The Duke of Timex and this Really Sucks

This Sunday it will have been a week since Dennis, the Wonder Mutt was run over by a 4-wheeler.
This story, however has a happy ending. Once again this cast iron pooch has dodged a bullet-his vehicular dodging skills are in dire shape, unfortunately. He just can't turn down a good chase.

Last Sunday some locals came ripping down our road at a high rate of speed on their 4-wheelers. Since the afternoon was so gorgeous and warm, the kids and the dogs were outside in the backyard. I was inside taking care of domestic duties. I heard the 4-wheelers, I heard the dogs light out after them at full bark. I went out and hollered at them: the dogs AND the locals-it isn't the 1st time they have tore through here that fast. I'm old and I get cranky...and I don't like folks speeding through here. I got kids and critters. So I get pissed. So sue me.
Anyway, I could see at least one of my dogs down the road, so I went back in. They'll be back in a bit.
Then my kids started hollering: " Mom!! Dennis is hurt! He's bleeding!!"
I go out back and here comes Dennis, trotting up, wagging his tail-all the usual happy dog stuff. He looked fine, at 1st glance.

He wasn't.
His back right leg was all tore up-the vet calls it 'scalping' and that's exactly what it is. The fur and skin layer underneath ripped right off in scattered patches, leaving oozey bald spots. On the side of his back paw was a deep gash/wound-that's where the blood was coming from. I could see a glimpse of bone, that's how deep it was and about the size of a nickle-which on Dennis is big. Patches of fur on his chest and belly were missing and his front right paw was cut up too.
Ahhhhh, jeez!

This isn't the 1st time he's got clipped. He's trotted home on numerous occasions with some mild scalping-indicating that he had got alittle too close to rolling tires. But this was the worst. He was banged up pretty good, by my estimation-but he seemed oblivious to the damage. He was wanting a cookie. (that's what we call dog biscuits)
I put him in the house and tried to assess the damage. He seemed alert and relatively okay, so it was a watch and see sitch. He got down to business taking care of the bad wound himself-by licking on it. As much as I hate that sound, I let him have at it this time. Dog spit is remarkably healing, or so I'm told.
By morning that leg at the hock was as big as an orange. Worries of fractures led me to take him to the vet this time. No breaks, but she did tell me he had been VERY lucky this time. Well, hell, I knew that. Just try and convince him of that! That's the problem-breaking him of this dangerous habit. Because I know my neighbors aren't gonna slow down any!

In honor of this dubious achievement- Dennis, now lovingly refered to as "Timex" will be my feature profile pic for now.

Now to totally shift gears...
I finally broke down and bought a new vacuum cleaner. I just got done trying it out and I can see already it was a very bad choice. Since my floors are now mostly laminate, I really didn't need a big, honking beast of a vacuum. But I wanted something with more cajones that an 'LetricBroom. The selection at the local StuporCenter was sparse and they all looked like something that would have been imported from the Soviet Union. Big, brooding clunky awkward looking things and a ridiculous price tacked on.
Now I've always been a Eureka gal-always went for their bottom end bag model (at about 30 bucks). Only been through 2 in the 20 years I have been here. Just a basic, functional workhorse of a vacuum that was solid enough to put up with this Ozark dirt and mountains of dog hair that accumilate inside Chez Mac. Every now and then the cheap plastic fan would lose some fins, but they were easy and cheap enough to replace myself. No complaints.
So, after putting it off for weeks I finally broke down and got another Eureka. Only you can't get bag models anymore...at least here. They had this interesting little jobber : The Boss-Pro
Ugly as all get out. Silver tone plastic from top to bottom and a dirt cup, rather than a bag. Hmmmmm.
I studied the outside of the box carefully, trying to glean any information I could that might assist with my decision. I priced replacement filters which were nearby. I thought they were abit high...but if one only has to replace them every now and then, then maybe that wasn't so bad. I finally held my nose and toss the box in my cart. I slapped it together and fired it up as soon as I got home.
It was quiet, I'll give it that. The "on board" tools were a joke. Once connected, it barely had enough oomph to barely draw up a little dust bunny on a shelf. I did the rug in the front room which is about 4' x 6' and had to empty the dirt cup for all the dirt and dog hair. Now, this can say that it really does have some suction and got what my old beater had missed but if I have to stop, unclip, remove and empty this dirt cup every 24 sq. feet this is gonna really blow! As it was, I emptied it 4 times just doing the bedroom and hallway. What a pain in the butt!!
This just sucks...period.