I Heart My Roomba

Okay, so Andrew sent me this the other day:

http://miscellanea.wellingtongrey.net/2007/01/08/i-heart-my-roomba/

I've seen Roombas before, but my first real interactions with them began at Andrew's parents' house last summer. Those of you who have been around to watch me interact with it should appreciate this. And those of you who haven't still know how prone I am to talking to inanimate objects, giving things personalities, and so on, and should appreciate it, too.

I can't help it. The Roomba squeaks and looks confused if it runs up against anything (like a chair leg) that it can't get past, and it would be cruel not to rescue it and reassure it that it's still doing a good job. Also, if it's too far from "home" for too long, it gets depressed and died. Then, when you pick it up and comfort it and take it back "home," it makes these happy little squeaky noises that definitely reinforce the habit of treating it like a little person and making it feel better.

Okay. I'll stop now.