A recent Georgia Tech study shows that some Roomba owners seem to become deeply attached to their robots. “They give them nicknames, worry when they signal for help and sometimes even treat them like a trusted pet.” Out of 30 committed Roomba users studied, 21 of them gave their robots names, and 16 referred to their robot as a “he.”
I totally fall into both of those categories. I have named them both, and I do refer to them as boys. I talk to them while they work, giving them words of encouragement and congratulating them on a job well done. I scold them when they knock something over or eat a cord, though quickly take it back and transfer the blame (usually to Jared). If I see a dust bunny in Roombie’s path and he manages to get it on the first try, I give him a cheer.
Each time a new version comes out, I am tempted to get it, but I feel guilty about the ones I already own. I don’t want to discard them or make them feel unloved.
My all-time favorite is when Roombie runs right into Clancy. That gets me every time. She’s too dumb to move.
As many of you know, I’m obsessed with (many things) portable speakers. I just can’t stop buying them. I have more portable speakers than I have things to plug into them. It all started in the 4th grade, when I had a super cool lunchbox with a radio built in. We would sit around eating lunch and listening to Z104. You know - Tiffany, The Bangles, Michael Jackson, Bananarama, etc. All that great stuff you listen to when you’re 8.
For years I wished I was a great inventor so I could make some speakers that you wore around your neck so you could enjoy music while walking with friends. Light, portable speakers. Not oversized, monsterous ghetto-blasters. I would wear headphones around my neck and turn the volume way up, but it really wasn’t so great.
Then the iPod happened, and a marketing wonderland developed. It started with speakers built in to bags. At first, ugly “designer” bags, but soon I was able to purchase a cute canvas Badtz Maru bag designed to look like a ghetto-blaster.
And then there was the “flat speaker” trend. But those sucked, I didn’t keep them for long.
After Isabel we spent some time in the air-conditioned mall where I discovered the plastic box speakers that I loved so (what were they called again?). Those saved us. At least we had music all those days without power and water. I bought a few of those. One for lil’ Anne and one to destroy to make bike speakers.
Then came the little blue Sony ones that were too cute to pass up. They spent some time on my bike as well.
Oh, and the Soundbug. How could I not?
After that I got the cd cases with built in speakers for Chair and I. Then the cute woodgrain ones. Then the necklace one built just for the Shuffle. Then the little foldy black ones and the one that was even smaller than my fist.
Now there are portable speakers EVERYWHERE. Just this week I got two more.
The black one even came with a bike attachment. Now, you may being asking, “Atlanta, why do you need portable speakers with a bike attachment? Didn’t you outfit your bike with a pretty sweet speaker/xmas light setup already?”
To which I would have to respond, “Well, yes, I did do that. And it was cute and all, but you see - it was rigged. I had to rip apart one of my plastic box speakers and then make little cushions and use hot glue and clear duct tape to secure everything in place and it sucked when the batteries died and I would have to take it all apart, but it did give me a chance to clean it and make it look better, and even though it was awesome and functional, it just wasn’t perfect. But now, you see, I have these speakers that are meant for bikes. It’s great!”
And the other one pictured? Come on! It’s a change purse with built-in speakers. You couldn’t really expect me not to get those, right? I love that it is the perfect size for my Nano, headphones (in case), and a spare battery.
I guess I spent so much of my life longing for portable speakers that now I just have this subconscious need to catch up. Either that or I may be a little nuts. And have obsessive disorders.
There’s a new Roomba coming out soon. He’s designed for tougher jobs, like nuts and bolts and shop debris. Or maybe tumbleweeds of kitty fur. Or crumb spray.
Either way, he’s yellow and black, and he will be mine. At only $130, how can I resist?
(it does concern me just a bit that he is so cheap. it’s not like the other roombies have dropped in price)
This will bring our household Roomba count to 4. Yay robots!
I left the power cord for the MacBook at the Naro yesterday so I’m playing on the PowerBook now. Man, it’s so cute and little and I really miss it. Why can’t the MacBook be this tiny and precious and silver?
i got a dvd-audio player!!!!!! whoopeee!!! i have had that stupid vespertine dvd-a for a year now and had never heard it. it’s sooo great, like a whole new cd. it has so many more noises than the cd. i guess you’re gonna have to come visit now so you can hear it too.
and i finally got the down by law criterion dvd. roberto benigni is the cutest.
gonna go listen to some more vespertine noises……..
i got a dvd-audio player!!!!!! whoopeee!!! i have had that stupid vespertine dvd-a for a year now and had never heard it. it’s sooo great, like a whole new cd. it has so many more noises than the cd. i guess you’re gonna have to come visit now so you can hear it too.
and i finally got the down by law criterion dvd. roberto benigni is the cutest.
gonna go listen to some more vespertine noises……..
i got a dvd-audio player!!!!!! whoopeee!!! i have had that stupid vespertine dvd-a for a year now and had never heard it. it’s sooo great, like a whole new cd. it has so many more noises than the cd. i guess you’re gonna have to come visit now so you can hear it too.
and i finally got the down by law criterion dvd. roberto benigni is the cutest.
gonna go listen to some more vespertine noises……..
i got a dvd-audio player!!!!!! whoopeee!!! i have had that stupid vespertine dvd-a for a year now and had never heard it. it’s sooo great, like a whole new cd. it has so many more noises than the cd. i guess you’re gonna have to come visit now so you can hear it too.
and i finally got the down by law criterion dvd. roberto benigni is the cutest.
gonna go listen to some more vespertine noises……..
i got a dvd-audio player!!!!!! whoopeee!!! i have had that stupid vespertine dvd-a for a year now and had never heard it. it’s sooo great, like a whole new cd. it has so many more noises than the cd. i guess you’re gonna have to come visit now so you can hear it too.
and i finally got the down by law criterion dvd. roberto benigni is the cutest.
gonna go listen to some more vespertine noises……..
i got a dvd-audio player!!!!!! whoopeee!!! i have had that stupid vespertine dvd-a for a year now and had never heard it. it’s sooo great, like a whole new cd. it has so many more noises than the cd. i guess you’re gonna have to come visit now so you can hear it too.
and i finally got the down by law criterion dvd. roberto benigni is the cutest.
gonna go listen to some more vespertine noises……..
