%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  I travel the country on business, sometimes the world. Come see where I've been. |
|
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 |
| Date: Week of November 28st Locale: High Point, NC My journeys this week took me to the beautiful state of North Carolina. High Point is just south of Greensboro, and is part of what they call the Piedmont Triad, an area consisting ofGreensboro, High Point, & Winston-Salem. I drove there for this trip because I really prefer driving over flying. But flying as much as I do, I want to keep my 'status' on United at least at the Silver level so I can board a little earlier, instead of with the later groups. I know, I'm spoiled.  On the drive down, I stopped in Asheville and visited the Biltmore Mansion. This is a place that can be fun to visit, but I find its sheer size to be more than I can handle. I realize it was built over 100 years ago (constructed between 1889 and 1895), but I cannot fathom how a man needs a mansion that is 175,000 square feet in size. With over 33 bedrooms for family and visitors, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces, it is a behemoth of a mansion. When I think of all the people who struggle to make ends meet, I find the wealth on show there almost repulsive. Guess I'm never meant to be that wealthy, and if I were, I would hope that I'd never have a place like that.  In driving to Asheville, I took the back roads and drove through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg Tennessee. It was the next day that the wildfires broke out. No, I didn't start them.... A lot of the magnificent sights I saw on that drive, the beautiful buildings and scenery, are now ashes.  When I arrived in High Point, I visited the customer the day before the class. It was then that I learned they expected to receive training on a different subject than the one I was sent to deliver. Luckily I am qualified to deliver that one also, so just ran with it, and taught what they wanted to learn. Noteworthy Restaurants: On the drive there and back, I encountered a few excellent restaurants. One I would not go back to again though, is the Cabo Grill http://cabogrillmexicanrestaurant.com The food is very average, my Margarita very watered down, and the food not authentic. (Very bland actually) Excellent places to eat would include: Wild Eggs. This is a breakfast place that is around the southern part of the US, but not in High Point. I love that they serve a Grits of The Day, the rest of their food, and service are both excellent. First Watch. http://firstwatch.com This little gem of a breakfast restaurant is in Lexington, Ky. If you're traveling through the area, stop by, I can almost guarantee you that you will not be disappointed. Try their Avocado Toast, amazing amount of avocado (actually one half of an Avocado on each slice of toast) on thick sliced bread, topped with a basted egg. Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Biltmore Mansion http://www.biltmore.com/ Over 250 weddings are held at Biltmore every year. I can't imagine what that would cost, so someone (not this Sum1) has money.  On the drive home, I saw a sign for a place called Josephine Sculpture Park. My curiosity was aroused, so I followed the signs to its location. It's a 20 acre park sitting on a farmers property south of Frankfort, Kentucky. What a great place to stop and visit! The sculptures you'll find are unique, interesting, and beautiful.  Butterfly Chair  Clippity Clop I will be in NYC Thursday and Friday next week before going to Springfield the following week. Getting cold out, y'all be sure to stay warm!  Jim Dorrell |
| Date: Week of October 31st Locale: New York City, New York This week finds me in a small town affectionately known as 'The Big Apple'. Yep, I'm right here in fabulous New York City for a meeting with a customer. I'm actually staying in Jersey City, on the river across from NYC. I have a nice view of the skyline from the window in my room.I arrived a day early so I could learn how to use the mass transit system in the NY/NJ Metro area. So yesterday I took a train under the Hudson River, and arrived at the World Trade Center. I toured that area, and reflected on the happenings of 9/11, realizing how hard it hit this city. I was also reminded of how it energized our nation, and brought home the idea of freedom to most everyone once again. I was going to find the meeting site, but quickly realized I had quite a distance to go still. However, a little studying of Google Maps on my phone helped, and I knew that could get there today without any problems. So I played tourist, and tried not to gawk at the scenes around me. I didn't want my head to be looking up the whole time, you know how it is when you're in a big city that you've visited once or twice, but never traveled around in much. I did manage to snap a few photo's (of course), and just about walked my legs off in doing so. My 'Fit-Bit' tells me I walked about six and a half miles yesterday, but some of that was walking in the airports too. Still, by the end of the day, my legs were pretty tuckered out.   