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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 February 12th Locale: Bismarck, North Dakota This was soft of a 'return trip' for me, since I was in Bismarck in 2006. However, I was here in June, and drove. Much warmer then! My customer this week was the Western Area Power Administration, a Federal Group that generates and delivers power in Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota. As a result, my students were from those three states for the most part. I'm not sure who they deliver power to, probably Federal Customers? The class was a four day class covering a couple of different subjects, and went very well. So well, that they want to have more classes delivered by me on this subject, most likely in South Dakota and Arizona. Why Arizona? Well, the Federal Power group, for lack of a better word, have several districts around the country, such as the Rocky Mountain District, Southwest Power Administration, etc. Guess we'll see how many classes I deliver to them in the future, huh! It was pretty cold a couple of days while I was there, single digit temperatures were the norm for that week. Snow covered everything, and it snowed a couple of times while I was there. One day was pretty warm, reaching a high of 38 or so, but it dropped the next. Fortunately, getting there was easy, no flight delays or cancellations. Noteworthy Restaurants: Pirogue Grill http://www.piroguegrille.com/menu.aspx Their menu was quite a bit different from places I've dined at before. How about an appetizer of BBQ Rabbit on a Wild Rice Potato Pancake? I wanted that, but the House-made venison sausage with grilled sweet onion relish called me more, along with the Roast Corn and Bison soup. MacKenzie River Pizza & Grill https://www.mackenzieriverpizza.com/ I went here on a whim, at the last minute. Imagine my surprise to find that about 7-8 or my students had planned on meeting there! I ordered Cowboy Nacho's for us all, and decided to have Baja Fish Taco's for my meal, with a salad of Braised red beets, arugula, & goat cheese. Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Lewis & Clark Riverboat https://www.lewisandclarkriverboat.com/ This was closed because of winter, so I couldn't go on board. Would love to get back here during the summer to get a cruise on it! In Closing I am home for the week, before heading out next weekend. I am driving to my next destination, and it's quite a bit warmer than here! I should be able to snap a few photo's, we'll see..... Maybe a Trinket from one? Winter is here full force, y'all stay warm. Down under, it's the heat of Summer. Stay cool! Whatever you do, keep writing! |
| Date: Week of February 5th Locale: Albany, New York The class in Albany was not a hard class to teach. Getting there was a different story. It's February, Winter Storms abound. I drove to the airport Monday morning, arriving pretty early really. While waiting in the terminal, I received a notification that my flight to Albany was cancelled, and I had been re-booked on a later flight. About an hour later, I received another notification that my 'new' flight had also been cancelled. I called American Express and was booked on a flight to LaGuardia in NYC, and would drive 2.5 hours to Albany from there. The day got better after that. My flight to Chicago was an hour late, so I had to rush through the B-Concourse of O'Hare. I arrived at my departure gate for LaGuardia in time to see them backing the jet bridge away from the aircraft. I want to note that the original arrival gate for my flight was right near this gate, so if we'd pulled in to that gate, I'd have been on time. But, I was late, so was re-booked on a 2pm flight to LaGuardia. This flight was also delayed, leaving at 3:30 instead of 2 pm. We arrived at LaGuardia about 6:30. This would have been fine, at an airport not undergoing a massive reconstruction. The area around LaGuardia is a nightmare to get around in. Every road in or out of the airport is temporary, signs for travelers, such as rental car locations, are hard to find. And in my humble opinion, the way things are set up there are absolutely crazy. There are three buses that provide transportation around the terminals. To get to the rental cars, you have to catch a certain one (the Green one if I remember correctly). This takes you right past the rental car area, and drops you off at a different location, where you catch a second bus for your rental car company. Is it just me, or does that sound crazy to you as well? Anyway, I finally had a car, and was out of the airport about 90 minutes later. Why so long? Even though I had remembered to have my luggage re-tagged so it would show up in LaGuardia with me, that didn't happen. The luggage never got re-tagged. I had to wait until all the luggage was out, then file my lost luggage complaint with United. By now, it was 8pm, and I had that 2.5 hour drive to Albany. That was the easiest part of my day. As I briefly mentioned, the class itself went well, though I will admit I was rusty with this course, having not taught it since June of last year. All in all though, I felt it went well, it seemed to be received well by the students also, and I left there ready to get home. Once again though, travel delays were an issue. I couldn't leave Thursday night as scheduled, due to another snowstorm hitting Chicago. I was rescheduled for an early departure Friday morning. Three flight cancellations later, 4 flight delays, 3 changes to my itinerary, and 15 hours later, I finally arrived home!  