I'm assuming that you've looked through it for anything in which the battery may be getting low: have you a smoke alarm nearby that may be beeping for the same reason? Or a travel alarm that somehow got set when you rootled through the desk in search of something or other?
Okay, we've tried the logical. How about a lost cricket attempting electronic dialogue in the mistaken impression that a giant paperclip is the love of its life?
The cricket is actually the most likely theory anyone has come up with so far. It's not the smoke alarm (other end of the room, and it's never made a demure little beep like that in its life), nor the travel alarm (which sings "You Are My Sunshine" in a fashion that a dying electronic duck would be ashamed of), and there is NOTHING, goddammit, NOTHING in my desk that should be beeping anyway.
It beeped at 3 minutes past the hour. I'm taking notes.
I've got a half-memory trying to surface from reading one of the Dick Francis books: the hero takes over his brother's jewellery business, and is driven mad by an alarm going that is set for (I think) 4.20, which turns out to be the first time he (the brother) met his lady love - but that was a highly advanced electronic whatnot and I'm sure you'd know if you had one of those. Is there any possibility that something has fallen between the desk and the wall, or down behind the books on the bookshelves?
I'm trying to resist asking why your travel alarm plays that particular tune, wondering what kind of duck wants sunshine anyway, and visualizing an extremely shortsighted and confused cricket ... but the good news is that this is a demure beep rather than the horrible "ohmigawd somebody TOUCHED me" hysterical squawking of a car alarm.
The temperature is rising, as we have turned off the air conditioning in here as good corporate citizens during the energy shortage. So it is clearly the fevered part of my brain that is now suggesting that the cricket was misidentified, and you should be searching for a death watch beetle ...
Have you read The House with a Clock in its Walls? Because that's where my brain's been tending.
However, happily if mortifyingly, the mystery has been solved: it was, in fact, my watch beeping, and, no, my watch isn't in my desk (it's buckled onto my purse-strap). I have lousy directional hearing.
I'm glad that mystery is solved - now you can move on to wondering why you would set the alarm for three minutes past the hour. I wouln't worry about the directional hearing just yet, those beeps are notoriously difficult to place.
Well, since I didn't set the alarm (I don't even know how to), the question really is what sinister thing the goblins and gremlins are plotting for three minutes past some (as-of-yet unspecified) hour.
I don't actually wear my watch for two reasons: (1.) it is an el-cheapo watch, and the plastic band traps moisture, thereby causing chafing; (2.) I'm much more likely to remember to take my purse with me when I go out than I am to remember to put on a watch.
Makes sense - my watch has an expanding metal strap which is forgiving of minor weight variations, so I hadn't thought of the possible difficulties.
And now that you've noticed, the goblins and gremlins have withdrawn in confusion, taking with them the beetle, the cricket, and the ruins of their plan. What with the inevitable arguing and recriminations, you should be good for a week and a half before they get anything else organized.
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momijizukamori
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aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 07:42 am (UTC)WHAT is beeping?
Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 07:45 am (UTC)And if you think the suspense is bad from where you're sitting ...
Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 08:03 am (UTC)Okay, we've tried the logical. How about a lost cricket attempting electronic dialogue in the mistaken impression that a giant paperclip is the love of its life?
Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 08:08 am (UTC)It beeped at 3 minutes past the hour. I'm taking notes.
Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 08:28 am (UTC)I'm trying to resist asking why your travel alarm plays that particular tune, wondering what kind of duck wants sunshine anyway, and visualizing an extremely shortsighted and confused cricket ... but the good news is that this is a demure beep rather than the horrible "ohmigawd somebody TOUCHED me" hysterical squawking of a car alarm.
Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 08:46 am (UTC)The problem being, that while both Mirrorthaw and I have digital watches, both of us know exactly where our watches are--and it isn't in my desk.
And I don't know WHY the travel alarm plays "You Are My Sunshine." It was, as so many benighted things are in this life, a gift.
Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 09:00 am (UTC)Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 09:17 am (UTC)However, happily if mortifyingly, the mystery has been solved: it was, in fact, my watch beeping, and, no, my watch isn't in my desk (it's buckled onto my purse-strap). I have lousy directional hearing.
Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 09:27 am (UTC)Er - had you considered wearing the watch at all?
Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 09:35 am (UTC)I don't actually wear my watch for two reasons: (1.) it is an el-cheapo watch, and the plastic band traps moisture, thereby causing chafing; (2.) I'm much more likely to remember to take my purse with me when I go out than I am to remember to put on a watch.
It makes sense in my world.
Re: aarrggh!
Date: 2003-08-20 10:19 am (UTC)And now that you've noticed, the goblins and gremlins have withdrawn in confusion, taking with them the beetle, the cricket, and the ruins of their plan. What with the inevitable arguing and recriminations, you should be good for a week and a half before they get anything else organized.