More than you asked for.

… I installed my smoke/CO detectors last night.  I bought them because they didn’t look like your usual detectors, they’re square and curved.  Figured they wouldn’t stick out as much.  They do much more than just warn you that your house is on fire or you are about to suffocate.  They beep and they say “Fire, exit now” and “Carbon dioxide detected, move to fresh air” in both English and Spanish.

… But even better they have you set these little switches to match.  I had no idea why until I tested the second one – and they both went off. Yup, they’re a SYSTEM.  If one goes off, it tells the other one to go off also.  Way cool.  Now I want to get a dozen more, so I can hear “Monoxido de carbono detectado.  Muevase a un sitio con aire fresco.” broadcast throughout the house.

New smoke detectors, maybe?

… Seems I left a little mess at the bottom of the oven last time I used it.  I was cooking up a casserole this morning and smoke started pouring out of the oven.  As you can see, it filled the house.   No big deal, it didn’t smell up the house, and it’s already clearing out.  Except for one thing.  Neither of my smoke alarms went off, and I just changed the batteries when we went off daylight savings time.  Not the one on the kitchen ceiling, not the one in the bedroom.  I even did the little “weekly test” on them, while the house was full of smoke, and both tested out fine.  Yeah, they work, they just can’t smell smoke.  Hmmm, just a wee bit scary.

… Guess where I’m going before work today?  Yup.  Home Depot.  To  get 2 brand new smoke detectors.  The wiring in my house is only about 5 years old, but I did it myself and the house is almost 100 years old.  My biggest fear, other than the inevitable earthquake, is an electrical fire.  Which, until today, was comforted by the fact that I had 2 smoke alarms in a 1100 sq ft home.  Tonight I’ll sleep fine, with 2 brand new ones.