Sunday, August 21, 2016

So About 3:30 AM...

I am settling in to sleep.  Yes, I know it is late, but sometimes I sleep and sometimes, not so much.  I had just gotten comfy when I heard...CHIRP.  Loud like that.  Half a minute later...CHIRP.  And it continued at 30 second intervals.  Stupid smoke alarm.  If it is going to decide the battery needs changing, it could at least have the decency to make that decision during daylight hours.  Not at 3 bloody 30 in the AM!!

So now I have two problems.  The first is that due to leg issues I can no longer climb up on my little step stool/ladder thing to reach the stupid smoke alarm.  The second is that I don't have a battery to fit the alarm even if I could reach it.  Drat.

What I do have, thank goodness, is a tall son who lives next door.  But I will not call him at 3:30 AM to come over and help me.  My kids say they are more than willing to help when needed, but I'm not going to wake him up just for something like this.  So I try to sleep, but the chirping won't let me.  I try to read for a while, but that doesn't work either.  Finally I fire up my computer and find a movie to watch in the hope that the sound will somewhat drown out the chirping.  No such luck.

About 7 AM I make the call.  Son says he will be right there.  That's a good thing, because another 15 minutes of CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP and I am in serious danger of being driven over the edge.  I am entertaining thoughts about getting out the shotgun to stop the constant chirping.  (No, I really wouldn't shoot the smoke alarm although the temptation is great.)

Son took the alarm down until I can get a replacement battery.  There is another alarm in the apartment, so I don't worry about one of them being out of commission.  Except this smoke alarm, when unplugged from the ceiling, still chirps.  And it starts yelling "FIRE,  FIRE" at regular intervals.  I wrap it in a couple of towels and shove it under two pillows.  At least I can no longer hear it when I am in the other end of the apartment.

I figure the rest of the day will be pretty good, having gotten this silliness out of the way.  But I think I may take a nap before starting anything this morning.  :)

12 comments:

  1. Not to be a smart ass....BUT that is why they tell you to change batteries every time we change our clocks forward or backwards..Sleep is over rated any way

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  2. I'd have gotten a mop or something and knocked the thing to "kingdom come!"

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  3. Rob...I know you're right! My own fault, which was likely one reason it was so annoying. :)

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  4. Gorges...I thought about that kind of solution. But then I would have felt obligated to buy a new one. (Shotgun might have been a lot more satisfying.) It's just that after the first hour, the sound is the equivalent of fingernails on a chalk board.

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  5. Yes, it's always in the middle of the night, and always one of the alarms that needs a ladder to reach. Why is that?!?

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  6. Did you finally catch up on your sleep?

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  7. Lisa...I don't know about you, but I am convinced that Murphy of Murphy's Law fame lives here. :)

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  8. BW...Once that infernal chirping went away I was able to snooze for a while. Thank heaven for tall sons who come riding in on white chargers to save the day. :)

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  9. Linda...I keep a broom nearby. That particular smoke alarm will go off when I open my oven door or when I boil water. The broom handle is for reaching the button on the bottom of the alarm to shut it off. But that doesn't help when I need to change a battery. Then someone has to climb up and take care of the problem. Since I didn't have a battery, the darned thing had to be taken down and buried somewhere to stifle the noise until I can install the new battery. I suppose I could have just whacked it to pieces, but then I would have to buy a new one. I really hate that smoke alarm!!

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  10. Vicki,
    Yes, I was thinking of knocking it to kingdom come! We had a smoke alarm that sounded every time I cooked on the grill. I hate that thing because it alerted everyone that I was burning something else.
    Linda

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  11. Linda...Know what you are talking about! I haven't installed a new battery as yet and I have to say I am really enjoying cooking without the accompanying noise.

    I wonder if our smoke alarms have anything to do with the phrase..."Dinner is ready when the smoke alarm goes off." :)

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