Sunday, May 17, 2009

Fire Drill

I live in a house that has 12, count em', 12 smoke detectors. No my house is not a mansion. It has 10 rooms when you count the bathrooms and the basement. The lady who previously owned this home either was super paranoid about fire or the door-to-door smoke alarm salesman was wicked hot. There's really no other explanation.

I guess it isn't a bad thing to have a ton of smoke detectors in your home, until they all need to have their batteries replaced at once. That's what I've been faced with for the last month - running around listening for where the annoying high pitched beep was coming from. Then once you think you've found it, hauling out the step ladder for an impressive balancing act to get the old battery out. Every single one of the alarms had the batteries go bad within five weeks and the high pitched warning sound became the norm around here.

I guess that's where Seka learned her latest trick which involves whining at the top of her lungs in the middle of the night to make Roxy get up and move off of the bed she is sound asleep on so that she can have it.

Yes, she sounds just like the failing smoke alarms.

Now the first night this happened I fell for her trick hook, line, and sinker. At first stumbled around and tried to figure out where in the world the 13th smoke alarm could be. Lying there at 3 a.m. I had decided that I the one place I didn't check were our closets.

Then I realized it was Seka doing a pretty realistic impression of our alarms. I laughed and got up and went downstairs to let her out. But when I turned around I discovered only one dog had followed me down to the backdoor and it wasn't the one I thought it would be. I went back upstairs to find Seka settled in Roxy's spot, happy as a clam. And not moving.

The second night I ignored the crying but Roxy didn't. She got fooled again and lost her warm spot on her favorite bed. Roxy was a good sport about it and just found somewhere else to sleep.

The third night, not even Roxy fell for Seka's false alarm impression, which only frustrated her. I have to admit it is funny, but not at 2 a.m. And when she doesn't get her way, it isn't pretty. And when I'm jolted awake due to an unnecessary high pitched scream, let's just say it's not pretty either. The alpha order was restored pretty quickly.

Luckily Seka realized her audience for her stupid dog trick has been reduced to zero. And I've done some selective reduction of my own on the smoke alarm front.

I'm still on the look out for that hot fire alarm salesman.

-- Post From My iPhone

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Maybe she and Gypsey can have a screaming contest together at 2am. Preferably out of ear shot of all those that like to sleep. I'm about ready to pull my hair out myself.

Angela said...

Sounds familiar! Macy stands over Buford and gives him an intimidating look and barks until he gives up whatever she wants - beds, toys, treats...it doesn't matter. And she doesn't want it until he has it...what a brat! Fortunately, she doesn't do it while we're sleeping though :)

Never Say Never Greyhounds said...

My stars!!! 12!!! Funny story!

Jen

IHateToast said...

12? what rooms have two?
12? that peep is annoying. 12?!

wish i had seen you running around looking for the smoke detector and the smug look on seka's face. nice. she is too clever.

pattysea said...

Reading about the smoke alarms is very funny; being there probably not!!!

genji said...

I hope this story doesn't give my guys any ideas.

thebellagreyhound said...

tonight the toast caught fire - smoke everywhere - and not a single blip from the fire alarm....why? because my husband is yet to take it out of the packet 'sigh'...

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