I tried vacuuming last night but the suction wasn't as good as it usually is, so I unscrewed the plate where the belt goes and lo! Broken belt. Easy fix, but I wasn't about to go hunting for a belt last night. So I swept the rug, did what I could, and left the partially-dissassembled appliance standing in the living room, to wait patiently for my return next week, preferably with a belt or two. I feel a bit better because the floor looks better. It isn't making me quite as crazy.
Speaking of vacuuming. I went to a self-service carwash yesterday afternoon, hoping to vaccuum the inside of the car. After plugging $1.75 into the vacuum coin taker - when $1 is all that is required - I gave up. There were no signs of who to call and of course I am not going to do too much to get that money back. I just won't go there again. This is so typical of these places,though. No maintenance. So the car is still dirty inside. The rain has kept the outside fairly okay.