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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: Reading, Pennsylvania Okay, I didn't do all that much reading, but heck, how could I pass up the opportunity to use that as my title?  Restaurants Dined At/Meals: Coastal Grille http://www.coastalgrille.com/ When you travel a lot, one of the hardest things to do is fine a good, local restaurant to dine at. Sure, you can always find an Olive Garden, Red Lobster, or Chili's around. Well, almost always. But I have those in Chicago, so why dine there when I'm in a new place. I look for local restaurants, or local/regional chains. I'd never heard of Coastal Grille before, so decided I'd give it a try. Their menu looked good on line, and I wasn't disappointed one bit. If you have one nearby and want to try it, give their Off The Hook Shrimp a taste. The Lump Crab And Corn Chowder is excellent also, as was the Lobster Roll. I love seafood, and there was plenty to choose from there. Other Tidbits for this trip: The customer this week is the Berks County, Pa. They are quite a challenge to teach a class to, mainly because they ask a lot of excellent questions. However, some of their questions are a little off the wall it seems, but they are asked so they can know things better. All in all, the class went pretty well. I know I was close to the StoryMaster & StoryMistress, since they live in that general area. But I didn't try to arrange a meeting; I know how private they are, and respect that. Maybe one day in the future, who knows? My next trip is Sunday, when I'll be going back to Chantilly, Va. I'll be sure to visit the National Cathedral again, but other than that, I have no plans. Til next time, y'all keep writing and reviewing. It's what we thrive on! |
| Locale: Cary, North Carolina, right outside Raleigh. Restaurants Dined At/Meals: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium http://www.beerknurd.com/stores/raleigh/ If you haven't visited a location of this restaurant, you really should. There are almost 100 (yes, that's the right number, 100) different beers on tap there, as well as another 100 or so in bottles and cans. The night I was there, I had 'Rocket Tots', bite sized cheese and pepper potato tots with habanero sour cream dip. Excellent, with a bit of a bite! For my meal, I had their Green Chile Pork Stew. Another Yummy entree. Tony's Bourbon Street Oyster Bar http://tonysoysterbar.com/ Their food is very good, not quite authentic New Orleans food, but excellent nonetheless. After having Shrimp & Grits in Charleston, I had to try theirs. Very good, but I had to tell them that I thought the tomatoes detracted from the dish. They had this Andouille Sausage, Tasso Ham and Tasso Gravy going, with Shrimp, Grits, and Cheese. But the tomatoes seemed to alter the taste profile, at least for me. Even though I really like tomatoes, I had to set them aside. Other Tidbits for this trip: The customer this week is the City of Cary. I'm here for the third time, with the same two students I've had each time before. Class has gone well, but when you've taught it for 14 years, it should go well, no matter who the students are. Next week I'll be in Reading, Pa, not too far from the StoryMaster & StoryMistress. As much as it would be great to really meet them, I know they love their privacy. So I will remain in Reading, and they can rest peacefully, knowing this old man won't try and stalk them or their house.  After that I'm home for a week before going to Chantilly, Va once again. Like most of you, my life has been very busy, but that's good in my opinion. Hope y'all are doing well, and writing like we all want to. I have a new story in mind, but it's a long ways from being started yet. Still simmering in my mind as I put things together slowly. We'll see what happens with it when the time comes. |
| Locale: Chantilly, Virginia. It is about 30 miles west of Washington DC in Eastern Virginia. Places Visited: I've been to the DC area numerous times. I cannot believe I never visited the National Cathedral, so decided it was about time I visited it. Link: https://www.cathedral.org/ I don't know a lot about architecture, but I do love looking at buildings that make you gasp. Such is the National Cathedral, and its Gothic Architecture. This is the national place of worship for all faiths, though the cathedral itself is an Episcopalian Cathedral. The exterior walls are adorned with 112 Gargoyles, and 1130 Grotesques. These help keep the rainwater away from the Limestone walls. On the northwest corner of the cathedral, you can find a grotesque of Darth Vader if you look close enough. I snapped a picture of him, but the grotesque is small, so I'm not sure you'd be able to see him in the picture.  