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