Historic/Interesting Places Visited: National September 11 Memorial and Museum. If you come here, visit this site. I will be back here four times next year for classes with this customer, and one more time as I prep, learning their exact radio sites wiring and connections/signal flow. I may not get here to NYC for that one visit, but I will for the classes, since I'll be delivering them in a building on Broadway.  I'm home the next three or four weeks, before traveling to Springfield Virginia in mid December. Winter is coming, y'all stay warm! |
| Date: Week of October 24st Locale: San Jose, California Last week I was lucky enough to go to San Jose. I know, San Jose? Well, the class was there, but it was an hour drive south for me, for a day of vacation as part of the trip that really excited me. I managed to spend the day Sunday in Monterey. Most of my time was spent in the World Famous Monterey Aquarium. It was a good time, with a nice dinner on the Monterey Boardwalk. Tuesday I went to Gilroy, about an hour south. It's the self-proclaimed Garlic Capital of the World. All I did was visit a roadside stand, but still, it was a fun evening. Being there in California, I spent my evenings having fresh seafood. There was one place that I wouldn't go back to, and will warn you about, should you find yourself in that area. The Island Grille. Look at their menu on line, then visit if you must. But while their on line menu looks and sounds yummy, the in house menu is completely different, and double the price! Despite the name Island Grille, most of their entree's are beef, chicken, or pork. Very little seafood, and none have anything to do with islands. I spent Friday afternoon touring the San Francisco waterfront and Fisherman's Wharf before catching a red-eye flight home. Of course that meant driving down Lombard Street too. Well, at least the small section of hair pin turns.   Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Monterey Bay Aquarium - https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/ No visit to the south SF bay area is complete without visiting this place. The ocean has drawn me since I was a child, seeing so many creatures in their habitat (I know it's not natural, but it's about as close as we'll get it, and still be able to see it) is always uplifting for my spirits. San Francisco Waterfront - Need I say more? I was sorry to see that Fisherman's Grotto had closed after 81 years of operation. Noteworthy Restaurants: There are a lot of excellent restaurants in the Bay Area. Too many to list here, but I must list one I visited. Hukilau Restaurant - http://www.dahukilau.com/sanjose/ Located in a small area known as Japan Town, this restaurant is a small spot of Paradise in the bay area. It's a Hawaiian themed restaurant, with excellent entrees. (Do you wonder why I liked it so much?) Their Teriyaki Beef Short Ribs were excellent. I came back the following day at noon to grab a Shave Ice from the Banana Crepe shop next door. Yes, it's properly spelled Shave Ice, not Shaved Ice. Until next time, y'all keep on writing, share your Trinkets, (tell me when you release one! lol), and stay warm or cool, since the seasons are changing. |
| Date: Week of October 10st Locale: Lawrenceville, Georgia This past week I was in Lawrenceville for another class. Like my trip to Plantation, Florida, this was taught at a Motorola facility, which I believe makes it a little easier. At least in some ways. As long as you don't forget your badge! The class was a Networking class, and for the second time in a row, I taught the second of our networking classes the week after one of our instructors had taught the first. I might as well get used to it though, I'm doing the same thing the next two weeks.... Lawrenceville is a small community about twenty miles north-east of Atlanta on I-85. The hardest part about getting there was the traffic in Atlanta on a Sunday afternoon. It was as bad as Chicago, worse in some ways. I did manage to play tourist a little bit, on both Sunday when I arrived, and Friday once class was done. Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Atlanta Botanical Gardens - http://atlantabg.org/ - Would you be surprised if I said there's a Chihuly exhibit going on in the gardens? It was a draw for me, and a nice, quiet afternoon walking amongst the plants and flowers. My rental car had no form of Lumbar support, so by the time I managed to complete the short drive (long in time, short in distance), my back was aching. The more I walked, the less it ached though, always a good thing. Oakland Cemetery - http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/ - You might find it a bit macabre, but I enjoy visiting cemeteries. This one is different and special. Less than a mile from the heart of downtown Atlanta, this is a hidden treasure, and secret sanctuary. This garden cemetery was founded in 1850, and is the final resting place of many of Atlanta’s settlers, builders, and most noted citizens like Bobby Jones, Margaret Mitchell, and Maynard Jackson. It is also a showplace of sculpture and architecture, and a botanical preserve with ancient oaks and magnolias. Here in this peaceful place the full scope of the city’s rich and fascinating history unfolds before you. Many of the older sites have beautiful, ornate statues; many Mausoleums are scattered about the grounds. One section was set aside long ago for the burial of black people. Remember, Atlanta is in the south, America was (and still is in many ways) segregated there. This small area was the only area black people could be buried in Oakland Cemetery. There's also a large area graves with plain markers; these are the graves of thousands of Confederate Soldiers killed during the Civil War. It's a beautiful place to visit, but very somber, as all cemeteries are to visit. Noteworthy Restaurants: There are a lot of good restaurants in this area, I had the pleasure of visiting five of them during the week. If I were to pick out one and talk about it, it would be - Tin Lizzy's Cantina - http://tinlizzyscantina.com/ - They serve a wide variety of taco's there, so I had to try one, right? Low Country Boil Taco - Grilled gulf shrimp, chorizo, grilled onions, roasted corn, tater tots, drizzled with spicy ranch and topped with red peppers. I also tried their Cantina Skillet. It was excellent, and I ended up taking leftovers with me for lunch the following day. This coming week I will be in Schaumburg delivering another Networking class before going to Santa Clara Callifornia to deliver Networking for the third week in a row! This is a class I'm looking forward to for a couple of reasons. I would love to visit Yosemite National Park, but I can't get there early enough on Saturday to allow me to spend an adequate amount of time there. Instead, I'll visit Monterrey, and it's world renown aquarium. I will also make a point of visiting Cannery Row, which was the inspiration for the John Steinbeck novel of the same name. Until next time, y'all keep on writing, share your Trinkets, (tell me when you release one! lol), and stay warm or cool, since the seasons are changing. Jim Dorrell |
| First, thank you for all your comments about the many photo-Trinkets I've created. I knew the latest one would draw a lot of comments/questions, so waited to post it. Now for that promised explanation. I delivered a class to the Port Of Los Angeles in June 2013. It was delivered at their office, which is part of the dock where tour ships tie up between cruises. When class was completed on Friday, I headed back to the hotel to relax. I planned on returning to the same parking area that night because an event was being held there, 'Cars & Stripes Forever'. (Another story though). On my way to the hotel, I looked over, and saw a low lying fog bank obscuring the lower portion of large cranes used in the nearby commercial shipyard. I thought it looked interesting, so I stopped to snap a photo.  As I do frequently, I then zoomed in and snapped a second one. I was just as startled as you when I saw it on my laptop later.  When I start delivering a class, I have this closeup photo displayed on the screen, and tell the students that contrary to popular believe, aliens HAVE visited us, and I have proof. So now you know what's in the photo of that 'mysterious' Trinket. |
| Date: Week of October 4th Locale: Outside Bloomington, Illinois Okay, so this entry is not about a trip I took somewhere in the United States, or anywhere for that matter. It's about a chance to do something that I couldn't turn down. I had the chance to spend three hours riding (I didn't drive it, only rode in it), in a 12 Row Combine! If any of you have ever worked a farm, or driven in rural areas, you've probably seen these in the fall as farmers harvest their crops. Marty is the brother in law of a close friend; he was gracious enough to let me spend this time learning a little of his life as a farmer. He farms 4000 acres of crop land here in Central Illinois. Of course, he grows corn and soy beans almost exclusively. The corn he grows is not the corn we find in the store though. He explained that this corn is used in various ways, this lot was being sent to Peoria Illinois where it would be put on a barge and floated down the Mississippi. In New Orleans, it would be loaded on a ship, sent through the Panama Canal, and end up in Japan! There, it would be broken down for its starch, and combined with another starch from rice. Not sure what all its used for, but apparently its highly desired for its starch properties. One use of corn like this, is to make the adhesive that is used on electronic circuit boards. It was extremely interesting to see how he uses a GPS to help determine where he's at in the field, which row to be Combined, etc. There's a computer in the Combine, it tells him the moisture content of the corn (has to be around 18% to be harvested), how much corn is being harvested/acre, how full his storage bin is, and how full the trailer is that would pull alongside us.  