I travel the country on business, sometimes the world. Come see where I've been. |
Talk about perks, my job has one of the best ones I can think of! I travel in the course of business, delivering classes for my employer. I am a Senior Training Specialist for Motorola Solutions, and teach classes on a wide variety of subjects centered around 2 way radio communications. I'm qualified to deliver approximately 30 different classes, but about half of those are 'Legacy' classes, and are not in demand anymore. My students are technicians, those who maintain, program, calibrate, and repair large 2-way radio systems. Some of these systems are statewide, and use TCP-IP networking to allow sites to communicate with others. Some are small, traditional type radio sites. The size doesn't matter, in each case the systems must be kept operational at all times, since many of them are Public Safety Systems. So I get to travel, sometimes frequently, 3-4 weeks in a row.... where am I this week? This probably won't have daily entries, but I will make entries when I get to go somewhere, and keep an updated list of coming trips. My schedule changes faster than the weather, so don't be too surprised to see me list an upcoming class, only to remark later on that it is cancelled, or delayed. Delays are fine of course, but a later date might mean that someone else gets to go instead of me,,, Well, here we go with this, let's see where it takes us. |
Locale: Schaumburg, Illinois Week of: 11/7/22 This past week I've been in Schaumburg delivering a more Advanced Networking Class. Well, it's not that much more advanced. The basic class teaches students the subject of IP Addressing, how TCP works, what a switch and router are and how to configure each, as well as backing up and restoring each. This week's class teaches them just about the same subject, except the discussion is centered around their operation in our radio systems. Plus, in the basic class, an older Cisco router is used. In this one, we use a Motorola Router, and soon, a Juniper Router. So same subject in some ways, but we cover the material in a more in-depth manner. It was a fun class, even if I did get the impression that someone was 'taking' cables they shouldn't (my impression was wrong), or that someone had taken one of my USB drives (again, I was wrong). I really enjoy delivering each of these classes and try to impart that feeling to my students. With three and a half days of all hands-on activities in this class, it's a fun class to deliver. If you don't mind doing the hands-on activities yourself. I enjoy doing those activities which makes it all the more fun. Noteworthy Restaurants: Buffalo Wild Wings https://www.buffalowildwings.com/menu/ If you've read any entries in this blog at all, you know I typically do not dine at a National Chain restaurant. I sort of make an exception when in Schaumburg, because having lived here for 15 years, it's like being home. NOT! Okay, it's a place I'm quite familiar with, and at times I make an exception. Let's leave it at that. This particular night I was in the mood for Wings. But I didn't have them. Why? Because I found they have a Green Chile Cheeseburger! They label theirs as a Bacon Smashed Hatch Chile Burger. This was a no-brainer in my eyes. And as fate would have it, I ordered an appetizer, the Hatch Queso. You can never have too much Hatch Chile if you ask me. Fat Rosie's Taco & Tequila Bar https://media-cdn.getbento.com/accounts/b4b148424bd38e72d3c74dc5c074a855/media/FeX9P0J7SbCDdAYMbAma_FatRosies_L_Dinner_11x17_08192022B.pdf It was Taco Tuesday, that's what I wanted. Where else should I go besides here? It was good, not spectacular. Fa Rosie's Queso Dip and a couple of Taco's, plus a nice Margarita set me up well. In Closing I will be in Madison Wisconsin next week, then celebrate Thanksgiving the following week. Only two more weeks of delivery this year before having three weeks off for Christmas/New Years. Then it starts all over for me. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
Locale: Schaumburg, Illinois Week of: 10/31/22 This past week I've been in Schaumburg delivering a basic Networking Class. This is a class that I don't get to deliver often, but one I really enjoy delivering. But, here is what's happened with this class. I delivered the original class for 4 years in the mid-2000s. As I qualified to deliver new courses and new instructors (contractors) arrived, I didn't deliver it for 8 years. In the meantime, the course was rewritten. Suddenly we cut back on using Contractors, and I was once again scheduled to deliver it. With it having undergone that rewrite, I essentially had to re-qualify on it. I spent 2-3 weeks during a December holiday period reviewing the course materials and performing the hands-on activities at home using equipment that had been shipped to me. I've now taught it 7 times in the last four years. That's not often enough to really get comfortable with the flow of it. Don't get me wrong, the class has gone well overall, I'm able to answer their questions without having to look things up. There are just 3-4 small things that you have to know/do to preclude having issues during the hands-on exercises. It seems I remember them AFTER we have those issues. But it's been good overall. I've had some fun despite seeming to struggle with minor stuff, the students have been great. I guess I just enjoy delivering a Networking class. Schaumburg is my office location, about 2 hours north of Bloomington Illinois, where I live. As such, every class I deliver in person is a field class or road trip. I find I don't miss Schaumburg one bit and love living in a smaller town. There are pluses and minuses to this, as there are to everything in life. For me, the pluses outweigh all the minuses. Noteworthy Restaurants: The Local Kitchen And Tap https://thelocalkitchentap.com/menu/ When I travel to a city, I will pull up Google maps and look at nearby restaurants. I find their menu to see what they offer, and choose a restaurant that way. Having lived up here for 15 years, I know the area decently well, but new restaurants pop up all the time. Such is the case here. One look at their menu and I knew I had to dine there. For an appetizer, I had their 3 whiskey/3 cheese offering. It was three one-ounce shot glasses of whiskey. One not aged at all, a Rye Whiskey, and a cask-aged whiskey. The cheeses were sliced cheddar, Mint Goat Cheese, and Jalapeno Cream Cheese, grapes, and Naan crackers. WOW! For my meal, I chose their Blackened Mahi Tacos., Again, WOW. Street Tao size, perfect as a follow-on from the Whiskey/Cheese tray. Tokio Pub https://www.tokiopub.com/menu/dinner Again, the menu here drew me in. The meal was good, but not near as good as the Local Kitchen. I had the Ahi tuna Hot Rock Appetizer. Thinly sliced Tuna in a soy ginger marinade (it wasn't covered, it was sitting on a rectangular plate with the marinade not quite covering it), with Cucumber Salad, and a Sesame Ginger dipping sauce. A River rock heated to about 500 degrees F was in a small bowl. You placed the Tuna on the rock for as long as you like, then dipped it. Yummmm . It was Taco Tuesday, so I had to have their Crying Tiger Shrimp Tacos. Jumbo butterflied shrimp, avocado, sriracha chili sauce, house slaw, cilantro. In Closing I will be back in Schaumburg next week before going to Madison Wisconsin the following week. If you're in the NW Chicago burbs and would like to meet for coffee or a meal, let me know! Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
Locale: Bloomington, Illinois Week of: 10/3/22 through 10/17/22 After a long period of travel and very little at home time, I am home. Three weeks in a row! Whatever will I do with my time? I will tell you in a minute... Late last year, I scheduled two weeks of vacation in October 2022. My plan was to go to Albuquerque during this period for the annual Balloon Fiesta. As I am fond of saying, "Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men.... " Yeah, I didn't plan things really well, if at all. Let me explain. A couple of things were not considered in my planning. My schedule. Being so dang busy with classes that at times I didn't know if I was coming or going. Add in other things that I never considered, like my High School class holding a 50th reunion a month before the Balloon Fiesta. Doctor's appointments scheduled during this time, some I couldn't change or cancel. The Akita National Specialty Dog Show two weeks before the Balloon Fiesta. It all added up to me remaining at home instead of going to New Mexico. Sure, we made it to the Dog Show, but that too was tiring. Let's look at how tiring this became for me. Week of 29 August: Three day class in Schaumburg. Drive there Monday the 29th, home on Thursday afternoon, 9/1. On 9/2, fly to Albuquerque for my 50th class reunion. Scheduled to arrive at 8:30 pm, arrived at 12:45 am due to flight delays (weather) On 9/3, attend my high school class 50th reunion. Dead tired still, but there was no way I'd miss that. On 9/4 fly home, arrive home two hours late, again due to weather On 9/6 fly to Buffalo for a three day class. Fly home on Friday 9/9, finally arriving home on time, 9:45 pm. On 9/11 fly to San Francisco for a class in Sacramento. Return home on 9/16 on a red-eye flight from San Francisco. Of course I couldn't sleep on the plane, so was awake all night. Arrived home at 11:15 am Saturday. On 9/12, began the drive to Virginia Beach for the Akita National Dog Show, Arrived there on 9/13, late afternoon. It took me until Wednesday to start to feel like myself after all this. On 9/23 began the drive home. We had to leave Friday because yours truly had a flight to Dallas on Sunday! On the way, we stopped briefly to drop off a bottle of Moonshine with Robert Waltz that I'd picked up on the drive to Virginia Beach. On 9/25, flew to Dallas early Sunday, and home on Friday 9/30. For once there were no flight delays! It was at that point that my two weeks of vacation started, and as I thought, I was not in the mood to travel once again. Having thought ahead and realizing this, the plans to go to Albuquerque were cancelled well ahead of time. I've been relaxing at home ever since. This third week of being home is because the customer I was going to teach this week could not support the class. Since it was too late to schedule a different class for me, I get to remain home. Since my vacation was changed to a 'Staycation', I had no problem working from home. The nice thing about doing this, is that I can work as much, or as little, as I needed or wanted to. I have 2 classes coming up that needed the course materials tailored for the delivery. One is next week, in Washington DC. The other is still waiting to be scheduled. I spent the better part of 50 hours going through the materials to tailor them for these customers. This tailored class in Washington DC will be very similar to the class I'll be delivering later, so I was able to solve two problems at the same time. Those course materials are finally ready to be used, so the rest of this week will be spent tailoring a third course for a class in Kentucky, but that's not until April 2023! I prefer to front load things and be ready for changes, so I will work all I can to prepare for a class six months away. You might wonder about schedule changes, and what happens if the class moves to another instructor. It's simple, I will share those files with him. Besides, there's only three of us who are qualified to deliver this class, one of us can't travel due to having the same Cancer I have, so that leaves only two of us who could deliver it. That other instructor who can travel is my immediate supervisor, and he has a schedule as full as mine, so it's doubtful the class would move to someone else. If it does, it's fine... Life is good, it's always good if you ask me. I don't mind being busy, I love to travel, and being this busy removes any concern about job security. It's nice to be needed, I think we can all agree on that. Being needed this badly is nice, as long as you don't let the travel tire you too much. Tire too much by poor planning on my part that is, because I am my own travel counselor. Except for International travel. Then we get American Express involved. Speaking of International Travel.... the Training Department is in the process of finalizing a quote for a series of International classes. This is not too unusual really, but this time the customer will need us there for about a MONTH! Can you imagine being overseas for a month? Since it would be at least a month overseas, the 'boss' has asked for volunteers who are willing to spend a month there. But where? How about spending a month in Mongolia? Of course I volunteered! Now to wait and see if that is placed on my schedule. Only time will tell.... In Closing I am home this week, enjoying my free time. Sunday I will fly to Washington DC for a class, and of course, it's a Federal Customer. I won't broadcast it here for a couple of reasons, but I will be teaching the class about 3-4 blocks from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. No, I will not be meeting or seeing any politicians. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
Locale: Irving, Texas Week of: 9/26/22 This week finds me in Irving, Texas for a week long class. The customer was a company partner, the students were from various locations in Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, and more. It was a fun class in some ways, a tiresome class in others. I think you know what i mean. This was a Networking class, most of the students had very little Networking experience. One student was much more experienced than the rest, he became my assistant during the hands-on exercises. This can be very good really, because instead of having to monitor all three groups, I could monitor/help two, while he worked with his group. The one thing you have to be careful of though, is that he doesn't become the instructor, and that the students don't look to him for answers. This didn't happen at all, he was content to help, he answered questions at times, but never tried to be the instructor. My hotel. Uggh. Despite being a Hilton brand hotel, the one I checked in on Sunday was not one a business traveler would want to stay at. It was a Tru by Hilton, and in my humble opinion, was a step above a Motel 6, but far below what I've come to expect with a Hilton Brand Hotel. Yes, I'm spoiled. My room was on the small side, that was okay. There were no drawers to place your personal clothing items in, there was no closet to hang things in, just a bar that jutted out from the wall and bent upwards to connect to the ceiling. This was above the small refrigerator in the room. I didn't really like that, but I could live with it. The TV could not be moved, it was mounted to the wall, parallel with the wall, and could not be rotated. The only place you could really see the TV and watch it, was from the bed. I don't know about you, but I get in bed and the next thing I know, it's hours later. Yep, I fall asleep, and fall asleep quickly. Did I mention that the room was on the small side, with just enough room around the bed to walk? Being the only person in the room, that wasn't a big issue. Believe it or not, the biggest issue I had with the hotel in general, was that there was NO COFFEE maker in the room. Are you listening Lilli 🧿 ☕ ? Can you believe that? No coffee maker in the room! The only way to enjoy early morning coffee was to go to the lobby breakfast area and get it. Another issue for me was that there was no restaurants I'd enjoy dining at nearby. I mean fairly close, I don't mind driving some distance, but in a city like Dallas, I'd rather find restaurant close to the hotel. Don't get me wrong, obviously there were nice restaurants all around me, I just couldn't find several that I'd enjoy visiting during the week. Needless to say, I spent one night (Sunday) in that hotel, checked out and went to a Home2Suites by Hilton Monday afternoon. Its disadvantage was that it was a 30 minute drive to and from work. The advantages? Better room, much more suited to a business traveler, and a lot of dining option very close by. I enjoyed that hotel much more, and Tru by Hilton is off my list as a viable place to stay from now on. Noteworthy Restaurants: So, about those restaurants.... Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen https://pappadeaux.com/menu/ I worked at a Pappadeaux in Arlington Heights Illinois, and left there about the time I joined WDC, so I knew how the food was prepared, I knew it's quality too. I enjoyed their Texas Redfish Pontchatrain. This was Pan-grilled redfish, lump crab, shrimp, brown-butter wine sauce, with dirty rice. I really wanted their Greek Salad, but it was far too much for me. I should have gotten it for lunch on Tuesday. Sanabels Mediterranean https://www.ubereats.com/store/sanabels-mediterranean/vBB9GcRfQvaM5IhCffXFlQ I do enjoy Mediterranean food at times, and felt like it this night. For an appetizer, I chose their Dolmas. I've long wanted to try this, but hadn't yet. Tonight was the night. Domas - Hand rolled grape leaves, stuffed with rice, tomatoes, onions, and parsley marinated with lemon juice and olive oil. The filling seemed to resemble meat, not what the menu describes, still, it was very good. For dinner, I chose their Kabob Sampler, and had the Lamb Kabob, Kufta Shish Kabob, and Shrimp Kabob. It was excellent, just what I was craving that night. La Fisheria https://www.facebook.com/lafisheriarestaurant/menu?referrer=PAGE_ATTACHMENT Their menu page link is broken, but you can find them on Facebook using the link I'm providing. I went there for Seafood, so why did I end up ordering their Brochete de Rib-Eye Y Camaron? Just look at the photo on their menu. Sixth row down, middle item. Yummm. Was far too much for me, I could have had 2 or 3 of you with me and we'd all end up full. My only 'complaint' about this place, is that the music was very loud. If I'd had someone with me, we'd have to yell to each other to be heard. Either that, or text on our phones, something I refuse to do while dining out. Cantina Laredo https://www.cantinalaredo.com/menus/view/?place=cantina-laredo-14&menutype=main I chose their Queso y Guacamole Combinación for an Appetizer. Chili con Queso and guacamole with diced tomato and queso fresco. For the meal, I chose RELLENO DE CAMARONES. Shrimp, monterey jack, vegetable and mushroom stuffed roasted green chili, with avocado, roasted red pepper and poblano sauce, on charred street corn and cilantro lime rice. Bombshells http://4bombshells.com/menu.aspx First off, this is not the type of restaurant I would choose to dine at. But one of my students is the son of the man who was my mentor at Motorola. I mentioned him in my notebook I'm sure. He retired from Motorola in July 2020, and died from cancer July 2021. John wanted to have dinner with me one night, so we chose Thursday. We picked this place, and it wasn't until we'd commited ourselves (we could have backed out of course) that we learned it was a bit like Tilted Kilt, Hooters, Twin Peaks, and the like. You get the idea I hope. We decided to still go there because of one appetizer, their WMD's (most of their menu items are named after some kind of weapon). We get there, order our drinks, and the WMD's. The server takes our order and returns moments later to tell us they are out of WMD's for the night. We settled for Bomb Poppers. Bacon Wrapped, Jalapeno Stuffed Shrimp, with grilled onion and mushrooms, topped with Cheddar Cheese and their Swet n Spicy BBQ Sauce. For dinner, I just had a burger, which though it was very big, was very good. Still, I wouldn't dine here again if given my choice, only because it's not the kind of place I would frequent. The same goes for La Fisheria, the music was just too loud for me to frequent the establishment. In Closing The next two, probably three weeks will find me at home on vacation (staycation) again. I will go to Schaumburg on Monday the 10th to make cables that will connect two of the devices on our small K Core. After that, I can do all the configuration from home. That 3rd week was supposed to be a class in New Jersey, but the customer has to complete instructor led online training, and did not attend as scheduled. Since my class with this was all hands-on activities, the online portion has to be completed before my class, and since that was not completed,nor can it be completed in time for my class, it's been cancelled Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
