game over
12.13.03 @ 5:59 p.m.
Another productive day in the life of Ellen.
Today has been characterized by nostalgia and geek. I'll start with just after midnight, since that's technically 'today'...
Last night Dad went to a German Shepherd Dog Club of Oregon Christmas dinner, which he had to attend because if memory serves, he's Match Chairman. Also, my grandma loves that sort of thing, and everyone in the Dog Club knows her. She may have also wanted to tell everyone how she got one of her cataracts removed. I suppose I'm less than the idea granddaughter, seeing as I haven't gone to see her since I got home and she does live next door. Anyway, they had a bit of a gift exchange and Dad came home mid-Conan O'Brien and waved a box at me. "I got the booby prize," he muttered. I guess he was less than pleased with what he got: a two disc DVD of 'classic commercials.' TV ads from the fifties through the seventies. They're actually pretty damn cool.
What makes me sad about them is that as a result, we've decided (and by 'we' I mean everyone but me) not to go see "What the Seventies Were Really Like" at the Guild tonight. It's a collection of PSAs and ads rescued from a local TV station and edited into a movie. Oh well. I guess there are other things I'd rather watch.
The afternoon has been devoted to video games, though. And not just any video games. For while I did hook up the SNES and play Super Mario Land and Donky Kong Country, I figured I might as well go all out and hooked up the Atari 2600. This is a video game system that is older than me. Not by much, but enough. All the games are copyrighted 1981 and 1982. And it creates this limbo between frustration and fun, because almost none of these games have the instruction booklets with them, so I have no idea what's going on. Amidst the bleeps and bursts of static that characterize early game sound effects, I'm sure my dad heard me yelling things like "No, damnit! Why are you in the hole again!? What am I supposed to be doing here?" That would be E.T., who mysteriously ends up in a pit every two seconds while being chased around by two figures in trench coats.
Also, Donky Kong (the original one): Is there really anything to do but jump over as many barrels as possible? Is my cartridge fucked up? (Well, I know it is because today was the first time I got it to play at all in all the times I've tried to use the Atari over the years.) I can't move up the scaffolding. Not like it's really worth the effort to play.
Old video game nostalgia is strong enough of late that I keep looking at the big box o' game cartridges we have and wondering how much I could sell our duplicate copies of games for.
Dad came up while I was playing some of them and started reminiscing about various games and making me go through space-related cartridges until he found the game he was thinking of, "Defender." Which we have two of.
Well, I guess not. Looking at eBay, there are like, lots of 50 cartidges going for $2-$3. Ah, there go my dreams of funding my college education on my brother's memories. Hah. Anyway, I'm being called to dinner, so I guess I'll go.
Previously
fuck it @ 08.01.05
fanciful imaginary sea voyages to come @ 07.20.05
*dies* @ 07.19.05
more ootp @ 07.17.05
harry potter: driving our children into devil worship @ 07.17.05
