The first order of business was breakfast, and by breakfast, I mean a bowl of cereal large enough to feed a small family. Lucky Charms, Cap'n Crunch, Froot Loops, Cocoa Puffs, nutrition wasn't exactly the priority. If the milk changed color, that was practically a bonus.

Then came the important decision: where to sit.

Some of us claimed the couch. Others stretched out on the carpet, about three feet from a television that weighed more than the family dog.

And then the magic began.

Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, The Smurfs, Super Friends, The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show. Depending on your age and the year, the lineup changed, but the ritual didn't.

There was no pausing, rewinding, or skipping ahead. If you missed your favorite show, you missed it. Better luck next Saturday.

Even the commercials were part of the experience. Toy advertisements, sugary cereal mascots, and the occasional product that looked absolutely incredible on television but turned out to be a spectacular disappointment in real life.

And somewhere around late morning, the magic started fading.

The cartoons ended. The grown-up programming began. Someone inevitably told you to get dressed, clean your room, or go outside.

And just like that, Saturday morning was over.

But for a few hours every week, the living room was ours, the cereal was unlimited (at least until someone noticed), and the only thing that mattered was what came on next.

Remember when checking the mailbox was a daily surprise? Well, the Postal Service has taken some of the mystery out of it.

USPS offers a free service called Informed Delivery that lets you preview incoming mail before it reaches your mailbox.

Each morning, you can receive an email showing grayscale images of the address side of letter-sized mail scheduled to arrive soon. You can also track packages and check delivery updates.

It's especially handy if you're waiting for an important document, a replacement credit card, or something that isn't another advertisement for extended car warranties.

The service is free, although eligibility depends on your address.

Check it out: USPS Informed Delivery

We've all clicked those little boxes asking us to prove we're not robots. Annoying? Sure, but usually harmless.

Now scammers are creating fake CAPTCHA verification screens that look legitimate but have a nasty surprise.

Instead of asking you to identify traffic lights or crosswalks, these fake screens instruct you to open your computer's Run window or command prompt, then copy and paste a command.

That command can install malware which could ultimately lead to criminals to full access of your computer.

The red flag: A legitimate CAPTCHA should never require you to run commands on your computer.

If you encounter one, close the page. If you've already followed the instructions, disconnect the device from the internet and run a security scan.

Apparently, proving we're human now requires proving we're not gullible, too.

Learn more: FTC — How to Spot a CAPTCHA Scam

This weekend, skip your usual breakfast routine and make something you haven't had since you were a kid.

Maybe it's a ridiculously oversized bowl of Cap'n Crunch, homemade french toast, or pancakes shaped like something that only vaguely resembles an animal.

Put on some old-school cartoons in the background, stay in your pajamas a little longer, and enjoy a Saturday morning without rushing anywhere.

Better yet, invite your significant other, kids, or a friend to join you.

You don't have to recreate your entire childhood. Sometimes all it takes is a bowl of cereal and a familiar theme song to bring back a few good memories.

And if you choose Cap'n Crunch, give the roof of your mouth a fighting chance.

Captain Cave Man? The Smurfs? Super Friends? Tom and Jerry? Or maybe something a little more obscure?

Every Gen Xer had at least one cartoon they absolutely refused to miss.

Hit reply and tell me which one was yours. Bonus points if you can still sing the theme song from memory.

And that, my fellow Gen Xers, is Issue #005.

Gen No Net will be back next Saturday with more useful finds, smart tips, worthy escapes, and just enough nostalgia.

Until then, get out and go enjoy Mother Nature’s gifts.

Gen No Net

Know another Gen Xer who'd enjoy this? Feel free to forward it to them. 🤙