It's the age of the automobile, and I, like most of you, have to go through the ritual once every year - car inspection!

That's a shot of a smiling Pat McCaffrey and Sam the mechanic at McCaffrey's Sunoco at North & North in beautiful Burlington yesterday.

I remember my first automobile - a 1959 Chevy I bought in 1969 for $40. Put 10,000 miles on it before it died in Chicago.

I picked up Car #2 in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1971 - a 1964 Chevy. Price: $270.

Ah, the good old days!

Just getting the Ol' 2001 Saturn in shape to pass inspection this week cost $571. Two new tires, alignment, muffler strap, tie rods, and making the damn red electrical warning light on the dash stay off.

If only they'd been designed to run on water!