January…the breakdown month

by chuckofish

I’m not talking mental breakdown — at least not yet. I mean it literally; things break in January.  I came down one morning this week and the first two lights I tried to turn on blew. Then I drove to work and when I got out of the car, it looked like this. The mechanic can’t get to it until Monday.

picture this on a cold 7am with snow all around

picture this on a cold 7am with snow all around

Even my iron has gone kaput. None of this matters in the slightest because it’s customary for January. I’ve come to expect it. Car problems feature this month, but sometimes there’s variety: the pipes at the camp freeze or the dishwasher leaks. Packages I’ve been waiting for don’t arrive…you know, that sort of thing. There is a bright side to all this. I get to buy a new iron and maybe even a new(ish) car. I also take these mechanical breakdowns as a sign to be careful, slow down, and pay attention. After all, I don’t want to be next.

So… when I’m not trying to get the smoke smell out of my clothes or the hard water build up out of my iron, I’m enjoying January’s goodness. This week one of my son’s college friends has been visiting (and the wine has been flowing).

chicken curry and good conversation

chicken curry and good conversation. Bonus points to anyone who can spot the decor mistake (awaiting the arrival of a purchase to fix it)

We also got to see the first episode of (the last season of) Justified, the best show on TV. And although I wasn’t thrilled about (spoiler alert!) what happened to Dewey Crow, it was still awfully nice to see Raylan and his hat again.

Raylen All indications point to a particularly grim season. I just hope the body count of characters that I like isn’t too high.

Don’t let the January blues, bumps and breaks get you down. Count your blessings and enjoy the ride!