<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="auto">I have seen this poem for many years in the broadcast industry., However I don't know who the author is either.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Dave Ratener </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div id="composer_signature" dir="auto"><div style="font-size:85%;color:#575757" dir="auto">Sent from my Galaxy</div></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div><br></div><div align="left" dir="auto" style="font-size:100%;color:#000000"><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Michael Brooks via SBE16-Board <sbe16-board@sea.sbe16.org> </div><div>Date: 12/19/21 11:59 AM (GMT-08:00) </div><div>To: Jim Dalke <jim@dalke.com>, 'SBE16 Board' <sbe16-board@sea.sbe16.org> </div><div>Subject: Re: [SBE16-Board] Party </div><div><br></div></div>
No idea who the author was. Jon?
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<div dir="auto" id="ms-outlook-mobile-signature">Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone<br>
Get <a href="https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg">Outlook for Android</a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="divRplyFwdMsg"><font color="#000000" style="font-size:11pt" face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b>From:</b> jim@dalke.com <jim@dalke.com><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, December 19, 2021 9:19:38 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Michael Brooks <michaelb@king.org>; 'SBE16 Board' <sbe16-board@sea.sbe16.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> RE: [SBE16-Board] Party</font>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">Mike</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">I have a copy and will post ASAP.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Any idea where it originated or who to credit?</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Jim</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">The Engineer's Night Before Christmas</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Twas the night before Christmas and I had finally gotten home</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">When my Wife met me at the door and handed me the phone.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">"It's that darn remote control thing" she said in great dismay</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">And the Burk doesn't call simply to say Happy Holiday.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">So while my children were hanging the stockings by the chimney with care</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">I'm preoccupied trying to get the transmitter back on the air.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">"ON filaments, ON plate, NO output? You stupid ____""</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Recycle, RESET, Overload? I'm fixen ----!!"</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Regaining my composure to notice my Daughter's staring face</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Asking "Daddy - do you HAVE to go to that transmitter place??"</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">"Yes Honey", I said "But it won't be for long"</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Hoping deep down inside that I wasn't wrong.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">So out I trudged into the cold winter's night</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">To the world's most remote tower site.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Driving past all the houses, lit up with holiday glee</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Feeling sorry for myself -- and asking why me ??</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">But as I got closer my heart was feeling some lighter</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">When all of a sudden -- I started hearing the EXCITER!</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">"Powr Supply"! I thought ... "surely it's not the final"</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">My heart's racing now, anticipating my arrival.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">With schematic after schematic dancing in my head</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">"what if the plate transformer's shorted dead"??</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Throwing open the gate and running into the shack</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">I start to tackle the problem and race around the back</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Where much to my amazement what did I see ??</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">A half open back door door --- apparently not shut good --- BY ME !!</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">So as I return to my cottage after a night so tiring,</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">I'm wondering if perhaps McDonald's is hiring !</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Then I think "What a profession --- I could never leave"</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">After all, I've got maintenance scheduled for NEW YEARS'S EVE !!</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!!!</p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> SBE16-Board <sbe16-board-bounces@sea.sbe16.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Michael Brooks via SBE16-Board<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, December 18, 2021 10:20 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> SBE Chapter 16 Executive Board <sbe16-board@sbe16.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [SBE16-Board] Party</p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">Great team work by all pulling tonight's party. Gifts, guests, Santa, slide show. All great stuff!</p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">Jon and Jim, any chance we could get a copy of The Broadcast Engineer Night Before Christmas posted on our Chapter 16 website front page? I bet it would draw some hits/shares!</p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">I'll do the numbers in next few days. I'm on vacation starting tomorrow. </p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">Thanks Jon for the kind recognition. </p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal">Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone<br>
Get <a href="https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg">Outlook for Android</a></p>
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