...not as I do

Note to self: Remember to change the batteries in your smoke detectors when they need it.

Here at my blog, I have a little motto, "safety first." Well, except when you just don't feel like practicing normal safety behaviors, in which case the motto is definitely, "lazy first."

I'm sitting here working on a different post, but can't get all my thoughts out because of the persistent beeping of one of my smoke detectors. It's in the basement--the basement that I don't like going into because of what may or may not be living down there. I started noticing the beep last week; I heard it beep a couple of times. But as the days have passed, the frequency of beeping has increased exponentially. It's now to the point where it's beeping minutely.

I should have replaced the battery at first beep, safety first. Actually, normal LMN behavoir would have been to head downstairs and remove the battery to make the beeping stop and replace it after the next trip to the store, or whenever I remember to buy the batteries (I don't have extra batteries with the snaps just laying around). But no, what I've really done is just let the beeping continue, lazy first.

Confession: it wouldn't be so bad if it were just the one in the basement (when I'm upstairs sleeping the beep is somewhat muffled). But the beeping is contagious and has spread to other detectors in the house. I've heard the one in the dining room a couple times this weekend. And, in the spirit of full disclosure, one of the detectors that I removed from the kitchen wall months ago out of frustration that boiling water would always set it off, beeped at me from the kitchen drawer in which it was shoved. When that got to be too much, I removed its battery; it's still grounded to the drawer--and can't come out to play until I get a hood for the stove top.

Tomorrow I will go get more batteries--maybe even purchase a few extra to keep on hand for any more beeping outbreaks. But I'm so tempted to keep playing the lazy card--I have two detectors that are hardwired through my home security system, so I still feel protected. In fact, I put much more faith in those two detectors than "the beepers," which at times feel like their only purpose is to make me jump around waving dishtowels overhead to try and shut them up.

I think they are mocking me.