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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 |
| I spent last week in Fort Wayne Indiana, and had a good time there. It's a nice mid-size town/city that has a lot to offer people. There were many good restaurants around, so I had a nice time finding places to eat. I think the best restaurant I went to had to be 'The Bourbon Street Hideaway', right downtown! It's only open Thurs-Sat evenings, and is packed on the weekends. It's a bit unique, sitting in the basement of one of the older buildings in town. But if you're looking for pretty authentic Cajun food, you need look no further. My customer this week was the City of Fort Wayne, so I thought I'd ask the one small trivia question I knew about the city. That question was, "How did Fort Wayne get its name?" I wasn't too surprised that most knew the answer, but they did think that most of the younger people in town wouldn't be able to answer it. Fort Wayne is named after 'Mad Anthony Wayne', a general in the US Army, major figure in the Indian Wars of the late 1700's/early 1800's. The only reason I knew about him, and how Fort Wayne got its name, was from reading a book for a History class. That book was exceptional, recounting the life of Simon Kenton, who served with Anthony during the Indian Wars. Well, enough for now, it's time to head out for the first day of this week's class in Jefferson City Missouri. Till next time, stay warm, or cool, depending on the weather, and safe. Jim |
| Last week found me in one of the three cities I love, and would love to live in. Unfortunately, Seattle doesn't love me as much as I love it. What I mean is, pollens, allergy season. Living in that city would be great if you ask me, but I am allergic to Pine Trees, and several other pollens that proliferate there. When I lived there (1985-1995), allergy season for me ran from early March through late November, and returned with a vengeance during Christmas. It was an interesting class last week. My customer was the Port Of Seattle, with the class being delivered at SeaTac airport. Since we were in the airport itself, I had to be escorted once I was in the classroom. The room was downstairs, you needed a badge to get through one door, then your badge, a keypad entry, and press your fingertip to a reader to get through a second door. Once past the second door, we were in the secure side of the airport. Needless to say, I didn't have a badge to get me in, hence the need for an escort. I couldn't just walk around the concourse either, because I was someone without a badge, and no boarding pass; if I'd been stopped by someone and they found I had neither of those, I could have been arrested, and placed on the 'No-Fly' list. Imagine trying to explain that to Motorola! But my past life in the Navy had taught me a little about security, so I accepted it as a course of business. I had a good time there, as I always do. On Friday I went to the Boeing Museum of Flight once class was done. I had a nice time wandering around the exhibits and enjoyed seeing the way some people react to certain things, or seeing certain planes. For me, I have a love affair with the SR71 Blackbird. That plane fascinates me for some reason, so getting up close to one is always fun. I also really enjoyed the area devoted to WWI and WWII airplanes. I have read quite a bit about battles in those wars, so seeing the planes flown then is a unique experience. I look at the bi-planes used in WWI, and can't believe some of the things men did while flying those. Well, that's about it for this trip. Next week I will be in Fort Wayne Indiana; let's see what I find interesting there! Till then, take care, and keep on writing. Jim |
| For the first time in my career at Motorola Solutions, I was assigned to deliver field classes four weeks in a row. I have to admit, it was a bit exhausting, especially considering the jaunts I took to accomplish this. I started out going to Edmonton Alberta for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The following week found me once again in Juneau Alaska, followed by a visit to beautiful Halifax Nova Scotia. I'd done this trek earlier this year, and knew it would wear me out. It's a five hour time shift to go from Juneau one week to Halifax the following. Needless to say, I was a zombie for a day after the Halifax trip. However, I couldn't rest yet, because I had to get to Johnson City Tennessee the following week to deliver a class. Luckily, the bed in my hotel room there was excellent, and I was able to rest well. Johnson City is a relatively small town, but I have to say I've rarely, if ever met nicer people. For the first time, I felt like I was someplace I could call home if I wanted to move there. On the other hand, delivering the class was a bit of a challenge. The students were great, they worked hard to learn this material, but they did not have the background you'd expect for people sitting in a class on IP Networking. True, my classes