Back to our previously questionable ramblings.

           I was a child of the 70's.  I really loved it.  I even subscribed to a blog of that title.  The person had to move on.  I often wonder if I should email him.  I did finally send a blog message and such.  But that is another story.  Oh like the title suggests, we're going back to general ramblings.  Although I may find this worthy of 2 posts.  It's that important to me.

     My life long love of video games started with the Atari 2600.  Now I cannot remember the day or the rhyme nor the reason I got this.  It may have been the newest piece of technology that was current that I ever received.  Without it being years behind.  

     Essentially it was the first game console.  It hooked up to your television and you could play it at home.  Now I'd been hooked by the local malls video game parlor.  Probably countless movies from the 80's will have one if you need reference.    At the conception of this piece the only one I can think of is from the first Terminator.

     In fact it even had a an option for color T.V., which I didn't posses until the end of the decade.  My friend Darren did, he also had one.  He was hooked as well, he would eventually pass on from it.  But we had a ball for a long time with it.  He was one of my best neighborhood friends.  He lived right around the corner in the newer development.

     So new the tree's weren't even old.  They still had 2 pieces of wood next to them to allow them to grow straight.  And unlike my development, all the houses were 2 stories.  A big deal in my young eyes.  I think that is where I got the concept of people who lived in houses with more than 1 story were rich.  And Darren's family was rather well off.  But this isn't about that.

     It was an essential gaming system.  You can find pictures of it, they sell on eBay, all that jazz.  I can even remember when space invaders came out.  We walked about 14 miles round trip to get the cartridge.  It was awesome.

     The thing you need to know is this, kids weren't as idle as they are now.  Mothers were always sending you outside for fresh air.  And that was grand as well.  Maybe we'll touch on that later.

     I would eventually wind up with a huge collection of cartridges.  I really really loved gaming.  It even had a joystick and a paddle.  The paddle was essentially a turning nob, didn't use it in to many games.  

     Joystick.  Reminds me of something, no not that.  I remember when mine broke.  I must have been buying my 3rd one when my dad asked why.  We took it apart.  4 screws.  The top came apart from the bottom, the bottom held the electronics.  The plastic stick came out of the rubber that was on the top.  Oh this is ripe for innuendos I suppose.

     The stick itself was essentially a molded piece of plastic that ended in a round disc.  It was the disc that broke.  It always eventually broke.  We knew this because it was the same place every time.  So we ordered a case of them.  Why?  Because my dad was smart.

     This was the height of popularity.  For what we paid for the case, could be made up in 10 joystick repairs, for $2 a piece.  Now remember this is the mid to late 70's.  Money didn't just flow.  And everyone was glad to have me repair their joysticks and pay the $2, instead of forking over the, let's say $20 it would cost new.  Ah good times.  

     Next up we will have a discussion of my favorite game of all times. 

-later