comptrmech's Blog

The Night Before Christmas at Fox 2


'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the station
Not a creature was stirring, not even a Tim Ezell,
The stockings were hung by the control booth with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The camera operators were nestled all snug in at their desks,
While visions of national networks danced in their heads;
And Margie Ellisor in her 'kerchief, and I (Kevin Steincross) in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the helicopter pad there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the desk to see what was the matter.
Away to the remote camera I powered up like a flash,
Turned on the monitor, and turned on the spot.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature chopper, and eight of the morning crew

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name

'Now, April! Now, John! Now, Glenn and Mandi!
On, Andy, on Randi! On, Monica and Elliot !
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!'

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The dancing and hew-hawing of each
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the stairway St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of exclusive news stories he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the in-boxes; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the stairway he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"


Santa: "HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,
AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"