What is that noise?

That is the question I have had to ask myself quite a bit lately. You see, my life is full of random, yet important beeps. Kajsa is the primary reason for most of these unusual noises. All of her machines beep when you turn them on. They beep when you turn them off. They beep if there is an occluded line, or if she simply turns her body to a position that doesn’t allow for efficient fills and drains. I sleep fitfully at best most nights, waiting for some tiny crisis to occur. I am the night nurse. Fortunately, all machines beep on a slightly different frequency, so I’ve gotten to the point where I can fix any alarm without ever fully awakening.

This computer is another source of random noises. Since we live waaay out in the desert on top of a mountain, there isn’t even a glimmer of hope that we will soon be zooming through cyber-space on a high speed connection. Therefore, I frequently enjoy the lovely sound of my computer dialing-up.  I then need to know when another actual living, breathing human being is trying to contact me by way of this antiquated device they call a telephone. So I use CallWave. Whenever somebody calls me, my computer does what everything in my life does. It beeps. I then can choose whether or not to answer the phone. It’s pretty handy...as far as day to day alarms go.

I have my email set up to chime, too. At any time I could hear trio of poorly combined notes, and then look down just in time to see that I have been approved (to apply) for a Capital One card, or a new home equity loan.

Lately, Maya’s become a prolific instant messenger. I always know when her friends are skipping school or simply bored. I can be sitting here trying to compose some thoughtful and witty blog entry (and we all know how that can be), when suddenly my interaction is being summoned by “I am the most annoying person ever” or “And I’ve bundled up all these fears inside, and I’ve bottled up all of this pain. And no one or nothing can take it away.” At least her friends aren’t dramatic. I have often been scoffed at when I tell them to go to bed because it’s midnight  on a school night. Of all the noises in my life, these teen-age girls are by far the hardest to shut off. 

But so far, all the noises have been logical. Medical equipment, email programs, even IMing flibbertigibbets. So when I heard a new noise yesterday I became, well, alarmed. It sounded like eeehh eeehh clickclick... eeehh eeehh clickclick - and it was coming from the kitchen. Nothing in there beeps. (Well, maybe the microwave when I actually use the dusty old thing.) Scanning the counter I noticed a blinking red light.  Yikes!  All my time in the hospital has set my entire system up for a basic Pavlovian response to blinking red lights. I pounced. And then I realized...this is my coffee maker!?!  I stood there looking at the light blink for a moment (All the while listening to the strange eeehh eeehh clickclick...eeehh eeehh clickclick noise) before I thought to unplug the machine. 

This has definitely never happened to me before. It is a simple machine. You add coffee and water, then press the go button. It has a timed start function, but has never in six years made any sort of a sound. Nor has it blinked. It was a simple blink. No SOS signal for help. Perhaps it is dying and wanted to say goodbye before it passed. I don’t know. It’s always been one of the items that I don’t have to worry about. Just feed and wash it regularly, and make sure it has enough water. Kind of like the dog.

So I have begun to search for a new coffee maker. I’m torn as to what style to get. I love the simplicity of a French Press. But, the coffee always tastes like you made it in a fire pit. And let’s face it, that only tastes good when you’re camping. So I started looking around for some fancy new machines. I found products that grind your beans.  I even found some that roast the darn things. But I set a tight budget when replacing things, so I quickly realized that I would need to tone it down a bit. Still, it would be fun to get a new unit with some of the bells and whistles. ‘Cause, you know, I could use a new sound – or two.

Comments

[Miriam]

If I were rich (or just had money in general) I'd get you a coffee maker with very SILENT bells and whistles. You deserve it. :)

[moreena]

Those beeps really get into your head, don't they? Anni's hospital has just added a new computer system for dispensing med's, so there are lots of new computers scattered throughout the floor. And when you turn these suckers on, they make the *exact* same sound as the ventilators do when they are being adjusted. There is no sound that freaks me out more than that sound, and now it is everywhere throughout the hospital. Great!

On the coffee maker front, we enjoy our inexpensive Braun with the cone filters. And it makes no noise.

[Rowan]

Miriam:
That's very sweet. We'll be just fine, though. I may have set a budget, but - believe me when I say - a new coffee maker is definitely imminent. And I do like the idea of silent bells and whistles. :)

Moreena:
I should have guessed that you'd understand. I can't imagine walking through the halls listening to that horrible sound. It is forever ingrained in my subconscious. Hopefully, PCH hasn't made that particular upgrade.

I'll check out the Braun. It may be a good choice, as we already have a reusable cone filter.

[rodney roe]

That double coffee maker that we have is a Braun. No timer - we just bought the kind that plugs into the wall and isn't smart enough to know it's no longer daylight savings time. Nothing beeps. If it has a fault, and I don't think this is a fault, it is that it doesn't keep your coffee hot. The advantage it that you won't ever find rock hard sludge in the bottom if you forget to turn it off. The disadvantage is that you will have to dust off the microwave to heat your coffee up. After years of use the switch on one side quit working. Now it works again. Maybe Braun has an internal self mending device? Anyway, after Cindylou Who gets a kidney you won't have so many beeps.

[Running2Ks]

It's amazing how much noise we put up with in life, and the din is rarely interrupted. It is like white noise.

Anyway, there are good, inexpensive machines out there--sometimes you just need to buy a combo. We have a timer coffee maker, an inexpensive espresso machine, and a small grinder--and it seems to satisfy my coffee snob husband.

[Benjamin]

Coffee maker, eh? I love getting a new one of those. (interesting how important we classify our coffee makers...)

So I'm gonna be looking for a new one when we move back to Seattle and I'll probably be interested in the kind with a built-in 40" flat screen tv. That's about right for me....

Happy halloween!

[amygeekgrl]

was glad to read the beeps weren't from anything major, though i know coffee is very major for some. ;) good luck finding a new coffee maker. the java makes me loopy so i tend to steer clear of it myself, but dh drinks it now and then.

[Sarah]

I have always had bad luck with coffee makers, and when I go out to buy a new one it's hard to not spend money on one that looks like it might last for a while. Of course, I'm always short on cash, and when I go to buy a new one I get a cheap one. Maybe that's why mine keep braking?

[rodney roe]

I need to make a retraction. That coffee maker that we have had for a decade is not a Braun, it is a Krups. Both good. Those Germans know how to make appliances.

[Rowan]

Rodney Roe:
You’re right. Both brands are good. I am; however, looking for one that has a timed off switch. I have enough problems remembering to turn everything else off. The last thing I need to worry about is the coffee maker.

Running2Ks:
What?!? I couldn’t hear you over my life.

Benjamin:
Let me know if you find a good sale on those TV/coffee maker combos. 

amygeekgrl:
Good for you. I went for years without drinking coffee. But once I began, it was all over.

Sarah:
I’m right there with you!

[Kris]

You know, my coffee maker does beep. It beeps to signal the coffee is done brewing (ok, is it really that hard to smell that the coffee is done??) and it beeps again two hours later to tell you "hey you moron, you forgot to shut me off! Nevermind, I'll DO IT MY DAMN SELF!"

Yeah, 'nuff beeping. I can't say I totally feel your pain, but Em has a way of setting off her pulse oxymeter when she's in the hospital. She's such a shallow night breahter that I actually set her machine a few notches lower just so we could both get some sleep. They have to hook it up to her toe instead of her finger and the first year, she was only 18 months and loved to sleep on her belly with her knees underneath her, which cuts off blood flow to the feet. Lovely.

Here's hoping you can get some sleep soon. I'm sorry that you're all now sick. Isn't that always the way?

Keeping good thoughts for you guys. And always sending out lots of hugs.