Where In The World Is Sum1?

Teaching From Home, This Week and Next

Locale: Burlington County (Mt Holly), NJ

Week  of: March 14, 2022

         This week I delivered a short class to the US Navy.  Unfortunately it was an online class, I didn't get to travel there.  I would have loved to have been there, because my students spend each week on lovely San Clemente Island!  How nice that would have been.  Oh well, such is life, huh.  Besides, I will have about 15 chances to travel this year, if not more.  But, there was a small change that occurred on Monday too that put a little bump in  things for me.

         I was prepping for a class next week with the Armed Forces Of The Philippines when my cell phone rang about 10:15 or so.  It was this week's customer (US Navy), wondering when I'd show up in the Virtual Classroom to deliver the class.  I explained that the class was scheduled to run Tue-Wed-Thurs, but he told me they had different dates, Monday and Tuesday only.  Apparently they wanted the class to run only 2 days (fine by me really), but no one ever relayed that back to the Training Department.  I made a quick call to my Training Coordinator and Manager, then went to the basement to deliver the class.  The biggest issue  with all of this, is that I had reserved a hotel and car for Tuesday night.  This was necessary so I could show them connections to the equipment via a USB Cam, which I couldn't do from home.  Of course I had to change reservations while on break to Monday, but that wasn't too bad.  Still, it was a minor bump in the overall plan.

         As you might guess, my schedule can change quickly, sometimes it's my team that changes it, sometimes it's the customer.  This week, the customer needed a class canceled/delayed.  Now I have a week to rest in April, but it means I don't get to see San Diego (again).  That's good really, because I was scheduled for far too many weeks in a row, which our manager hates.  I don't mind it, or didn't before all these health issues hit me, but he sure does.  Things have changed a little for me in April & May.  (For those of you who are really interested in the changes, if any of you really are, I've highlighted that week in red).


Week of 3/21:  Philippine Armed Services.  On line class, teaching Tues-Thurs this week, completing it on a Sunday/Monday 2 weeks later (their request).  I will teach from 7pm to 1 am those days.
Week of 3/28:  Northampton, Ma
Week of 4/4:  Cross Train one of our Instructor who works out of Indonesia.  I cross-trained her manager last year (Online of course, 5 days).  She's scheduled to teach a class in our Florida location, then spend some time in Schaumburg.  He told her to ask if I would be available, and spend a week with me cross-training her.  I feel honored that he would tell her to do that.
Week of 4/11:  No delivery.  The week is called 'Instructor Prep'
Week of 4/18:  Washington DC, with the Secret Service.  I hope to meet 🌸 pwheeler - love joy peace , 🌕 HuntersMoon and his wife, and hopefully Robert Waltz , if he can get there from his home in Western Virginia.
Week of 4/25:  Los Angeles, Port Of Los Angeles to be exact.  I will meet Aennaytte: Free & Wild in GoT , maybe Jaeff | KBtW of the Free Folk , and if she's available, Schnujo is Late to Lannister .
Week of 5/2:  Commonwealth of Virginia, but the class will be held in Ft Lauderdale.
Week of 5/9:  Vacation!
Week of 5/16:  Schaumburg
Week of 5/23:  Teach from home, another night class since the customer is the US Air Force, the Yokota AFB in Japan.
Week of 5/30:  Meetings in Schaumburg, or online


         The week of 5/2 was the week that had my manager concerned.  By that time, I would have been on my 10th week in a row, twice the number of consecutive weeks he wants us delivering.  Again, I don't mind because in my eyes, I'm an instructor, so teaching is my job. 

         Yeah, it's going to be a busy year, my schedule remains very full.  However, there may be a ray of hope on the horizon since we interviewed 6 people for 2 positions last week.  We'll see who they hire, and how fast they can pick things up.  Still, in the grand scheme of things, life is good, it's always good!

In Closing

         That's about it for now, til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!





Jim Dorrell