are oriented towards our products and systems, but still, they can be challenging. Two of my students were VA Hospital police officers, one was an electrician, and one a welder. Yes, only four students in this class, but then that's not too uncommon either. The class did go well, and I do think they learned quite a bit, it's just a matter of how much they will retain in the coming weeks. Now that the four weeks of travel are done, I'm home for a week, before heading out once again, this time for three weeks in a row. After that, things seem to slow down some, we'll see. I've included a picture from the National Cemetery in Johnson City in this post. Snapped it on a chilly morning, I loved the coloring of the day that morning, and had to snap a few shots, Till next time, y'all have a nice time, it's Spring! Get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and get some color to your skin! (I should take my own advice!) Jim  |
| Three weeks ago (I know, I am terribly delinquent in writing this) I had the opportunitypleasure of going directly from Juneau Alaska to Halifax, Nova Scotia for the second time in three months. But this time, the class in Halifax started on Tuesday, and I flew there on Sunday. This would allow me time for a little R&R on Monday. Such are the best laid plans of mice and men. Instead of relaxing all day and catching up on my rest, I spent the day answering e-mails, reviewing course materials for improvements to a new course I wrote (it was written for a specific customer, but now we need to expand the course), and was involved in a conference call for about an hour. To add to all this, I also spent another three hours on a conference call Thursday afternoon after class. No, I'm not complaining about all this, I love my job, love being involved, but sometimes, especially in this case, I'd have loved the chance to rest some. It was a good week though, Monday was St. Patrick's Day, so I went to Alexander Keith's brewery that night. It was a nice night, I met a couple of guys who seemed to be doing a mini-Pub Crawl, and talked about things in general. They were having shots of Tequila, but just the generic bar stuff, so I thought I'd treat them to a shot of Patron Silver. Imagine my surprise when I found out that this place only had the one brand of Tequila on hand. Dang it, can't do a good deed when I wanted to! Overall it was a good week, but when I flew home Friday morning, my flight was delayed, and I was going to miss my connection in Boston. But United came to the rescue, and moved me to a different flight. Lucky me, for my original flight was cancelled! Till next time, from Johnson City, Tennessee. Y'all have a nice week, it looks like winter might finally be in our rear view mirrors! Jim |
| This week finds me in Juneau Alaska once again. And just like my January visit, the customer is the US Coast Guard. In January it rained every day I was here, with one brief flash of blue sky on Wednesday or Thursday. Any bets on the weather being the same this week? Yep, you got it, rain all week, with one flash of blue sky today. I mentioned this to my server at breakfast on Tuesday, and she said I was a week late, since it was sunny and clear all last week. I guess the weather follows me. Another thing about this week too. In January I was at work at 8 am, and it was still dark out, no sign of the sun. But then, it was the beginning of winter, just past the solstice, so I expected that. Now, two months later, you'd expect there to be more sunlight in the mornings huh. Except what happened last week? Why we started Daylight Saving Time of course! So all the daylight I would have gained by the season advancing was negated by moving the clocks ahead an hour. Today, a student from the last class came in on a break and asked if I had my camera handy. Of course I did! Apparently he had seen a pod of Orca's on Gastineau Sound, and thought I might get a shot of them. But of course, I didn't have my telephoto lens with me, and by time we got outside, they had disappeared. I did see them as I was leaving today, but they disappeared from view before I could snap a shot. Wouldn't have been a very good shot most likely, they were a bit far away for the lens I had on the camera. It was nice to see local's out at the beach though, taking pics of the Orca's also. Work (travel at least) is really busy this year. Next week I will be in Nova Scotia again, and Tennessee the following week. After a week home, I will go to Seattle, with Fort Wayne Indiana the week after, then Jefferson City Missouri the third week. After two weeks home in Chicago, I go back to Seattle, then Nelson County Virginia. Right now, June is quiet on the travel front, but I'm sure I'll be delivering classes in Schaumburg. The bright spot on the horizon is July, with a return trip to Maui looming.  Til next time, y'all be safe, stay warm, don't slide on ice too much, and think about the fact that spring is around the corner!  Jim |
