[b]<font color="green">I have a new keypad for my house alarm system.

I've been having trouble, on and off, with a particular door alarm and resetting the system after Caleb and I set it off. (Early mornings just don't have the brain in gear and dog needs to go out!)

This last time, not only did the alarm not sound immediately, but once we were outside and I realized it was chirping, I had trouble resetting it...and it took 5 times at least to do so.

Well... after checking out my system the tech had me go through the paces a few times (exhausting for me.) Afterwards, he said he'd put in a new keypad, a new updated one. I got it today

Notes:

I pay extra each month so that all service calls, equipment replacement (including batteries) are no extra charge. This has added to my destressing solutions.

The new keypad has louder, lower tone chirps, and a larger button arrangement, also stickers showing which two buttons to call police, or fire, or rescue. It seems that most of my problems were MY problems I didn't tell the tech that I'm nearly deaf, nor that I have trouble using my hands and fingers... and I didn't have splints or such on to alert him. But he certainly did evaluate the problems: I wasn't able to push the buttons down fully enough and since I couldn't hear the old tones, didn't know when I hadn't!

All it took was a new keypad to help make my life a little less stressful, again.

May I encourage all of you, when having trouble with any particular element of your life, to step back and reevaluate it, maybe bring in someone to help you (therapists can't come to your home but they can help in this arena) and see if you aren't missing an easy solution. Maybe it would be good to review all your habits and see if you haven't realized there might be a better way?!

Right now I'm going to try and adjust the sensitivity to the keys and touch pad on this notebook! Just realized that I'm having issues with typing... I quit using the speech program when the MD suggested my hands are weak from not using them enough. Physical therapist and I disagree...but I am trying anyway... ttyl!