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 |  I travel the country on business, sometimes the world. Come see where I've been. |
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Talk about perks, my job has one of the best ones I can think of! I travel 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. I'm qualified to deliver approximately 30 different classes, but about half of those are 'Legacy' classes, and are not in demand anymore. My students are technicians, those who maintain, program, calibrate, and repair 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 get to travel, sometimes frequently, 3-4 weeks in a row.... where am I this week? This probably won't have daily entries, but I will make entries when I get to go somewhere, and keep an updated list of coming trips. My schedule changes faster than the weather, so don't be too surprised to see me list an upcoming class, only to remark later on that it is cancelled, or delayed. Delays are fine of course, but a later date might mean that someone else gets to go instead of me,,, Well, here we go with this, let's see where it takes us.  Best Cultural And Regional Honorable Mention |
Schaumburg Week of 11/25/24 This past week I worked from home once more. But to say I worked would be overstatring what I've accomplished, which is very little. It's Thanksgiving week, usually a week of little work getting done, so I've taken advantage of it. Our managers email told us to complete what we needed to do each day and log off. I think I'd like to reflect on both this career at Motorola, as well as my Naval Career. First, the Navy. I enlisted as an 18 year old on 25 August, 1972. I thought I was 'grown up', never realizing how much growing I had yet to do. I was chosen for the Navy Nuclear Power Program from day 1, but if you know my background, you would know that I was one of the most 'unqualified' individuals to enter that program. The 2 years of school was tough, the toughest I've ever been in. The minimum requirements were these. A GCT/ARI score of at least 115. No bending of the rules was allowed, if you scored 114, you didn't qualify. My score was 127, the best you could get was 135. In high school, you had to have completed 2 years of Mathematics, Calculus or Trigonometry was recommended, not required. I had a year of Algebra and a year of Geometry. You also needed to complete 2 years of Science. Physics or Chemistry was recommended, not required. I had a year of General Science and a year of Biology. But I had those test scores. I had no interest in Electricity/Electronics, or anything Mechanical. I was a Music Major, I played French Horn, and taught myself how to play Trombone. So no hands-on experience, and minimal course completions. Still, there were those test scores. If a recruiter manages to get a potential sailor designated for the Nuclear Power Program, it was quite an accomplishment and a feather in his cap. I have no idea if he was given a bonus for that feat, but in my opinion he/she would deserve one. There was a high attrition rate in this program, and remains close to that today. The attrition rate was about 35%. My first at sea assignment was on the USS Theodore Roosevelt SSBN 600 (G), repoorting there in September 1974. I earned my dolphins on 25 April 1975, something I am very proud of. There were other things I did, other qualifications, but earning my dolphins is #1 on my list, I was promoted to E-5, then E-6, followed by E-7 (Chief Petty Officer), a promotion I earned with less than 8 years of service! This was unheard of then, and is even more rare in today's Navy. In 1993, I'd been passed over for promotion to E-8 (Senior Chief Petty Officer) many times. Promotion to E-7. 8 or 9 was different than anytthing below that because your Service Record was reviewed by a board. Emphasis was on external community involvment which earned you points. I had none, so I wasn't really surprised to not be promoted. I decided to retire, and did on 1/31/93. Now, my post Navy career. I worked at a Firestone Tire Plant for 6 years. First as a Maintenance Electrician/Mechanic, later as a Supervisor, mainly the Maintenance Training Supervisor. It was my plant that was involved in the tire recall of 2000. As a result of that, I posted my resume on Monster.com, where it was found by a head-hunter for Motorola. The rest is history. I am proud to say that Motorola asked me to interview for the job, in essence, I didn't apply. The interview must have gone well, and I was hired, I knew 2 things about radios. I knew what the acronyms AM and FM mean, nothing else. 24 years later, I will retire from Motorola. May 2nd, 2024 will be my last day of employment there. I will say that the man who hired