Coincidence or cosmic punishment?

Our check engine light came on in our Subaru a few weeks before we moved from NM. We took it in and they told us our evap system needed to be replaced. So we had it replaces, among other general maintenance things. Total cost? Around $1k. A week later our check engine light came on again. Needless to say we were not pleased. We took it back in and they claimed there was nothing wrong with our car - maybe we hadn't screwed the gas cap on tight enough. They turned the light off and tightened the cap and we were off to CA shortly thereafter. Two weeks later (last Friday) the check engine light came on again as Mr X was driving the car to the DMV here to register it. At the DMV they asked him to pull his car around back for an 18-point inspection required for registering out-of-state vehicles in CA. Mr X said OK, walked out the door, got in his car and drove home. Between the engine light and the shattered windshield (courtesy of a shove of a surfboard by Mr X the week before) our poor car wasn't passing the inspection. *sigh* The trouble is that our car's registration in NM runs out at the end of this month and if we can't get it registered here ASAP we are in a precarious situation.

We purchased a new washer & dryer upon our arrival here. They were delivered last Friday and Mr X and I proceeded to get them set up and going. The washer was fine, the dryer didn't work. After some guidance from my dad and some friends here, we determined that it wasn't our faulty installation, but the dryer itself. Home Depot wouldn't let us simply return it - we were required to call a technician...a technician that wouldn't be able to get to us for 3 days. Mr. Technician showed up today and it WAS the dryer - some loose wires I guess.

Mr X and I were settling in for a nice meal and a movie at home on Saturday when about 15 minutes into our show our receiver/DVD player died. It smelled of burnt metal and wouldn't start up again. I guess our surround sound system/DVD player/receiver are all useless now.

This morning as I was on my way to take our car into the shop for the check engine light, I got pulled over and ticketed for speeding. The irritating part is that I was going the same speed or slower than the cars all around me. The reason I got flagged over (the cop was on foot beside his hidden motorcycle) was that there happened to be enough room between me and the car in front of me that he could single me out and run into the middle of the road to signal me over. If I'd been going a little faster and tailgating I'm certain it wouldn't have happened. I have never received a ticket in any other state other than CA and in CA I seem to get pulled over and ticketed an abnormally high amount of times.

Mr X is having a rough go of it at work and he's been totally stressed out because of it all.

Oh - and I got suckered (read: guilted) into playing the piano for the Spanish Branch's main church meeting on Sunday. I haven't touched the piano in 2 and half years. Is this what I get for going to church? I won't re-live the memory of how painful and embarrassing the experience was for me so I won't go into details - it's enough to let you know that there were an inordinate amount of moments where the audience was singing A Capella. I can play the piano....barely. I shouldn't be ALLOWED to play in public ever. It's not a talent I possess, not now or even when I DID practice regularly. (Note: I don't get better with practice - that should tell you something.)

Hopefully this is all a coincidence/bad month rather than just the way our new life here is destined to play out.