While I was there, a rain shower came through the area, and a double rainbow could be easily seen. I snapped several pictures of it, but this one was one of my favorites. It looks like the rainbow disappears into the small cloud in the pic.  Restaurants Dined At/Meals: Clare and Don's Beach Shack http://www.clareanddons.com/ This place has a very nice atmosphere, and the food is quite good! Though it's no where near a beach, you'd swear there was one just over the fence that borders the restaurant. There's a laid back feel here, making you feel very relaxed. And for the Washington DC area, that's saying quite a bit! The Dill Pickle Chips were excellent, and while my Jambalaya Pasta wasn't authentic Cajun, it was very good. Sweeetwater Tavern https://www.greatamericanrestaurants.com/sweetwater/sterling If you ever dine here, or with this chain, you really need to try the Blue Crab Fritters. Yummmm! It's a large place, but they really move people in and out. I've been there several times in the past, and have never been disappointed. Other Tidbits for this trip: The customer this week is Customs & Border Protection. I saw one of the students Monday, and knew I'd had him in class before., It turns out that he was in this class in December, and was so impressed with the material presented in it, that he recommended it to his supervisor, saying more people in this office should attend it. As a result, I will be back here the week after Labor Day for another class, as well as two weeks later! Next week I'm back in Cary, NC for the third time this year, delivering the class I'm teaching this week. This class isn't taught in the field very often, in fact just twice in the last 13 years. But by December this year, I will have delivered it seven times in the field. Amazing if you ask me. Til then, y'all take care, and remain cool as the summer heat hits us. |
| This week finds me in beautiful St. Louis Missouri. T'was a long flight here from Chicago, all of about 45 minutes from wheels up to wheels down. Was nice really, I looked at the highways as we flew, and recognized many things from the air that I saw all the time as I drive from Chicago to Central Illinois. Stifled, as in hot, stifling hot here. Actually, not so bad, but still it's summer, so it's bound to be hot. So just what does Stifling or Stifled mean? Stifling - very hot and causing difficulties in breathing; suffocating. Making one feel constrained or oppressed. Stifled - make (someone) unable to breathe properly; suffocate. Yeah, it fits well. I'm really in St. Charles, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. I'm sure you shouldn't tell the locals that this is a St. Louis suburb. I know how I'd feel if I was constantly told something like that. Nice town though, and once again I have a whopping two students. But it's a short course, one that has a bit of hands on to it. But, as is often the case with classes like this (Conventional Radio vs. Trunked Radio), we're not quite delivering what they need. So I'm adjusting my delivery appropriately to ensure they have all the information they need to support this system. I know, some of you are saying, "Conventional".... "Trunked" What the heck? If you aren't in the RF field, never mind. You won't care, and if I tried to tell you, you'd get glassy eyed quickly. Wednesday evening I will be going to the Missouri Botanical Gardens. There is a Lantern Festival going on there through August 23rd, and I would love to see this. If I manage to snap any good photos, I'll be sure to post them in "Travel Pictures"  So, off I go.I'm a little excited about this class, not because I'm here, or who I'm delivering the class to. I'm excited because when I fly home Thursday morning, I'll turn around and fly that night to Colorado Springs Colorado (bet you didn't know that Colorado Springs is in Colorado, huh!) for a Tiny House Jamboree. In the distant future, you may find me living in something like that. So what better thing to do on a mini-vacation than attend a jamboree to become more enlightened on the benefits of living small? Til next time, when I'll be in Chantilly Virginia, y'all stay cool in the summer heat, and keep on writing! |