Noteworthy Restaurants: Barcelona Restaurant-Wine Bar http://www.barcelona-albany.com/dinner-menu/ I love Spanish food, it's so interesting, and so different from Mexican food. I also love Paella, and this place had it! However, there were other dishes on the menu I hadn't tried before, and ended up having them. The food was excellent, enough so that it brought my back a second night! The first night there, I chose this entree. Pez Espada Romesco - Sautéed in olive oil & garlic. Bite sized cubes of swordfish, whole clams, green peppers, fresh tomatoes, onions, white beans, tomato sauce & roasted almonds. Served over saffron rice The second night there, I decided on this. Zuppa di Pesce - Clams, mussels, scallops, calamari, shrimp & lobster sautéed in olive oil & garlic, in a seafood-tomato broth with toast points. Served hot, medium, or mild. I chose mine medium, which was very tasty, and not too spicy at all. I have to go back to Albany to try other entree's! Reel Seafood http://www.reelseafoodco.com/menu/dinner Being one who loves seafood, this was a natural choice to dine. I didn't have a meal though, I chose to have a couple of smaller plates. Angry Shrimp Roll - Spicy crunchy fried shrimp, sticky rice, red pepper, scallions, sambal cream cheese with ponzu dipping sauce. This was a roll, like Sushi, but not rolled up. It seemed to be rolled up and crusted, but didn't have the layers from being rolled over and over. Didn't matter to me, it was still excellent. Beet Carpaccio & Fried Goat Cheese - Thinly sliced roasted beets topped with balsamic dressed baby arugula & crispy goat cheese croquette. For some reason, I've recently had the urge for Beets. It's not a great urge, more like a desire. Whatever the case may be, this Beet Salad sounded scrumptious, and it was! I am home for the weekend, before heading out next week. I think travel will be much the same as last week, since Chicago is supposed to get more snow Monday. My destination is colder too, so we'll see how things go. Maybe I can actually get out and snap a couple of photo's.... Maybe a Trinket from one? We'll see. Winter is here full force, y'all stay warm. Down under, it's the heat of Summer. Stay cool! Whatever you do, keep writing! |
| Date: Week of January 22nd Locale: Bronx, New York The class this week was a short one, and once again a tailored class. This time, the customer was the Fire Department Of New York (FDNY). They are a great group of people, and I'll have the chance to see them again in March! When I say a 'tailored class', I mean we (I) took old student guide manuals, and edited them to be consistent with our teaching style today, as well as inserting only information pertinent to their system. It was a short class though, only 1.5 days. As you might know (from previous entries), I arrived home Saturday evening from Bangkok, and had to fly to NYC on Tuesday for class on Wednesday and Thursday. Surprisingly (to me at least), I was over the jet lag and fatigue of that long flight by Monday! I was a little worried that I'd be too tired to deliver an effective class, but that wasn't the case. The Radio Shop Manager liked the class, and told me that I promote learning with the way I deliver a class. I really look forward to the next class because two or three of the students are 'old time' radio techs, and will talk about some of the theory with me in depth. I know, I know. I'm a geek, but I'm proud of it. Still, it will be an interesting class. Sadly, for this trip, I didn't get out anywhere at all. It was such a short class, and the location was only a half mile from my hotel. So, no rental car for me, and no getting out. Lunch was provided each day for us. As for dinner, I broke my 'cardinal rule' of travel, and dined at Applebee's. I have several rules I follow when traveling, and one of them is that I will not dine at a national chain restaurant unless absolutely necessary. No car, no restaurants close by, and too tired to walk very far, meant going downstairs and dining at Applebee's. The second night there, I joined a crowd at the downstairs bar, and sampled appetizers that were sitting out. It wasn't until someone pulled out a microphone and started speaking that I realized I'd 'sorta crashed', a meeting of the Chamber Of Commerce. It was one to encourage small business owners to participate in the Chamber, etc. Still, I felt out of place ,and let shortly after it started. In Closing I am home this week (10 whole days!), but will write my next entry when I travel again the week of February 5th. Till then, stay warm, stay safe, and keep writing! |
| Date: Week of January 15, 2018th Locale: Bangkok, Thailand I spent this past week in Bangkok, Thailand with the State Department once again. It was a good week, a tiring one, but excellent overall. The only wish I have, is that I could have gotten there early enough to tour the countryside a bit, or remained there a bit after class for the same reason. Alas, I don't maintain my schedule, I only adhere to it. I had to be in Chicago the week before the trip to cross-train a fellow instructor so we have a 'backup' to me on a specific course, and I have to be in NYC next Wednesday for a class. This was a great break to the winter weather, with temperatures being in the 70's to 80's all week. Bangkok is a nice city, but once you're there a while, you realize it's just like every other large city. The biggest drawback for me personally, is they drive on the wrong side of the road! No rental car then, I just know I'd end up on the wrong side of their road, and possibly cause an accident. The class itself was a good success, with a few students wanting to meet with their manager to plan future classes to be delivered, with content being written/edited specifically for them. So maybe I'll get back to Bangkok again, who knows? If so, I'll try to arrange much the same flights as this time. I was in business class because of the length of the flight, which made the whole journey a lot easier. It was still a bit tough on me, but not that bad. I found myself wondering how someone in coach can sit in those seats for 13 hours on the flight to Tokyo! I did manage to snap a few photo's, though they are all from downtown Bangkok. On Monday before class began, I walked about 3 miles before catching a ride in a Tuk-Tuk. My goal was the Wat Bowon Buddhist Temple, but it was a bit further than I anticipated, hence the Tuk-Tuk ride.  Tuk-Tuk  Erawan Shrine  Wat Bowon Temple  Bangkok Sunset Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Asiatique-Sky Shopping Center http://www.asiatique-sky.com Several of us walked this shopping center on Thursday night. We split up some, agreeing to meet back at the Christmas Tree at 8pm. I must have walked another mile or so at least in navigating my way around, but it was great fun. I ended up dining at one of the numerous restaurants that dot the shopping center. I am currently home for a couple of days, and will leave again on Tuesday. I will tell you where I am in my next post! Til then, y'all stay warm as we trudge through winter. If 'Down Under', stay cool in your summer! Til my next entry... |
| Date: Week of December 18th Locale: Frankfurt, Germany The class this week was a tailored class for the Department of State, and was taught at the Consulate General's office complex in Frankfurt. It was an interesting class, full of questions and answers, and a bit of fun. My students were American, all working for the State Department, from all over the world. Countries I recall them working in were South Africa, Armenia, and other countries in Southern Europe and Africa. They travel as much or more than I do in their work. After completing the class in Frankfurt this week, I had a day to myself to relax. A little bit of 'Jim Time' was long overdue. The problem was, it had been so overcast with light rain, that there wasn't much I felt like doing. I had thought drive to Schloss (Castle) Neuschwanstein, but it was a four hour drive one way, so that was out. This Castle is the one used as a model for Cinderella's Castle in Disneyland. In looking at Google Maps last night, I saw that Frankenstein's Castle was only about an hour away! There was no way I could miss seeing it. Sadly, while I did visit it, I didn't see near what I could have. Apparently it was closed for the season. Still, it was nice visiting it, and here's why. As I left the Autobahn and headed towards the mountains, fog engulfed the area. Or more correctly, I found myself driving into a fog bank that shrouded the mountain. How appropriate! My mind whirled a bit, I could almost head maidens screaming as they ran through the nearby forests, the thud of the Monster's feet as he thundered behind them.... But, this is the 21st century, such things were only flights of my imagination. I figured the castle would be closed, that I'd be unable to see anything inside, or see much at all. And that was the case too. But just being there was something, and the fog shrouding the structure made it all the more surreal. An interesting day, a fun day, but a little disappointing just the same. A little thrilling though also, I'd say more interesting than anything else. Photo's  This is a memorial to those who were victims of the Gray Bus. During WWII, the Nazi's murdered over 200,000 men, women, and children who were mentally ill, or and handicapped during World War II. They were considered “not worthy of living”. At least 90,000 patients died of hunger or inadequate nourishment, or were murdered with drugs in state-run sanatoriums. More than 70,000 men, women, and children were murdered in gas chambers during the secret operation “T4” in 1940/41. The mass murder was centrally organised at Tiergartenstraße 4 in Berlin (therefore the abbreviation “T4”). Grafeneck, Brandenburg, Bernburg, Hartheim (near Linz), Sonnenstein and Hadamar were the towns where the murders took place. The staff of these killing institutions later worked in concentration camps such as Auschwitz, Treblinka, Sobibor, and Belzec. The buses were painted gray, with even the windows also painted gray. The “Monument of the Grey Buses” serves as a reminder of the transports of the patients to their deaths. The artists Horst Hoheisel and Andreas Knitz designed the monument for the Weißenau Psychiatric Centre near Ravensburg in 2006. A bus based on the same model as the one that drove from the hospitals to the death camps in the years 1940 and 1941, in its original size and concrete form, commemorates the mass murder. “Where are you taking us?” – the question of one of the patients - is inscribed on the bus monument.  This is the view you have of the castle as you approach it. The parking lot is down a small hill to the right of the photo. It was too foggy to take a photo of my first glimpse of the castle, so I waited until I had a good view, and snapped a couple.  This is a much better view of the Castle. There are interior areas of the Castle, but I think they were closed because of the season. I recall reading a pamphlet that mentioned a tour fee, but there wasn't anyone around today looking to give tours. I would love to have toured the Castle! The team from Sy Fy Channel's Ghosthunters team has visited it, so I know it's more extensive than what I saw today. The Castle itself was built in the mid-1250's. The Castle was split into two parts in later days, with two families living in each wing. The castle was used as refuge and a hospital afterward, falling into ruins in the 18th century. The two towers that are so distinctive today are a historically inaccurate restoration carried out in the mid-19th century. In 1673, Johann Conrad Dippel was born in the castle, where he was later engaged as a professional alchemist. It is suggested that Dippel influenced Mary Shelley's fantasy when she wrote her Frankenstein novel, though there is no mention of the castle in Shelley's journals from the time. However, it is known that in 1814, prior to writing the famous novel, Shelley took a journey on the river Rhine. She spent a few hours in the town of Gernsheim, which is located about ten miles away from the castle. Several nonfiction books on the life of Mary Shelley claim Dippel as a possible influence. Dippel created an animal oil known as Dippel's Oil which was supposed to be equivalent to the "elixir of life". Dippel attempted to purchase Castle Frankenstein in exchange for his elixir formula, which he claimed he had recently discovered; the offer was turned down. There are also rumours that during his stay at Frankenstein Castle, Dippel practiced not only alchemy but also anatomy and may have performed experiments on dead bodies that he exhumed. There are rumours that he dug up bodies and performed medical experiments on them at the castle and that a local cleric would have warned his parish that Dippel had created a monster that was brought to life by a bolt of lightning. There are local people who still claim today that this actually happened and that this tale was related to Shelley's stepmother by the Brothers Grimm, the German ethnologists. However, none of these claims have been proven to this date, and some local researchers doubt any connection between Mary Shelley and Frankenstein Castle. In Closing I am home for the holidays next week, but then hit it hard and fast again the first of the year. Hopefully y'all will have a bit more time with family and loved ones than that. Of course, we'll all keep writing, right? So what's holding you (especially ME!) back? Get to it... Stay warm, stay safe, and have a Very Merry Christmas, and a wonderful, loving, New Year! |
| Date: Week of December 18th Locale: Frankfurt, Germany After completing the class in Pismo Beach last week, I drove to Los Angeles to spend the night before flying here to Frankfurt Friday. I arrived at 5:30 in the morning Saturday, and spent most of yesterday adjusting to the 9 hour time change. I walked the area south of the hotel last night, but had to go back today. It's the holidays of course, and Germany is known for its Christmas Markets. Annette  is originally from Germany, so I wrote her before coming here, and she advised me to spend some time in the markets. I'm thrilled that some are so close to my hotel! So last night on my brief walk, I found one. Well, to be honest, it's not one market, there are many of them in one locale. Christmas Markets in Frankfurt  lists the Christmas Markets