9 Volt

You know how they say you should change your smoke alarm batteries when you set your clock back? (or is it when you set it ahead?) Last night/this morning I discovered that's a really good idea!

I am a night owl. Last night, after I played my mind clearing game(s) of Sudoku, I turned off my book light, set my ear buds in my pillowcase, set up my Sansa mp3 player to listen to Kenny Loggins' "More songs from Pooh Corner" (helps me drift off sweetly to sleep, what can I say?), and fell asleep. How long before William came in to go potty, I'm not sure, but I got up to help him to the bathroom, washed hands, climbed back into bed with my little snuggle-buddy who settled nicely next to me, and began drifting back off.

CHIRP! ~ I thought something was messed up with my Sansa, or that the song switched, so I turned it off & set it on my night table. I snuggled back down with William, and drifted off again.

CHIRP! ~ Hmmm... maybe I didn't turn off the player. Nope... it's off.

CHIRP! ~ wow, awake, that is really annoying! Pierce your ear annoying.

CHIRP! ~ crap... it's probably one of the smoke detectors' battery. I got up, found my glasses, walked to William's room.

CHIRP! ~ Nope... not William's

I stood in the hallway, trying to pinpoint which of the 4 or 5 detectors upstairs it could be.

CHIRP! ~ hey, that sounds like my room! So I go back to the bedroom, stand under it and listen....

and listen....

wow, maybe I could just go back to bed, and just about the time I lifted the covers up...

CHIRP!!!!!! ~ No, I definitely cannot sleep through that! I look at the clock... 2:15am

I cursed quietly all the way down the stairs, turned on the dining room light and searched through drawers for a 9 volt battery. I turned on the kitchen light and searched through drawers for a 9 volt battery. I turned on the family room light... well, you get the idea. None to be found.

I cursed maybe not so quietly as I grabbed a chair to bring upstairs with me. I readjusted the battery that was in the detector, set the chair aside and waited. Waited. Waited. cool. Not wanting to have William trip over the chair when he wakes up, I carry the chair back down the stairs. Then I return upstairs to my room, pull back the covers, lay my head down.

CHIRP!!!! ~ I am not frakkin' kidding you! I fetch the chair again, pull the blasted battery out, move the chair to the sitting area of the master bedroom, and wait. Yeah, you'd best not chirp now, you bugger.

I slid back into bed, snuggled again with William, and drifted off. Until this morning when I heard Doug leave for school. Which means my alarm didn't go off.

Oh, Robert, my love, could you pick up a package of 9 volts on your way home? We're changing all the batteries. This evening.

The moral of the story is... Don't wait until the chirping starts... change at least once a year (not cough*almost4*cough). The sanity you save might be your own.