SUCK UP

The new Hoover Z Bagless SUV(sport utility vacuum) is a far cry from their first vacuum, which was produced in 1907 out of a tin can, a fan, a pillow case and a broom, by a janitor in Ohio. The new SUV is called so because it travels any terrain — hardwoods, rugs, stairs — effortlessly and with gusto, like a Ford truck. But it’s cooler and more urbane, so it’s a Porsche Cayenne maybe. It goes for about $499 and is so new you might not see it yet till January in stores. I have fond memories of Hoover vacuums. My grandmother in Arkansas didn’t vacuum the floor but “Hoovered” it. The only vacuum we had when I was growing up was a squatty canister Hoover that was as ugly as it was serviceable. I thought Hoovering was a dark family secret until a few years ago when my mother was diagnosed with heart problems. Her doctor told her to take it easy, and absolutely “No Hoovering.”