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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 |
| Date: Week of June 20th Locale: Shelton Washington The Washington State Department of Corrections was my customer for this week. The class was held at a prison in Shelton Washington, but since there's not much in the way of accommodations there, we stayed in Olympia. We, in that the technicians I taught were from prisons around the state. Fortunately, this prison didn't want me either, and let me leave at the end of class.  There are three places I really love, and would love to live in each. Unfortunately, life has me living in Chicago. That makes any visit to these three places special. The Puget Sound area of Washington is one of the three. After arriving very early Saturday morning, June 18th, I slept in a little bit. By 10am, I was at the Pike Place market. This is a place you have to see should you visit Seattle. Many of you have probably seen this on the food channel, and watched as the hawkers throw large Salmon to each other. While that may receive the most attention from the media, walking the whole market and seeing what all is there is a treat. I saw a couple singing in one area; he played banjo while she played a wash tub bass. I was amazed at her instrument, because it was a single string device, a piece of twine tied to a pole, and nailed to the center of the upside down wash tub. I could not determine how she was changing the note as she played along, so had to Google it. Apparently, she changed the tension on the twine by moving it slightly, therefore changing the pitch as she strummed it. Unfortunately, you can't hear the bass well in the video I recorded. The next day, I rode the ferry from Seattle to Winslow (Bainbridge Island), and drove around the area I knew well 20 years ago. I managed to find a store that sold a wine I love, and had to get a bottle of it. If you enjoy white wine, see if you can have a bottle of Ferry Boat White, from the Bainbridge Island Winery sent to you. You will not be disappointed. I crossed the Hood Canal bridge and thought about going to Port Townsend, but decided it would take too long, and cause me to arrive at the hotel in Olympia later than I wanted. But I did get to visit Port Ludlow briefly. What a quaint, beautiful village nestled on the west side of the Hood Canal! Here's a small photo of the local marina there.  }http://visitjeffersoncountywa.com/port-ludlow I chose to drive along the west side of Hood Canal to get to Olympia. It's a route I've never taken, and thought I'd just explore a little. As you know, it rains a lot in the Puget Sound area, but this day was sunny, and beautiful out. I even found a boat I wanted to buy! It's a bit of a 'fixer upper', so need a few volunteers to provide assistance and expertise.  Class ended on Thursday afternoon, so Friday morning I drove up to Seattle to explore a little more. I spent some time at the Seattle Aquarium before having dinner at The Crab Pot on the waterfront. I really enjoyed my time there, and captured a decent video of a large octopus in one of the large tanks. If you visit Seattle, you have to eat seafood while there, I think I had all the seafood I could see. Well heck, I do that all the time though. I seefood, I eat it.  http://www.thecrabpotseattle.com/ No pictures of a visit to Seattle would be complete without shots of the Space Needle. Being a huge Seahawks fan, I decided to combine Seahawks and the Space Needle when I saw this model at the waterfront.  Well, I finally had to leave of course. My next travels will find me in Connecticut, before finally returning to Chicago for a few weeks. No rest though; I have a new course to qualify on. It may result in going to California several times to deliver it. |
| Locale: Jonesboro, Georgia My journey's this week took me to Jonesboro, Georgia. The customer was Clayton County, where I delivered a class on portable radio maintenance. I know most of you see the police officers with their radios on their belts, but I doubt many of you realize how much technology is involved in them. The portable radios themselves are not too difficult, once you understand them. But if I were to program them from scratch, there are over 4,000 fields I could edit in getting that done. If you stop to think that they are just a small piece in the overall pie (so to speak), you might start to realize how large these large systems can be. I didn't do much this week to be honest. Jonesboro is only 10 miles south of Atlanta, and I did not want to venture there in the afternoon rush hour. So I remained south, and relaxed all I could. Nice area, great people, but I was saving myself for next week, when I'll be in the Puget Sound area. It's summer out. Storms are blowing everywhere, water is high due to flooding, so be careful. I don't want to lose any of you due to errors in where you're at. Til next time.... |
