HouseSitting 101

Vacuums and an instrument of some sort are a relatively effective way to block out the insistent sound of an alarm.

I was going to leave it there, but you're dying of curiosity now aren't you?

The day began normal enough for our two Subjects. They had successfully completed a week of house sitting and had managed to not only survive, but remain on speaking terms with each other.  Chickens were being fed; eggs gathered; boiler fed routinely with big hunks of wood; tender tomato plants watered regularly.  So, at the beginning of this week someone had the brilliant idea to do some laundry. . . . . which is where it all started. . . . . . .

 

The Machine was a bit more electronic than what our Subjects were used to. But, as they posses the capability of reading and the semi-intelligence to figure things out (some things that is, hence, the semi), they were able to correctly load, pour detergent, and begin the run cycle. . . . .Five minutes later is where it Really Began. . . . .

Kitchen was being cleaned up, as well as a bit of straightening, when the delicate eardrums of the Subjects were assaulted with a consistent, high pitched beeping. . . . coming from the general direction of the laundry room.
First Call to Traveling Homeowners was a pleasant, "Hello, how are you, how's the trip going? By the way. . ." type of thing.
The Second Call was also pretty low key. . . "We tried Such and Such, didn't work. . ."

Whereupon the Subjects were told that Mrs. Homeowner was going to try get a hold of Mr. Homeowner while Subjects checked the basement to see if anything was leaking down from under the Machine.

An hour went by and the Subjects began to try think of creative ways to mask the sound of the constant beeping (think a fire alarm gone bad:)
Vacuuming worked - but only for so long, for you either eventually run out of floors to clean, or the vacuum overheats. . . . . or both.
Playing the piano at full volume also worked. But there again, you can only play for so long before you're ready for a break or your fingers are about ready to declare mutiny.
The only option left to our Subjects!
A slow, maddening descent into . . . .well. . . madness.

Right about when it became apparent one of the Subjects was beginning to suffer from meltdown type tendencies (call #3 being rather frantic to HomeBase) they declared themselves beaten and took a temporary hiatus to rush home and take care of their own animals, whilst reveling in the superb quietness the car ride afforded.

HomeBase provided some much needed sanity and they headed back with optimistic levels elevated with the reassuring thought of: It might have stopped by now.
This optimism lasted longer than the Subjects thought; all the way up the garage steps to the door. . . .
"AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" 


Long story shortened considerably:  5 and a 1/2 very long, very nerve wracking hours after the first distinct beep the Subjects received a call from Mr. Homeowner.
The solution to our Subjects' 5 hour frustration? . . . . . . . . *sigh*
Phone gets held out so Mr. Homeowner can hear the alarm. Thirty seconds later he says, "Well, there is one thing it could be. Under the Machine is a Such-and-Such that will go off if there is any water leaking."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
One of the Subjects bravely ventured forth and checked, pulling out something foreign. Something beeping. Something green.
Something that instantly silenced when the film of water was wiped off the bottom.

It doesn't look like it could be annoying and sanity threatening does it?

Yea, Subject #2 thought so too.

When the Subjects realized that they had been listening to the Thing needlessly for hours and hours, practically tearing their hair out to try figure out what was wrong and if the house was going to explode at some point . . . .well, let's just say one of them went rather hysterical.