If you look close at that photo, you'll see me sitting in the seat right next to the door... What I found most fascinating is what the Combine did. We'd drive down a row, and it would reap the corn stalks (12 rows at a time) into a head. The corn head is equipped with snap rolls that strip the stalk and leaf away from the ear, so that only the ear (and husk) enter the throat. In the throat, the corn is first shucked, then removed from the husk. The kernels are then sent into a storage bin behind the driver. Since the Combine can't hold a lot of kernels, a wagon is pulled alongside by a tread driven tractor. The kernels are then transferred to the wagon while harvesting proceeds. Once the wagon is full, it is taken to the road next to the field, and emptied into a waiting semi-truck. I was amazed at how the Combine could harvest the corn stalks, shuck the corn, separate the kernels from the husk, and discharge the unneeded scrap out the back. This whole process, along with the wagon being pulled along side takes a lot of coordination between Marty and the man pulling the wagon, as well as having semi-trucks arriving to be filled. Then you have the technical parts in the cab. Two-way radios are used for communication (I think the were even using Motorola radios, ones that are not as complex as the ones I teach technicians about), a tablet that is connected to the wagon sensors to display the weight of kernels in it, along with a sundry of other information. Last but not least, is the computer that showed the rows being cut, the yield of corn in each segment, and more information that I can't recall. One thing that stood out though, was the accuracy of his GPS. The one we use in our cars is accurate to a hundred feet, maybe a little more than that. His was accurate to a couple of inches! (The cost to use this is astronomical, so that service is only on when he needs it, such as during harvesting or planting). I remember that once we went to start a new section, and the GPS display showed we were off by a couple of feet. We had gone into the new section only a couple of feet, and Marty stropped. He explained that being off that much meant we were one row too far to the right. Of course, we backed up, and started again, one row to the left, and all was well. In harvesting what I call a 'section', he drives down the field, harvesting 12 rows at a time. At the end, he turns around and come back, harvesting the 12 rows to the left of his last cut. Then he came the other way, and cut the 12 rows to the right of he first cut., Repeat that, essentially in a gradually widening circle, until that section is complete. Repeat in the next section. Do this, until all 4000 acres have been harvested. I found that whole process fascinating, but also one I would not want to do over and over. And he (Marty) has been doing this for 36 years! I couldn't do it for a whole day, let alone 36 years. So, Sum1's In San Francisco  is not meant to be a farmer. And just for information, this farm has been in his family for well over 100 years.Thanks to Wikipedia for some of the more technical information I mention in this post about the Combine. |
| Date: Week of September 12st Locale: Plantation, Florida Last week I went to Plantation Florida to deliver what we call a resident class. With the recent changes at Motorola Solutions (We still call it Motorola), some of our resident classes will now be delivered there. This is one of them. It was a class on our newest subscriber radios (the kind you see the police using), both hand held portables and vehicle mounted mobiles. The class was good, with a lot of good participation and discussion with the students. Plantation sits about 15 miles inland of Fort Lauderdale; believe it or not, I took no pictures while I was there. But then, other than Sunday afternoon after arriving, I was no where near Fort Lauderdale. I did have dinner at a nice place on Sunday night, right on the beach, but that was my only trek there. Now if it had been March or April, might have been another story. I would have gone to see the people partying, I'm far too old to try and do that myself. I really like this area of the country, except the traffic there is horrendous. Almost as bad as being in Chicago. What I found most surprising, was how rude the drivers were. You'd think they might be a little more polite, but that's definitely not the case. All in all though, it was a good time, and I did manage to dine at a few interesting restaurants. Noteworthy Restaurants: Lulu's Bait Shack - http://www.lulusbaitshack.com/ I had to try