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Twas the blog before Christmas

Putting a National Dragster spin on the classic "Twas the night before Christmas"
24 Dec 2007
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider

Twas truly the night before Christmas, and between entertaining family and friends, wrapping gifts for the grandkids, and last-minute rushing around, I almost -- note almost -- forgot my Monday deadline. So I sat down, while the family went about last-minute shopping, to write this entry, which ended up taking me longer than a normal one. Man, rhyming is hard!

Anyway, I'll be back Wednesday, the day after Christmas, unless I get a Ferrari or something, which means you won't see me until Thursday. If you're lucky.

So, without further delay, and with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, here's the blog before Christmas.

Twas the night before Christmas, and all though the blog
Not a thought was there stirring, my mind all a-fog.
The keyboard just sat there very still and all quiet
In hope of an end to my wordfree diet.

The verbs were nestled somewhere in my head
Any visions of adverbs had long gone to bed
The staff all at home, with presents to wrap
DRAGSTER bedded down for its long winter nap

When from the email there arose a mad note,
From a reader afar wondering why I'd not wrote.
"Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are your routine,
Why today was there nothing new to be seen?

"The page on the web of your much-hyped blog
Last was updated Friday, you lazy ol' dog.
And what to my wondering eyes do I find,
No new entries today, or have I gone blind?

"Write of an old driver, still lively and quick,
Or tell us a story, anything that you pick."
More rapid than racers the ideas they all came,
And I jotted, and noted, and wrote down the names!

"Now Fuller! now Stoffer! now Naylor and Jeggie!
On, Dixon! On, Herbert!, on Brandon and Connie!
To the top of the blog! to the top of the page!
Write away right away, it’s all the rage"

Of dry hops that old fans all loved to see,
Or more insider tales of the first Xmas Tree.
A story or two about ol' OCIR,
About Graham and Kalb, and even ol' Gar.

And then, in a ringing, I heard on the phone
I knew it was Geiger by the Texas ringtone.
As I drew to my head, the shiny new Razr,
He said, "you could write of an old trailblazer."

I was dressed in a t-shirt, jeans yet barefoot,
The girls were out shopping while home I stayed put.
A bundle of ideas now borne on my back,
As I looked to the screen on white I wrote black.

The thoughts, how they twinkled! my face a big grin!
My fingers got tingly, with stories still to spin
I thought of the day I first wrote this blog
Would it be popular or just a weak dog.

The folks I have met in just a short time,
Gave me reason to smile, my faith it did climb.
Voices from the past come as all new presents,
New friendships form from these events!

I was proud and still am, a right jolly writer,
The funk it gone, the mood much brighter
A wink of an eye and a twist of the word,
To write this entry for you I was spurred

I sat down smiling, and went straight to my work,
And punched in these words, you see I'm no jerk.
To you this holiday present I give,
And the late delivery I hope you forgive!

I'm down to the last verse, for best or worse,
The holiday rush I no longer will curse.
So now you'll hear me exclaim as I sign off then,
It'll be late Wednesday 'fore you see me again.


Happy Holidays from the DRAGSTER staff