me asked me a serious question. He said something like, "Jim, your students will have upwards of 20+ years of experience working on and maintaining radios and their systems. Are you sure you can teach them these classes?" I don't recall my exact answer of course, and I know I probably sounded conceited, but I said something like, "Well, I qualified to operate, perform maintenance and stand watch on a Nuclear Power Plant, I'm sure I can handle radio subjects." Like I said, the rest is history. The day I retire from Motorola, it will be 50 years and one week since earning my dolphins, still #1 on list of accomplishments. In the meantime, I still have classes to deliver, I refuse to adopt a 'short timers' attitude and waltz into the sunset. There's still a lot to be done. 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 in some ways, but this old body on 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} Dec 2: Seattle Dec 9: Work From Home Dec 16: Fort Lauderdale Dec 23: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' Dec 30: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' Jan 6 - Sacramento Jan 13 - Upstate NY (I don't know where yet) Jan 20 - Work From Home Jan 27 - WMATA Virtual Class (teach from home) Feb 3 - Washington DC WMATA Feb 10 - Vacation Feb 17 - Vacation Feb 24 - Harris County Tx (Houston) Mar 3 - Washington DC Mar 10 - Vacation Mar 17 - Schaumburg Mar 24 - WMATA Virtual Class (teach from home) Mar 31 - Sacramento Apr 7 - Schaumburg 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 |
Schaumburg Week of 11/18/24 Wow, I did not realize I was so far behind in keeping this blog up-to-date! I'd love to say I've just been too busy, but that wouldn't be entirely true. Let's face it, I just forgot. This past week I was in Schaumburg once again. Before that I had a week of no-delivery, a week in Seattle, Vacation, and a week in Schaumburg. I've been busy, but I've also had weeks off with no delivery, so there's really no excuse. Howver, I'm off for Thanksgiving this week, and will be in Seattle next week. This week's class in Schumburg was a good week, and another Networking Class. Everything went well, other than one hands-on activity we couldn't accomplish satisfactorily, but in not accomplishing that the students said that the problem we encountered is one they would see at times. The best thing about it though, is that I showed them why we couldn't complete it, and what should be done so it could be completed. So despite not completing that hands-on activity, it was a win-win. I'm hesitant to go into details here about the issue, mainly because I think most of you would become glassy eyed pretty quickly. Either way, here's what we we doing. The students had the exact routers used in our system. The idea is to copy the configuration file to the router, then go to our system and place it in service. To do that, we remove the operating router from service and connect the cabling so the 'new' router operates in its place. The crux of the problem was that the routers had an older operating system, one that is not compatible with the current system. As a result, the alarms we received would never clear. Like I said above, the students might encounter this at some point when replacinfg a failed router. Fortunately, those things don't fail very often. All in all though, it was a good learning experience for them. Noteworthy Restaurants: Chicago Ramen Annex https://chicago-ramen.us/collections I really loved this place, and will return. Why? I enjoyed some of the best Ramen I can remember having in recent years, simple as that. I had their Spipcy Red Miso Ramen W/Sweet Corn. My mistake was taking the red clump of pepper that sat on top of the dish, and just stirring it into the Ramen. It was just a little spicier than I wanted that night. It wasn't too hot for me, but it was spicy enough. Westwood Tavern https://westwoodtavern.com/menus This is a nice tavern and very close to my office. I dined there because I was invited to join several of the students for dinner Thursday night! I don't normally have company at dinner, I usually dine alone. So dining with them was a treat. I enjoyed their Braised Short Rib Foot Long Grill Cheese (Mushrooms, Gouda, Cheddar & Fontina Cheeses served with a tomato basil dip. I still have leftovers in our Fridge here too. 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 in some ways, but this old body on 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} Nov 25: Thanksgiving Dec 2: Seattle Dec 9: Washington DC Dec 16: Fort Lauderdale Dec 23: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' Dec 30: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' Jan 6 - Sacramento Jan 13 - Upstate NY (I don't know where yet) Jan 20 - Work From Home Jan 27 - WMATA Virtual Class (teach from home) Feb 3 - Washington DC WMATA Feb 10 - Vacation Feb 17 - Vacation Feb 24 - Harris County Tx (Houston) Mar 3 - Washington DC Mar 10 - Vacation Mar 17 - Schaumburg Mar 24 - WMATA Virtual Class (teach from home) Mar 31 - Sacramento Apr 7 - Schaumburg 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 |