their Smoked Fish Dip. I thought it was good, but nothing to write home about. It was nice to sit almost on the beach and watch people enjoying themselves. Padrino's Cuban Cuisine - http://padrinos.com/menu I joined a couple of the students here on Tuesday night, their Paella was excellent! A bit too much for me, pretty large, but excellent. I wanted return for a second visit, but there were too many other places I had to see. Tin Fish Restaurant - http://www.tinfishsunrise.com/ This was a very laid back type of restaurant, one I will visit again should I deliver more classes in Plantation. I don't normally eat a lot of fried food. However, since it's been a while since I've had this, I had to order their combo platter of Fried Catfish Nuggets, Frog Legs, and Gator Bites. It was very good, but I probably wouldn't order it again, simply because it's fried. Big Bear Brewing Company - https://bigbearbrewingco.com/food/menus/ It's a Micro-Brewery, you know I had to go there! Burger, and excellent beer. Nothing more needs said. Flights to and from this area are easy to get, but not very good at getting back at a decent hour. I didn't leave until Saturday morning, on a 6am flight.... So I was up at three to get to the airport in time. Yes, I flew in and out of Miami International, not Fort Lauderdale. I won't do that again. I'm home in Illinois for a few weeks now before going to Lawrenceville, Georgia for my next class. My NYC Transit class was cancelled for the umpteenth time, so it may be a while before I get there. Probably sometime in the fourth quarter, or maybe first quarter of next year. I will also be in California (Palo Alto area) in late October. I hope to visit Yosemite National Park at that time. Til next time, y'all keep on writing and reviewing, and I'll keep on keeping on. |
| Date: Week of August 29st Locale: Newport News, Va. My customer this past week was the City Of Newport News. I taught them Networking (as it pertains to a Motorola ASTRO25 Radio System), and overall, the class went well. Being in that area of the country, I was hoping to see some of the historic places nearby. Sadly, most closed at 5pm. However, I did manage to visit the Mariner's Museum, looking to snap a few shots of the USS Monitor remnants they have there. I took three photos, and the batteries on my camera died. I reached to grab my cell phone for photos, and found I'd left it in the hotel room. It's a good thing none of you were with me, because I know my language reverted to my Naval days.  Each evening, my thoughts once again centered on seafood. Yep, I had seafood almost all week. I did have something different one night, when I visited my favorite Mexican Restaurant. I don't normally dine at nation wide restaurant chains, but I make an exception for this one. If you haven't dined there, and one is nearby, try Abuelo's. Excellent Mexican Coastal Seafood! Except, that night I had a dish containing four Enchiladas, one taco, one Chile Relleno, with Beans & Rice. Once in a while, I need my fill of food from my youth! Noteworthy Restaurants: Crab Shack On The James - http://www.crabshackonthejames.com/ Oysters Rockefeller with a local Micro Brew, and a Broiled Seafood Platter. Not bad, but the there was a bit of grit to the Oysters. Dead Rise At Fort Monroe - http://places.singleplatform.com/the-deadrise/menu?ref=google. The food was pretty good, but the menu is limited. That's fine with me, I did find what I wanted. A nice Smoked Crab Dip, and a Blackened Salmon & Avocado BLT. I ended up with too much to eat, and took most of it back for lunch the next day. Second Street Bistro - http://www.secondst.com/files/Dinnermenu.pdf I really liked this place. A nice relaxed atmosphere, and actually close to the training site! I tried their Paella, but it was a Chesapeake Bay version (very good), but not what I was hoping for. Crabtown Raw Bar - http://crabtownva.com/menus/ Only need three words for this place. Shrimp & Grits! Harpoon Larry's - https://harpoonlarrys.com/menus/food/ The Oysters Rockefeller here were better than at the Crab Shack. Bigger, Plumper, and really, just better prepared. Sadly, I forget what I had for dinner. Friday class was done by 11am as usual, and I left town to avoid being caught in the Tropical Storm Hermine. I had a goal in mind though. I wanted to get to Charlottesville, Va to spend the night. The reason was that I wanted the chance to visit 'Shebeen', a South African Restaurant near the city center. http://www.shebeen.com/#!dinner--dessert/cpnb If you would like a new and different taste in dining, you need to go here! The Samosa's are excellent (I wanted Peri-Peri Wings, but wasn't sure how hot they would be), as was the Sosatie. Sosatie is cubed lamb on a sugar cane skewer, mango chutney, tamarind & turmeric seasonings, with lentils, yellow rice, mango chutney & cucumber-mint yogurt Historic/Interesting Places Visited: http://www.marinersmuseum.org/ If you