I got to spend a few days in Miami after ITEXPO and got some much needed rest. Miami is becoming more like LA every time I visit. For example there is lots of money in Miami and the desire to showcase it seems to grow every time I head south. Driving through the streets at night, Aston Martins and Lamborghinis dot the street like spots on a Dalmatian. Ferraris aren't even interesting anymore. I saw more of theses hot-blooded Italian sports cars than I saw new Mustangs. Most amazing was a Porsche Carrera GT I spotted on Ocean Driveone night. The car hits 60 mph in under four seconds, has over 600 horsepower and costs about as much as a decked out softswitch or approximately $450,000.

Now that we have some content for my male readers, the women out there will be happy to know there is a new trend in purses. Fur. I am not kidding there were lots of mink purses everywhere you looked and especially in the Bal Harbor Shops. Prices are north of $2k for a designer model (which is all you find in these shops).

The trip back was uneventful for a while -- we got to the gate a few minutes early. The pilot even made some time in the air. Whenever I land in an airport, especially, a New York airport, I pray that we will get to a gate instead of having to wait forever on the tarmac. I always know that once we are at the gate, there can be no more delays.

American Airlines changed my perspective on this belief rather quickly. In fact, once at the gate, the pilot told us we shared an exit area with an international flight and had to wait on the flight for about 20 minutes to avoid, what was the word he used? Co-mingling? I guess the concept is that an international traveler could give something to one of us domestic travelers and customs wouldn't be able to catch it. The wait seemed like an hour, but whose counting amongst close friends which is what we more less became as passengers stood shoulder-to-shoulder with looks of disbelief on their face. It is a cliché to say we were like sardines in a can so I won't use it. What I will say is that a sardine can may have smelled better than the flight as the heat was unbearable. Apparently, once parked at the gate FAA regulations prohibit ventilation of any sort. I was hoping the oxygen mask would drop down.

Once getting off the flight, it got better (the story, anyway -- the trip continued to deteriorate). Strollers are the last things you check as you need strollers for babies and they need to be close by at all times. When we got off the plane, only one stroller came out to the amazement of the other 5 families with children. 45 minutes later (this process should take about five minutes on normal occasions) we were told there are no strollers, we need to claim them at baggage claim.

If you are following my story closely you probably guessed it right -- no strollers at baggage claim. Seriously, they weren't there. They were put (are you ready?) on a different flight! No, I am not kidding here. We waited another 45 minutes to learn about this new concept in stroller mismanagement and another 10 minutes to fill out the paperwork and deal with the most incompetent airport employees I have ever seen.

While I am at it, who manages the baggage claim area at JFK? Is it the airline or the airport. It is a dingy, dark place, more becoming of a dungeon than an airport. This is where the world's only remaining super power welcomes the world? In a basement?

OK, now that that's out of my system. It feels good to be home. I am working on upcoming TMC events and am pumped to make them as successful as ITEXPO in Miami was. We not only sold out the exhibit hall in Miami, we doubled it and now don't fit in a hotel and are moving to a convention center next year. Out next show is Speech-World which is collocated with IP Contact Center Summit. After that is VoIP Developer , followed by ITEXPO in LA. I hope to see you at all TMC events in the future.