A while back I ordered Terry an iRobot Roomba i3+ robot vacuum cleaner. Not so much because I am a loving, caring husband as much as the fact that I was afraid she would tell me I had to vacuum this big place of ours. Because we still had boxes from our move sitting all over the house, it got put in a corner and stayed there until yesterday.
But we’ve finally got things pretty much put away, except for one room which is full of boxes we may never get around to opening. So yesterday Terry decided to set the contraption up and see what it’s capable of. This thing has more bells and whistles than the first couple of cars I owned. It connects to Wi-Fi, empties itself, is programmable, and even works with Alexa.
Terry decided to name it Harry, after our friend in Florida who cut grass for us and many of the neighbors. Once it was charged and she had it connected to the Wi-Fi and her phone app, Harry went to work.
It’s actually pretty cool. It moves around and maps the house, noting where furniture is by gently bumping into it, and apparently it will know not to go there again in the future. That’s assuming I don’t pull out a chair and leave it somewhere.
At first Terry thought it might have a problem climbing onto some of the rugs in the house, but from what I’ve seen that might not be an issue. I asked Terry what she thought of the new addition to our household, and she said the jury is still out, but as far as I’m concerned, if Harry will do some work that I don’t have to, we’re going to be best friends.
Something else that’s been sitting in a corner since we moved here is my Teeter inversion table. We had it in the garage in Florida, and when my back was giving me a lot of problems I would spend some time hanging from it. I’ve been hobbling around using my cane for the last week or two, so Terry set it up in our bedroom yesterday.
Some people think you actually have to hang upside down, and while that is an option, it’s not necessary. We have it set so I’m just a little bit past level, but that is enough to give me some relief. I need to make it a point to spend some time on it on a regular basis. It does make a difference.
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And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
Thought For The Day – Men don’t have babies because God saw how they handle a cold and knew the species would never survive.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Nick,
Hope you get relief for your back soon. Just reading about all you’ve been doing has given me a backache long distance! 🙂
We love our robo-vac and have named it PITA (Pain In The A**). It does a pretty good job, getting in places I normally wouldn’t, like way under beds and cabinets. The dog wasn’t too fond at first but has gotten used to it and just ignores it as it bumps around her bed. It does take longer than if you were pushing a vacuum around but once you get it going, you can forget about it and spend time doing something else, like gardening!
I have a Teeter too. Use it as needed and it has helped me also. I go a little more vertical than you but diffidently not upside down. Glad it helps you.
Nick, put your head lower on the Teeter. Not upside down, but lower than you are now. You will see a marked improvement.
I have used an inversion table three times a week for 20 years and it has been a huge benefit for my back issues. To get the most bang for your buck you need more inversion (head lower). Move it down a few degrees and try it. You might get lightheaded the first few times you go back upright so be careful. But it really does make a difference.