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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 |
| Locale: Schaumburg, Illinois Week of: 10/30/23 Well, it's been a bit of a tough patch for me these past few weeks. I delivered a Networking Class in Schaumburg, and while I thought it went 'okay' (I still have a bit to learn about our new Juniper Router), some of the students did not agree with my assessment. Oh well, you can't please everyone all the time. I need to hitch up my big boy pants and continue learning/teaching. I went to Brentwood Tennessee the week of 10/23 and delivered two classes there. Those both went well, I would have been very shocked if they hadn't. Brentwood is a nice area, a bit upscale and not a place I'd live. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice area with beautiful houses. It's just not an area I'd be comfortable in. Why? Because I've never lived in an area like that and I'd feel out of place. Yes, I could adjust, but I like my current situation and feel living in that kind of neighborhood would be living a lie so-to-speak. I was in Schaumburg again last week for a class with one of our new instructors sitting in. I'll have another new instructor sitting in next week too. I'm happy about that because that means we have new people qualifying courses, which will take some of the load off us. Teaching and traveling as much as I do is not hard, then again, it's very tough. The wear and tear, the constant changing of time zones can get to you after a while. It's gotten to me at times. In many ways, I'm looking forward to being in Los Angeles again. I'm only there for three days the week before, and the week after Thanksgiving. I'll be staying at the Doubletree by Hilton in Downtown LA, a block and a half from the training site. This is the same hotel I stayed in for my first field class in February 2002. Back then it was called the New Otani Hotel. As usual, my schedule has changed due to customers canceling classes. Our field classes are scheduled with the assistance of a Project Manager. Often times the classes are scheduled far too early, or far too late. It's a rare occasion when a class is scheduled at the appropriate time. Is it the Project Managers fault? In some ways, yes. In some ways no, because dates slip due to delays in system installation. Below is my current schedule through the end of the year. I don't see this changing too much either. 11/6: Schaumburg 11/13: Los Angeles with LAPD 11/20: Home - Thanksgiving week 11/27: Los Angeles with LAPD 12/4: Fort Lauderdale 12/11: No idea, right now I'm on hold for a class in Maryland 12/18: Christmas Break 12/25: Christmas Break 1/1/24: Kansas (Thursday/Friday) 1/8/24: Fort Lauderdale Well, that's about it for an update, at least for now. Until my next post, be good to those you love, spoil them, and write!  Jim Dorrell |
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is better than suspended upside down in the 'void'. 