Chattanooga, Tn Week of 10/7/24 I wasn't sure about this week's class mainly because it's one I don't teach that often, and to be honest, the course materials are no where close to being 'top notch'. And of course that became a source of comments on their part. It's okay though, there isn't a lot I can do with the materials other than let those that can do something know, That's been done. I really liked Chattanooga, it has a lot to offer people. There are nice parks downtown as well as around town, decent hotels (A lot of construction everywhere, but that's about normal), and quite a few nice restaurants. I thought I'd add a statement here about the Crime rate there. I'd say it's about average. There are some bad areas, nice areas, very nice areas, and very bad areas. So about par for the course really. Despite my misgivings about the course and the materials, everything went pretty well. The major hangups were a lack of passwords for the equipment. Of course I was asked for the passwords, but I didn't know them, I am only the instructor. I'm not trying to pass this off or blame anyone, I'm only saying that as the instructor, I won't know passwords unless they are passed to me, and they weren't. Those are things that the Motorola Support should know, as well as the customer radio shop manager. None of them knew them either., But we survived and walke through the activity. Not as good as it could have been, but it could have been worse. The highlight of the trip was being able to drive there & back. It's about an eight or nine hour drive, so I broke it into 2 days, staying ovenight in Nashville going there, and one day to return. There is a restaurant in Brentwood (where I was twice recently) that I wanted to visit, but honestly, we were disappointed. The food was very good, the service was about average, we just didn't choose well, so to speak. Noteworthy Restaurants: Hennen's Steakhouse https://www.hennens.net/dinner-menu-2020 We had their Flash Seared Tuna appetizer which was very good. The tuna came on a bed of Togasrashi with a nice Sizzling Soy Vinagrette. The problem as far as I was concerned, is it was pretty dry. I had their Surf n Turf Kabob's, (Black Tiger Shrimp, Beef Tenderllon, Red Onions, Crimini Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Teriyaki Marinade, Pineapple Salsa). I chose decently well and loved everything., Could I have chosen better? Maybe. All in all though, it was a nice dinner My Current Schedule - Nothing has changed here. I can't believe we'll be spending two more weeks together before I travel again. That's only to Schaumburg, the real travel will start in early Novermber. Oct 21: Schaumburg Oct 28: Vacation Nov 4: Seattle Nov 11: Work From Home Nov 18: Schaumburg Nov 25: Thanksgiving Dec 2: Seattle Dec 9: Washington DC Dec 16: For Lauderdale Dec 23: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' Dec 30: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' My 2025 Schedule has a few classes on it, but not that many. Right now, I have classes in upstate NY in Jaunary, Washington DC with the US Senate Radio technicians in February, Washington DC again with WMATA, and Schaumburg, both of the last 2 classes in March. 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 I'm technically on vacation this week, and have done very little in the way of work. For Motorola that is. It's been a bit buy this week as we prepare to drive to Chattoonga Sunday. I've watched the weather closely since they predicted another hurricane to pass through, but it looks like it will hit late next week. I also monitored work email on my phone, just in case the customer needed to cancel the class due to Hurricane Helene. Everthing is a go, so far. So what has kept my busy this week? Let's see. A drive to Springfield, on a mission you might say. Dinner at our favorite local restaurant, Lake Road Inn. We try to go on Wednesday's when I'm home because they serve whole catfish that night, and she loves her whole catfish. I enjoyed their Grouper sandwich special. We're sort of regulars there, I don't think Craig (cook and owner/manager) would substitute a different fish (some restaurants will do that you know. Ask me about that 'one time in bandcamp'.... I mean that one time in Charlotte where Tilapia was substituted for Grouper), but this was a pretty flat piece of Grouper, not