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 |  Being Retired now, I thought that it was time for a new name to this Blog |
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Talk about perks, my career had one of the best I can think of! I traveled in the course of business, delivering classes for my employer. I am a Senior Training Specialist for Motorola Solutions, and teach classes on a wide variety of subjects centered around 2 way radio communications (for eight more weeks). I knew that when the time arrived that I would retire. That time is now. I've always said that if you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, get out! I can't handle the heat anymore. I was qualified to deliver approximately 32 different classes, but about half of those were 'Legacy' classes, and are not in demand anymore. My students were/are technicians, those who maintained, programmed, calibrated, and repaired large 2-way radio systems. Some of these systems are statewide, and use TCP-IP networking to allow sites to communicate with others. Some are small, traditional type radio sites. The size doesn't matter, in each case the systems must be kept operational at all times, since many of them are Public Safety Systems. So I traveled, sometimes frequently, 3-4 weeks in a row.... where have I been? This probably won't have daily entries, but I will make entries to update you about my life before and during my employment with Motorola Solutions. I also intend to update you all about what I'm doing in retirement. Well, here we go with this new adventure, let's see where it takes us.  Best Cultural And Regional Honorable Mention |
Bloomington, Illinois Well, let's see. About my van. It's a 2014 Ford Transit Connect, Titanium Edition and fully loaded with GPS, Satellite Radio, the works. That was a big reason for buying it, it has all the 'Whoops & Whistles' available in 2014. It has European Styling to it, it does not look like a 'normal' American Van. It rides very nicely, just ask Robert Waltz   , he's ridden in it. The tires are 6 months old, I've tried to keep it looking as new as possible. It will be paid off in April, maybe March, we'll see. I'm the first real owner of it, the first person had it on a lease.But, it has its share of problems. A couple were there the day I bought it. There is a small dent in the back liftgate, and the wheel well on the Drivers side has been scraped pretty good. Still, it's a nice looking Van, Brown in color. Most vans you see like this are work Vans. This is a rare passenger van. But I finally had enough with those problems I mentioned earlier in the Newsfeed. The one issue I couldn't think of while writing that post is that about 40-50% of the time, when you start the van, the radio has no Audio. It's on, you just can't hear anything. Turning it off and back on corrects it though. That's been a very minor issue since the day I drove it off the lot. I guess I should have taken back and had the dealer fix it. That, or give me a discount for selling it that way. Still, I love that van, it's everything I want in a vehicle. The good news is that it should be ready by Friday, all they need is that Computer. Purple Catching Up  asked if I was talking about the BCM or PCM. That was Greek to me, so I looked those acronyms' up. Here is what I discovered.In a vehicle, the BCM (Body Control Module) manages non-engine electronics like windows, lights, and locks, while the PCM (Powertrain Control Module) controls engine and sometimes transmission functions. Body Control Module (BCM) Function: The BCM is an electronic control unit (ECU) that monitors and controls various electronic accessories in a vehicle's body. It manages functions such as power windows, power mirrors, air conditioning, immobilizer system, central locking, and more. The BCM communicates with other on-board computers via the car's CAN bus system. Example: When you press the power window switch, the BCM receives the signal, and in turn, sends a signal to the load that will rotate the motor and control the window. Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Function: The PCM is the computerized central processing unit of your vehicle's powertrain system, overseeing the engine and sometimes the transmission. It manages functions like fuel injection, ignition timing, and air-to-fuel ratios, along with controlling automated traction and onboard climate controls. The PCM receives data from various sensors around the vehicle, primarily focused on engine management and performance. Example: The PCM adjusts the air-to-gas ratio being pumped into the cylinders, which saves fuel, and controls the speed of the spark plug firing to deliver an optimum amount of power per RPM. Based on the issues I've seen, I would have to say that the BCM is faulty. I've had no issues with the Powertrain and other mechanical equipment. We'll see what happens from here on out. I may keep you posted on this.  Jim Dorrell |
Bloomington, Illinois Week of 3/3/25 I was not delivering a class this week, my schedule just says 'Instructor Prep'. But heck, I retire in EIGHT weeks, what would I be prepping for? My schedule is almost blank. In days past I would have been worried about this. Not now, I'm almost grateful! Since I will retire in eight weeks, I decided to change the name of this blog. My future entries may center around what I do, Estate Sale I attend, and my past life in the US Navy Submarine Service. There's no telling where my mind will go! We'll see what I write about. As far as our kitchen goes, we're taking it slow and easy. Or should I say, she is. If it was all up to me, we'd have unloaded all the boxes last week, or once Scott had finished his work. However, the kitchen is her domain, I don't dare unload things without her involvement. You know what I mean. It's okay though, I can live with that. There are three classes left on my schedule, I don't see it changing at all. All three classes are one's I've delivered for at least 15 years,the last one was the second class I delivered when I started with Motorola 24 years ago. I have a little 'prepping' to do, but not a lot. I will review the Hands-On Exercises as well as the Powerpoint slides, but I won't spend a lot of time on them. I need to be careful though and not develop a 'Short Timers' attitude. I refuse to become that, I want to ensure that I approach these classes the same way I have throughout my career. That's it for now. Until my next entry, write all you can, and love everyone, especially those special people who fill your life! Jim Dorrell |
Houston, Tx Week of 2/24/25 Finally traveling and teaching again after 6 weeks of no delivery. I wasn't being punished, there were classes scheduled, but the customers chose to cancel all classes (not just mine) for undisclosed reasons. I didn't mind, in many ways it was a welcome break to my hectic schedule. With retirement looming on the horizon, I didn't really want to end my career in quite this way, then again, I didn't want it to end with me traveling most weeks. Y'know, an 'in-between' those two extremes really. Oh well, it is what it is. The customer this week past week was Harris County, I learned during the class that their system extended into other counties because smaller communities wanted to use their system. Of course they paid for it too, but I've no idea what the fee was. The class was another Networking class (my last delivery of this subject!), and was challenging in some ways. At least three students had a pretty extensive knowledge of Unix, and two of them had worked with Unix quite a bit. Our new Juniper Routers are built on a Unix platform, I ended up leaving the two experienced Network techs to themselves. Lord knows they didn't need my help. Everyone else was 'okay', but they needed a lot of guidance during the hands on sessions. I wanted to keep the Juniper Router activities under some amount of control. Only because it's easier on me, knowing that each group was essentially doing the same steps. That idea went out the window when one of the groups asked for help, saying they were on the fourth session. Ughhh... I know I said to perform only the first activity. Oh well, all was well in the long run. I flew in and out of Houston George Bush Airport because it was close to the training site, as well as close to my hotel. So Friday after class was completed, I drove down south to The Houston Farmer's Market. Of course there are a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, some I didn't recognize. I knew it would be hard to carry fruit back in my luggage, not to mention being unsure about their storage, so I didn't even look at those. There were a few stalls that had decorative pieces for your yard as well as the house. Let's just say it's a good thing I was alone, otherwise I'd have spent upwards of $300 on small decorative items. Overall it was a very pleasant afternoon of walking, people watching, and seeing things I hadn't seen before. Noteworthy Restaurants: BB's TexOrleans https://bbstexorleans.com/our-menu/ Excellent choice in deciding to dine there. The Blackened Texas Redfish was very good, even if it did look a lot like Catfish. That night I checked the web for images of Blackened Texas Redfish, it looked exactly like my entree, making me feel a lot better. You can't go a good Cajun Restaurant and not have Boudin (it's pronounced in a variety of ways, one of those is Bou-dan, which is what I use) of some kind. Both were excellent, of course I took leftovers to the hotel with me. Los Cucos https://loscucos.com/menu/texas/ After having leftover the night before, I thought I'd dine lightly. I ordered their Cal-De-Res Soup, and the Shrimp Stuffed Jalapenos. However, neither was small in size! Wow. I ate what I could, but didn't take leftovers with me because I had to get up about 3 am to get to the airport for a 6:30 flight.... I hate wasting food, even if it's marginal in taste. This wasn't, it was very good. I just couldn't see taking it with me. My Current Schedule - Below is my schedule through the end of my career at Motorola. I have thought about this a lot, at times thinking I wouldn't retire, at times knowing I would. I can't continue to hem & haw over it, I've told my manager about the date, I will stick to it. As you can tell, I don't really want to retire, I'm not ready (mentally) in some ways, but this old body of mine says I should. If anyone is in any city I'll be visiting between now and the end of April, I'd love to meet up. I'll even buy you dinner if we chose to meet at night! (e:smile} Mar 10 - Vacation Mar 17 - Work From Home, 1 Day in Schaumburg x-training a co-worker. Mar 24 - Vacation Mar 31 - Schaumburg (Cross Training a Co-Worker) Apr 7 - Schaumburg (Cross Training a Co-Worker) Apr 14 - Schaumburg for the last time! (As of now) Apr 21 - Work from home Apr 28 - Work from home RETIRED! That's it for now. Until my next entry, write all you can, and love everyone, especially those special people who fill your life! Jim Dorrell |
Relaxing At Home 2/16 Well, I haven't delivered a class since mid-January, and sort of feel left out at work. Then again, I've done more than my fair share for the past 10-12 years when it comes to class deliveries. I deserve this break, at least in my opinion. We have worked on unpacking the kitchen boxes, though vrery slowly. I will not take the reins here, and unpack everything. You know what will happen or be said if I do. I have no desire to cause issues here at home. That's not something I do. As you might guess, we didn't head to Virginia this week. We could have made it, I know that. But he is scheduled to be shown in a show the weekend of 3/21, so it was decided we';d leave him there another month. It's not what either of us wanted, but being shown is something she wants. She longs for the ego thing of having a 'champion' again. And yes, he does have champion blood in him, but does not have that piece of paper that is so important to her. Dog shows? They are not something I have done in the past, nor do I approve of them. To me, a dog show is like people posing themselves to show off their muscles. The dogs are 'Stacked' to show off their lines and such, they are not in a natural pose at that point. It's a wasie of time and money, but that's only my opinion. And despite all that, we'll be attending the Akita National Show this fall in Springfield Missouril. I'm getting used to not traveling now, but my next trip is a week away, when I will go to Houston, Texas for a week. That will be my last time flying for work, any flying done after that will be at my expense. My schedule is winding down, I only have two and a half months left before the big day. I would love to have a nice BBQ and invite everyone to it, but I realize few would show. Heck, I'd have a hard time getting co-workers to show up because they'll either be traveling, or not want to come to Bloomington (a 2-3 hour drive from the Chicago area. It's okay, we'll still have a BBQ, it just might be the two of us attending is all.  My schedule thru retirement. Week of: Feb 24: Houston, Tx March 3: Work From Home March 10: Vacation March 17: Cross Train A Co-Worker or Co-Workers March 24: Tioga County - Tentative - It might be a Virtual Class, taught from home March 31: Schaumburg April 7: Schaumburg Aporil 14: Schaumburg April 21: Work From Home April 28: Work From Home, Close out all Motorola stuff, return laptop, etc. Friday May 2nd will be my last day of employment. I have no idea if I'll work in some job, that remains to be seen. Right now I'm leaning towards not working at all..... Jim Dorrell |
Working From Home 2/12 BTW, it's hard to call it working from home when I'm really on vacation this week and next. I'm beginning to feel a little unloved at work though. I have not taught a class since the week of January 13th. This is mainly due to customers cancelling classes, not just mine, but others as well. The difference for everyone else though is, they're not retiring, I am. You'd think that would be a welcome break, and it is. I'm just so used to coming and going that it's odd, that's all. I might as well get used to it though, this is how retirement will be, for the most part. I am still unsure if I want to be an adjunct instructor though. I'm retiring because the travel is wearing me out. Why? Multiple Myeloma can cause fatigue, and the meds I take to combat that can also cause fatigue. A Double Whammy there. Like I've always said, 'If you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, get out!' It's been a quiet week for us. Everything that could be done before the countertop is installed has been done. So no contractors around at all, though we do both love Scott and Mike. They are a pleasure to have around. Where are we now though. Appliances are in place, but the dishwasher is not installed. It's water-line is not connected, nor is the electrical connected. Yes, I could do both of those tasks, I've done them before. But we're paying Scott to do those types of things (Mike works for Scott, in case you're wondering), so I'll leave that to the professionals. While I can do it, I'm not a professional at it, and I want this whole remodel work to be done professionally. Our task? Unpack the boxes that we packed to clear out the kitchen, get things set up for normal usage. Get everything ready to go once the countertops are in place. A different company will be doing that, so we wait. We were told it would be at least 2 weeks from the time the measurements were done. Week one will be completed as of Friday. We'll see, huh! We were planning on travelng to Virginia Beach this week and next to 'retrieve' our male Akita. Have you seen the weather though? Yeah, we've decided to put that off for a month, and hope for better weather in March. Again, we'll see what the future holds. I for one can't wait to get him back in our lives.  |
Kitchen Updfate 2/5 Monday was a busy day at the house. The flooring was put down, and I have to say it's beautiful. Yesterday work was started on putting the cabinets in place. Everything is going so good it's almost scary. Here's where we sit tonight. The cabinets have been placed, temporary plywood is installed in place of the counter tops. Friday (2/7) the appliances will be delivered, and the company installing the countertop will measure to install it. That is built at their facility and brought here in one piece. Or so I'm told. But that will be at least a week delay in getting it done. It couldn't be done earlier because the cabinets have to be in place in order to properly measure the countertop area. The still a lot of molding and trim work to be done, that will occur after the countertop is in place. What do you think? |
Bloomington, Illinois Just a short entry for now. The work continues.... It's only Monday, but it's been a busy day of work in the kitchen. It's all being done without me lifting a finger too! That's probably a good thing, because I have been known to break more than I fix in things like this. I'm not really that clumsy, I wouldn't be where I am if I was. But work like this I prefer to leave to those who are being paid to do it. Today the second layer of Mud was added to the Drywall, I have to say it looks good. Also today the Sub-Floor was laid down and stapled in place. There was a little extra work that the guys undertook. The sink in our bathroom, the only place we have running water right now, was slowly backing up. I was going to pull it apart today, but remember what I said about breaking more that I fix? Scott jumped right to it and pulled the drain piping apart. That was my plan, but once he started, I didn't have to do a thing. He found a Grape in the drain. We bought some fresh fruit the other day, and my wife always washes it before we get to have just one. Somehow a grape escaped into the open drain while she was doing that. He said he also found a nice hairball.... In putting it back together he managed to break 2 fittings in the pipe fittings (whatever they're called). It's all fixed now, but it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who can break things at times. The plan for the week is to finish the floor and lay the new tiles next Monday. There was some consideration given to getting heated Tile placed in the kitchen, but it would add an extra $4400 to our price, plus a couple of days (?) delay laying it down. A painter will come here Friday and paint the kitchen. I'll be sure to snap some photo's Friday night/Saturday morning. Next week the new cabinets will be installed, and we'll have the new Appliances delivered. We need to pick out another stove/oven though, the one we chose is on back order until MARCH! Wow! So tonight off we go looking for a Stove, again. I'm not sure what's going on after that, but I think looking in the Crystal Ball a week ahead will do for now. There, Kitchen update done. Jim Dorrell |
Bloomington, Illinois Just a short entry for now. I left for Sacramento Monday, and while I was gone my wife got upset with the Kitchen. Something about it was a mess, I'm not really sure what caused her to be so upset. Anyway, she grabbed my sledgehammer and took her anger out on the kitchen. I came home to this.  The truth.... I don't have a sledgehammer. We have been planning on having the kitchen remodeled for over 2 years. There were several delays, chief among them were trying to find a Contractor who would respond to things, health issues with us, our designer and her mother.... Our contractor worked for 4-5 hours on Friday, this was the result. It will be 5-6 weeks before this is a 'done job'. We are really looking forward to getting this done. Jim Dorrell |
Sacramento, Ca Week of 1/14 After spending the weeks of Christmas and New Years somewhat ill, I was finally healthy enough to travel. That's the problem having this Multiple Myeloma. My immune system is healthy, but I'm still taking the Chemo drug Lenalidomide. This weakens my immune system, so I'm suspectible to illnesses. Chief among those are Fungal infections (I'm battling toe nail fungus for example), and since I also have Asthma, I can easily get flu type illnesses. All's well though, I am fine. The customer this week is the California Office Of Emergency Services (Cal-OES), I delivered the course I edited a lot, Fleetmapping. It's a course I love delivering, the students really enjoyed it. At least in my opinion, and my view of things, is that they did. I'll be back in March for the same class too. It's one of the few classes I have left to deliver. Today two more classes were added to my schedule, shown below. Of course I enjoyed dining out, and found a couple of nice restaurants. Noteworthy Restaurants: The Virgin Sturgeon https://virginsturgeon.net/ I was browsing Maps yesgerday, and found this place accidentally. I thought going here would be a good choice, and it was. Excellent food? Not quite, but still far above average. Excellent Service? Definitely. Some older restaurants rely on their reputation, Virgin Sturgeon does not. Their Smoked Sturgeon Salad was very, very good, their Seafood Pasta was the same. No complaints at all. All in all though, I won't be returning here. It just didn't strike me as a place I must visit again. Satori Sushi & Teriyaki Grill https://www.satorisushiandgrill.com/uploads/1/3/1/4/131430107/menu_natomas.pdf This place is very close to my hotel, an easy stop once class was done. I love good Sushi, but I didn't order that. I love Jalapeno Poppers, this place had an excellent take on that dish, I had to try theirs. Wow! Also, I've had a craving for Ramen lately, and had to have that. Their Jaalapeno Bomb (those poppers) came 8 to a dish, half came back with me for a late night snack. Yum! My Current Schedule - Below is my schedule through the end of my career at Motorola. I have thought about this a lot, at times thinking I wouldn't retire, at times knowing I would. I can't continue to hem & haw over it, I've told my manager about the date, I will stick to it. As you can tell, I don't really want to retire, I'm not ready (mentally) in some ways, but this old body of mine says I should. If anyone is in any city I'll be visiting between now and the end of April, I'd love to meet up. I'll even buy you dinner if we chose to meet at night! (e:smile} Jan 13 - Sacramento (Cal-OES) Jan 20 - Work From Home Jan 27 - Work From Home (Customer cancelled all Fleetmapping classes) Feb 3 - Washington DC (WMATA) Feb 10 - Vacation Feb 17 - Vacation Feb 24 - Harris County Tx (Houston) Mar 3 - Sacramento (Cal-OES) Mar 10 - Vacation Mar 17 - Washington DC Mar 24 - Manhattan Kansas (I think) Delivering a short class to the National Bio & Agro Defense Facility Mar 31 - Schaumburg (Cross Training a Co-Worker) Apr 7 - Schaumburg (Cross Training a Co-Worker) Apr 14 - Schaumburg for the last time! (As of now) Apr 21 - Work from home Apr 28 - Work from home RETIRED! That's it for now. Until my next entry, write all you can, and love everyone, especially those special people who fill your life! Jim Dorrell |
Bloomington, Illinois Week of 12/23 & 12/30 Well, after a great time in Fort Lauderdale, we came home just to become sick. I started feeling unwell on Christmas Eve, and it has carried forward to today, and still appears to be going strong. I thought Christmas Day was my worst day, though now I think it's just been ongoing all this time. Christmas Day found me at my weakest though. I could not stand up without a bit of assistance. My legs just wouldn't function to allow me to stand from sitting in a chair. We both went to Prompt Care last Sunday, but test results were inconclusive, Why? We were only tested for Flu, which was Negative. The Doctor told us that we could have a COVID test done, but it wouldn't change the treatmentr plan. I opted not to have that done, in retrospect we probably should have had it done. At least we'd know one way or another, What I do know is that we have a nasty virus running rampant in our bodies. And I'm afraid that we're in this for the long haul. At least until it warms up and we can air out the house. I was supposed to fly to Sacramento tomorrow, but when my manager heard my voice (or lack thereof), he said to forget about traveling this next week. That's a good thing really, despite the obvious reasons. Why? The kitchen remodel is scheduled to start on the 13th, and we're struggling to move everything out of the kitchen. We'll get it done, but dang I hate feeling so 'Puny'. If I exert myself at all, I start to cough. Often it's a violent cough, almost making me faint. I can feel it when that happens too. My face turns beet red, the room starts to spin, sometimes my legs grow weak. I always make sure I'm sitting down when this starts, or at least have something to hold on to, in case I do pass out. This past week, my Supervisor realized that I will be retiring soon, and that someone needs to be cross-trained to fill my vacancy. We've started on some courses, but not all. A friend was scheduled to sit in my Virtual Class with WMATA at one time, only to learn later that day that he would be doing something else instead. Oh well, that's not my problem, and I really hate saying that. Until an emphasis is placed on cross training to make the department more flexible, they will have these kind of issues. Like I said, not my problem. My Current Schedule - Below is my schedule through the end of my career at Motorola. I have thought about this a lot, at times thinking I wouldn't retire, at times knowing I would. I can't continue to hem & haw over it, I've told my manager about the date, I will stick to it. As you can tell, I don't really want to retire, I'm not ready (mentally) in some ways, but this old body of mine says I should. If anyone is in any city I'll be visiting between now and the end of April, I'd love to meet up. I'll even buy you dinner if we chose to meet at night! (e:smile} Jan 6 - Work From Home Jan 13 - Sacramento (Cal-OES) Jan 20 - Work From Home Jan 27 - Virtual Class (WMATA) (Teach From Home) Feb 3 - Washington DC (WMATA) Feb 10 - Vacation Feb 17 - Vacation Feb 24 - Harris County Tx (Houston) Mar 3 - Sacramento (Cal-OES) Mar 10 - Vacation Mar 17 - Washington DC Mar 24 - Virtual Class (Teach From Home) Mar 31 - Schaumburg (Cross Training a Co-Worker) Apr 7 - Schaumburg (Cross Training a Co-Worker) Apr 14 - Work from home Apr 21 - Work from home Apr 28 - Work from home RETIRED! That's it for now. Until my next entry, write all you can, and love everyone, especially those special people who fill your life! Jim Dorrell |
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Although, I hope you've got a portable table set up for prep while you wait for counters or a microwave for those frozen meals.
