I was tucked up in my bed and sleeping peacefully until 12:45 am. Then I heard “chirp” and then about 30 seconds later, “chirp”. I tried my best to ignore it, but about the time I thought I could go back to sleep, “chirp”. No, that was NOT going to work.
Yes, we have all experienced it, the smoke alarm battery was giving up the ghost. Of course that event NEVER happens at a reasonable hour, but always in the night.
I began casting about in my mind to see if I could think of any object in my house with a 9V battery that I could use for the smoke alarm until morning. Nothing. I had no new ones, no used ones, nothing. What to do?
The step stool was too short for me to reach the alarm, so I had to disarm the alarm system and get the ladder out of the garage. I took the battery out in hopes that would stop its chirping. “Chirp” UGH!
Just that morning, I had passed by the battery store and thought I needed to stock up, but I had decided that I could do that later. I was embarrassingly unprepared!
That is how I ended up driving to the nearby Walmart at 1:00 in the morning. I thought I would be the only customer there with the one checkout person. But no, there is a whole world out there that I had no idea about. The parking lot was full, at least near the doors. There were people walking in and out as if it was 1:00 pm. I found the batteries and had to stand in a queue to check out. Who would have thought!?!
As I stood there, someone spoke to me. I looked more closely at the lady and realized she had been one of the caregivers for my mother in the assisted living facility she lived in for several years before she passed away. I greeted the lady and she was surprised that I remembered her. I explained why I was there, and asked why she was there. She had just finished her shift and that was when she could get out. Apparently there are a lot of people like that! Who knew?
I purchased my batteries and headed home. Ben never stirred. I put the battery in one way, “Chirp” So, I turned it over and put it in the other way. “Chirp” I turned it over again and pushed a little harder. “Chirp” Finally, I turned the battery around and closed the cover. Finally there was silence!
By then, of course, I was wide-awake, so I got a snack and some buttermilk and settled down with my book. After half an hour, I managed to go to sleep again.
What did I learn from this experience? 1) Lots of people are out shopping in the early hours of the morning. 2) When that prompting comes to stock up on something, follow up on it, or you may be one of those people shopping at Walmart in the early hours of the morning!
Yes, we have all experienced it, the smoke alarm battery was giving up the ghost. Of course that event NEVER happens at a reasonable hour, but always in the night.
I began casting about in my mind to see if I could think of any object in my house with a 9V battery that I could use for the smoke alarm until morning. Nothing. I had no new ones, no used ones, nothing. What to do?
The step stool was too short for me to reach the alarm, so I had to disarm the alarm system and get the ladder out of the garage. I took the battery out in hopes that would stop its chirping. “Chirp” UGH!
Just that morning, I had passed by the battery store and thought I needed to stock up, but I had decided that I could do that later. I was embarrassingly unprepared!
That is how I ended up driving to the nearby Walmart at 1:00 in the morning. I thought I would be the only customer there with the one checkout person. But no, there is a whole world out there that I had no idea about. The parking lot was full, at least near the doors. There were people walking in and out as if it was 1:00 pm. I found the batteries and had to stand in a queue to check out. Who would have thought!?!
As I stood there, someone spoke to me. I looked more closely at the lady and realized she had been one of the caregivers for my mother in the assisted living facility she lived in for several years before she passed away. I greeted the lady and she was surprised that I remembered her. I explained why I was there, and asked why she was there. She had just finished her shift and that was when she could get out. Apparently there are a lot of people like that! Who knew?
I purchased my batteries and headed home. Ben never stirred. I put the battery in one way, “Chirp” So, I turned it over and put it in the other way. “Chirp” I turned it over again and pushed a little harder. “Chirp” Finally, I turned the battery around and closed the cover. Finally there was silence!
By then, of course, I was wide-awake, so I got a snack and some buttermilk and settled down with my book. After half an hour, I managed to go to sleep again.
What did I learn from this experience? 1) Lots of people are out shopping in the early hours of the morning. 2) When that prompting comes to stock up on something, follow up on it, or you may be one of those people shopping at Walmart in the early hours of the morning!
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