the typical type you get in a Grouper Filet. Maybe it was the sandwich. Still, it was a very enjoyablee dinner. What else have I done to be productive? Washed 4 loads of laundry for one. Reorganized the basement once again (I didn't like how I'd arranged it earlier). Submitted expense reports, cleaned the backlyard of debris, and other assorted odds and ends things that needed to be done. Last night Kathy grilled Garlic Brats (purchased at a local Meat Market), roasted some excellent veggies (Red Onion, Sweet Potato, Butternut Squash, and Carrots) with a couple of Garlic Cloves finely chopped over it all, other seasonings & salt & pepper to taste. A drizzle of Olive Oil made it perfect. We also grilled a half chicken (the other half was used in homemade Chicken & noodles earlier). As usual, we both attacked the veggies first, but everything was wonderful. Not that anything we had was sub-par, but if I were to rank the dinner servings last night, the Brats were #1, Veggies #2, and the Chicken #3. BTW, that half Chicken had been marinating in Kirby Mojo Criollo. This is a Spanish/Cuban Marinade. We prefer Kirby over about any other Mojo Criollo, especially Goya. That just our taste preferences. Noteworthy Restaurants: Kathy's Kitchen - You can get most anything you want at Kathy's Restaurant.   Her home cooking is very good in my eyes, she keeps me satisfied, & that's a good thing!My Current Schedule - Nothing has changed here. I can't believe we'll be spending two more weeks together before I travel again. That's only to Schaumburg, the real travel will start in early Novermber. Oct 7: Chattanooga Tennessee Oct 14: Work from home Oct 21: Schaumburg Oct 28: Vacation Nov 4: Seattle Nov 11: Schaumburg Nov 18: Schaumburg Nov 25: Thanksgiving Dec 2: Seattle Dec 9: Fort Lauderdale Dec 16: For Lauderdale Dec 23: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' Dec 30: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' My 2025 Schedule has a few classes on it, but not that many. Right now, I have classes in upstate NY in Jaunary, Washington DC with the US Senate Radio technicians in February, Washington DC again with WMATA, and Schaumburg, both of the last 2 classes in March. 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 |
Kalispell, Montana The week of 9/23/24 found me rural Montana. I was in Kalispell for a class with the Federal Bureau of Reclamation at Hungry Horse Dam. I've been to Montana many times, but never to an area as beautiful as Kalispell. Kalilspell is a charming town that has far more to offer than one might think. I would love to live there, but I'm afraid that my other half would not appreciate the cold winters they experience. The class was the typical Networking class, and went very well, depsite small hiccups experienced with one of the 20 year old Cisco Routers. I'm not sure it was entirely a router problem since the student team didn't factory default it at the beginning as they should have. Then again, the exercise they were attempting to complete is one they will never do, nor will they ever see a Cisco router in our radio system. When I was in North Dakota recently, I had a 1 hour drive to get to work. It was about the same here, but a much more beautiful one that wound between the mountains with the Flathead River nearby. The class was held in the Hungry Horse Dam, and actually being in the dam was a little surreal. You can't imagine the size of a Dam, nor it's water driven Turbines until you're standing next to one. I arrived Saturday afternoon, and on Sunday I went about 10 miles south of Kalispell to an Alpine Coaster ride. It's a bit like a small roller coaster in that you get on to the small wheeled sled. You go through a little discussion about riding in the sled, fasten your seatbelt, and off you go. The sled is towed up the hill, at the top you are on your own because it's all downhill from there. It's a kick in the 'you know what' riding this. It's very reasonably priced too at $18. Plus, they automatically record a video of you on the coaster, and take 22 photos as you ride downhill. The video and pictrures are emailed to you, the cost for that is $13. I thought the price was excellent overall, and bought the video package of course.  