“Any Exoduses Wanting to Check In?

On the SSB radio nets the typical order of business is taking any emergency/priority traffic (seldom), then check-ins for vessels underway (usually one or two), then all the general checkins for boats at anchor.  During the summer we had gotten used to the net traffic being very, very sparse.  It would pretty much typically be our little gang checking in to each other each day.  So, early in our passage from Puerto Refugio to San Felipe I tuned in to the Southbound Net, and Steve (Lady Carolina) was the net controller.  Obviously he knew we were underway, since we just left them at Puerto Refugio, so he totally cracked me up when, after calling for emergency traffic (and getting none), he moved to taking checkins from “any Exoduses wishing to check into the net.  Any Exoduses out there, please come ahead now.”  Me, “Exodus.”  Steve, “I hear an Exodus.  Exodus, please come ahead with your checkin.”  Then he took checkins from other vessels underway.  Wow, personal service from the southbound net.  We wouldn’t pull anything like that these days when the nets get much more traffic since cruisers are all back from their summer holidays, but the summertime did yield some good times.