So perhaps, like me, you have been told to change your smoke detector batteries annually (on your child's birthday, was the instruction I received).  And you might be thinking, "But my detector will start chirping when the battery gets low.  Then I will change it."   (Or perhaps you are still trying to decide, which child's birthday?  Or do larger families need fresher batteries?)

Here is the reason to change the battery before it starts chirping the "change-me" beep: Because the batteries may decide to run low in the middle of the night.  Trust me.  You do not want to be awakened in the night  to be summoned to  rummage for a nine-volt battery.

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In other exciting news, my limerick is a finalist in the Ironic Catholic's poetry contest.  Mine's #3 ("there came a notorious sinner . . ."), and I hope it will be useful to somebody, but I voted for poem #4 as my favorite. 

Consider #3 an example of what poetry-on-demand assignments produce.   Why English teachers (at home or away) should never expect grand inspiration on a deadline -- though asking for a display of technical competence is  fair game.  Go vote!  My feelings won't be hurt if I lose ground from my current 9% of the vote, I'm amazed to be in the finals at all.