Kalispell Sunrise 9/22/24  Riding The Alpine Coaster Noteworthy Restaurants: Freestone Restaurant https://freestonerestaurant.com/menu/ Man, I really wanted to return here, but never did. Mainly because Kalispell has A LOT to offer in way of restaurants. Still..... I really wanted to try their Bone Marrow because I've never had that, but I know it's rich, and with the way my digestive tract has been recently, I didn't want to chance it. I ended up trying their Tempura Brussel Sprouts - Fried Brussel sprouts paired with mango chimichurri aioli, and their Seafood Fettuccine - Shrimp, lobster, grilled artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, basil, tossed in a roasted red bell pepper cream sauce and topped with parmesan cheese. I was hooked on first bite! The Desoto Grill https://www.desotogrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Desoto-regular-menu.pdf/ I was in rthe mood for Sausage that night (I Love Sausage!) so had their Lower Valley Sausage Platter - Slices of local elk and hot link from Lower Valley Meats served with sharp cheddar, toast points and their amazing house made Lewis and Clark weizenbock mustard. And yes, their house made Mustard is Amazing! I also enjoyed their Elk Sausage Platter. Did I order too much food? Definitely. The good news is that I had plenty for leftovers the next two days for both lunch and/or dinner. Sykes Diner & Market https://sykesmt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sykes-Day-Menu.pdf I came here for Breakfast on Friday because there was no class that day. I tried to fly home Friday, but I wasn't willing to spend $900 of company money on the flight. I ordered their Hungryman’s Biscuits & Gravy. Homemade Biscuit and Sausage Gravy served with a choice of 2 bacon, 2 links, 1 ham steak or 1 patty with 2 eggs cooked any style and potatoes. I love a good Biscuits & Sausage Gravy, this was the best I can recall having in recent memory. My Current Schedule Oct 7: Chattanooga Tennessee Oct 14: Work from home Oct 21: Schaumburg Oct 28: Vacation Nov 4: Seattle Nov 11: Schaumburg Nov 18: Schaumburg Nov 25: Thanksgiving Dec 2: Seattle Dec 9: Fort Lauderdale Dec 16: For Lauderdale Dec 23: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' Dec 30: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' My 2025 Schedule has a few classes on it, but not that many. Right now, I have classes in upstate NY in Jaunary, Washington DC with the US Senate Radio technicians in February, Washington DC again with WMATA, and Schaumburg, both of the last 2 classes in March. 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 |
South San Francisco The week of 9/16/24 found me back in the south side of San Francisco. I was with the city, specifically their RF Technicians. It was my second time here this year, I had a pretty nice time as you'll see. The class was the typical Networking class, it went very well. While I had my issues with the Juniper Router content early on, that's all behind me now. I've wrapped my mind around the course content for this piece of equipment and can answer most any question asked about it. The class itself flew by, mainly because I've gone to using Powerpoint slides only on the first half of the first day. After that, it's almost all hands-on activities for the students. I mean, no one likes 'Death By Powerpoint' after all. When delivering Powerpoint class material, I see the looks on some faces, and think of the movie, "Ferris Bueler's Day Off". Yeah, sometimes I see those faces from the movie. And yes, this is exactly what I wrote in my post about being in Boston. Why? Because it's true. I had made my trip plans for both this class and the one the next week when I received an email about this customer wanting this class delivered in 4 days instead of 5. I hadn't done this before, and needed to understand where we needed to end each day to ensure the class was completed on time. Additionally, i had already submitted my expense report for flying here, and on to Kalispell the next week. Since it was already paid, I decided not to go home Thursday night or Friday Morning, and stay in the area and visit Alcatraz, a place I've wanted to visit for a long time. Flying home would have exhausted me, making it difficult to deliver the first couple of days in Kalispell. I managed to snap a few photos while touring Alcatraz.  The big difference between my first time here and this time, is that there was a 'Sales Force' Conference going on, and hotel prices were a lot more than that first time. I was vrery lucky though, the students recommended two excellent restaurants to dine at. Of course I had to try them both and one on Fishereman's Wharf after touring Alcatraz. Noteworthy Restaurants: Moonraker https://www.moonrakerpacifica.com/ This restaurant is a little pricey, and not being all that hungry, I ordered small plates. Their Prawn Cocktail (3 LARGE Prawns with Cocktail sauce (with a nice dab of Horseradish in it) and horseradish. I enjoyed that more than allowed. I also had their Crispy Green Beans with Chipotle chili ancho aioli. Let's just say I left there completely satisfied with my meal. Nick's Restaurant https://nicksrestaurant.net/ Nick's sits across the street from