I remember getting excited when I looked in the tv guide and it said that the Christmas specials would be broadcast in color! And then when I turned on the tv? Black and white, same as always. I had to ask my mom why it wasn't in color.

Also? Amy, that picture gave me a wave of nausea. Totes YOUR FAULT!

Sara boggles when I show her albums. So weird how much has changed just since I was a kid.

Cable wasn't even available in my neighborhood until I was almost done with high school.

In Central Jersey, I think it was available when I was in junior high, but hardly anyone had it. I do remember being at one friend's house the day MTV premiered -- there were about seven of us jammed in her tiny den, because she was the only we knew who had cable.

I'm sorry, Burrell! I was torn between horror and fascination myself.

I remember - living outside NYC - we had FOUR channels. One was the educational channel. I also remember shows coming on proudly announcing "in living color" ... which we watched in black and white because, hey, (all together now) it still works.

We had one station in Jamaica, and it didn't broadcast until about four PM. You guys don't even know how good you had it.

Yeah, my mother has "but the old one still works" syndrome.

I'm not going to lie -- I have that, too.

UHF vs. VHF.

It was a big deal for a preteen boy to find the UHF channels, because that's typically where you found the weird ass shit, like Black Belt Theater, or monster movies or old animation or cheap local productions.

Remember when the stations signed off at midnight and showed the test pattern?

Surfer movies!

Remember when the stations signed off at midnight and showed the test pattern?

I do!

the stations signed off at midnight

With the national anthem and the flag flying and the inspiring shots of dramatic landscapes.

edit: Now they sign off and show infomercials.