02-02-2022, 07:40 AM
Are we still dealing with Mercury in Retrograde? Because if we aren't we should be.
This story could also be cross referenced in Doom Dogs.
So, Maeve. The problem girl. Who sleeps like the dead all day. Come night time and the lights go off, she starts crying. You know the story. But last night she seemed to settle. She was in an unusual spot on the bed, tucked up against my legs. It made me so warm I had to get out from under the covers. But the key was she was going to sleep silently.
Until the fading smoking alarm decided it needed to send out an extended chirp. Maeve went mental. She jumped off the bed. She cried and whimpered as she went from one side of the bed to the other, trying to get either the Queen or I to soothe her. But she wouldn't be soothed. The Queen brought her back on the bed to hug and pet her which worked all the way up until the point the smoke alarm chirped again. To be clear, it wasn't just the usual chirp. It lasted a good half second. Maeve lost it again. She arose and circled the bed. I knew at the point, I would have to fix the alarm.
The usual culprit was the CO2 monitor in the hallway. I got the small stepladder from tQ's office and pulled the monitor off the wall. I hit the test button which sent out a chirp which caused news levels of anxiety in Maeve. But it wasn't the problem. The chirp was wrong and the screen said the batteries were good.
To be clear, my smoke detectors are hard wired to the house current. Batteries are only in there for backup. However, Smoke Detectors in CA are limited to a ten year life span and must be replaced at that time. My hypotheses is that the manufacturers make the alarms sound after ten years so you know to replace them. The Lair is older than ten years so all the smoke alarms are giving up. I know because I have removed most of them (Dangerous, I know. I need to replace them but they have a weird connector that I have yet to find and I don't want to have to rewire all the connectors) Since most of them are gone, it should be easy to find the offending one.
Except, Maeve circles my legs crying just loud enough to drown out the chirp. I need her to quiet so I can hear it. But she can hear the chirp and when it sounds Maeve's anxiety gets reenergized. It's vicious circle. I extremely glad that the I eliminate the living room alarm from the list of suspects. I don't think I have a ladder that reaches that high. But I realize that the offended isn't in the house but it is in the attic. The ladder I have in the attached garage can get me to the spot where I can raise the lid in the ceiling but still too low for me to access the attic. I have to go outside to the studio where the big ladders live. I have to get dressed and get my shoes on for that trip. I also have to keep the cats from leaving the studio where they are locked in for the night to avoid become part of the coyote diet. I accomplish all this amidst much grumbling.
I get up into the attic for the third time since I moved to the Lair. It's nice up there. There are lights. The blown insulation always falls on me whenever I open the hatch. And yes, it's the middle of the night, I'm in the attic and I'm removing a smoke detector.
Maeve has had enough of these shenanigans and is hiding in the back yard.
This story could also be cross referenced in Doom Dogs.
So, Maeve. The problem girl. Who sleeps like the dead all day. Come night time and the lights go off, she starts crying. You know the story. But last night she seemed to settle. She was in an unusual spot on the bed, tucked up against my legs. It made me so warm I had to get out from under the covers. But the key was she was going to sleep silently.
Until the fading smoking alarm decided it needed to send out an extended chirp. Maeve went mental. She jumped off the bed. She cried and whimpered as she went from one side of the bed to the other, trying to get either the Queen or I to soothe her. But she wouldn't be soothed. The Queen brought her back on the bed to hug and pet her which worked all the way up until the point the smoke alarm chirped again. To be clear, it wasn't just the usual chirp. It lasted a good half second. Maeve lost it again. She arose and circled the bed. I knew at the point, I would have to fix the alarm.
The usual culprit was the CO2 monitor in the hallway. I got the small stepladder from tQ's office and pulled the monitor off the wall. I hit the test button which sent out a chirp which caused news levels of anxiety in Maeve. But it wasn't the problem. The chirp was wrong and the screen said the batteries were good.
To be clear, my smoke detectors are hard wired to the house current. Batteries are only in there for backup. However, Smoke Detectors in CA are limited to a ten year life span and must be replaced at that time. My hypotheses is that the manufacturers make the alarms sound after ten years so you know to replace them. The Lair is older than ten years so all the smoke alarms are giving up. I know because I have removed most of them (Dangerous, I know. I need to replace them but they have a weird connector that I have yet to find and I don't want to have to rewire all the connectors) Since most of them are gone, it should be easy to find the offending one.
Except, Maeve circles my legs crying just loud enough to drown out the chirp. I need her to quiet so I can hear it. But she can hear the chirp and when it sounds Maeve's anxiety gets reenergized. It's vicious circle. I extremely glad that the I eliminate the living room alarm from the list of suspects. I don't think I have a ladder that reaches that high. But I realize that the offended isn't in the house but it is in the attic. The ladder I have in the attached garage can get me to the spot where I can raise the lid in the ceiling but still too low for me to access the attic. I have to go outside to the studio where the big ladders live. I have to get dressed and get my shoes on for that trip. I also have to keep the cats from leaving the studio where they are locked in for the night to avoid become part of the coyote diet. I accomplish all this amidst much grumbling.
I get up into the attic for the third time since I moved to the Lair. It's nice up there. There are lights. The blown insulation always falls on me whenever I open the hatch. And yes, it's the middle of the night, I'm in the attic and I'm removing a smoke detector.
Maeve has had enough of these shenanigans and is hiding in the back yard.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm