Resolution.

I think new year's resolutions are silly. I mean, you're either going to do something, or you aren't. In this day in age, when any contract can be nullified, when handshakes and words mean nothing, when even the supposedly sacred vows of marriage are only semi-permanent at best, then the simple of act of making a resolution with oneself is quite pointless. And so, I've made one for Jason instead.

I have tallied up my book count for 2005, and Jason bows in awe to it. Oh, I've read some real stinkers this year, but have also read some real gems (some not for the first time). Jason, however, has managed to read 2 things this past year:

1. The directions on his chapstick.

2. The Kids' Almanac from 1987, which he rediscovered in a box of crap his Mom unloaded on us.

So I have given Jason a challenge for 2006, and that is to read 100 books. 100 books is a lot of books for anyone (well, except for me of course) but for Jason it will be quite a feat. Jason believes that the only reason he doesn't read is that he has no "time" to read - and yet, one must wonder that if his wife has time to read almost twice that amount, just what is he doing while she is thusly occupied? I suppose we're about to find out.

To encourage him, I told him to name his own prize. I told him to pick something big. He decided on Play Station 3. This thing is still being developed by Sony, but already Jason covets it. My ears begin spontaneously hemorrhaging at the thought of his PS2 sitting idly on the shelf, the very PS2 that I nearly died getting for him, not to mention nearly bankrupted myself for when it was hot off the press, just a few short years ago. Soon it will be a worthless piece of crap. Hooray.

However, this was Jason's choice. And truth be told, I wonder at the modesty of his prize. I mean, I did say pick anything. I probably would have opted for some sort of tropical vacation. Of course, I am a greedy little witch. Truth be told, Jason probably would have got his PS3 anyway, eventually. But now I will buy it for him as soon as his 100 books are logged for the year. Currently the PS3 is scheduled for release in the spring. If he has read 100 books by then, I have vowed to stand in line with the geeks for days in advance, if it comes to that.

If it comes to that (that's a pretty big if).

Will Jason really read 100 books? How badly does he want his prize? Pretty badly, he says. "I'll have so much fun playing video games, I'll probably never read books again!"

Oy. Already the point is lost on him.

No matter. The challenge is set. The bets are in. It's up to him now.

To his credit, he did start reading something recommended from my list - One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I cautioned him that this might not be the best to start off with. I even offered to lend him my copy of Superfudge, just to wet his toes a little before he jumps right in. But no, on January 2nd he tore into my 100 Years, zipped through the first 7 pages at lightning speed, and well...seems to have waffled there ever since.

Is there hope for him yet? Only time will tell.