Earlier this week our family was awakened when the hallway smoke detector went off at 2:34 a.m.
My husband and I jumped up, stumbled around, our son came into our room with his hands over his ears yelling our names, I tripped over Bella, our black German Shepherd as she came into the bedroom and then my tall husband grabbed the detector from the ceiling and ripped the battery out of it. We turned on the lights, looked around, sniffed for smoke, shrugged –and returned to bed.
I replaced the battery the next day and put the detector back in its place. It went off at 3:34 a.m. the next morning. After taking the battery out AGAIN, I fumbled for my reading glasses and read the fine print on the back of the detector: “Unit should be replaced by 2006.”
Yesterday I bought two new smoke detectors and a new CO detector, too. Each summer and winter equinox the batteries will be replaced and I will review all the fine print. Sweet dreams.
(S-R archives photo)
Spokesman-Review features writer Rebecca Nappi, along with Catherine Johnston, an Olympia, Wash., writer who works in hospital administration, write about issues of grief when facing serious illness, dying, death and other forms of loss.
Ask a question: Rebecca and Catherine answer grief questions in their syndicated EndNotes column for McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Email them at endnotescolumn@gmail.com.
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