My Christmas present to myself

As I get older, my mind wanders back more and more to things I once loved, things I haven't thought about in years. And I always wonder if there's some way to get just one more glimpse/feel/sound/taste of something long-gone. Often this will lead me to Ebay, where I've purchased such seemingly useless items as a metal coffee can from back when coffee cans opened with a key, or a fifty-year-old can of Cashmere Bouquet talcum powder because Grandma used to use it, and it reminds me of her fragrance. I once bought a "Simon Says" on Ebay because I used to play with the one we gave my daughter for Christmas, and it was so much fun.

So in the midst of my annual Christmas nostalgia, for some reason I recalled a TV show from the '70's, "Barney Miller". I wondered why I had never seen it on TV in syndication. The show was hilarious, and I wished there were some way I could watch just an episode or two of it, for old times' sake. Or maybe somewhere on the Internet I could buy just a season or two and laugh, once again, the way I used to laugh out loud at Fish and Wojciehowicz.

Would they really be as funny as I remembered?

I found a site that was selling all eight seasons for $59. I thought it over for a few minutes, knowing full well that sometimes you can't go home again. Some things I thought were hilarious in the '70's can only be described as corny, or even stupid, when viewed in 2008.

I saw no mention of closed captions, so I figured if I got the DVD set, I'd be watching the shows alone; Cliff can't make out much that's being said on TV without captions.

But I took the plunge (Merry Christmas to me); and last Saturday the mailman brought us a package from China (!?!) that had to be signed for.

The picture quality isn't that great; but I've watched the first two episodes, and I haven't laughed so hard since.... well, maybe since 1975! Cliff stood in the living room waiting for his ride to show up, watching the first episode with me; and he made out enough of the dialogue to put him in stitches, too.

I wonder how long it will take me to get through seven seasons?