’Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the land
not a computer was working, there was no broadband.
The new apps were loaded on tablets with care,
In hopes someone from Bell or Time Warner soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of a new Surface or Kindle danced in their heads;
Unable to Google or chat on Facebook
The kids thought Santa just may be a crook.

When out on the driveway two trucks pulled in,
All sprang to our windows to investigate the din.

The LEDs reflecting on the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of high-tech to everything below.
When, what should appear to my wondering eye,
But one rep from Bell and the other, a cable guy.

More punctual that most, with tool belts they came,
Both knocked on the door and asked for our name:
“No Smith, Jones or Johnson do we have on our lists
Are you sure that dispatch might not have missed?”

A quick call to the office confirmed our plight
And both said they could set things aright.

They spoke no more, but went straight to their tasks,
One checked the phone line but the other just asked,
“Isn’t that old tech?” He explained,
“Cable is better for the internet to be sustained.”

Back and forth they argued well into the night
While we feared getting back on line may be out of sight.
And then, in a twinkling, we heard up above
The clanking of a ladder and someone shout “Shove!”

As we drew in our heads, and were turning around,
Down the chimney the DirectTV man came with a bound.
He was dressed all in blue, from head to toe,
And his face indicated that he was someone to know.

A bundle of tools he had flung on his back,
A drill and saw and, of course, a spare battery pack.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work
And installed a new dish, receiver and one added perk:
A new satellite modem was part of the deal
For only $150 a month, what a steal.

This will bring your internet back he inferred;
It not too late to order on line he assured.
So we logged on to Amazon, Ebay and more
And found free shipping from the UPS Store.

With our broadband back we were all in awe
And bought most everything on line that we saw.
There were iPads and iPods, a new HDTV,
A laptop, cell phone and a Blu-Ray DVD.

As the three went to their trucks and were driving away
“Don’t forget the extra batteries” we heard them all say.

Jack Dominic, a Harrison Township resident, is VP at CET, Cincinnati’s Public Television station, a pioneer in broadcasting and online video services. You can contact him at jdominic@cetconnect.org or read previous columns at http://www.jackatcet.blogspot.com, or www.theharrison-press.com.