What’s that?  You like my stories of Roomba?  You, my faithful followers and friends?  Well, okay then.  Who am I to disappoint?  I mean, come on, I have said it before I am not afraid of providing a small, light-hearted moment in a day that can run long. 

Two scores and five years ago…

The strange rattling started on a crisp January evening at a half-past midnight.  When most people should be deep asleep, snuggled in warmly for their long winter’s nap, the ruckus found its way into my dreams.  The racket screamed at me, like a semi-truck’s horn blaring, in the middle of a slumbering, pleasant fog.  Fear forced my eyes open.  The jolting sound lurched me upright, to sit in attention.  The biting chill made me shiver, afraid.  I sat there frozen and listened.

And you could hear it.  The thumping. 

Whatever it was, it moved somewhere inside of the house.  My mind tried to clear itself of the delicate threads of sleep.  My inner momma bear needed to react, to quickly unwrap its hibernating self from the blankets of security and heat.  I pushed myself to gain my feet.  I left the sanctuary of my room, to tread across the chilled floorboards down the long hallway that seemed to have grown in length before me.

Was it an animal?  A forest friend that came inside somehow from the cold night?  Uneasy thoughts gripped me.  I swallowed my breath.  Un-prepared, I rounded the corner, and, as expected, screamed.  First with surprise and then disgust.  The small beast before me, black as night, skirted across the floor like a thief.  With my heart lodged in my throat I cried out, “Roomba!”

This charming, little, robot vacuum has an automatic timer and apparently understands P.M. versus A.M., in which, I clearly do not.  Roomba specialist you need not call me, either for advice or to poke fun.

Happiest of days, may light lead us to safety both outside and in.  Send Sunshine for each day positive strength is needed to guide us forward and may little laughs see us through our rain.

P.S.  Yes, my writer friends, I understand what two scores is, and I am not that old, nor, is the invention of Roomba…Effect, people, effect.