in Frankfurt; there are several on that site that are just south of my hotel. I am still getting over jet lag, but wanted to walk some today, so set out for a 'walkabout'. I spent two hours walking to the 'Main River' that flows through Frankfurt, passing through the various markets on the way.There is no way that any photo's I take can do justice to the sights and sounds of the Markets. I've included two below, but as I said, they just don't do the market right. To me, the market is something you have to experience yourself to really understand. The sights, sounds, aroma's of cooking food, the people, the atmosphere. It's all there. Old World looks to it all, almost Alpine in the architecture nearby. A whole new world for me that I've only read about before.   Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Eiserner Steg Bridge (Iron Footbridge) Eiserner Steg Bridge (Iron Footbridge) The Eiserner Steg (Iron Footbridge) is a pedestrian bridge in Frankfurt am Main built in 1868, connecting the Römerberg with the Sachsenhausen district over the Main. It is 170 meters long, made of riveted steel framework with two bridge piers. For some time you also find love padlocks, they are tolerated by the city so far. On October 8th, 2012, the bridge had to be closed because of a bomb alert, a passer-by had discovered a suspicious lock with several numbers and a pointer and held for a possible bomb. Thankfully, it seems that wasn't the case, and the bridge is now open to pedestrians. I will post another entry for this trip later this week, once I settle down and get the week going. Stay warm in the coming cold, and since you will most likely spend a lot of time indoors in the coming weeks and months, why not write?  Jim Dorrell |
| Date: Week of December 11th Locale: Pismo Beach, California I spent the past four days in beautiful Pismo Beach. This quaint town is on the Pacific coast, about half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Because there's no Interstate nearby, the drive there is long, about four hours. Well, I could have gone north on I-5 for a bit, but with those wildfires going on, I wanted nothing to do with I-5. Besides, I'd have to have gone through downtown LA also, and that was something else I didn't want to do. Instead, I chose to drive up PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) until it joined Hwy 101, then drive straight up that until I hit Pismo Beach. I think Pismo Beach was immortalized by Bugs Bunny when he once said he must have gotten to Pismo Beach by taking a left turn in Albuquerque. The weather was a nice break from the approaching winter of Illinois, and much better than the previous weeks weather in Edmonton. It wasn't all that warm, but I never wore my coat either. The wildfires turned the southern edges of the horizon a bit gray though, making it look smoggy. I loved Pismo though, it was beautiful there. Then again, it's on the ocean, and the ocean's always had a pull on me. I guess I will be coming back here in April for another class. Two were scheduled, but there was some doubt about the second one being done. However, the radio system manager told me on Thursday afternoon that she wanted me back for the second set of classes, so I guess I will be here. We'll see what the future holds.     Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Mission San Luis, Obispo de Tolosa http://missionsanluisobispo.org/ As I described in the Trinket I made of Father Junipero Serra, the mission was built in 1771, but not by him He had to leave for Mexico, so he left Fr. Jose Cavaller with the difficult task of building the mission. Fr. Cavaller, five solders and two neophytes began building what is today called Mission San Luis, Obispo de Tolosa. After Fr. Serra left, the difficult task of actually building the mission remained. This was accomplished with the aid of the local Chumash Natives. Palisades were set up as temporary buildings, which were made simply from poles and tree boughs. However, due to fires in the first few years, adobe and tile structures were erected. The history of Catholic Mission in the Southwest and California have captured me for many years now, I visit them whenever I can, even though I am not Catholic. Noteworthy Restaurants: Cracked Crab http://www.crackedcrab.com/ One would think that with the name 'Cracked Crab', that I would have had crab for dinner. O love crab, but hate having to break the shells to get to that succulent meat. By the time you get to the last leg, the meat is generally cold. Instead, i enjoyed a crab stuffed poblano, and Fish/Scallop taco's. These weren't the usual California Fish tacos, there was far too much lettuce/cabbage in the bottom of the taco for me. When you taste that more than you do the protein, it's not a great fish taco. Don't get me wrong, the food was very good! Just too much of that for my tastes. Mattie's Bar & Eatery https://www.mattiespismobeach.com/ I really enjoyed myself here. Their Bacon Wrapped Dates were excellent! I order Fish & Chips for dinner, and was served four fairly large Haddock Filet's, with Fries, and deep fried Brussel Sprouts! Too much food to eat in one sitting! I am currently in Frankfurt Germany to deliver a class for the State Department at the American Embassy. It's just a normal radio systems type class for their technicians though, so I doubt I will meet anyone like an Ambassador... I get to fly home on Christmas Eve, arriving just in time to welcome Santa! Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you have a great, and safe Christmas.Jim Dorrell |
