Modern Technology

I woke at 0455. Not the 'I need the loo' sort of wake not the 'Just turn over and go back to the land of nod' sort of wake but a full blown 'I'm awake' sort of wake. The moon was still streaming into the bedroom and the world seemed a very inviting place. I popped my head out of the ranch sliders and was suddenly struck by something amazing: silence. I don't think I can recall hearing silence here before. There is usually so much noise in the countryside: crickets, insects, night birds, the trees rustling even in the very gentlest of breezes. But no. Not a sound could I hear. The silence was almost overpowering. That was a time for the correct use of the word 'awesome'.

I couldn't return to bed so I've been reading blogs and commenting. I've also been burning a DVD with photos for a friend. I switched the air-con on to take the chill out of the air. I made tea. I opened the dishwasher. Sitting here I was getting puzzled (and a little bit irritated) by a regular but insistent beep. The air-con sometimes beeps when it changes program so I assumed that's what it was. It wasn't. Then I assumed it must be the smoke detector alarm. It wasn't. Then I assumed that the DVD player must have an alarm to tell me that I'd left the drawer open. It hasn't. Curiouser and curiouser. Eventually it dawned on me that I'd opened the dishwasher but not switched it off. Why would a dishwasher need to beep to tell me that? Modern technology can sometimes go just that one step too far.