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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 was a Senior Training Specialist for Motorola Solutions, and taught classes on a wide variety of subjects centered around 2-way radio communications. I knew that when the time arrived that I would retire, and I have. 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 were not in demand anymore. My students were 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? Some of the places I've been (I can't list them all here, the list would be toio long) are pretty interesting. 1. Hawaii - Four times, Oahu, Maui (twice), and the Big Island 2. BangkokThailand, twice 3. Frankfurt Germany, twice 4. Algiers, Algeria 5. Melbourne Australia 6. Bismarck North Dakota, Summer & Winter 7. Los Angeles, Too many times to count 8. Washington DC, Too many times to count 9. Seattle three or four times 10. Texas, all over the state 11. Florida, all over the state 12. New Mexico, HOME! Several times  Best Cultural And Regional Honorable Mention |
| Locale: Bloomington, Illinois Week of: January 11, 18, and 25, 2021 For the longest time, I didn't really like delivering online classes. The reason? It meant I wasn't going somewhere, but that was only a minor consideration. In our online deliveries, there is no video feed, so we can't see the students, they can't see me. Yes, I can turn my webcam on, and I do at times when using my whiteboard. But there's really no need for it, then again, there's a big need for it. If you've participated in instructor-led online learning, you can appreciate the need to share video. At the same time, video requires a lot of bandwidth, and for some, that's not possible. Plus, at times I need to access the company's VPN which does cause connectivity issues at times. (There's a problem there somewhere, but it's not something I can correct). So, we don't use video for the most part. As an instructor, I like being able to see the students. I can judge how they are receiving the information, when they might be confused, etc. With no video, that's impossible. So for me, an online class is a necessary evil so-to-speak, one we can't avoid. These past two weeks, and this week, I am delivering classes from home. Next week I'm on vacation, and the following week I'm not scheduled to deliver anything. I won't know what to do with TWO Weeks free! (Kidding of course). This my fourth week in a row delivering a class, that's fine with me. I've delivered three different classes in those four weeks, and this is a rare occasion where I will deliver the same class back-to-back. I'm getting used to the online delivery, and like it more now since I can deliver classes from home. Such a long commute though! I have to walk downstairs to the basement after all. But it's a quiet commute, and quite safe, as long as I don't slip on the stairs.  My schedule is staying full though, so that's a good thing. By the end of June, I will have delivered what is considered a full year's worth of classes. Well, almost. Still, that might give you an idea of how busy we all are. It could be a lot worse, so I'm not complaining one bit. Loving what I do is a benefit too. I just wish all of you were as lucky as I am in your careers. In Closing I am home this week, and the next two. Then it's off to Sarasota, Florida followed by Lyons, New Jersey. These two weeks free are necessary, because after that, my next free week won't be until May 24th! Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! |
| Locale: Flagler County, Florida Week of: January 4, 2021 This week finds me in Flagler County Florida for a class with the county techs. I drove down because I'm still avoiding flying as much as I can. Yeah, I know that they've tested airliners and found that the virus can't live in one because of the air circulation. That's not my worry. It's the airports, and everywhere between my car and the plane. So thanks, but no thanks, I'll drive when possible. This has been a fun class, but it's had its moments too. Imagine coming to a customer prepared to deliver a class consisting of equipment A and equipment B. Then, despite all your prep e-mails back and forth, despite all the pre-work you put in, you start the class, and discover that they only have equipment B. The problem is, covering equipment A and B would normally take 4 days (so you might wonder why it was scheduled for five? Don't worry, I do too, but they won't change it, no matter what we tell them), but now in covering only equipment B, you can get 2.5, maybe 3 days of training in. Oh wait, they paid for 5, so what to do, what to do? Fortunately, they have equipment C & D (yes, I'm using letters just to make it more understandable to Multicast Sites vs. Simulcast Sites will bore you to tears), and you just happen to be the only instructor who can really talk about equipment C & D at length. You got all that? I hope so, because there's a test following this.... So it's been a good week. The customer is happy with the training, especially since I know they don't want training on equipment they don't have, and that extra stuff I've taught them? Very few know it well, and they've had a lot of questions about it, so we've done well. Plus, I've gotten to spend a week in the warmth of Florida, huh! That's a wi-win if you ask me! To top it off, I've found at least two nice restaurants. Well, three really, but the third one happens to be closed this week.. Dang it. Noteworthy Restaurants: Flagler Fish Company https://flaglerfishandbeefcompany.com/daily-menu/ This is the kind of place I love to stop in and dine. A local run place, nothing fancy, just good food. To say their fish sandwich was good would be a gross understatement. It was Excellent! Along with that, Smoked Fish Dip. So good, I will stop there on the way out tomorrow, but a half-pint of it to take home! Portugal Wine Bar And Grill https://www.portugalwinebarandgrill.com/menu When I saw this on Google Maps, I knew I had to visit it. Why? One word. Paella. Yummmmm. A platter so large I had enough for a second night of enjoyment. It was a nice place to visit too, a bit 'fancy', but that was alright. In Closing I am home the next four weeks, delivering online classes the next three weeks before getting a week off to study and such. Then it's off to High Point NC, at least as of now. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!  Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Blooomington, Illinois Weeks of: December 21 & 28, 2020 It's been a relaxing two weeks here. I spent it working with a teammate in Schaumburg last week, learning a little about a new course. There is A LOT to learn for this class though, so it will be awhile. A little about this course and the product covered in it. A customer can purchase additional equipment for their radio system, and properly configured, it will allow their Cell Phones to communicate with users on their radios. A little extra info here too. A cell phone is really a radio, but it operates differently, and in a different frequency band that our 2-way radios, so it's impossible for someone on their cell phone to make a call on our radio networks. This optional equipment ties the two types of system together. How? Once the call is received from the cell phone, the system converts it to digital (1's and 0's), then puts it on a network. Since it's all digital, as long as there's a network connection, the call can be received by radios operating in their frequency band, which convert it back to audio that we can hear. So despite being in two different frequency bands, despite using non-compatible signaling schemes, by tying the two systems together over a network, communication can occur. So I have to learn all the in's and out's of this system, how it works, is connected together, and how to configure/maintain & troubleshoot it. This past week I used my time to complete final edits on that course I learned (and heavily edited) back in March. The course materials I've been using were 'okay' at least, but really needed a good sprucing up. That's been done, I've double and triple checked the sequence of doing the Microsoft Excel exercises, and feel it's ready for others to use. Now all we need to do, is get them qualified. At least they'll have better course materials than I did to start with, plus recordings of classes I deliver in January using these materials. We'll see what happens. In Closing I will spend the weekend at home before going to Florida on January 2nd for a class next week. After that, I am home for about five weeks (as of now), delivering classes from my basement all but one of those weeks. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! |
| Locale: Helena, Montana Week of: December 14, 2020 This week I was in Seattle first, now Helena, Montana. It's a one day class that consists entirely of hands-on activities for the students. We started this after the Pandemic halted all classes for about seven weeks. Right now, we do a class online using Adobe connect that is all theory and discussion. Then we go to the customer's site and conduct one day of hands on training. We can do more days if needed, but for these two classes, one day was sufficient. As much as I was disappointed in the hotel restaurant in Seattle, I couldn't be more pleased with my dining options in Helena. Surprisingly you were allowed to dine in at Helena restaurants. I arrived Wednesday afternoon and found a place that appealed to me, and went there. It was so good, I went back Thursday night before flying out Friday morning. I had hoped to meet Kåre เลียม Enga  in Great Falls this trip. Great Falls was the original location of the training, but when I called last week (after that last minute change to my schedule), I found out it would be in Helena. It would have been nice to meet up, but sadly that wasn't possible....  There's always a chance I'll be scheduled to go back, they have a lot more training they need, so we'll see what happens.The class was held at a radio site on a mountaintop about 30 miles south of Helena. The mountain wasn't all that high compared to the surrounding terrain, but still, it was beautiful up there. The building that houses the radio equipment was heated of course, so it was very comfy there. The class itself went very well, I used my portable projector to show my computer screen on a blank wall, and had the students access the software while I directed them on what to do. There was a lot of discussion, questions, and note taking throughout the day. Noteworthy Restaurants: Hokkaido Ramen & Isakaya https://hokkaidoramen.life/helena/ I didn't expect to find this caliber of Japanese/Oriental restaurant in Helena, but I did. Their Tantanken Ramen was excellent, as was their 'Crazy Roll' Sushi. I had to have Edamame also, and could have dined there all week if this had been a week long class. I wouldn't have done that in actuality, because I really like trying different places to see what is out there. Excellent food really, and a nice, relaxing atmosphere. Photo's From Visit:  Mountaintop Training Site  Naked Mountaintop Tree In Closing I will spend the weekend at home before going to Schaumburg for two days next week. After that, my year is done, except there are things I need to get done to be ready for the New Year. It never stops, and that's fine with me. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Seattle, Washington Week of: December 14, 2020 Here I am in the beautiful city of Seattle, and no place to go. You might wonder how that's possible, so let me explain. I'm only here for 1 day. I'm here to work with the customer in completing the hands-on activities for this course. It only takes one day to do all that, so here I am. Being such a short trip, working in the airport itself, plus having the pandemic still going on, it seemed to make sense to not have a car. Restaurants are open for carry-out only, so I can't even go to the city for dinner. Many of you have it a lot tougher than this, so I don't feel I should complain too much. Since the class was conducted at the airport, I chose to stay at the Hilton across the street, but I have to confess that I wouldn't stay here again. Why? It's an old hotel, comfy, clean, but in need of an update. That isn't the reason though. There's a Spencer's Restaurant that is part of the hotel; it's supposed to be a good place to dine. They may have changed things due to the pandemic, I'm not sure. What I do know, is that the price you pay (well, my company pays) for a meal is not worth what you get. I arrived Monday and being somewhat tied to the hotel, I went there for my carryout dinner. I love Fish n Chips, so I ordered that, and a Caesar Salad, along with a plastic up of beer, and for later, one of those hard cider things. I won't say the price here, that's not important. But the fish was 3 'logs', about the size of a cigar in diameter, and maybe 3-4 inches in length, and a ton of fries. That dish alone was close to $30! That's what I mean about the price not being in line with what you get. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for a larger portion, what I had was plenty. I don't think it should have cost that much. The meal was good (for being a take-out order), nothing wrong with it, just overpriced. So, I wouldn't stay here again if that's my main dining option. The hands-on activities went well, there were only 2 students, so it was nice to teach almost one-on-one. It wasn't classroom teaching, no lecturing. It was all demo's, them actually logging on to devices and viewing it's configuration, learning how to do this or that to maintain the system and devices. This was my first time doing the hands-on activities only, and my first time doing this class since August of 2019. I get to do this class in person in about 4 weeks in Flagler County Florida, so it was also a nice refresher, if you will. In Closing Today I fly to Montana to do this again, a slightly different course, but in reality, about the same stuff. I will be in Helena, and I'm told the radio site is on top of a mountain. I just hope the shelter that houses the radios is decently warm! Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Bloomington, Illinois Week of: December 7, 2020 This week finds me at home once again teaching in my basement. It's something I've gotten used to, and learned to enjoy a bit. This class was one I haven't taught since April 2019, but I needed a refresher. Why? Because next week I will be in Seattle and Helena Montana doing the supervising the hands-on activities of this course. Plus, I have to deliver this again in person in Flagler County Florida in three weeks, so this really helped refresh my memory on it. As in every class I deliver, I learned something new, which is always good. Despite the pandemic, this has been a very busy year for me. A normal 'fully loaded' schedule for us is 110-115 days of delivery. Why so little? That's actually about six months of classroom time, and the other six months is meant to be spent learning/qualifying new courses, upgrading course materials (there's always room for improvement!), and in some ways, relaxing. Well, it wasn't until this week that I realized exactly how busy I've been delivering classes in 2020. In March & April, we lost seven weeks of delivery due to the Pandemic. Since then, other than taking PTO in October, and having the US Holiday weeks 'off' from teaching, I've only had one week of non-delivery. What this means, is that out of a possible 32 weeks we've delivered classes since late April, I've delivered classes in 28 of them! Remember that 110-115 days per year being a full schedule? This year, I will deliver 152 days of classes. That's when I realized exactly how busy I've been. But that's good if you ask me. In Closing I will spend next week in those two places mentioned above, then at least 1-2 nights in Schaumburg to cross-train on a new course. After that, I have two weeks on holiday before hitting it again the first of the year. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! |
| Locale: Springfield, Missouri Week of: November 30, 2020 This week finds me in Springfield Missouri for a Networking class with the city. I was in Springfield in 2002, and have a few fond memories of being here. Don't ask where I dined though, because I couldn't tell you. Other than Lambert Throwed Rolls that is. I drove there, it was only a 5 hour drive or so, and a nice one at that. I have to say that for there being a Pandemic going on, there sure was a lot of people heading home on the highways from a family weekend. I didn't mind, I'm glad they were able to get together, assuming that was the reason there were so many on the road. The class itself was good, I may be invited back for a different class too. For me, that's always an honor. An honor that someone thinks well enough of me to ask for me to come back for another class. We'll see what happens. It seems that the instructor who owns this course has changed it a little... again. There were at least 2 hands-on exercises that we did, and I don't recall seeing them before. So I have some studying to do so I have them down solid. But really, things went well. At least there were no questions asked that I couldn't answer. It's amazing how these systems can change, the new capabilities that are being configured. It can be quite the chore to keep up with all the changes, but somehow we manage to stay even with the curve at least. Noteworthy Restaurants: Cafe Cusco https://www.cafecusco.com/menu This is a Peruvian/Chilean inspired restaurant, and I thought the food was very good. I went there twice, the first time I had their Fried Guacamole appetizer, and Olive Trout. On my second visit, I wanted the Drunk Goat, but they were out of that, so I settled for the Fried Rabbit. Everything was very good as I said, though I forgot to order the Ceviche Miami on my second visit. Ocean Zen https://www.eatoceanzen.com/menu I had to visit this place, their menu looked terrific, and I was in the mood for Sushi. I wasn't disappointed one bit. I will admit that their Tuna Poke was a little on the small side, but it was still very good. I forget which Sushi roll I had, but it really hit the spot. I thought about having a second appetizer, but didn't want to overdo it and get too full. Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Uranus, Missouri I can't drive west on I-44 without stopping here. I found a few things I wanted, and when I approached the cashier, the sweet young lady said, "It's nice to see you! We're glad you picked Uranus!" You can see that this could go on and on. I wanted to say something like, "Well, I can't drive past here without visiting Uranus, it's always a pleasure." but figured she was 21-22 at most, and since I could be her grandfather, I decided not to say anything too outlandish. You can get several knick-knacks there, so I settled on a glass with their logo that reads, "Packing Fudge Fresh In Uranus Since 2015". I also picked up a jar of Garlic Stuffed Green Olives that also stated, "Fresh from the farm to Uranus". Boy do I have a warped sense of humor!  In Closing I will spend the rest of the year at home, with at least 1-2 nights in Schaumburg to cross-train on a new course. I teach online the next two weeks, then have two weeks on holiday before hitting it again the first of the year. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Bloomington, Illinois Week of: November 16, 2020 This week finds me at home once again, delivering that 'Fleetmapping' course I was asked to learn in March. This is fine, because we all know things could be a lot worse. Some of my co-workers have been traveling like crazy though, and I'm not envious one bit. Since the pandemic hit in March, I have traveled for class delivery 5 times. I will travel again Sunday to Springfield, Missouri, and that will be my last field trip of this year. Since March, I will have taught classes in the field five times, and on line a whopping TWENTY times! Yikes! I was a little concerned about this class because this customer has already completed their Fleetmap design. I wondered why the class was scheduled, but deep down, I knew why. All I could do was deliver to the best of my abilities, and go from there. I will say that the students were very cooperative, seemed to enjoy the class, and overall it was their willingness to be there that made the class a success. Yes, they had a good instructor that somehow manages to make an online session somewhat enjoyable, but it was the students who made this class enjoyable. Have you wondered what 'Fleetmapping' is all about? Here's a little info about it for you. Imagine you're a customer, perhaps a Public Safety Agency in a large city. You've purchased this state-of-the-art' radio communications system from my company. Because of the size of your city, the Public Safety Sector, and general city businesses (Parks & Recreation, Public Utilities, Transportation, etc) are all going to use this system. You will have about 15,000 users on it, all transmitting on their 2-way radios to remain in touch with their co-workers and managers. These radios are pretty sophisticated, and are programmed using a special program on your PC. Plus, they can be programmed in hundreds, if not thousands of different ways. Plus, the radios have to be properly configured in the system applications that reside on a web-based server. You have to know your options and system capabilities to really configure things appropriately. Fleetmapping enables you to plan how both the system, and the radios, are configured and programmed. After all, if they don't mesh and work together, you (the city) just spent a little over a couple of hundred million dollars on a useless communication system. That's the class I edited greatly, and taught myself to teach in March. In Closing I will spend the holiday week at home before driving to Springfield Sunday. I will be working on a couple of small work-related projects while here, trying to get aheda, (or remain ahead), of that eight ball. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Schaumburg, Illinois Week of: November 9, 2020 This week I delivered a 'resident class' in Schaumburg. It is a pretty basic RF class that I've taught for 19 years now, so there was very little stress in this delivery. It's not the same delivering a class there though. The building is a ghost town since everyone is working from home. The only reason to keep that building (all 12 stories of it), is for our classrooms. I wouldn't be surprised if they move us to a different location (cheaper lease) in the not to distant future. Pure conjecture on my part, but it only makes sense. The kicker to all this, is that with the COVID cases on the rise once again, the county implemented even more stringent measures at controlling crowds. The classrooms are designed for 12 students, but we can now have no more than 25% of the allowed amount of people in it, meaning 3 students in the small classrooms (where I was), and 4-5 in the larger rooms. So, I had a class of three, except one person didn't show up. It's harder to teach a small group like that. There aren't as many questions, so the time goes by faster than it normally would. Overall, it was a good week, but things are so different now. I'm just thankful I'm still employed!My schedule is still on steroids, and I can only assume everyone else's is too. (I can only see mine, I do not see who is teaching what or where). I'm glad I get the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years off, because other than those weeks, I am booked every week between now and May 24th! In Closing I will spend the weekend and the next two weeks at home. Next week I will teach that 'Fleetmapping' class online again, with the City and County of San Francisco my customer. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Henderson, Kentucky Week Of: October 26, 2020 This week finds me in Henderson, Kentucky for a class with the city and county of Henderson. I found myself attracted to the area, mainly because I love river towns, but it was the local radio station (WSON) I listened to that captured me. Why? One word. Americana. Small town, and if it weren't for the highways and types of vehicles on the road, you might think you were in a time warp, and back in the 1950's. As is my custom right now, I drove here, a long drive of 4 hours or so. Then again though, if I had flown to Evansville, Indiana (right across the Ohio River in Indiana), it would have been a longer trip. Drive to the airport, and arrive at least an hour and a half early, 30 minute flight to Chicago, at least an hour layover, probably more, and an hour flight to Evansville. Plus, you get the 'joy' of being crammed in an airplane, confined in a narrow space for those flights. No thank you, driving is more fun. Noteworthy Restaurants: Poké River http://www.pokeriver.com/ This is essentially a fast food chain that is very similar to Poké Works, which is coming to my town soon. If you enjoy Poké like I do, then you almost have to go. I find (or shall I say I hope), it's healthier than McD's and the like. I've been to a Poké Works in Omaha, and this is almost identical to them, just a different name. And yes, I loved my meal from there. Catfish Willy's Another dish I love is Catfish. While I don't eat much fried food, I prefer Catfish fried or blackened. I'm glad I ordered mine fried, I had a platter, with the catfish, shrimp, oysters, and clams, with a side of Fried Okra. (You can never get too much Okra!). Everything was fried, and the amazing thing to me was, there was no sign of grease! I couldn't eat it all that night, so took it to my hotel room, and finished it the next day. Never did I find a spot of grease. Plus, the cornmeal breading on the catfish was perfect too. Manna Mediterranean Grill https://manna-grill.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MANNA-Menu-CLR-100220.pdf Another cuisine I really enjoy is Mediterranean food. It is really hard to find a place that serves authentic Eastern Mediterranean food, or Middle East food here in the States. I dined at a Kabob Restaurant in Canada a couple of years ago, and fell in love with the seasoning used there. I asked what it was, and found out that they import their seasoning from Iran. With the Embargo in place on Iran, they can't be imported here I guess. Still, whenever I can find a good Mediterranean or Middle Eastern restaurant, I make sure to drop by. Historic/Interesting Places Visited: The Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy http://redskeltonmuseum.org/ I am a big fan of this man! Whenever I see that question that floats around here and there... You know the one. "Who would you like to meet, living or dead?" My #1 answer is Red Skelton. I cannot consider myself a fan of this man, and not stop here. I think it was his wittiness, willingness to act or look in whatever way he needed to, to make people smile that made me a fan. Comedians today have their delivery scripted (except for standup comedians), but take a look at some of the things he would do, and you'll realize that this was most likely completely off-the-cuff. The museum is on the campus of Vincennes University in Vincennes Indiana. It is a nice tribute to the legendary comedian, and well worth a quick visit. Look for some of his Gertrude & Heathcliffe jokes in my "Smile! (Groan?) You Know You Love These!"  in the near future. Yes, I bought a small pamphlet of those jokes. Here's a quote from him that I saw in the museum. "A clown must be a clown.... funny without assistance, capable of communicating with his audience without props or scenery or words."In Closing I will spend the weekend and next week at home. I was scheduled to be in Schaumburg to deliver a resident class, but there's been an upswing in COVID cases in the Chicago area recently, and they've placed even more restrictions on room capacities, and my class has too many students to fit in one of our classrooms now. So I get to deliver this class from home instead! Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
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