You can find the most amazing time capsules in your very own house. The key is to tape random bits of stuff on tons of VHS tapes, stash said tapes in a cabinet for years and years, and then dig them out and pop them in the VCR to see just what treasures you have saved from the past.

The thrill from this activity is on a par with when I was traveling through Europe, living on trains, two pairs of socks to my name, one pair I was wearing and the other tucked in my backpack carefully folded into a neat ball. Worn on alternate days, of course. Every other day I would 'discover' whichever pair was currently in the backpack and think "wah-la! Clean socks!"

That thrill.

Results of my tape excavation so far:

1.) An almost complete set of Mr. Bean episodes, with vintage PBS pledge drive commentary (you too can have a little mini-machine version of Mr. Bean's car...if you go back to 1993 and send the lovely folks at KERA a check).

2.) A 1995 episode of Melrose Place...and that was a good year! I think Billy was hitting the bottle a little.

3.) An episode of Ned & Stacey, which reminded me how much I loved that show, even if they did keep writing Stacey as more and more of a stupid airhead, and even if Debra Messing is much better off career-wise on Will & Grace. And sure I could catch Ned & Stacey re-runs on USA, but who has time to remember to set a tape? Or any blank tapes in the house that are not already filled with priceless mementos of the past?

4.) A copy of The In-Laws that was apparently copied from a 3 a.m. UPN airing. I love this movie! So exciting. I've already watched it again. Serpentine!

5.) The ladies free skate program and medal ceremony from the 1992 Albertville Olympics. How freaking random is that? Just the other day I was wishing that I had past skating competitions on tape. Especially 1988, because I think that was the best Olympics ever, skating-wise. I was quite excited to find this, because I was hoping it was the competition when Tonya Harding started bawling about her skate and asked for a do-over. It wasn't, but I was still impressed that whoever had taped it had cared enough to blip out the commericals. Ok, it was probably me.

6.) An entire tape of Boy Meets World episodes, some from syndication and some from primetime TGIF runs. Cake!

7.) A tape of several of NBC's Thursday night lineups from 2000. Now taped over with Monday night's Olympics. Hmm...old Friends episodes. Ice dancing finals. Obviously there was no contest.

8.) The pilot episode of Boston Common. I wonder how much money it would take to assemble that cast together and put that show back into production. It would take "Yes, Dear" off the air. That would have to be a good thing.

9.) A run of Saved by the Bell: The College Years episodes where Kelly had an affair with a professor.

10.) Three Bosom Buddies episodes. Sadly none were the one where Tom Hanks throws water balloons out the window. :(

And I still have like 10 tapes to go through! Plus all of mr. rampy's. It's like Christmas, but nine times as long!