Moonraker, both places had excellent views of the ocean! At Nick's, I had one of my favorite Mediterranean style dishes. Warm Feta Cheese and Roasted Garlic, Kalamata Olives, Sundried Tomato, Basil and Baguettes. Wow, I can still taste them now. My entree was Cajun Sautéed Prawns, Scampi Style, Fresh Herbs and Garlic in a Lemon Butter White wine sauce ~ mashed potato ~ vegetables du jour. Yeah, I ate well that nightl Fog Harbor Fish House https://fogharbor.com// This place was on the Fisherman's Whark, just off the Embarcadaro. I took one look at their menu on line and new I had to dine there. How about Red Chili Garlic Shrimp - Red chili paste, onions, peppers and garlic. It was a little spicy (I wonder why? And do you see a Garlic theme here?), I ended up dredging my Baguette in the Red Chili Paste. What about Cioppino? I love a good Cioppino, and just had to have it. Crab, Fresh Fish, Shrimp, Scallops, Clams and Mussels, stewed in a seafood tomato broth. A local classic. This was by far the best Cioppino I can recall enjoying. My Current Schedule (I don't see this changing either). Sept 23: Montana (Federal Customer who maintains Hungry Horse Dam) Sept 30: Vacation Oct 7: Chatanooga Tennessee Oct 14: Work from home Oct 21: Schaumburg Oct 28: Vacation, Akita National Specialty Dog Show Nov 4: Seattle Nov 11: Schaumburg Nov 18: Schaumburg Nov 25: Thanksgiving Dec 2: Seattle Dec 9: Fort Lauderdale Dec 16: For Lauderdale Dec 23: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' Dec 30: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' My 2025 Schedule is pretty blank, mainly because I will be retiring. But, I think our boss feels I will leave in January, not the end of April as I have planned. We'll see what happens. 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 |
Boston, Ma The week of 9/10/24 found me smack-dab in the center of Boston, Massachusetts. I was with the city, specifically the Boston PD, FD, and EMS people. Being in the center of a major city, I didn't rent a car, I used Uber all week. It's easier on me not driving in that traffic, less expensive in reality. I had decent restaurants nearby, and walked to them each night. This is my first time in the city of Boston. I've flown in and out of Logan Airport several times, so that's not brand new to me. Have I told you I don't like large cities? I much prefer living in a city the size of Bloomington. Bloomington is actually Bloomington/Normal. The two cities/towns have gradually merged over the years, I live in the southern part of the town, in Bloomington. So I prefer smaller cities/municipalites over large Urban areas, the lifestyle there suits me better, I'm much more comfortable living there than I was in the Chicago Suburbs. The class itself flew by, it's one of those that I'm the only qualified instructor (who can travel) that delivers it. I've gone to using Powerpoint slides only on the first half of the first day. After that, it's almost all hands-on activities for the students. I mean, no one likes 'Death By Powerpoint' after all. When delivering Powerpoint class material, I see the looks on some faces, and think of the movie, "Ferris Bueler's Day Off". Yeah, sometimes I see those faces from the movie. And of course, with the Boston PD technicians in class, they all sat together. As did the Boston FD Techs. And you guessed it, so did the Boston EMS Techs. The key to delivering this class well, and almost any technical class, is to know their system, and how it's connected to what is known as the Core. This wasn't a system class though, but we did get off topic a few times to discuss those connections I arrived Monday and met with the Project Manager at the training site Monday afternoon. He and a couple of Engineers were there, and we talked about things to expect from tthe students in the class. I was 'warned' about the two students they were placing in the front row, and the subjects they would bring up. I've delivered this class many times, and have seen many types of students, and told them so. Apparently they were worried that these two might ask questions about basic RF topics that I might not be reay for. Let's just say, I was ready, and had the knowledge to easily answer their questions. One of them was older than me by about 4 years. He goes back to the old RF systems in his discussions, but I've read up all I can on that. You have to in delivering this class. We got along great! He insisted on giving me a ride to the hotel each afternoon, he had a pretty low opinion of Uber drivers. On the last day when he dropped me off he said, "Jim, I've only known you for three days, but it seems like we've known each other for a lifetime." To me, that was quite a compliment. Noteworthy