Words and photos by JK
We packed up for our retreat from Canada. We were due to visit the new Sage Software offices in Richmond BC and my friend Rob McKay and his wife Heather who had kindly arranged for the R1 to sneak inside for a photo-shoot. The weather was warm and sunny. I thought of the ride to Seattle, assumed it may get cool and foolishly wore 2 T-shirts. I recalled the first night at this motel when a lady called Reiko Linde enthusiastically stopped us for a chat. She has a BMW motorcycle. She spotted the Sage and ACT! logos and mentioned that she has used ACT! for years. Just 2 nights and 1 day in a hotel and it seems like weeks in one spot! I can't believe that on May 20th I was on the beach of the Atlantic and today we stood at the Pacific. I must read up on Lewis and Clark.
The reception and enthusiasm shown by all the Sage staff was fantastic. They had sent an email round to all 400 staff to come and meet us around noon in the foyer. We managed to snap a few pics but there were too many people to do it justice. I received a "goody-bag" of Sage gifts and selected a few that I fancied or found practical. Like a fresh new T-shirt! After being treated to pizza I had to drag Garrett away from his conversation with Joe about India as they had warned us about the border crossing queues.
We arrived at the border for a 45 minute wait in sweltering, humid heat at the Peace Arch. They say it is usually up to 3 hours. A very friendly young guy dispelled all my previous horrid experiences with Canadian customs officialdom. Garrett pulled over to put on his helmet and gloves in the area used to do further questioning. An older guy with the "badge attitude" came over and asked what we were doing. Duh! I tried to be friendly and just asked if today was going to build up into a nightmare for them as it was a holiday weekend. "We don't have nightmares...we get the job done!" he yelled and strutted off. Yeah, hence the hours of waiting. Good to know the old brigade is still around protecting us from the blue-rinse, Buick terrorists.
Off we rode on I5 to Seattle and saw the spactacular Mount Baker and then Mount Rainier further south. Everyone calls poor Rainer (pronounced Ryner), our CEO and founder of DesignR1, Rainier...probably because he's as tall as a mountain. I was falling asleep and missed Hwy 900 to Renton. So we ended up on the I405 east and had a devil of a job finding the motel. Mark Hammer had booked for us. We arrived after 6pm instead of the calculated 4pm and I showered and fell asleep instantly while Garrett went in search of a beer and food. I met up with Mark and caught up to date on news and gave him a few cold-weather items I no longer needed to haul around. His sister Rebecca gets married tomorrow here in Seattle. Later I was chatting on the phone in the hotel lounge with Jax and told her that Rebecca's new name would be Mathews. At that very instant her fiance walked past, stopped turned and shook my hand. What are the chances? I told him to call Mark a deadleg. Mark would know he had met me!
Today we want to ride round Mount St. Helens. It blew it's top. I need to see what road-rage can do to one's head.
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