| Last week found me traveling to Edmonton Alberta to deliver a class on radio programming to their technicians. It was a good week, but cold. Temperatures averaged around -10 in the mornings, but did get up to the teens on some days. It was just too cold to do much though, so I didn't get out at all, other than to eat dinner. I liked the area, but was surprised at how flat the land was around there. I thought they were closer to the Rockies, and would be a little more mountainous. Instead, it reminded me of Kansas. Sadly Dorothy, we weren't in Kansas, nor was I in Oz. This class was a last minute set up, so I couldn't make trip plans when I should have. I had to wait for clearance from them (the RCMP). They said it would be a 4 week effort to get my security clearance done, but we only had 2 weeks from the time it was scheduled until I was there teaching the class. As a result, I made the trip plans on Wednesday, and flew the following Monday. I was scheduled to travel the following week also, but didn't want that trip to also be on this last minute thing, so I made them separate trips. As a result, I ended up arriving in Chicago at 5 am Saturday morning, only to turn around and leave at 10 am. Oh well, lessons learned. Next time, just bite the bullet on the cost (I don't pay it after all), and make it all one trip. Til next time, when I will once again be in Juneau Alaska. Took me 59 years to reach 50 states, now I've been in the last one twice in one year. |
Wow, I can't believe I failed to post an update about my recent trip to New England!  The week of Valentines, I went to both Connecticut and Massachusetts to deliver two 2-day classes. I lived in Groton Ct for two years when I was in the Navy, so I was anxious to see the area. I deliver the first class on Monday-Tuesday, and had Wednesday as a travel day. I was in Naugatuck, Ct. for that class, and decided to drive up the coast, and spend a day being a tourist. Something I couldn't pass up though, was the opportunity to visit Gillette Castle. Gillette Castle straddles East Haddam, and Lyme, Conecticut, sitting on a bluff above the Connecticut River. It actually sits on the southern most hill of a chain called the Seven Sisters. Originally it was a private residence, commissioned and designed by William Gillette, an actor known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the early 20th century. Gillette originally called the estate 'Seventh Sister', due to its location. After Gillette died (Single, alone, no children), his will stipulated that the castle should not fall into the hands of a "blithering sap-head who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded". The Connecticut State Government took the estate over in 1943 and renamed it Gillette Castle, and the estate became a State Park. Sadly, the castle itself was closed for the winter during my visit, but the grounds were open. Of course the area was covered in snow, but that didn't stop me from snapping quite a few photos.  After spending about an hour prowling the grounds, I drove on over to Groton. I was anxious to visit the USS Nautilus, SSN571, the world's first nuclear powered submarine. I spent about 2 hours there seeing the museum and walking through the submarine, and was not disappointed one bit. Of course there was a draw for me with this, having spent 20 years supervising the operation of the nuclear reactors on more advanced submarines. I then avoided the faster route of I-95, and drove along scenic Hwy 1. I stopped in Mystic Ct. for lunch, dining at a place called the Ancient Mariner. If you ever visit this area, stop there for Lobster Mac n Cheese, or their lobster sandwich. I hate to say it, but the time in Plymouth was a bit anti-climatic, and a little disappointing. Plymouth Rock is very small, and was split into two parts in 1774. The rock wasn't even identified as the Pilgrim's landing point until 120 years after the Pilgrim's landed, so it's identity has been doubted by many. The upper portion of the rock was moved around, but now sits in its original location. Still, seeing it was a bit of a let down. It is not very big, and after all I've read about it, it failed to live up to my expectations (I guess that's the best way I can word it. I flew home from Boston on Saturday, just ahead of a winter storm that hit the area that evening. My next trip would be two weeks later, to Edmonton Alberta. If I didn't know better, I'd think my scheduler is punishing me for the Maui trip in November.  Ever since that trip, I've been delivering classes in the north, except for a one day tryst to Gainesville for a two hour class. By the time I head somewhere south, winter will be over, and it will be hot everywhere. Finally!Tile next time, I hope y'all stay warm and comfy in your homes, and make it through the winter healthy. Jim |
