Defrostiamus!

I looked out of the window this morning and wondered if I was actually dreaming of being on the ice world of Hoth. With no taun-tauns or AT-ATs around, I concluded I was actually awake and facing an imminent struggle with the de-icer and scraper. With an audible groan I picked up my bag and slipped and slid down the path to the car. As I yanked the frozen door open I had a flash of recollection: YES! I'm not in the 1950s, I have stuff that defrosts cars!

Now, back in the late eighteenth century when I passed my driving test things were slightly trickier. One had to ride the choke like a pin-ball machine even to get the damn car started. Then it was de-icer (don't get any on your hands!) and a fight with the windows armed with a scraper. This morning, however, I simply turned the key in the ignition and pressed a couple of buttons. One for the rear windscreen, that hasn't changed over the decades. But the other button, well, that's where it gets clever. One press and, in one simutaneous and marvellous moment, the heater kicked in for the windscreen, and both the headlights and wing mirrors defrosted. A couple minutes selecting a CD to listen to and I was ready to go.

One twist and one push, like some kind of Harry Potter wand magic. I have vowed to stop moaning as a new year's resolution.