| Locale: Cary, North Carolina. It is just south of the capital, Raleigh Places Visited: I decided to finally visit a place not too far away (2 hour drive), The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. Link: http://www.dsbg.org/ I like to say I know very little about flowers, and it's true! But I love them, love taking pictures of them when I can. But ask me to name one, and I'll just shrug my shoulders. At least for the most part. Heck, I'm not sure I could tell you which part is the stamen, and which is the,,, uhh, other part. See what I mean? But I can still appreciate their beauty. I spent a couple of hours there walking in the summer heat and humidity. I was wishing I was back in Phoenix, at least then I wouldn't be sweating while in the shade. Actually, I loved my time here, it was very precious. The Botanical Garden had an awesome display of sculptures by artists from Zimbabwe. I found many of them fascinating, especially the one below.  In looking at it, I see a young girl playing with her much younger sibling. What really made it stand out for me, was it's placement. Placing it in that fountain allowed me to see a waterfall, with the two of them playing in the cool pool at the foot of falls. Just found that whole scene beautiful. Restaurants Dined At/Meals: Tony's Oyster Bar. http://tonysoysterbar.com/ Not only does Tony's have an excellent seafood selection, they also serve some very good Cajun meals. I particularly loved the Shrimp and Sausage off the dinner menu. I thought their meals were a little low on spice compared to Cajun meals I've had in Louisiana, but then not many people want it all that spicy. Very flavorful, nice sized portions. Wasabi http://wasabicary.net/ I love good Sushi and Sashimi, and Wasabi does not disappoint in this. However, I ordered an entree, and it was large enough to feed 2! Especially when you consider I had an appetizer beforehand. I managed to eat most of it, but there was no way I could finish it completely. Still, an excellent place to dine at, if you're in the mood for Sushi. Other Tidbits for this trip: The class this week was a last minute change to my schedule. My supervisor at Motorola was supposed to deliver this class, and I was going to spend a great week in Monterey, California. However, his wife had knee replacement surgery a month ago, and needed him at home a bit longer. As mentioned, I was supposed to be in California. But, there was another instructor who could deliver my class, which freed me to deliver this one. Can you say disappointment? However, the Monterey class has now been delayed, so I wouldn't have been there after all.... I don't mind really, a class is a class, and this is a nice area. Looking forward to getting out some this week. Have some shopping to do for a couple of friends. I'm home for 2 weeks after this, before going to St. Louis to deliver a class. Till then, y'all remain cool in this summer heat, and write on! |
| Locale: Mesa, Arizona, a suburb on the SE side of Phoneix. Places Visited: Mainly restaurants of course. I was in Phoenix six years ago, and did visit two places that I love. One had been on my bucket list for a while, the other, a new interest of mine. http://meteorcrater.com/ This was the bucket list item. I first learned of the Meteor Crater back in 1970, and always wanted to visit it. When class was over that Friday, I drove like a crazy man to get there before it closed. It was a 3 hour drive to get there, but I worth every minute if you ask me. http://www.dbg.org/ I've always loved the SW deserts, and the Desert Botanical Garden is so beautiful it makes my head swim. While I did not visit the Meteor Crater this trip, I did go back to the Desert Botanical Garden. It's a place you really have to visit. I know, most of you will say, "What, it's all cactus!" Yes, but unless you've lived in the Southwest, you can't really appreciate what it's all about. Restaurants Dined At/Meals: Blue Adobe Grill http://www.originalblueadobe.com/ I found this place on Monday quite by accident. The sign says they serve New Mexican food, and since I grew up in Albuquerque, it was only natural I stop there. For lunch on Monday, I had Green Chile Corn Crabcakes, and Green Chile Corn Chowder. Why all the Green Chile? I think you might have to be from New Mexico to really understand. Was it good? Well, I went back for lunch AND dinner yesterday. Does that answer your question? Other Tidbits for this trip: It's been hot here this week, but not unbearably so, at least not for me. When I got off the plane on Sunday, it was only 119 F. It definitely felt hot, but being so dry, once you are out of the sunlight, it's not that bad. At least not to me. There was one thing that happened on my flight here. The flight was overbooked, and I volunteered to give up my seat if needed. Well, they didn't need it, and told me to board the plane. I boarded immediately after a woman who had just been assigned a seat. Her children (about 10 and 12 years of age) had boarded long before her, and now she was getting a seat. I found my seat and sat down, and saw her come back from the back of the plane and stand by the first class section. I knew then that they had miscalculated, and there was no seat for her. There was no way she could remain behind, so I was asked if I'd still give up my seat. I did, and received $300 in travel vouchers from United as a result. But, I also had to fly to San Francisco, then on to