For Tina Seelig’s online Venture lab class: Creativity a crash course, our current assignment is to develop a new sport involving 2 household items. I have developed the vacuum-cleaner decathlon, utilizing a vacuum and a 50-foot extension cord, though that length of rope or string could also be used. Arrange cord in repeating S pattern on lawn or floor; each end marks limit of main course. Place vacuum cleaner at one end.

1. Starting from end opposite vacuum cleaner, do a full-body crawl following along one side of the cord.

2. Upon arriving at vacuum, disengage cleaning head and metal pipe from hose and body if outdoors, and simulate driving the vacuum along the curving path. If indoors, the entire machine can be used.

3. Separate cleaning head from pipe; holding one part in each hand, return stepping with one foot on each side of cord, in conjunction with lifting vacuum parts overhead.

4. Separate hose and jump rope with hose 5 times. 5. Pull out vacuum cleaner cord, create a circle with it, and skip around cord circle 5

times, changing direction as desired. 6. Toss pipe downfield, starting with non-dominant hand. 7. Return bent over, rolling pipe on the ground. 8. Jump over vacuum body 5 times 9. Pick up vacuum body and lift over head 5 times. 10. Straighten out the 50-foot extension cord to its full length to create a straight line

to measure the final challenge. Reassemble vacuum. Run along cord out and back to do a 100-foot dash carrying the whole machine.

In the absence of competition, I remain the WCVD World Champion Vacuum decathlete!