This week I am going to tell all you boys and girls a Christmas story that took place long ago.  This story is from a time of disco balls, bell bottom pants, and kitchen appliances colored in Harvest Gold.  It was the early 1980’s and FarmerDave had just graduated from the University of Madison, Wisconsin with a degree in Agriculture.  Having just earned my sheepskin, I headed home with the thoughts of telling my parents, who had been farming for 20 years by then, just how to run a farm.

Well, I had graduated at the end of summer and I was looking to relax for a while at the farm working and earning a little cash until Christmas, at which time I would decide what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I had heard about a sequel to the original Atari 2600 called the Atari 5200 Super System and I was very excited about it.  I went to the local five and dime store and actually played on one of the game consoles.  After playing a few games of Dig Dug I was hooked; I thought to myself “I have to get one of these for Christmas!"

And so began the arduous task of coming up with $199.95 to pay for the system.  I mean, after all, I was 22 years old and a college graduate; I should be able to pay for this myself, right?

The reality of the situation was that I was pretty much broke.  I had just enough money to buy gas and drive home from school one last time before all of my money ran out.  So I started selling everything that I could to raise the needed cash for the almighty Atari.  I worked on my parent’s farm for $1.00 an hour, sold all of my college textbooks, and even sold my blood to get some extra cash.  After passing out from giving to much blood, I decided that there had to be a better way.  I then started to sell off all of the old game “stuff” that I had, including an autographed 1968 Bart Starr Green Bay Packer helmet.  (I do not want to think what that would be worth now.)

Sadly though, Christmas came around and I only had managed to raise about $145.00.  Frustrated and saddened, I put the idea of the Atari 5200 on hold and spent some of the money I had saved on an all night videogame blitz at a local tavern that had five coin-op games.  I spent the night playing Asteroids, Tempest, Missile Command, Space Invaders, and Zaxxon.  I returned home, feeling good about getting my videogame fix, but somehow saddened by the loss of the “prize”.

The next night was Christmas Eve.  We were all opening presents and chatting about what we had received.  I had gotten two sweaters, a couple of pairs of socks, and an adjustable wrench.  We were nearly done opening presents, when my mom disappeared into the other room.  I was thinking she needed an eggnog refill, when she came back into the room with a large gift.

The tag on the package said it was Santa, and it was for me.  I hurriedly pushed my sweaters and socks out of the way, and began to open the package.  I hooked my finger under the wrapping paper and began to pull when all of a sudden I saw the numbers…

My pulse quickened and I made fast work of the rest of the wrapping “when what to my wondering eyes should appear” but a Brand New Atari 5200!  I spent the rest of the night with the game system plugged into our 25 inch console TV playing Pac-Man until 2 o’clock in the morning.

May all your holiday dreams come true.  Merry Christmas!

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