Phoenix after a 2 hour layover. I would originally have arrived here about 11am, but ended up getting here at 6pm. One other small thing, but to me it was somewhat of a minor annoyance, and caused me to change hotels. I'm a Hilton man, I stay there because of the treatment I received while in Kuwait for classes 11 years ago. I had a room reserved at a Hampton Inn in Scottsdale. It's a brand new hotel, looks really great. Just has one small inconvenience. There are no dressers in the room! Yes, there's a place that has pull out baskets, much like you see in IKEA. Scarcely a foot wide, maybe 18 inches deep, 4-5 inches high. It might have been enough room for me, but man, I didn't like it one bit. So I changed hotels, told them exactly why I was changing, and that I wouldn't stay at a Hampton Inn again if they were all going to look like that. Now I'm in a Hilton on the south side of Mesa. Funny thing is, Hampton Inn has a policy written on the horizontal section of the front desk. "If you're not satisfied, you don't pay!" I could call their corporate headquarters about it, but I won't. Still..... I head home to Chicago Friday, and will be home for 36 hours before heading off to Cary, NC to deliver a radio programming class. Til then, y'all stay cool in the coming heat. And of course, be good, and write! |
| Locale: Barrie, Ontario, about 90 Km (40 miles or so) north of Toronto, Canada Places Visited: Mainly restaurants. I found the 'Bear Creek Animal Sanctuary that sounded like it would be a really interesting place to visit. http://www.bearcreeksanctuary.com/main.htm Then I found out that they didn't open until June 23rd. I leave tomorrow.  I thought I'd drive past the place, so looked it up on Google maps. According to Google, it's located on the edge of a golf course! Strange place for an animal sanctuary, but I still drove out to see where it was. Never found it, lol.Restaurants Dined At/Meals: Donaleighs Pub: http://www.donaleighs.com/ I dined here my first time in Barrie, and loved their food. I remember their Smoked Salmon on Flatbread, and Galway Fish Tacos. This is a nice down-home type restaurant, just the type I like to frequent. Very good food and service. Milestones Grill: http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/ This was a new place to me, and I was really pleased with it. Their Baked Goat Cheese and Roasted Garlic is tremendous, as was the Smoked Salmon Charcuterie. I was so impressed with it, that I went back a second time. I had to try their Mayan Burger. Was not disappointed one bit. Other Tidbits for this trip: I didn't get out a lot this week, and should have. The waterfront area of Barrie looks very interesting, but I found myself napping briefly after teaching all day, and would eat dinner later. Part of this was due to the snacks we had each day. Once again, this was a Regional Training Workshop, but not in the true sense that I've known in the past. But in one of these types of classes, the instructor provides coffee & snacks in the morning and afternoon, as well as a catered lunch. Thank God it's not my dime! But I snacked more than I should all week, so will have to go back to Chicago and finally start to work out a bit so I can get rid of some weight! I head home to Chicago tomorrow, and will be home for three weeks (as of now) before heading off to Arizona the deliver this same class. Til then, y'all stay cool in the coming heat. Enjoy "Game of Thrones" this month, it seems to be going like a Banshee so far. And of course, be good, and write! Jim Dorrell |
| This past week I was in Montgomery Alabama to deliver a class. For once, I didn't do much on the tourist side, even though there's so much history there. I was a bit tired all week it seems, and had little energy in the evenings to go out and see things. Would love to have visited the Rosa Parks Arrest memorial, as well as Martin Luther King's original church. I did have some good meals of course, but one that wasn't so great stands out in my mind. I had Shrimp & Grits at a decent restaurant, but it couldn't compare to the meal I had in Charleston the previous week. Plus, the interior of this place was really odd. It reminded me of a dining hall from the King Arthur era, but very miniaturized. Complete with drapes that hung to the floor, allowing no light in. Add in a VERY fake fireplace, complete with a spinning glass wheel to simulate flames, and you get the idea. Oh, add in 4" diameter candles sitting on 4 foot tall candelabra's that had never taste the lick of flame, and it completes the image. My next trip will be to Barrie Ontario once again, a week from today. Til then, y'all stay cool in the coming summer heat, enjoy the weather. For myself, I love the weather, no matter how cold or hot. The reason is my background. Having spent up to 78 days in a row under water in a submarine with a controlled environment, I appreciate and love any changes in the weather. So wind, rain, snow, hail, it's all good. I Love it. Take care, see you round next entry. Jim Dorrell |
