The devil is in the details....

I am the first to freely admit that I never read owner's manuals.

I am, as I keep pointing out to my husband, a "hands on" learner. This means that I never read owner's manuals.

I am usually able to figure out how to use coffee pots, hair dryers, toasters and cameras without too much trouble. You turn them on. They work. End of story.

I do admit, however, to being shocked at all of the things my camera can do. My brother showed me. He has the same camera.

"How did you figure this out?" I asked, clearly in awe of his superior photographic talents.

"I read the owner's manual."

Ahem.

Anyway, I was vacuuming the sofa today, using the upholstery attachment.

I could digress and riff on the amount of dog hair presently in our home, but I shall spare you.

My efforts were laid to waste when I discovered that the vacuum was spewing tufts of dog hair back into my face.

Steve not being home - who needs owner's manuals anyway when you have a husband with the mind of an engineer? - I switched off the vacuum and pulled the attachment off to look at it.

I found this helpful picture, a mini owner's manual for the illiterate. I have posted it above.

Aha! I thought. Now I know the cause of the malfunction. I guess that:

• I should have put on my airport quality headphones, because
• I will look very unhappy as I am vacuuming, due to the fact that
  
• the upholstery attachment should vibrate until it takes flight, at which point
  
• I should unplug it, and
• look at it sagely.

I'm so glad that is all cleared up now. Who knew that owner's manuals could be so enlightening!