| Date: Week of November 27th, and December 4th Locale: Edmonton, Alberta I am spending a week and a half here in cold and icy Edmonton, Alberta. This week I'm 'in prison' once again, as I'm delivering this class at the Edmonton Maximum Security Facility. Actually, I'm not in the prison at all, the class is being delivered in the administration building outside the main complex. This is part of a series of classes we've been delivering to the Canada Corrections System, and as far as I know, my last time doing this particular class. It's been cold here since my arrival, with high temperatures each day being around 3 degrees Celsius. Yep, I've been to Canada often enough now that I'm comfortable with reading a thermometer in Celsius. To find the degrees Fahrenheit, it's simple. Look at the reading in Celsius, multiply by 9, divide by 5, and add 32. If I want an quick approximation, I take the degrees Celsius, multiply by 2, and add 32. This gives me an idea of what the temperature is in Fahrenheit, and I'm fine with that. Is it correct? Absolutely not! Is it close enough? Yes. These classes are always interesting because the students background really varies. Add to it that we're covering basic RF Theory, and adding in the equipment they use in the new system. So in seven days, we're covering about 5 different subjects. No, they can't possibly learn it all, and retain what we teach them. But they will know enough to do what they need to do, and get assistance from a local shop if need be. Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Elk Island National Park http://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/elkisland Obviously this is a Canadian National Park, but I still had to visit it, despite the cold. The lure that made me brave the cold and drive about 60 kilometers to get there, was the chance to see wildlife. Wildlife in the form of Bison, Elk, Bear, Deer, whatever. I think they (the wildlife) were all warned that I was coming, and decided to play hide and seek. That, or they were doing their best 'Harry' impression from "Harry And The Hendersons", an old movie from the 80's. At the end of that movie, you see Sasquatch's who appear suddenly, seemingly having hidden in the open, we just couldn't see them. That's what the wildlife at Elk Island National Park did, hid in the open, yet I couldn't see them. I look up in the trees, figuring maybe they were hiding up there. I didn't see much, other than a couple of small birds. I think the only wildlife I saw were those few birds, and a couple of squirrels. I did signs of Bison, in the form of large piles of poo. I wasn't about to get out and check to see how fresh it was though. Seriously though, for me to have seen any wildlife, I would have had to leave the warmth of my car (which wouldn't have bothered me), and walked away from the road, and into the undergrowth. I was not dressed for that, did not bring along proper clothing for being outdoors much, and was not wearing any kind of boots. I knew before going there that if I were to see any of the wildlife, they would probably have to be standing by the side of the road posing for photo's. But for me, a park like this is a must see, a place I have to visit.West Edmonton Mall http://www.wem.ca/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb The West Edmonton Mall is the largest mall in North America, and the Ninth largest in the world. It took me 2 hours just to walk both levels of the mall! I enjoyed it though, spending my time window shopping and watching people. The mall contains two food courts, a miniature golf course, a pirate ship with a small sea life park nearby (seals were the only attraction there as far as I know), numerous restaurants, and a large wave pool! I know that in recent years, malls have been on the decline, with quite a few empty places waiting for someone to lease the space. That didn't seem to be the case here. If you're in Edmonton, visit the mall, even if all you do is walk around like I did., Noteworthy Restaurants: Sherlock Holmes Pub http://www.thesherlockspubs.com/ I enjoyed myself here, and allowed myself to splurge off my diet some, and have a burger. It was so big that I could barely fit it in my mouth! My diet isn't much really, but I'm watching what I eat, and how much I eat. That can be a challenge when you look at a menu though.... The Cheesecake Cafe http://www.cheesecakecafe.ca/ The food here was