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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 |
| Town Names I have often wondered how some towns/cities were named. This same thought hit me this week, so I made a point to look it up once we were home. Some of y'all may know all this already, maybe not. Either way, I thought I'd look it up. Now I will say I'm thinking of cities or town with names like Jadksonville, Annapolis, Petersburg Virginia, and the like. I'm thinking of the suffix that those names end with, the 'ville', 'burg', and 'polis' in this case. Let's begin by saying I learned more than I ever thought I would. This is the reference for this entry. https://thecontentauthority.com/blog/ville-vs-burg I've paraphrased a little here, but for the most part, it's almost word for word. Another reference I used is https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/y8tav1/in_the_us_why_are_there_s... First, let’s clear up some confusion. Both -ville and -burg can be used to describe a town or city, and both are correct. However, there are some differences in usage and connotation. Ville comes from the French word for town, and it is often used in names of places that have a French influence or heritage. Burg, on the other hand, comes from the Germanic word for fortress or castle, and it is often used in names of places that have a Germanic influence or heritage. So, when should you use ville and when should you use burg? It depends on the context and the history of the place. If the place has a French influence or heritage, ville is the more appropriate term. If the place has a Germanic influence or heritage, burg is the more appropriate term. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and some places may use both terms interchangeably. It’s always a good idea to do some research on the history of a place before using one term or the other. First, let's define Ville. A ville, also known as a town, is a type of municipality that is typically smaller in size than a city. It is often characterized by having a more rural or suburban feel, with a lower population density and a slower pace of life. Villes are usually centered around a main street or town square, and may have a few small shops, restaurants, and other businesses. One city comes to mind immediately, and does not fit this definition. Jacksonville Florida. However, rthere are many towns in America that fit this thought. In the United States, the term “ville” is often used as a suffix for the names of small towns, such as Clarksville or Greenville. These towns may have a few thousand residents, and are often located in rural areas or on the outskirts of larger cities. Now let's define Burg. A burg, also known as a borough, is a type of municipality that is similar to a town or ville, but may have a slightly different legal status depending on the country or region. In general, a burg is smaller than a city and may have a more rural or suburban feel, but larger than a village or hamlet. Pittsburgh is also an exception to this definition. Then we have numerous other connotations/suffixes. In some regions, such as the United Kingdom, a borough is a unit of local government that may have more powers and responsibilities than a town or ville. In other regions, such as the United States, the term -burg is often used as a suffix for the names of small towns, similar to -ville. These towns may have a few thousand residents and are often located in rural areas or on the outskirts of larger cities. But what about other suffixes used in town names? Y'know... -Polis, -ham, -ton, -shire, -wich, -pool, or -ford. I'd say most of these are not as popular as -ville or -burg. -Polis is also popular, coming from Greek, or -ham is itself derived from French, not from English, though it saw a lot of use in placenames in England. -Ham, as in a truncation of hamlet, is a lot less present than -burg, gthat is true. But -ham is hardly the only English-derived suffix for place names, even if we don't count -ville. There's also -ton, the truncation of town, and if we combine -ton and -town it might be the most common place name suffix in the country. There's also -shire, -wich, -wick, -pool, -ford and a variety of other indicators of English or old English descriptors. But the suffixes alone also don't tell the whole story, there are a variety of ways that a place name can be stamped with an English-language origin other than with suffixes. Plenty of American cities are just new something or other, directly named after English cities and towns, and some take the "new" out entirely and just settle a new place and call it the same as its progenitor. Others still are named after individuals, for instance various cities named Washington or Jackson, with or without "city" (or -polis or -ton) added to the end. I think that's enough about place names for now. Maybe this has been a little informative to someone besides me. Eiher way, til next time, Be good, treasure those you love, and Write!{/left}   Jim Dorrell |
Richmond, Va 3/20 - 3/30 I have to say, it's a lot more fun, with interesting things to do when you travel for fun vs Business Travel. I knew that already though. We left Richmond about 11 am Saturday after Faith (his breeder) finished showing him in the dog show. I wanted to leave by 10 am but that wasn't possible. Buddy was one confused dog, that I will say. He loves being with us, but he loves Faith and Nathan just as much, He was more active with them too, so I have to step it up a bit here and keep him going. That's fine, I need the exercise. Driving home we planned on visiting the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, Pa. In case some of you have forgotten, Flight 93 left Newark Liberty International Airport on 9/11 heading to San Francisco. Terrorists took over the plane, the passengers revolted against them, the flight crashed near Shanksville. Visiting the site is a very somber experience, The two times we've visited my eyes have leaked some just being there. I do recommend visiting the Memorial, it helps us remember that day in reverence and understand a little more about our world. On our first visit there in 2018, the Tower Of Voices was not complete. We visited the site in May 2018, the tower was dedicated in September. I've added a couple of links you, should you want to know more about the tower. https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/tower-of-voices.htm https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/tower-of-voices.htm A photo I snapped yesterday.  We spent the night in St. Clairsville Ohio again, this time though was quite different. Children in the adjoining room were up until 11 pm screaming and shouting and in general being children. I called the front desk twice, once at 10:10, the second time about 10:45. The front desk was no help at all. At a little after 11, I did what you shouldn't do, and knocked angrily (Hard) on their door. A woman answered it, and I explained that the children were keeping us awake, making it impossible to sleep. There was more said, but you get the idea. I saw at least 4 women in the room, and possibly the same number of children. That room sleeps a maximum of 4 if I'm not mistaken. Believe it or not, 5 minutes later (maybe less) there wasn't any noise from that room! Afterwards I realized that if a man had answered the door, there may have been a physical altercation. Yeah, I would probably be on the losing end of that. I'll be calling the GM tomorrow to discuss what went on. If he doesn't supply satisfactory answers, I'll be filing a formal complaint with Hilton Honors. We arrived home today about 4:30 CDT. I am tired, I took my weekly Dexamethasone dose yesterday, not surprisingly I managed to get about 4 hours of sleep, then drove a little over 7 hours to get here. There was a slight delay at exit 4 of I-70 due to a Tornado warning. Then there was a closure of a portion of I-70 in Illinois for some reason, likely storm related. But home we are, all 4 of us, Me, Kathy, Suzi {Schipperke), and Buddy (Akita) Til next time, Be good, treasure those you love, and Write! Jim Dorrell |
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 |
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 |
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