Thursday, January 27, 2011

Roomba... fieldba?

Last night I reached the limits of my patience with the state of my house. Not that I kicked into full-blown cleaning gear - instead I sat down at my desk and once again began to look at the possibility of the Roomba.

After a few minutes, which were punctuated with Bear the Corgi chasing, in order, Kyra Corgi, several resident felines, and nothing, it occurred to me that perhaps my thought of Roombas constantly circling and cleaning was... not exactly realistic.

Can you imagine the scene here if I set up a Roomba with a less than one-year-old Corgi in the house? Between Bear and the cats, and Kyra provoking them into action from the sidelines, I'm not sure the Roomba would make even half a circuit.

I wrote on Facebook this morning that maybe the Roomba would work if I could program it to say "leave it, Bear" as it made its journey through the house.

And then, my mind went into overdrive.

A pasture roomba!

That scene would be, I'm afraid, even crazier. Between Keil Bay flipping it into the next county, the painted pony herding it, two donkey boys stomping it, and Cody nibbling it, the thing wouldn't make it to the first pile of manure.

All this is clearly a sign that I am emotionally and psychologically ready for spring. The day before yesterday I spent nearly the entire day harrowing the front field - there was ONE DAY where it had dried out and thawed out just enough to do the job, and rain was predicted for that night, so I had to get it done before the rain actually started. In the midst of it, I ran out of gas, one back tire that has a leak had to be filled with air 3x, the mower blades got packed with soil and mulched leaves, and I had to take a couple of breaks just to keep myself going. But I got it done.

Needless to say when I got inside around 4, the house was a wreck and I had to take son to his class. Yesterday I focused on the house. Hence the dreaming of Roombas and wallbas and all kinds of -bas that would take over and do all the things I feel like I never get to in the process of cleaning.

And what a shock when I realized that the one real thing in my fantasy - the Roomba - is not even a possibility because of the Bear! 

When I start obsessing over things like this, it's a sure sign spring is in the air, even if only as a fantasy. But it's not a fantasy - yesterday I discovered the first bulbs shooting their green heads toward the sky.

It's starting. And now there's a race to keep up - I finally sketched out the garden beds last night and began to think about starting seeds.

Couldn't Martha Stewart loan me her staff for just one week? They might be mortified but they could dig in, get me caught up, and then head back to perfection land.

If anyone has suggestions for coordinating house and barn and fields and all the things that need doing in between, I am all ears!

10 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

If you find a plan let me know. I'm so behind with all this snow I don't think I'll ever catch up on normal chores.

My brother and sister-in-law have a Roomba and I think he likes it. Of course, he's a mental case and likes a very clean house...

Calm, Forward, Straight said...

Fresh out of coordinating / keeping up suggestions... in fact, I am desperately in need of some myself.

I was just telling my Dad today that when I feel overwhelmed like this, my only solution is to point myself at one of the multitude of pressing chores and block my mind from seeing anything else...

or say *$#& it and go riding :)

(A "paddock-ba" would be awesome, but probably very scary.)

billie said...

I am torn between growing up in a very clean house where that was a huge priority (except my mom had full-time help b/c she worked!) and loving dogs and cats and having children who have been schooled at home their entire lives - so all the messy, ongoing, creative projects are in process all around me.

I do like things to be generally neat and organized - I operate better with my own creative projects when that is true, but... I don't seem to be managing this very well right now.

We have sunshine right now and a high today of 50 so I am trying to enjoy THAT and not get caught up in my need to spin in my hamster wheel of chores!

billie said...

C, my herd can get silly over a simple plastic grocery bag stuck on a tree in the woods, almost invisible to the eye. But if I stick something in the field that needs to be there, like a huge blue tarp on a tree trunk they're chewing, they have NO fear.

I expect they would worry the paddock-ba to death (literally, its death) in no time flat.

Dougie Donk said...

There is a group in the UK (can't remember what they are called)where people trade their skills for free in return for whatever tradeable skill you have that they need e.g someone who likes cleaning will do it in return for your schooling their pony/advising on legal discipline procedures.

Nice idea, but I confess I'd worry about letting an axe murderer into my house! Guess I'll just keep on having cleaning frenzies every few months... ho-hum.

billie said...

Love that idea! But like you, I would have a bit of apprehension about letting someone I didn't know (or had some trusted recommendation for) into the house.

ponymaid said...

Billie, I have pondered deeply on this and have decided that a stall-roomba would be acceptable. It would probably do a more thorough job than Herself, who sometimes forgets to dust my knickknacks. I think that at your place Redford might try to kill it and Rafer might try to trap it and examine it for scientific purposes...

billie said...

My thoughts exactly, Sheaffer. I think if Rafer could take it apart and put it back together, he might be fine with it. Redford is altogether another story.

jme said...

i want a 'groomba' - it will mow the pastures, vacuum up manure and groom the arenas... and maybe sweep the aisle and driveways on auto-pilot. oh, and it should also vacuum leaves in the fall! the horses will just have to learn to live with it ;-)

i love having a clean house, but it only lasts a few minutes. with a dirty barn dog and me coming in constantly with my barn clothes on, things get messy fast. not to mention i'm the sort of person who collects a lot of clutter (stacks of books and papers and mail litter the tables and countertops, etc.) and i'm one who often 'cleans up' the clutter by shoving it into a closet or drawer (out of sight out of mind) so i have a lot of spring cleaning and organizing to do, and i'm dreading doing it :-\

and if i can't bring myself to clean up inside while the snow keeps me trapped in my house, i can't even begin to plan farm projects yet! i'll be happy just to have temps in the double digits and a clear path to the indoor again so i can start working the horses!

billie said...

Well, darn - you have nailed the name of this lifesaving device, that's for sure!! :)

You sound like me - I like things clean but have that other side too.