excellent, and I allowed myself to have dessert. First though, I had the Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, which was very tasty. For my meal, I had the Lobster and Prawn Clubhouse. The dessert I took back to my hotel room and had later that night. It was a slice of their Nanaimo Bar Cheesecake. It was by far, one of the best tasting cheesecakes I've had in a while! I fly home Wednesday, and spend the rest of the week there before leaving Sunday for Los Angeles. My class isn't in LA though, it's about three hours north on the ocean, at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. My hotel is in Pismo Beach; I wonder if I will see Bugs Bunny there? (He frequently mentioned Pismo Beach in those cartoons). Til my next entry, y'all stay warm in the cold weather, and write all you can! |
| Date: Week of November 6th Locale: Woodbridge, New Jersey This will be another short entry.  No particular reason, other than the fact that I was only there two days! This was a repeat of a previous class, sort of. I'll explain.I was here in August, delivering a portable radio class to this customer. Unfortunately, they didn't have the necessary test equipment needed to perform the hands on portions of the class. You might ask, "Why didn't you bring it with you Jim?" Simple answer. We do not ship hardware needed for a class due to costs, and potential damage to the equipment. I sent numerous e-mails to the Project Manager, copying the customer in them, detailing the equipment needed for the class. It just wasn't there. So they wanted the hands on portion repeated, but asked that I deliver it. So there I was, working with them for a couple of days so they could grasp what is needed to perform basic maintenance checks on the radios. We got everything done, and they were quite happy. I will be home in Central Illinois on Thursday before going to Schaumburg for a class. After that, it's Thanksgiving, and nothing is planned. (Okay, yesterday was Thanksgiving,this entry is very late) A well deserved break for me before starting quite a trek in December. On Sunday, 11/26, I will fly to Edmonton, Alberta for 10 days. I deliver a tailored class to this customer, at a Maximum Security Prison! <Yikes!> Laughing, I don't think I will be be in the prison itself, but outside in an office or classroom most likely. The class is Monday through Friday, then Monday and Tuesday the following week. I will be home on Wednesday, then fly to Los Angeles on December 10th for a class at a Nuclear Power Plant near Pismo Beach. On Friday, December 14th, I will fly back to Chicago, then on to Frankfurt, Germany to deliver a class for the State Department. I will get home on Christmas Eve, so all should be well on that front. Another week free before working with a fellow instructor for two weeks so he can learn to deliver a couple of courses that I'm currently the lone instructor of. The exciting news though, is that the week of January 15th, I may (the class is still tentative) be in Bangkok, Thailand for another class. I don't get to travel overseas very often, so this is very exciting for me! What a Christmas present! |
| Date: Week of October 23rd Locale: New York City, Brooklyn to be exact This will be a short entry. I'm currently in Albuquerque for my brother's memorial service tomorrow. Go home Tuesday for a well deserved week free before flying to Newark for a class in Woodbridge New Jersey. Back again for the last class for this customer. It was well received this time, once I managed to get the 'leader' of the students to calm down. They are used to working on things that fail often, or have problems. One of the things he wanted to know, was when should the Power Amplifier of this new radio be considered faulty. My answer was simple. "When it won't transmit, and you're sure it's not the Transceiver Module." He didn't want to buy that, insisting that every radio component has a specification for when it is out of spec. I took the time on a break, and during the class, to show him there is no such specification for this radio. He insisted there was, and that his manager had it in his notes. Turns out, he didn't. So once we got past that, things went pretty smooth. I love that students will challenge me, it keeps me on my toes. Due to being in Albuquerque the week before this class, I arrived later than I really wanted to. I didn't get to play tourist at all, and it rained most of the week, or was very cloudy, so I took no pictures either. I will be home in Central Illinois starting Tuesday evening, not leaving until the following Tuesday, very early. I intend to sit back and relax. Then again, there is work to be done. I have to order manuals for upcoming classes in Canada (Edmonton), and Germany (American Embassy in Frankfurt). Til next time, y'all take care of yourselves. And most of all, keep writing! |
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I then went to Taiwan for two weeks; but, although that was nice, it wasn't 'home'. 
