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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 |
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 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 |
Cavalier, North Dakota It is thought that I wouldn't, or don't like being alone. Far from it. I can exist around other people, or I can just as happily exist on my own, with no one near. This is what the area of North Dakota I was in last week was like. I drove to work 1.5 hours one way, and all I could see was the horizon in all directions. Why the 1.5 hour drive? I have to use our Travel Site to make reservations, and there were no 'approved' hotels listed in Cavalier ND. The nearest ones were in Grand Forks, about 70 miles away, but 1.5 hours to drive. I loved my morning and evening commute despite the length. So where was I for this class? I was at Cavalier SFS Station last week for 2 days. Well geez, it took me two days of travel to get to and from this area. I flew into Fargo, ND, and stayed in Grand Forks. I love this area of the country. I could say I love any area of the country where you do not have large (or small) cities all over the place. Such was Grand Forks. Once I started driving to the base, I left what most would call Civilization, behind. Yes there were towns on my route. One particular town had no businesses in it, just houses. And very few at that. The largest town I drove through was Grafton. There was one hotel there, but I try to stay at either a Marriott, or Hilton Brand hotel, those brands were not in Grafton. Go ahead, call me spoiled. Because I am. Like I said though, I loved the drive to and from work. No, I didn't really see the towns becauseI was just passing through and didn't want to spend time seeing what the town had to offer. The class was an easy one to deliver, and I will 'brag' a little and say that the customer (Space Force at Cavalier SFS) was very pleased with my delivery. I hope so, I spent a couple of days editing the course materials, combining courses so I would deliver information only equipment they were using. I added drawings of their system layout and IP address plan to show them what they had. So all in all, a two day class was recieved very well. I didn't say this to them, but the current Sgt (an E-6, I learned) who is in charge of the radio group was 'just a kid'! Geez, he looked like he belonged in College still. His relief, a Master Sgt (an E-7, I also learned that) looked just as young. But when I think back to my career, we were 20 something men (we were really kids!), operating and maintaining a multi-million dollar nuclear reactor. For example, I was 23 when I tested and was advanced to E-6. Yeah, I need to calibrate my eyes, huh.  First, I apologize for the quality of the photo. I was about a mile away anad because yours truly left his camera and telephoto lens in his van, I had only my phone to use. Holy Cow, this building has 6-foot thick Concrete walls surrounding it. It's designed to withstand a direct hit, but I don't remember if that included a Nuclear Attack or not. No RF/WiFi signals can get in or out. The white area in the photo contains hundreds of small radar antennas. They are fed a radar signal from vintage 70's technology equipment sitting in trays that are about 6 foot long, and 18 inches wide. Being so old, certain members of the staff repair these if/when they fail. Sometimes they have to purchase components and mount them on the boards. Wow, I was impressed. By changing the amount of signal fed to the various trays, they can change the area being monitored. The antennas are on the North Side of the building, which caused me to ask why? Canada is not an enemy after all. Keep in mind that this was built early in the Cold War, when the Soviet Union still existed. Our government was concerned that the Soviets would place a missile submarine in the Hudson Bay to launch missiles, so mon itoring of the frozen north it did. And it did it, and still does do it, quite well. I was given a tour during lunch Thursday. It was an eye opener and very enjoyable. I was not allowed to have my phone with me during my tour of the building, but I still learned a lot. Obviously I did not teach in this building. As I might have said in a previous post, this is my last full year with Motorola. I will retire early next year, probably March or April. Why so late? I have to ensure I'm employed through the 'drop dead' date so I can receive 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 (Fly there on Wednesday 8/21) 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 22 weeks.)Sept 9: Boston Sept 16: San Francisco Sept 23: Kalispell, Montana 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! JimD Jim Dorrell |
Schaumburg This past week I was in Schaumburg again for a resident class. This is a class I haven't delivered often, yet I've been qualified to deliver it for 16 years! The knowledge is there, but the smoothness of the delivery seemed a little off. Everythign must have gone well for the students based on their grades and comments. Still, I just have th feeling that it could have been so much better. I guess I could say I know Schaaumburg quite well, having lived in that area for 15 years. Things have changed of course, but not so much that don't know where to dine and such. The bright spot of the week was when I went to the Naval Hospital at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. I was there to get my wife's prescription for Trulicity filled. It was a 3 month supply, and if we'd gone to CVS in town this would have cost us close to $900, if not a little more or less. At the Naval Hospital, we got it free of charge since I have TriCare for life. It's one of the nicest benefits of hacving served 20 years in the Navy. But what made this a bright spot in my week was taking four Tank You Veterans Challenge Coins in with me and handing them to Veterans. Some were old, older than me, some about my age. They were gone in less than 5 minutes! The looks on their faces, the smiles of gratitude for being recognized, was almost too much. If I'd had 100 coins, I could have given them away during my long wait Yes it was long, but was it worth it? I think so, every minute spent there. Work has not slacked off one bit, I find myself really looking forward to retirement at the end of 2024. My Current Schedule is below. Aug 5: Cavalier AFB Aug 12: Los Angeles Aug 19: International Travel Aug 26: Frankfurt, Germany Sept 2: International Travel Sept 9: Boston Sept 16: San Francisco Sept 23: Kalispell, Montana 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! JimD Jim Dorrell |
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is better than suspended upside down in the 'void'. 
