Intermittent no crank - need help!

[Protege driver]

I have an intermittent no crank situation on my 02 Protg LX (284,000 miles). It happens when car is cold, just hear click from steering column area, does it in P or N, battery is good. Usually starts fine, but when it happens, I have to keep trying anywhere from 4 times to 20 times. It has always eventually started (so far), but obviously something is wrong and I fear getting stuck at a inopportune time. I haven't been able to test it while acting up. It acts up intermittently, usually when I don't have the time or place to check it out. When I do have time and place, it won't act up! Anyone experiencing this? Any ideas are appreciated.
Protg driver

 

[concept]

My first guess would be the ignition switch. A close second would be the starter solenoid, but you should first verify that your ground cable is well grounded at the engine. All three guesses would cause the same issue.