| We'd always heard how great it was having a new | | | | heavy 10' ladder. It's the only way he can reach our |
| house, so when we finally got ours, we expected big | | | | tray ceilings. |
| things. Unfortunately we had no choice but to move | | | | Beeeep! |
| in even though there was a lot of work not done. | | | | He drags it from smoke alarm to smoke alarm, but all |
| We had no air conditioning in the August heat, no | | | | the batteries are fine. After slamming the last one |
| running water, and our only potty was at the gas | | | | back together in disgust, he climbs down. Beeeep! A |
| station down the road. We were hot, exhausted, and | | | | thought strikes him. What if he loosened one of the |
| grouchy. | | | | batteries while slamming it back in? Beeeep! So, he |
| So what does this story have to do with a beeping | | | | hauls the ladder around again. |
| smoke alarm? Everything, as you will soon see. We | | | | Our carpenter comes bounding in. My tactful husband |
| worked through the days only to throw our sweaty | | | | says, "What'd you guys do to the smoke alarms? |
| bodies in bed each night. The only bed we'd been | | | | Something's beeping." Beeeep! "Kinda dirty around |
| able to dig from the pile in our garage was full-sized | | | | here," the man observes helpfully. "Maybe one of the |
| and nothing like the king we were used to, but at | | | | connections is dirty." |
| least we had a bed. | | | | Silently, shoulders slumping, my husband gathers up |
| I went to bed that night thinking I'd fall asleep | | | | paper towels, cleaner, and his trusty ladder, and |
| immediately. But, I was very hot and the bed was | | | | makes the rounds for the third time, cleaning the |
| small, and I couldn't get to sleep for quite awhile. I | | | | connections. He climbs down for the final time. |
| don't think I'd been sleeping any length of time until I | | | | Beeeep! The carpenter says, "Maybe an alarm just |
| was awakened by a beeeep! What? Back to sleep. | | | | needs reset." I could tell my husband was ready to |
| Beeeep! What's going on? My husband opened one | | | | punch him, but instead he quietly makes another |
| eye and mumbled, "What's your problem?" He's | | | | round. Beeeep! |
| unable to hear high-pitched sounds, so he's | | | | The carpenter slaps his forehead in disgust. "Now I |
| unimpressed with my plight. Beeeep! He's already | | | | remember," he says. "The electric dude said he |
| back asleep, and several beeps later, I manage to | | | | thought maybe there was a short somewhere." Face |
| join him. | | | | red, but still silent, my husband picks up the ladder |
| In the morning (Beeeep!) I'm finally cognizant enough | | | | and goes to the garage. Beeeep! He climbs up |
| to realize what's going on. It has to be a smoke | | | | through the hole to the attic, and starts crawling |
| alarm. But what the heck? They were just installed | | | | resolutely through the hot dusty space in search of |
| brand new. They worked fine yesterday. Beeeep! My | | | | smoke alarms. Of course, he finds a loose connection |
| husband has no interest in tracking the beep down, | | | | on the very last one. But at least now there's silence! |
| but I bug him until he goes and digs out a ladder. A | | | | |