"Do you smell smoke?"

The question came from the next room the other day at work.  Mike Hipple was in there at his desk doing paper work.  I looked up from my environmental test chamber, checked the air, and reported that I did not.

Mike got up from his desk and started looking around for the source of the smell.  I went into the room to help him, and then could smell it too.  It was strongest around his desk, so I looked at the plugs and sniffed his computer.  Nothing.  He checked his electronics bench but did not find anything either, so he sat back down at his desk- and instantly leapt to his feet.

He slapped at his leg like his chair had burned him.  I was right there by his computer, so I checked his chair.  It was fine, but Mike was not.  He yelped and slapped at his leg.  Then he reached into his pocket and yelped again.  He grabbed a paper towel to protect his hand and pulled from his pocket a 9 volt battery and a brass screw.  The screw had shorted the battery terminals and heated up.  It had scorched a hole in his pants.

He had sat there at his desk with his own pants on fire and asked me if I smelled smoke.  Life is funny.