is back in his port with his charging light on, happily resting after a morning's work, but I am exhausted.
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