Twas the night before (Fairbanks, Gateway: house, rent, travel)

[warptman]

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS..



'Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,
Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.
The aircraft were fastened to tie-downs with care,
In hopes that come morning, they all would be there.
The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,
With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.

I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up,
And settled down comfortably, resting my butt.
When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,
I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.
A voice clearly heard over static and snow,
Called for clearance to land at the airport below.
He barked his transmission so lively and quick,
I'd have sworn that the call sign he used was "St. Nick";
I ran to the panel to turn up the lights,
The better to welcome this magical flight.
He called his position, no room for denial,
"St. Nicholas One, turnin' left onto final."

And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer!
With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came,
As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:
"Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!
On Comet! On Cupid!" What pills was he takin'?
While controllers were sittin', and scratchin' their head,
They phoned to my office, and I heard it with dread,
The message they left was both urgent and dour:
"When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower."
He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,
Then I heard "Left at Charlie," and "Taxi to parking."
He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh
And stopped on the ramp with a "Ho, ho-ho- ho..."
He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,
I ran out to meet him with my best set of chocks.
His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost
And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhaust.

His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale,
A nd he puffed on a pipe, but he didn't inhale.
His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly,
His books were as black as a cop dusters belly.
He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red,
And he asked me to "fill it, with hundred low- lead."
He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump,
I knew he was anxious for drainin' the sump.
I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,
And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.

He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief,
Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief.
And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,
These reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog.
He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear,
Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell, "Clear!"
And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,
He called up the tower for clearance and squawk.
"Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction,
Turn right three-two-zero at pilot' s discretion."
He sped down the runway, the best of the best.
"Your traffic's a Grumman, inbound from the west."
Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed through the night,
"Merry Christmas to all! I have traffic in sight."

Enjoy!

[mal_flisk]

I like it!

[Arcticthaw]

Wow!! COOL, I loved the Rutan bit!

[warptman]

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a CDer typing or moving the mouse

Their questions on Alaska posted with care

In hopes that everyone there had something to share



The CDers were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of Alaska danced in their heads;

And people looking for things they can add

"I know more than you" is the current fad

When out desk there rose such a clatter,

I sprang to the chair to see whats the matter.

Away to the computer desk with no waver

Tore open the browser and woke it up from the screen saver


The screen on the computer of star trek marquee

Made your mind think of space travel and say...."weeeee"

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a "you've got mail" sounded so near

With a little old driver, so old and so slow

I knew in a moment to AOL I must go

More slower and old the messages came,

You curse and yell out loud this computer is lame;

"I must buy a Mac! or a PC, No Dell and maybe HP

Or Sony! or Gateway! or, Toshiba! and Panasonic!

To the top of the desk! to the top of my lap!

Now Buy away! Bill me Later! Put it on my Tap!

How will they ship it? by ground or by air?

"We don't ship to Alaska" is all i hear

So up to the old desktop, the cursers they worked,

This old wired mouse i pulled and jerked


And then in Alaska room , I read "where do you Fish?"

I'd love to come up there one of these days I wish"

This kind of questions would get most mad.


As I read all the entries, and was goofing around,

someone asked "where is all the fun to be found?".

Rance would answer it and i'd think "oh neat',

I thought to myself, "I need to go there, too, sounds pretty sweet"

A bundle of questions all in a rack,

like "i'd like to drive the alcan and take the ferry back.

"Don't take the Alcan take the Ferry!

Some would answer "The Alcan can be Scary!"

I think to myself if they never drove it, how would they know?,

Someone says, "watch for the RV's They drive to darn slow"

Some think its not paved and it'll rattle your teeth,

and we all know that its paved and the rough is beneath;

What is there to do in Fairbanks? signed Shelly,

Arctic said "drive to Dick's Halfway Inn, they'll fill your belly"

Then someone asked what muktuk was, I said, 'its all fat',

And I laughed when I read that to myself;

User2 knew everything to me as I read,

I hope he doesn't get mad or shoot me dead;

Xa'at just put her two week notice at work,

"I'm on my way home to Alaska" we all smile with a smirk

Goddess just posted another smiley with a funny pose,

Thats just her way of having fun, i suppose

I hope that I didn't leave anyone out on this list

And I hope they read this in fun and not get dissed.

I hope you know I wrote this in fun, right?,

Merry Christmas my fellow Alaskan CDers and goodnight!

Merry Christmas

[Rance]

Your a poet and I didn't even know it!

[thepenartist]

Wow, warptman, you are really talented.

[warptman]

Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Can you say too much food lastnight? Hope everyone is looking forward to a new year!

[Xa'at]

Yay!

One week!
Xa'at come home!