Well, I left Chicago last Monday and flew to Reagan Airport in Washington DC. It was -5 in Chicago, and 42 in Washington when I landed! Unfortunately, it seemed I packed the cold weather in my suitcase, because the temperature dropped to the low 20's by that evening. I had hoped to have a cup of coffee with Maryann  on this trip, but she is traveling the country and world with her husband, so that was out.My customer this week was the Office Of Unified Communications, (OUC). The OUC combines the communication efforts of the Fire Department, Police Department, and the 911 Center, so there's a lot going on with communications. Programming radios is far harder than it might sound, a two day class only introduces the technicians to the software, it takes weeks and months of using the software in programming to really master the craft. Sadly, I didn't get to visit the National Mall, or Arlington Cemetery on this visit, it was too cold, and almost dark by the time I returned to the hotel. These are two places I try to visit on each occasion, especially Arlington. How many of you know that the Champion boxer Joe Louis is buried there? Visiting Arlington is always special to me, it's a way of expressing my gratitude to those who fell defending America, or were instrumental in our countries history in one way or another. Maybe I'll get to go back later this year when it's warmer, and be a tourist once again. My next trip is to the NE area, spending a couple of days in Naugatuck Connecticut, and Marshfield Massachusetts. I hope to visit Cape Cod, and Plymouth Rock at this time, as well as driving past Groton, an area I lived in for 2.5 years while commissioning the Submarine, USS Alabama, SSBN731. Til then, y'all stay warm in this cold winter we're having. Jim |
| Well, what can one do to top getting to their fiftieth state? Why, go the following week to Nova Scotia of course! Getting there was the biggest challenge if you ask me, especially since it was a five hour time shift. Once I was there though, all went well. Initially I was at a Hilton Garden Inn near the airport, but there was nothing nearby at all, no restaurants, no city, just a rural area. That's not bad of course, but when you're in a strange area, and a somewhat foreign country, it can make for a tough week. I ended up changing hotels to a 4 Points Sheraton in downtown Halifax, and that was perfect. On Monday night I had dinner at the Red Stag Tavern; they sell the Alexander Keith beers, the oldest tavern in Nova Scotia if I'm not mistaken. I decided to have soup and salad, a good choice too! I had Lobster Chowder and a Caeser salad. It was impossible to put your spoon into the chowder and not find lobster in it! I was in heaven for a bit, and loved every bite. The week was pretty interesting too. I'd arranged to have 6 sets of equipment shipped for the class, but ended up only getting three. This could have put a bit of a kink in the class hands on exercises, but we worked around it. It didn't help that I ordered twice as many manuals as needed, was confused about what I had on hand, and for a while, thought I was losing my mind. Fortunately, everything came together and the class went well. I finally arrived home about midnight Friday night, and spent most of Saturday resting, sleeping about 13 hours Saturday night all total!Next up is Washington DC, where I'll teach a radio programming class to the Office Of Unified Communications. See you then, and I'll try to say hi to Maryann !Jim |
| As I mentioned in my previous post, I finally made it to Alaska, the only state I hadn't been in. I spent the week in Juneau, Alaska delivering a class for the United States Coast Guard. Have you seen the show 'Coast Guard Alaska'? In this show, the Coast Guard rescues people in trouble on the waters of the Pacific near the Alaskan Coastline. Well, when you hear their radio transmissions on the show, the students I taught are the ones who maintain that system. Juneau is a small town, with a population of about 30,000. It can only be gotten to by air, or ship. There are no roads that lead there from other cities in Canada or Alaska. It rained almost the entire time I was there, with low hanging clouds hiding the peaks of the nearby mountains. And those mountains were very close too! I grew up in New Mexico with the Sandia Mountains nearby. But these were about 20 miles away, whereas the mountains near Juneau were maybe a maximum of 1 mile away. Since it rained all week, I didn't get to see much, but after class ended Friday, I was able to visit the Mendenhall Glacier, and that was very impressive. There are abandoned gold mines all around Alaska, and especially Juneau. The photo below is of a pump house sitting on the water. The pumps were actually on the shore of course. The pump house was the location of the suction point. The water was used in the sluices of the mine, which is where they separated the gold from the rest of the minerals.  Look for my next entry, from Halifax Nova Scotia. It was a 2 day trek to get from Juneau to Halifax, and a time shift of 5 hours. Till then, y'all stay warm in this winter we're experiencing. Jim |
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