Restaurants: The Pearl https://www.thepearlsouthbay.com/eat2 This was a good place to dine. The staff was excellent, not to mention the food. I had to try their New England Clam Chowder, it was a little thinner than the chowder I had at a different place (not mentionied here), I enjoyed it more. It contained plenty of clams, enough potatoes, bacon, and chives to accompany it, but not overpower it. While their Shrimp Linguini was good, the tomato sauce used in it overpowered it. There was plenty of Jumbo Shrimp in it though, that is what saved it in my eyes. My Current Schedule (I don't see this changing either). Sept 16: San Francisco Sept 23: Montana (Federal Customer who maintains Hungry Horse Dam) Sept 30: Vacation Oct 7: Chatanooga Tennessee Oct 14: Work from home Oct 21: Schaumburg Oct 28: Vacation, Akita National Specialty Dog Show Nov 4: Seattle Nov 11: Schaumburg Nov 18: Schaumburg Nov 25: Thanksgiving Dec 2: Seattle Dec 9: Fort Lauderdale Dec 16: For Lauderdale Dec 23: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' Dec 30: Christmas/New Years 'Relaxation' 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 |
Frankfurt, Germany The Nine Days I spent in Franfurt flew past all too quickly. The class went very well with an open invitartion to return in 2025. Rondall (my contact point for the Department of State) knows I plan to retire in April, he also knows I'm tentatively sheduled to return the last week of January, and be there two weeks. We talked about courses his new techs should receive, so we'll see where this goes. This is my second time in Frankfurt, I was here in December 2017 and was able to experience their Christmas Market. There was no Christmas Market in August of course, but I did find a street market of sorts. A few places sold traditional German food, a few sold beer, but the biggest selling item was wine. It was crowded, but the crowds didn't bother me. I enjoyed walking thru the market, and found myself wondering why this was happening. My students said that Germans don't need a holiday to celebrate together. Being that they were all Americans, what do they know?  I kid a little, but I'm also serious. There was a reason they were gathering, but that part escaped me. I found the market on Wednesday, and dined there every night until I left on Saturday morning. Th first night I had a foot long frankfurter (not a hot dog really), and a mix of sauteed vegetables. The second night I had a much shorter Frankfurter in a bun. I forfgetr what I had Friday night. One of the benefits of all this, is that I walked far more than normal for me. I've become a bit sedentary in my old age, an enjoyed walking, no matter how much it hurt or bothered me.Tuesday night about half the class gathered at Moxy's Irish Pub to say Goodbye to a teammate, Mike. He had 'bid for', and gotten a post with the Embassy in New Delhi, India. He flew out the next day. It was an enjoyble time seeing the guys in an environment other than the classroom. Abbout the 'bid for'. Every 3-4 years, the bid on being assigned to an Embassy, a post. Mike had bid on the New Delhi position and gotten it. I would love to be able to do that. That kind of travel really appeals to me, and if I was 20 years younger, I'd be applying for a position with them. But I'm not, so I won't. Besides, I don't think my other half would want to move around like that, and neither one of us would want me to do this job unaccompanied. But think of the places you could go!  No, I'm not going. I'd love to, but I'm not.I snapped a few photo's while out tha first weekend. Here is one of a statues of Goethe. (A repeat of a previous post)  It's a very appropriate photo of the man who is widely regarded as the greatest and most influential writer in the German language. 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 |
Weekend in Frankfurt, Germany Have I told you that despite the nice amenities we get to travel to an International destination, that I don't really enjoy the trip? No, it's not the destination, it's getting there. I love the destinations! I travel a lot, but not near as much as Schnujo's NOT Doing NaNoWriMo   & Kåre เลียม Enga  . They travel for pleasure too, I travel on business. Which is better? Theirs, in my humble opinion, because they travel to destinations they want to viit. I travel where I'm scheduled to be. My internationaal destinations, though few, have been fantastic. And forgive me if I don't consider Canada an International destination. To me, Canada is our Northern Brother/Sister, an independentn country admittedly, but still, our Northern Brother/Sister.This is my second time in Frankfurt, I was here in December 2017 and was able to experience their Christmas Market. Essentially