But the HEPA filter for Oliver’s Vibe got dirty very quickly. And, it was not cleanable—it was simply replaceable. When it turned filthy brown, Oliver went back to Target to buy a new filter.

Oddly, Target sold the F15 belt for the Vibe, but not the filter. He informed the store manager. She said she would e-mail this discrepancy to Target headquarters. She told him to try Sears or Wal-Mart. If they didn’t have it, he could try the Dirt Devil web site. He drove to Wal-Mart and to Sears, but neither carried the filter. The Sears salesman told him to try the vacuum cleaner repair shop on East Colorado.

Oliver drove to the address, but the shop was closed. A note on the door said, “Because of car problems, the store is not open today. We will be open on Monday, if we can get the car fixed.” If they had car problems, how did they leave the note on the door, Oliver wondered.

When he got home, he went online to Dirt Devil. The F15 filter was only $9.99. But shipping (5-7 days) was an extra $4.95. Express shipping (1-2 days) was $10.70.

Including driving time, Oliver figured that he had spent two irritating hours that day looking for one stupid filter. He wondered how much of his life he had wasted just searching for things.