Roundcat, What could instantly turn a bad day into a good day for me was coming home from school, and there being a copy of #nintendopower and #shonenjump in the mail pile for me. I would read these cover to cover, get excited for upcoming games, get hints on games I was playing, get a new chapter or two of a manga I was following, and learn what was hot in Japan.
The internet was simply where I played #runescape and talked on #gaiaonline.