Miami Vice

I had the most generous offer from Sonia at Southeast Computer Solutions (www.southeastcomputers.com) to visit their offices and staff and she was picking up the tab for the visit! The thought of Don Shula's resort, some food and drinks with the the most fun company in Sage's line-up, and a chance to see Miami was irresistable.

I rode steadily along the scenic US1 from Key West to Miami. The stink had subsided somewhat, the pelicans were no longer playing in the breeze, and the road works were as horrific as ever. I must say though that I like the Southern USA for the fact that in construction zones, although one must be more alert, the speeds through the coned-off lanes remain the same. Full marks for that reasonableness chaps! Also, the southern drivers have been pretty good all-round. Not too many nutters and yet not too many doddlers either. I think the fact that they post MINIMUM speeds is VERY good for safety too! This is a guy who wrote safety campaigns talking so if you think safety is JUST about speed...call me. I dare you.

Finding the 826 from the US1 in Miami SW was a farce. The signwriters change the number of the motorway every 500 yards, yet neglect to tell you that it is ALSO the same as the the other 5,000 highways that use that route all at the same time! In a nation of east-west/north-south grids the motorway gurus STILL manage to find a way to keep you confused and desperately switching lanes. Steady on, how else would we manage to keep our fire dept., police and paramedics employed if things were clear and safe??? I also allowed 4 hours for that 216 mile journey. Ha! 1,278,537 traffic lights later at 3 weeks per traffic light change...

Southeast Computer Solutions are in a minaiature white house (very, very nice place) and the immaculate offices have some of my favourite abstract art! The staff are outrageously real because they CAN be! They are skilled and LOVE their customers unless the customer is a total basket-case in which case it appears they inform the customer of this fact. I LOVE THEM! Customers need to realise that a REAL consultant is just that. A CONSULTANT! they TELL YOU when you are wrong! We sure had fun at Don Shula's as we joked and talked business. I so respected their attitudes toward staff, clients, Sage, software and it seems that working 12 hour days on behalf of the client is the norm. DesignR1 holds the same views. We just try to be more PC (in spite of JK!). I'll snap pics tomorrow and thank Sonia now for her generous donation for the kids with cancer and the Hole in the Wall Gang Fund.