| In driving to Colorado Springs, I chose to go along I-70, after taking Hwy 36 through Missouri. As I wrote about in my previous entry, I found the world's largest ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas. It's 43 feet in circumference, and was started in the early 50's by a local resident. I couldn't drive the same route back, could I? No! I chose to drive I-80 through Nebraska instead, and was glad I did. There are many 'off the wall' sights to be seen along I-80, particularly the Golden Spike Tower in North Platte, and the World's largest collection of Marbles. But it was in Iowa that I stopped to treat myself to something special. At exit 86 on I 80, go about one mile south on route 25. At an intersection on the left hand side of the road, you'll find "Freedom Rock" http://www.thefreedomrock.com/ Artist Ray "Bubba" Sorensen paints this large (about 60 ton) rock every year. The mural is always about our Veterans, and is his way of thanking the country's Veterans. I think you can see why it's such a treat for me to visit it. The link above show you the various mural's he has painted on it over the years, since 1999.  Then there was one more stop, late in the afternoon in Eastern Iowa. After all, it was only 2 miles off my route, so I had to stop, didn't I? Unfortunately they were closed (I expected that), so I didn't get to meet Danielle.  |
| Locale: Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado Peterson AFB was my customer this week. There were only four students in class, two from Peterson AFB, one from Schriever AFB, and one from Cheyenne Mountain. Both Schriever AFB and Cheyenne Mountain are pretty famous in their own right. Schriever was the inspiration for scenes in the movie "Contact" (there were scenes of a large radio telescopes scanning the heavens in it), but I'm not sure any parts of it were filmed there. It's a pretty secretive base, you need a clearance to visit certain areas. Cheyenne Mountain is even more famous. It was in the movie "War Games" long ago, but again I doubt any scenes were really filmed there. Cheyenne Mountain is the home of NORAD, and is a big part of our National Defense Triad. The drive out was very interesting, and one I've been wanting to do for a while. Everyone wondered why I'd want to drive through Kansas or Nebraska. My answer was, "To see the sights that I haven't seen yet." I wasn't disappointed. Yes Virginia (er, Dorothy), the World's Largest Ball of Twine is in Kansas. Cawker City to be exact. But sadly, there isn't much else around there. It was a three hour drive from Kansas City along highway 24 to get there, and there just isn't much else in that area to see.  The scenery around Colorado Springs is fantastic, if you're a fan of mountains. Pike's Peak dominates the skyline to the west, but what I really like is the 'Garden Of The Gods', right in Colorado Springs. Visiting it is always a joy for me.  Driving home, I took the northern route along I-80 through Nebraska. There are numerous things to see and do along here, but I just had to stop at the Golden Spike Tower. When I first saw the signs, I thought of the Golden Spike that was the last spike to be hammered in place when the East and West railroads met. But I knew that had been in Utah, so figured it was something else. The Golden Spike Tower sits south of the largest rail yard in the world. Over 10,000 Rail cars are in this yard, many being moved daily, or being repaired/renovated.  Next week finds me in Jonesboro Georgia, just south of Atlanta. Y'all keep on writing, and so will I. Take care of yourself, it's getting warm out there. |
| Locale: Washington DC When class was done Friday, I drove to Washington DC to visit Arlington National Cemetery. It was Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to snap some photos of the flags in front of the markers, and just visit the area. Seeing the changing of the guard at the Tomb Of The Unknowns was also something I really wanted to see. As the time approached noon, I realized it was getting very hot. I saw the changing of the guard at 11am, and it was already 90 degrees out. Normal shift duration is one hour, but in times of excessive heat or cold, it is changed to 30 minutes. They stand their post 24 / 7 / 365, and never leave for any reason. They've been ordered to leave during hurricanes (Super Storm Sandy), but have refused, and stood guard no matter what. They are volunteers, temporarily assigned there from their 'real' duty station. It takes them 9 months to qualify as a guard. Their uniform is a synthetic wool blend, and a bit heavy as they wear it. I was sweating while sitting there, can't imagine what they were going through.   I'm home this week, and will travel to Colorado Springs next weekend. It's getting warm out there, so stay cool, and write! |