| This week finds me in the city where I started my life, Charleston, South Carolina. I'm delivering a class for Santee Cooper, an Electrical/Gas Utility here in the Charleston area. The actual class is in Monck's Corner, so I'm staying in North Charleston. I think what I'm enjoying most is the excellent food I've had the pleasure of eating this week. Low Country seafood, specifically Shrimp & Grits have topped my list of things to try this week. Last night I had some of the best Shrimp & Grit's I've ever had. Now I have to qualify that statement by saying I haven't had all that much of it, but this was special. If you're in the area, dine at Fleet Landing. The prices are reasonable, food and service excellent. Another excellent place is A. W. Shucks. If you visit there, ask for Justin, he was my server last night, and knew his menu well. This class is a little different from the norm for this customer. They have a one of a kind right now with this system, but may be getting more if they upgrade, and my company gets the bid. Only time will tell on that. But being a one of a kind makes the delivery a little harder too, since our course materials are not designed around what they have, and we're not able to make changes that to them fast enough to support this class. So I'm showing them what they really have vs what the course materials show. It's close, but not exact. You know the saying, "It's the same, just different." All in all though, the class is going well, so I can't complain. I haven't been too very many 'touristy' spots this week, but plan on visiting the Boone-Hall Plantation and Gardens Friday once I'm through with business. Next week I will be in Montgomery Alabama for a class before spending a couple of weeks at home. Til then, y'all stay cool, since it's now getting warm out there. Be good, and keep on writing! Updating this entry. I did visit the Boone-Hall plantation, and had a nice time there! It is an impressive place, with just one disappointment. The house on the plantation is not original, it was built in 1936, replacing the old one that had fallen to gross disrepair. The entrance to the plantation looked very familiar; I thought it was from "Gone With The Wind", and in a way, I was correct. The studio took a photo of the entry drive, then copied it to a large piece of glass. This was then used in the film as the entrance to 12 Oaks, but the actual plantation was never used in the movie.  Jim Dorrell |
| This week I was in Bowling Green Ky to deliver a class. I had ONE student! Had to smile about that. I got a phone call Monday night after I arrived there, from the manager of the local Motorola Service Shop. He had a problem on the system I was teaching on this week, one I'd not seen before. But I sent an e-mail to a mailing list I'm a member of, and got a couple of good pointers. As a result, I went in Tuesday morning, and we had the problem fixed in less than an hour. Nice way to meet a new customer and establish yourself in their eyes, huh. The week was uneventful, other than my student asking a lot of questions. So many, that I finally had to tell him that I needed to deliver the class, and most of his questions would be answered. So we did, and had plenty of time for hands on activities at the site. Overall, he seemed pretty satisfied. After class was done today, I went south into Tennessee to get some Yuengling Beer. A couple of friend love that, and it's not sold in Illinois. I was less than 20 miles from Mammoth Cave too, so thought I'd visit it. I do try to visit the National Parks when I can, and hadn't been to this one yet. Having toured Carlsbad Caverns a couple of years ago, I have to say I was disappointed at what you could see on the basic tour. Mammoth Cave is the largest known cave system in the world. It's not been completely explored yet, but more than 400 miles have been explored to date. I was disappointed in that you didn't get to see very much for the basic entry fee, being able to walk maybe 1/2 mile into the cave. Of course there are other packages you can get, but it was late afternoon, they were all sold out, and I needed to get going. But I didn't see the Stalagmites and Stalactites I saw in the Carlsbad Caverns. The cave itself is impressive, just from the sheer size if nothing else. But I thought Carlsbad was more impressive with what you see there. Til next time, about a month from now when I'll be in Charleston SC, y'all be good, keep writing your stories and poems, and enjoy the warm weather! Jim |
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