A Half Step Back

I tried to take a step back in technology, and found out you can't get there from here.  Bessie Anne and the cats go out and come in a dozen times a day, each time tracking in burrs, foxtails, bits of leaves, etc.  If I were fanatical, I could vacuum the carpet four times a day, but make do with two or three times a week.  Vacuuming is the last-minute chore when company is due so there's a chance it will look good when they walk in.  The carpet was at its worst the day the power went out and there was nothing I could do about it.  That's when I decided I needed a carpet sweeper, one of those tools we had when I was a kid.  It was a kind of low box on wheels with brushes that swept up the debris as it was pushed around, no electricity required.  On my last trip to town, in amongst the fancy-dancy turbo this's and wind-tunnel that's vacuum cleaners, I finally located what looked like what I wanted.  There were several models, but all of them were (rechargeable) battery operated.  In their attempt to modernize, the manufacturers assume everyone will have electricity, which sort of defeats the purpose.  If I hadn't been impatient, I could have gone to Lehman's Catalog where everything sold is nonelectric, but I went ahead and got one of the battery-operated sweepers.  It will certainly be easier to use on the stairs than the big upright vacuum.  Not meant for heavy-duty cleaning, it does a good job on a quick pick up and as long as I'm diligent about keeping it recharged, it should be good to go.  So much for "going green."