Where In The World Is Sum1?

Washington DC

Locale: Washinton DC


         This week finds me in Washington DC to deliver a class to a customer I've never taught before.  The White House Communications Agency.  Before you all get all excited or upset about my customer, just know that we are no where near the White House for this class.  The training location is south, across the Anacostia River from DC, on the Anacostia/Bolling Joint Base.


         Their system is a pretty unique one, a bit different from other customer's systems.  I guess it figures, being they maintain communications for the White House staff, President, and such, especially when he travels.  I'm not sure what all they support/do for the White House, but their system is large, and as I mentioned, setup in an unusual way.

         I chose to drive here for this class, and the drive was pretty interesting.  I posted in the newsfeed about seeing a Semi on fire in Indianapolis.  The firefighters hadn't arrived yet, and the cab  was fully engulfed in flames.  I could feel the hear through my car's rolled up window, even though I was on the far right lane going the opposite direction the truck had been going.  The other thing that was unusual for this trip, is that my credit card chip decided it was a good time to malfunction.  The card itself is fine, it can be swiped, everything is fine with the account.  But the chip can't be read.  I called the bank about it, and the guy told me it was probably their card reader.  I had to explain to him that I'd tried using it in three different locations about 10 miles apart.  He still didn't think the chip would go bad.  His words, "That's very unusual, those chips don't fail."  I couldn't believe that he was refusing to think the chip could fail, and kept insisting it was the card readers.  I contacted the Motorola department that handles this stuff, and a new card is on the way.  To my house....

         Once I arrived here, I had a message from our scheduler.  I was scheduled to deliver a Networking class from home next week.  Now I'll deliver the same class, in High Point NC.  The instructor scheduled to go was a last minute replacement due to us losing two instructors to retirement recently.  He can't travel though, so him and I swapped classes.  I know it wasn't possible, but it would have been nice to know about 3 weeks ago.  We could have planned a 3 week work-cation, and drove here to Washington DC, then to High Point NC, then down to Sarasota Fl, then driving home.  How nice that would have been!  As it is, I will get home Friday, then fly to Greensboro NC via DFW on Sunday, fly home Friday, then fly to Sarasota Florida on Sunday, and home on Friday.  Then I'm home for 2 weeks before having to travel again.

In Closing

         I will spend the weekend at home before heading off to NC.  Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!



Jim Dorrell