| Locale: Easton Md. Easton Maryland is on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, about 20 miles south of the Bay Bridge. I am here this week delivering a Networking class to the county. Everything is fine, but this entry is more about where I went on Sunday after landing at Reagan National Airport. Sunday was a pretty rainy day, but it didn't stop me from going to a place I've been many times, and taking quite a few pictures. I visited the National Mall. For those who don't know, it's not a shopping mall, it's the area that include the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the WW II memorial, etc. I particularly wanted to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, and the Korean Memorial. I'm not sure why, but that's where I headed. As is normal this time of year, the National Mall was crowded, despite the rain. To make it even better for me, there were numerous WW II and Korean Veterans there, flown in courtesy of This is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. They transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill. Visiting this area is always humbling to me. I wanted to tour Arlington Cemetary again (I always make a point to visit my boyhood hero (Audie Murphy), and Joe Louis, both who are interned there). Sadly, with an hour drive ahead of me to get to Easton, I ran short on time. Maybe I can visit there on Friday afternoon. I did take several photos while at the National Mall, some are below.       Well, til next time, when I find myself in Colorado Springs (YEAH!), y'all be good, enjoy the weather, and write! |
| Locale: Doylestown, Pa. Bucks County is north of Philadelphia, and a little east. The customer is the county itself, with the class being held in Doylestown. This is a ,area. Gently rolling hills, no major highways anywhere nearby, giving the whole place a bit of a rustic look. No, it's not that far 'out in the hills', but the location is perfect if you ask me. Class itself went well, but short, only two days in length. The only problem with this class, is that despite writing it 3-4 years ago, I've only delivered it four times in that span. That's not enough time to really get the material down well, get a nice flow going in delivery. But it went decently well overall if you ask me. When I arrived in Philadelphia, I decided I would tour the USS New Jersey, moored across the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey. I was a little disappointed in the area though, it is a bit run down, not at all what one would expect for a memorial park honoring the nation's most decorated battleship. The tour itself was very good, a self tour. But with the rain coming down, it was also a very wet tour. I didn't realize it, but completing the tour of this battleship leaves me with just two battleship memorials to visit. I don't mean to brag, because I realize touring battleships is not something many of you wish to do. But I've been fascinated with these behemoths since I was a small boy. My Naval career and background has only served to bring them more to the fore. I have toured the following ships, and should be able to tour the last two battleships (Massachusetts and Wisconsin) this year. USS Alabama BB 60 - 1986 Mobile Alabama USS Drum SS 228 - 1986 Mobile Alabama USS Cobia SS 245 - 2003 Manitowoc, Wisconsin USS Texas BB 35 - 2009 Houston, Texas USS Intrepid CVS 11 - 2008 New York City USS Growler SSG 577 - 2008 New York City USS Missouri BB 63 - 2011 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii USS North Carolina BB 55 - 2014 Wilmington, North Carolina USS Nautilus SSN571 - 2014 Groton, Connecticut USS Batfish SS 310 - 2016 Muskogee, Oklahoma USS New Jersey BB 62 - 2016 Camden, NJ Enough bragging. I hope I didn't make you gag too much.... Noteworthy Restaurants: http://www.the86west.com/ I only have one word for this place. WOW! The menu is a mix of American food, and Sushi/Sashimi. I missed lunch today for a couple of reasons, so made a pig of myself. Started with the Tuna Bruschetta, and it was excellent. No other word for it. Then I had the Spanish Roll, and one of their Japanese Tea Sandwiches (the Salmon one). One small phrase fits how I feel tonight. "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!" If you're ever near here, and like Sushi at all; heck , if you like plain ol' good food, drop by! You won't be disappointed. Well, til next time, when I find myself in Easton, Pa, y'all be good, enjoy the weather, and write! |
| Locale: Fairchild AFB, Spokane, Washington I arrived in Spokane three weeks ago (yes, this entry is a bit late) to a warm day, a typical spring day really. Other than class delivery, I had one goal in mind. Get a copy of Yellow Rose  death certificate, or a copy of her obituary. To do this, I immediately visited her daughter. It was a nice visit, we chatted some, and I found out that her brother has the paperwork in California. There's a lot more to this that I'm not at liberty to talk about, but I left empty handed.  