have any interest in the ocean and ships that have plied it through the ages, you need to visit this place. I was drawn there because tehy have remnants of the USS Monitor there. I know you all recall the battle at Hampton Roads between the USS Monitor, and the CSS Virginia, the first battle of ironclads in history. Unfortunately, these recovered pieces are in large salt water tanks, and cannot be seen very clearly. However, there are many other things to see in this place. I didn't get to see near enough, and will definitely visit here again should my travels take me to this area. My oldest child (Child? Heck, she's 36!) lives near Langley AFB, where her husband is stationed. I had the chance to visit with them a bit, and see my Grandson Jonathan for the first time. It was a joy seeing them, I only wish I could have spent more time there. I'm home in Illinois for a week now. I actually get to do some physical labor next week when I re-assemble a small radio system after our move to the new building. Next Sunday I will fly to Miami to deliver a class on one of our handheld radios in Plantation. Maybe I will make it to Fort Lauderdale, who knows? Til next time, remember to stay cool, drink plenty of water, and write. Happy Sweet 16 WDC! |
| Date: Week of August 1st Locale: Clayton/Vineland, NJ My class this week was really two different courses. I have a small issue doing these courses back-to-back, since there's a bit of overlap. Both courses contain some of the same material. However, I needn't have worried about it at all, since the students were really interested in the overall operation. Many questions were asked about other topics relating to their system operation and this kept the class flowing well. Of the three students, one was relatively new and inexperienced, and none of them had any experience working with a radio network that used TCP/IP devices for connectivity. I stayed in Vineland New Jersey, but the class was held about 15 miles north in Clayton. This is southern New Jersey, and very beautiful. I spent two nights driving a whopping 20 miles to the Jersey shore for dinner. Each drive seemed to take an hour, but was more like 30 minutes at the most. Vineland is a pretty small town with a decent choice of restaurants. But I was on the coast! So of course I wanted seafood.... Noteworthy Restaurants: https://thecrabtrap.com/ A half dozen fresh Oysters for an appetizer, and a nice Swordfish Steak with a Mango salsa topping. A minor, unusual thing about dining here, is that the meals come with three different sides (I had Rice Pilaf, Cucumber Salad, and one other thing I can't think of right now), plus a side salad! Needless to say, I left there pretty stuffed.... I'm home in Illinois now, and will be until the end of August. The last week of August, I will go to Newport News, Va. One of my daughters lives two hours from Newport News, so I may get a chance to visit her. It's summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. Remember to stay cool, drink plenty of water, and write. |
| Date: Week of June 27th Locale: Hamden, Ct A local communications company in Hamden/New Haven Connecticut was my customer this week. I could have flown to and from Hartford or Providence (didn't think of that, lol), instead I flew to and from Boston. I guess my thoughts were centered around one thing I wanted to do. When I was in Maryland in May, I left my 'precious' windbreaker in the rental car. (It's the jacket I was wearing in the pictures from the National Mall on that trip) I'd been sitting in Reagan Airport a couple of hours waiting to go when I realized I didn't have it. I ran back to Avis, and even though the car hadn't been cleaned yet, nor moved from where I dropped it off, I was told there was no jacket in it. So, I flew in and out of Boston so I could drive through Groton Ct. and get me another jacket. Except, the Nautilus store there does not sell them anymore.  I did manage to get a polo shirt that had the same logo though. Hamden is a small town, but the area around it is beautiful. Rolling hills, green growth all around, houses just like you expect in a small New England town. It was a quick trip though, so no time for personal outings or things like that. I will be posting a pic in my Travel pictures folder though. It's two circles of metal suspended in the air. The smaller one is the hull diameter of the world's first submarine, the USS Holland. The larger one, is the hull diameter of an Ohio class Ballistic Missile submarine, they type I retired from. {indentI'm home in Illinois now, and will be until the end of July. The last week of July I will go to Gloucester County, NJ. Home most of August before going to Newport News, Va, then we're at Labor Day already! It's summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. Remember to stay cool, drink plenty of water, and write. Oh, and enjoy GoT! |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