it was across the street from my hotel. I'm at the same hotel this time, and walked through the same area of City Center that held the market in 2017. It looks much the same really, I really enjoyed the walk,. I went back later in the evening for a reason that I'll talk about in a minute, and ended up walking twice as many steps as my daily goal in a total of 2 hours! Now why did I go back out when I'd already walked 1.5 times my daily goal. On my initial walk I looked for a specific supermarket in a shopping mall, but didn't find it. It never occurred to me that it would be downstairs in the lower level. I looked upstairs and on the main level, but not downstairs. Why was it so important to go there? The students in my class are holding a BBQ at 2 pm today and invited me to join them. It's a BYOB party, and while I could have arrived empty handed and be welcomed, that's not me. So I went back out, found a six pack of San Miguel (It won't be near as good as the San Miguel you can purchase in the Philippines, but it will work), and a 4 pack of a nice IPA. It will be nice to meet the guys before the class on Monday and get to know them as a person, not just as a student. I'm hoping to not talk business today, we'll see how it goes. I snapped a few photo's while out yesterday. Here is one of a statues of Goethe. It's a very appropriate photo of the man who is widely regarded as the greatest and most influential writer in the German language. 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 |
Los Angeles, Callifornia This was my 11th time in the Los Angeles area in the last 12 months. You might think I'd grow tired of the city, but I didn't. That's mainly because half of the classes I delivered were not in downtown Los Angeles. Instead, I was out in the Alhambra/Monticello area with a different customer. It has been interesting to say the least. This was the second round of our networking classes for LA Unified School District (LAUSD), and what I found disappointing was that there were only 3 students in the class, the same three who attended the first go-round. Y'see, the customer is billed a specific amount for a class of up to 12 students. So sending 12 students to a class is the best 'bang for your buck' so to speak. But 3 students? Yeah, they are billed the same amount. You see what I mean. That's not for me to say though. I realize that sending someone to a class can be harder than you might think. I did that at Firestone for 2-3 years. On a Monday there would be 7-8 or more students in a class. But,the need on the manufacturing floor for a maintenance technician can override that need for training. Often I would have only 3-4 students in class come Friday. So I understand why I might only have 3 students in a class. That doesn't stop me from being disappointed. Then again, it was good in a way, because the students encountered problems completing the hands-on activities. Having only 3 in class helped me in assisting them as needed. Then, there's always that one student who really doesn't belong in the class. They lack the necessary computer skills, background knowledge, or just the ability to follow directions. Perhaps all three! Yeah, there was 'one of them' in both classes. It just makes me concentrate on helping them more as the class progresses. As I might have said in a previous post, this is my last full year with Motorola. I will retire early next year, at the end of April, at the latest. Why so late? I have to ensure I'm employed through the 'drop dead' date so I can receive the bonus check for 2024. It's far too much money for me to throw away. I will be checking with HR so I know what that date is. And of course, my Current Schedule is below. Aug 19 - International Travel on 8/21, work at the Embassy the morning of 8/23 to ensure the classroom is set the way I prefer. Aug 26: Frankfurt, Germany Sept 2: International Travel (Fly home on 8/31). No time to sight see.  My own fault, but I wanted to get home and rest for almost 2 weeks.)Sept 9: Boston Sept 16: San Francisco Sept 23: Kalispell, Montana (I might fly into Missoula because it has the nearest semi-large airport. If so, I'm hoping that Kåre เลียม Enga lives somewhere nearby. It would be good to meet him, or anyone else from WDC in the nearby area.)Sept 30: Vacation Oct 7: Tennessee Oct 14: Work from home Oct 21: Schaumburg Oct 28: Vacation to attend the Akita National Specialty Dog Show Nov 4: Seattle Nov 11: Schaumburg Nov 18: Schaumburg Nov 25: Thanksgiving Dec 2: Seattle Dec 9: Fort Lauderdale Dec 16: Fort Lauderdale Dec 23: Christmas! 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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is better than suspended upside down in the 'void'. 
