Y'all -- I actually did some "zone" work today -- vacuumed high and low in the laundry room, just the floor, baseboards, and crown molding... did not get to the long, high shelf where detergent sits, etc... because ---- MY VACUUM CLEANER STARTED
SMOKING!!! I mean, smoke was POURING out of it. I had my back to it, so I don't know how long this had been going on, but when I happened to glance back (because it seemed like it was stuck on the cord) * WHEW * I turned that thing OFF quickly!!!
I checked everything I knew to check -- the bag was practically empty, but the filter definitely needs
cleaning replacing (and that's the area the smoke was coming from, and the extension cord was barely hanging on. I let it cool down, finished the room with no problems, and unplugged it.
It's pretty old, but it is an Electrolux (canister) and I like it, but I hate to buy new filters if the motor is burning up. (Unfortunately, I have a ton of extra bags, but no extra filters. I used to have a card for that. Don't know what happened to it, but seems like I replaced the filter every April, and April has not been a good month for me the last couple years. ) There are no repair shops in my area that I know of. I guess I could google it or ask on Facebook.
And of course, ds and ddil did not recover any of the missing items at dmom's house.
Over the past year or so, dmom has noticed missing
-- a very nice table cloth
-- an expensive shotgun
-- a laptop computer (but they left the power cord, which seems strange to me)
-- a watch given to my dad from his employer for certain years' service
Dmom plans to put (hidden) cameras in her house and at her doors and change her keypad code (only housekeeper and Life Alert people have it at this time, as far as I know.) She needs to change the place she hides her extra key, also, I would think. Housekeeper knows where this is as well. Do y'all have any other thoughts re: security?
Housekeeper has been with her for YEARS and we all do trust her and consider her a friend. Yard man has only been in the house when dmom is there, except one occasion that we can recall, when he
and two other young men were painting. (Everything that is missing was already missing when they came to paint.) Yard man acts like he thinks dmom is an extra mom to him, and we don't have any reason to be distrustful of him. But something has been going on out there and dmom is very upset and sad to think that someone she trusted may not be worthy of her trust.