Test case

My car is a 1985 Honda Accord LX. By virtue of its advanced age, every two years the DMV requires me to take it to a "test only" place to be smogged. In every previous instance, the car has passed the test with good marks, but every time it's due for another test, I wonder, will this be the year it fails? And if it fails, will I be able to get it repaired so it'll pass the second time around?

This has been a great car. I bought it used in 1987, when it had 25,000 miles on the odometer, and from then until now, just a few miles shy of 170,000, it's been everything I'd want in a vehicle. It's reliable, starts every time, is economical to run, and can hold a surprising amount of stuff, especially with the back seats folded down. Like its owner, it's showing its age a bit—some things don't work any more (I carry bottles of water to dump on the windshield because the window washer tank has a leak; the power assist steering cylinder leaks, too, so when I realize I'm working hard to crank into a parking space, I go get that filled; and there's a hammer on the floor in the front seat to whack the AC/heater fan housing when it gets stuck), and there are some places that could use a cosmtic touchup (driver's side upholstery worn down to the foam interior, sun visor fabric shredding . . .) But it runs, it's paid for, the registration is $60 a year, and my insurance is laughably cheap. So even though I occasionally think that, gee, having a newer car would be nice (and have a lot more safety features on it than my current car), I can't see any good reason to give this one up.

Unless it doesn't pass its smog test. So when I took it to E-Z Smog this morning, I focused on thinking positively, remembering how it passed all those other years, but worrying nonetheless—would this be The Year It Failed?

I needn't have worried. My little Honda passed, and not just by a hair; all the scores were good ones. So the two of us are good for another couple of years. I'm lucky to have her.

In honor of passing the smog test, I put the Obama bumper sticker on. It joins Clinton/Gore 96, there on the left, and John Kerry in the center. I'm hoping Barack does as well with his challenge as my little Honda did with its today.

While I was waiting for the test to be run, I copied down some of the signs in E-Z Smog shop:
On a sign headed "Anything broken? Altered?":
Malfunctions examples: Added ground effects/running boards/air damn
On a sign detailing types of payment accepted:
"The only restriction on cash is that it not be counterfeit. (If you are a counterfeiter, we apologize for the inconvenience.)"