Where In The World Is Sum1?

Home for Thanksgiving....

Date: Week of September 19^th


Locale: Home!


         This week is Thanksgiving week here in the U.S., and as usual, I'm home.  That's fine of course, can't think of many other places I'd rather be during a week like this.  Of course, there's Hawaii (was on Maui for 'business' the week of Thanksgiving in 2013.  Wonderful!)  Not many others come to mind immediately though.


         While I am off this week, it doesn't mean I'm not working.  I'm not working hard, nor a lot, but I am working.  Will count this week as Paid Time Off (PTO).  I have a lot to be thankful for, always do.  But this time of year, I sit back and relax, and think of what I'm thankful for.  First and foremost, my health.  I suffer from typical ailments that a 64 year old person suffers from, I take too many medications for my comfort, but am told (I'm not totally convinced on some of this), that they are necessary.  Secondly, my career.  I was very lucky to get this job almost 18 years ago, especially since I really wasn't fully qualified for it.  I'm even more thankful though, because we were told last week that we'd lost two of our instructors to a 'forced retirement'.  I wasn't one of them (Thank God for that!  I'm not ready to sit back and relax yet), but really feel for whoever it was.  Yep, that's right, we don't know who was asked to retire, we only know that two of us were.  We'll find out eventually.  I have my suspicions on the names of the instructors, but that's all they are.  We'll see if they are correct suspicions or not some day, huh...

         So why am I working during a week I will mark down as PTO?  First, I get five weeks PTO each year, but for us, it's take it, or lose it.  All too often I lose about three of those weeks during a years time.  How you ask?  Well, for me, traveling is like a vacation.  I'm somewhere else, I'm on their dime, I'm treated well, and get to see new places/meet new people!  So it's like a mini-vacation  Secondly, things need to be done, studying has to happen, preparation for upcoming classes needs to be done.  I'm home, so does it really matter if I'm on my home PC or my work PC?  Not in my opinion.  I have two courses I'll deliver in the next couple of months that I have not delivered in quite a while.  Changes have occurred to the course materials for each of them, so I have to become reacquainted with them.  I'm doing that this week, I will do it for a couple of days the first week of December, and will do more over the Christmas/New Years Holiday weeks. Like I said at the start of this entry, I'm healthy, so life is good.


         What's ahead in 2019?  Right now, I'm scheduled to go to Washington State the middle of January, Phoenix Arizona the last week of January and first week of February, Montrose Colorado the last week of February, and somewhere in Texas the first week of March.  Sandwiched in with all that, is a class in Schaumburg, and a class taught on-line.  But, my schedule can change at the drop of a hat, so I may find myself in different places when those weeks actually get here.  We'll see what the future holds, huh!

In Closing

         I get to spend Thanksgiving at home, but will fly to England on Black Friday for a class at RAF Lakenheath next week for the  US Air Force.  No shopping for Jim that day!  We'll see how well I do driving on the other side of the road!  Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!




Jim Dorrell