Locale: Buffalo, New York Week of: 9/5/22 This week finds me in Buffalo New York for a three day class. The customer this week is Erie County looking for a bit of a tailored class on different devices. Getting here was not near as bad as trying to get to Albuquerque last weekend. There were no flight delays at all, but, there's always a but, isn't there? But. I had to fly from Bloomington to Chicago, Chicago to Philadelphia, and Philadelphia to Buffalo to get there. Obviously there were other flight options, but the connections were either too short, or too long to consider using them. Coming home, I was able to fly from Buffalo to Chicago, and Chicago to Bloomington. The only advantage to having two-stops on the way there was that I was given priority due to the length of time I'd spend traveling. Believe me, I'd take a non-stop flight any day (not possible from Bloomington), or a one-stop trip over a two or more stop trip. But, talking about it doesn't do any good, does it... The class itself was excellent. The students wanted, and needed to learn about the equipment in their system, I was quite willing to share what I could. There was a lot of interaction and discussion between all of us during the class, with the hands-on activities going quite well. Class ended on Friday about 2 pm, then it was time to head home. I'd only have long enough at home before heading out again though. You can't go to Buffalo (in my opinion) without seeing Niagara Falls (been there, done that), or riding the 'Maiden Of The Mist', (a boat tour of the falls), been there and done that too. Since I had already seen the falls on two or three previous occasions, I decided not to go again. That's a shame too, but because water does draw me, whether it's fresh or saltwater. Also, there wasn't really time enough in a day, other than after work. Usually I'm too tired now to get out much, which also contributed to my decision about going. Another thing you have to do, if you're a foodie, is visit the 'Original Home of Buffalo Wings', the Anchor Bar & Grill downtown. It was there that this whole Buffalo Wing madness started. https://www.thetravel.com/where-did-buffalo-wings-originate/ So being there, I obviously had to have dinner there one night. I've been told that The Anchor Bar doesn't have the best wings in town, but they are the original home, so going there was a must for me. Noteworthy Restaurants: Anchor Bar & Grill https://anchorbar.com/ As mentioned, I had to go there. The wings were fine, but not the really spicy Buffalo Wings you find at most places, like Buffalo Wild Wings. I enjoyed their appetizer of Stuffed Hot Peppers, which were Hungarian peppers stuffed with a blend of cheeses and baked to perfection, served with garlic toast. I had 5 wings on the side, soaked in their secret sauce, and their Tuna Melt Sandwich. No wonder I gain weight when I travel! Liberty Hound https://www.libertyhoundbuffalo.com/menu This place is on the river, with a menu that just sounds like one could spend a week there sampling dishes. Sadly, I only had the one night to sample their dishes, and believe it or not, I only chose one. Their Mediterranean Salad. I was in the mood for a salad, and this hit the spot. It was not small by any means, consisting of Romaine Lettuce, Kalamata olives, tomato, red peppers, onion cucumber, feta, pepperoncini, pita. I couldn't have asked for a better dish that night. Deep South Tacos https://deepsouthtaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DST_Food-menu_2022.pdf This place was a block or two away from my hotel, walking there was easy, even for someone my age. They had quite the selection of sipping Tequila's, but I steered away from those. I did have a Bourbon based drink called The Revenge Of The Luchador, it was exactly what I was looking for that evening. Strong, but not too strong, flavorful with the Bourbon and Reposado Mezcal dominating it. Their Shrimp Ceviche came on a hard corn tortilla, that was a little surprise, but it was quite satisfying. For dinner I had three of their taco's. A Shrimp Taco, a Fish Taco, and a Korean Beef Taco. The tastes of each was quite different, especially the Korean Beef taco. I need to go back and try more from their menu, and have another Revenge of The Luchador. In Closing Next week I will be in Sacramento California for a week, then enjoy a week of downtime (vacation anyone?). During that week we'll go to Virginia Beach for the Akita National Dog Show. I will make sure I visit my oldest child while there. She lives in Hampton Virginia. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |