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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 |
Richmond, Va 3/20 - 3/31 I have to say, it's a lot more fun, with interesting things to do when you travel for fun vs Business Travel. We left home late Thursday and drove to St. Clairsville, Ohio. After a night of debauchery.... okay, after a night of rest we drove here, with two important stops along the way. The first was at the Forks of Cheat Winery/Distillery. I promised my youngest a bottle of Brandy from there. Yeah, we also purchased a couple of bottles or wine too. The second stop was at the Penn Alps restaurant in Grantsville, Md. You can order from the menu (menu? Who needs that), or you can enjoy the buffet of down-home Amish style cooking. We've never ordered from the menu. We are here to finally pick up Buddy, our young Akita. His Breeder is showing him in shows last weekend, and the upcoming weekend. Saturday we'll pack him up and head home. I was a little concerned about Buddy recognizing and remembering us. What a silly thought. We intended to be quiet so he wouldn't know we were there Saturday. Yeah, another stupid thought. He either heard us, or smelled us, or both. We had wandered off looking at various booths when the young girl helping Faith (his breeder) found us and said Buddy was super excited, knew we were near, and wanted to see us. We went back to his crate and Faith let him out., Needless to say he jumped up on his hind legs and slobbered both of us with hundreds of kisses. In the process, one of his claws caught my right arm and cut it. It was a shallow cut, but still. My right arm looks like it's been thru a wringer. Oh well.... Buddy showed well, but didn't score any points towards being a Champion. That was the whole reason he was he so long, to be shown, and earn enough points to be a Champion. That's stuff I don't understand, nor did I approve of him being gone like he was. But it's important to my other half, so I let it go. Not again though. In spending a week here, we've enjoyed some nice restaurants, as well as visiting Museums. Today we visited the American Civil War Museum, as well as the Science Museum. In a nutshell, let's just say we chose the wrong day to visit the Science Museum. Why? Well, how many school children can you fit into a Museum? Yeah, there was that many, far more than either of us are comfortable being around. Don't get me wrong, the children were fine, they acted their age, and generally ran amok making a lot of noise. It was the noise part that got to me. The American Civil War Museum was more my cup of tea. Much quieter, our visit was very somber really. Brothers fighting against brothers in some cases. Very Sad indeed. So where have we dined this week?  Noteworthy Restaurants: Hooked Seafood & Raw Bar https://hookedseafoodrawbar.com/hooked-seafood-raw-bar-menu/ It was an excellent choice in deciding to dine here, a great way to start our week. Our appetizer was their Peel n Eat Shrimp. If I were to complain (and I'm not), I thought they would be served Chilled. That wasn't the case though. A small Caeser Salad was a necessity, as was a cup of Shrimp and Corn Chowder. A slice of Key Lime Pie rounded out the night. The Boathouse At Rockett's Landing https://housepitality.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/Boathouse%20Dinner%202024-12-13.pdf I don't think we coud have chosen a restaurant that had better food, we definitely could have chosen one less expensive. But once in a while we (every one of us) deserve to be spoiled. That was the case this night. A Wedge Salad to start things off (I had a cup of Clam Chowder), then we shared an excellent dish that consisted of a Crabcake, Jumbo Shrimp, Blackened Scallops, Mashed Potatoes, and Grilled Asparagus. To top the night off, we shared Bread Pudding topped with Carmelized Bananas and a Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. Stella's Greek Restaurant https://stellasrichmond.com/wp-content/uploads/Stellas-Dinner.pdf Forgive me for my lack of Greek Language knowledge. It's all Greek to me.  Seriously, what a great dining experience! Yeah, we've been enjoying all the Seafood you can think of. But tonight we thought we'd enjoy Greek Food, and found this place on Google Maps. Imagine if you will a neighborhood much like the one in the movie 'Return To Me'. Now also imagine a restaurant that closely resembles the one in that movie too. It was a perfect match for that!We sat at a Communal table that could seat 12-14 people. Loved this! We talked to the couple seated nearby, as well as the family who replaced them once they left. The food was Superb! We loved the Appetizer, their version of Oysters Rockefeller, a Greek Salad that was beyond belief, and a Half Chicken Marinated in a Feta Brine, served over roasted potatoes. Yummmmmmm! Dessert was Ekmek, a 3-layer Greek dessert that is light & fluffy. Since we will be here all week, we might have to return! It was just that fantastic. I know I didn't do a passable job at describing our meal, but trust me, it was that good. Look at their menu in the link and see what you'd choose. Our dinner was mainly from their Special's Menu, but there are so many choices on their regular menu that it makes my head swim. Dolmades, Mushroom Saganaki, Kolokithokeftedes. Feta Fourno, and Yia Yia's Skillet are dishes I'd want to try. We'll see if we get back there. Saturday we head home.... With Buddy! Then it's back to our normal routine. I've only taught 8 days since January 1st, and have 8 more before the 'big day'. I still look forward to what the future holds for me.  Jim Dorrell |
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