Hammin' 2: The Return of Geronimo

I have SO MUCH to blog about, I scarcely know where to start. So I'll go back to Thursday night and work my way forward.

It was time for the weekly net, and were quite sure Geronimo had gone back to the midwest, so we were sadly thinking that it would be another sedate evening on the net. We put the radio on just as Jack started the net, and as soon as he finished, someone came on with very low audio. I couldn't make it out, but as soon as Jack read back the call sign, we realized: He's baaaaaaaaaaaack!

So Jack tells him, "Your audio isn't on" and suggested he do this or that or something else, and the guy does it and comes in loud and clear. "This is AA1AAA and I'm at the mall walking around the roadhouse in the parking lot near Rte 3 and I-95."

And so Jack notes him and continues, and the guy chimes in again, but his audio is back off, and so Jack tells him that, and the guy apparently says his battery is dying, so Jack says, "Well, that's a shame. Have a good night, we won't expect to hear from you again!" and we all heave a sigh of relief (although, frankly, I was kind of hoping for a show down).

So we go through the net, and there were only 4 or 5 of us who had called in, so when we all finished, and Jack calls for anyone else who wants to join the net. Well, if you haven't already guessed it, guess who's back?

"This is AA1AAA and I'm at the mall walking around the roadhouse in the parking lot near Rte 3 and I-95."

Then a bunch of other guys call in. So Jack is talking to each of them and between each one we hear: "This is AA1AAA and I'm at the mall walking around the roadhouse in the parking lot near Rte 3 and I-95."

I was about falling off the bed I was laughing so hard. The guy literally wasn't saying anything else. We were picturing him walking around in circles at the mall, in the parking lot.

Then, disaster strikes. Our HT's battery goes dead. So I was going to spend the night at my sister's so I could be at work early, and so I head out and as I'm hauling up 95, my phone rings.

Michael's listening to the net with the radio plugged in, and a new guy took over for Jack to run the swap shop. Finally, this guy got tired of "This is AA1AAA and I'm at the mall walking around the roadhouse in the parking lot near Rte 3 and I-95", told the guy, "I'm trying to run a net here and you're making it impossible" and shut the net down completely.

Michael's speculating that the guy is going to get a letter in the mail that he is persona non grata not only on the net, but on the entire repeater. We can't believe he's still in town! Will he be back this week? I guess we'll see. The battery is fully charged, so if there are any fireworks, we'll be ready.