Trouble Avoided

My van has a really bad problem of breaking down when I'm far from home.  For once at least, I've managed to avoid that by breaking down only 15 miles from the house.  When I've joked that the exterior of the van is the only thing that is old, that all of the internal working parts are practically brand new, apparently I forgot about the ignition system.  The starter is new, but the actual ignition is now 13 years old.  The problem that I had today was that the key has stopped turning all the way to the start position, thereby keeping me from starting the van.   The radio will turn on, but the engine is beyond my reach.  After jiggling the key and turning it with varying forces, I did manage to get the engine started and get back home.  

The irony here (beyond the fact that I only got it started within the gaze of the tow truck driver) is that I had originally planned to be in Quartzite, AZ today, at the main event rock show.  If the key had stopped working when I was camping out there, then the only directions that I would have been able to give a tow truck would have been GPS coordinates.  Thankfully, my parents had some urgent work that they were told would be coming in today and they told me that they needed me to stick around to do it.  The work did not come in after all, but even if it does come in tomorrow, I won't be able to do it, unless I somehow get my ignition system fixed by 10am.  Oh well, Gelnaw's law may not be universal, but it affects my life at every turn.

Resolve

New Year, Same Resolutions.

This time I mean it though.  There shouldn't be a difference between a resolution and a goal that you actually have the determination to accomplish, but there is.  Here are the things that I actually have the determination to achieve this year:

1.  Get into a relationship that lasts more than a month. 

2.  Start my thesis, whether I'm in grad school or not.

3.  Clean my room and keep it clean ( I actually mean it this year!)

4.  read all of the books that I was given last year.  This is a bigger and bigger accomplishment every year.  I've so far never achieved it.