More Adventures in Adulting

[elrhiarhodan]

House Wonderful has hardwired fire and smoke detectors. Which are wonderful, except that they have battery backups. Which generally isn't a problem, except for those of us who have balance issues and live alone.

First time they needed to be changed, my wonderful contractor, who's 6'9" came over and didn't even need a ladder to change the batteries.

The next time, though, I vowed I'd do it myself. I went out and bought a good quality step ladder with a utility tray so I didn't need to juggle new and old batteries.

Except for my bedroom, which has cove ceilings and the smoke detector is right over my bed.

Changing this is a PITFA, since it means I have to push the bed all the way out of the way, get on the next to top step of the step ladder and still need to extend out my mostly non-working arms (I need shoulder surgery for both). So I tend to let it go until it's absolutely necessary - like when the low-battery warning starts beeping at 3 AM.

So I changed it today. My arms ache. But I feel very adult. I should, I am - after all - over 50.

Comments

[reve-silencieux.livejournal.com]

I just have to pipe in here, to commiserate. My sister has a new house, lived in it a couple months max, and the night that relatives come in for Thanksgiving - it started shrieking right after we went to bed. Nice batteries they put in there! And of course, some no-name cheap brand, who the contractors DID NOT leave behind manuals, so we couldn't figure out how to turn it off. (naturally, we have no batteries) We had to get up on a ladder, take a picture of the inside (which made it shriek more) and then google.

Although now that I think about it... it wasn't the battery. Turning on the heat did it. :D Yep, that's quality!

Congrats on getting it done by yourself. I'd probably stick in an ear plug and hope for the best. (hey, having one deaf ear should be good for something!)