It's not like Susan (her daughter) is hiding things from me and the general public, but I am puzzled by what's going on. Suffice it to say I feel I should have tried harder, but was reluctant to intrude on her privacy. Much as I hate to say it, I will not intrude in this anymore. On one hand, she expressed a desire to provide the documents needed, but on the other, seems reluctant to actually get them. To be honest, I'm not sure the family contacted the anyone for an obituary.Class itself went well, I was supposed to deliver four days of training on two topics, but it turned out they didn't have the software for one of them, nor were they planning on getting it. So I delivered a two day class in four days. I know what you're thinking, but I did it by straying off topic, and discussing overall radio theory and system operation. All in all, it went well, and the grades reflected it. Noteworthy Restaurants: http://theonion.biz/ The menu here sounded great. In some ways, it was excellent. This place is really called the Area 51 Taphouse At The Onion. The Onion Ring sampler was enough for three people, so I left with plenty of leftovers. The sampler Onion Ring platter had three types on it, one of them being stuffed with Mozarella Cheese, then wrapped in Bacon! Can you say, "Yummm?" But despite how good it was, the ending left a sour taste in my mouth. I ended up writing a note on their website to the manager, but have not received an answer yet. I paid my bill, and when the bartender handed it back to me, he said, "Here you go Pops." Maybe I'm a little sensitive, but I found that to be a little demeaning. If he was my grandson, or someone I knew very well, different story. You don't call a complete stranger Pops. Just my opinion. That's it for this entry. More coming tomorrow or Wednesday for my current trip. Till next time, y'all be good, write all you can, and enjoy the changing season! |
| Locale:Toronto, Ontario I arrived in Toronto Sunday afternoon to cold blowing wind and SNOW! I think someone forgot to tell Canada that Spring is here. Plus, it's supposed to snow again tomorrow. I don't really mind, I love seeing the weather. I know some complain about rain, snow, cold, heat, etc. But I refuse to. As some of you know, I'm a 20 year Submarine veteran, and spent up to 70 days at a time underwater in a controlled environment. So weather changes are always good in my humble opinion. The customer this week is the PEEL Regional Police once again. This is my third class with them, and the second in the last month. Same guys in this class as the last one, so we have a rapport going already. It's a 'simple' class on one of our radios, but there's a lot to it. Noteworthy Restaurants: http://www.firkinpubs.com/drakeandfirkin/ Is any one surprised that since I work part time in a small Pub that I'd love Pub food? This one is very good, and I was pretty hungry, so it was win-win from the get-go. I woke yesterday not feeling so well (I will spare you the specifics, just know I was up and down most of the night), but by late afternoon I was feeling good, and my stomach was growling. I ended up having Fish Tacos (2) as an appetizer, and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich for my meal. Excellent food, very good beer. I fly home Friday, and will be there a week before going to Spokane for the fourth time. While there, I will see if I can get a copy of Yellow Rose death certificate, or obituary notice so her suitcase can be honored by turning white.Till next time, y'all be good, write all you can, and enjoy the changing season! |
| Another trip I wanted to drive on, this time back to the state I love, New Mexico. It's a three day drive, but can be done in two if you ask me. I just enjoy playing tourist too much to drive nine hours for two days to get here sooner. I drove through Oklahoma City again, and decided that I would stop at the memorial of the April 1995 bombing. To say it's a sobering experience would be a gross understatement. One Hundred Sixty Eight people were killed in the senseless bombing, including nineteen children. I saw a photo of a young boy, not quite four years old, on the chain link fence that surrounds to original site. Yes, he was a victim that day. Inside the memorial park is a shallow reflecting pool. To the south side of it sits 168 chairs, one for each victim. Smaller chairs honor the children who were there.  It's one thing to read about something like this happening. It's another to visit the site where it occurred, and see how it affected so many people. I know 168 is a small number compared to those who perished on 9/11, or died in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. What makes this one more horrendous, is that it was perpetrated by an American Citizen. If I've ever thought of someone that the word traitor and coward applies to, it would be Timothy McVeigh Alamogordo is not a very large city, to me it's a small town. Simple, quiet, and interesting. White Sand National Monument is nearby, and there's plenty of outdoor activities for those who enjoy that. For me, this whole area of the country is home. I must have lived here long ago, because I really cherish the entire Southwest. It's been very windy these last two days, today I could only see maybe 5 miles across the desert. I visited White Sands, and all I could see all around me, was gray. The sky was overcast, the horizon was gray, with that blinding white sand all around.  Till next time, y'all take care of yourselves. Life is too good, too short to do otherwise. |
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