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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 |
| Locale: Schaumburg, Illinois Well, I'm stuck in Schaumburg this week and next. It's supposed to get cold, and a bit snowy maybe. We'll see. How did I suddenly (it was suddenly at all really), become one who has enough knowledge to cross-train other instructors? It's not really that I have enough knowledge, though I know I do. It's that a few of the course I teach, I'm the only one who's qualified. Better yet, I've qualified myself on them, because I WROTE the course... The instructor manager wants more qualified on these courses because the schedulers can't schedule me much more than they already are. This make customers wait months for a class, when other instructors are idle, not near as busy as I am. I'm not smarter than anyone else if you ask me, I've just carved a niche out at work. Speaking of my schedule, other than having a week off after International travel 3 times, and one week of vacation in late May, I am booked solid between now and mid-June! So I've spent this week cross-training two newer instructors, and while cross-training them on this course, have 'exposed' them to system type stuff, since right now they only deliver classes on a specific radio(s). It doesn't bother me, it's training after all, something I love doing. It's been a good week too, they seem to have gotten a lot out of it. We'll know more tomorrow when I give them the 56 question test I've written for this class. That's 56 Essay questions, not multiple choice or fill in the blank. Why 56? Because I kept finding questions that needed to be answered to consider them qualified to deliver this course. I wanted 60-75, but also got caught up in editing another course for an April delivery, and didn't have time to think of more questions. So where is 2020 taking ol' Jim Dorrell? In calendar order: Schaumburg, Algiers, Schaumburg, Helena Montana, Schaumburg (so I can qualify another course), Yokota AFB near Tokyo Japan, Washington DC, Folsom California, Algiers, Fort Lauderdale Florida, Schaumburg, Vacation for a week, and suddenly we're at Memorial Day! Too many days/weeks in Schaumburg if you ask me. In Closing I will spend the weekend at home before being back here next week to deliver a Networking Class. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!  Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Des Moines, Iowa This week finds me in Des Moines for a class with the city of Des Moines. Once again, it's a Networking Class, centered around the components that provide the networking links in our radio systems. There were only four students in the class, but that makes it a bit better. We shipped a large Pelican case of equipment for this class, but even with that, there were only 3 of each device. With four students, it means they can learn a lot more during the hands-on exercises. It also allows the class to flow faster though. Couple that with the fact that there's one hands-on exercise we can't do at a customer site, and you may find yourself finishing early, which is not good. They are paying for a 4.5 day class, so we want to deliver 4.5 days for them. Fortunately, there are things we can do to fill that time, so I'm not worried, never have been, With this delivery here, it means I've taught a class in 42 states. While I would love to deliver a class in all 50 states before I retire, I don't see it happening. The main reason is that we rarely deliver a class in certain states, and when we do, it might go on someone else's schedule. I've been in all 50 states, but not taught in each. The ones I haven't taught in are: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Utah, and Idaho. Only time will tell if I get to any of those states for a class. Oh, I was scheduled to go to Idaho once (In February!). Instead, she sent me to Hawaii for two weeks. No way I was going to complain about that! Des Moines is the Iowa state capital of course. But being central Iowa, and not really that large a city, you might think it would be hard to find really good restaurants, or even a wide variety of restaurants. That's far from the case! There are several Mediterranean Restaurants here, as well as Cajun, Seafood, and others for one to enjoy. I managed to visit a couple of really good ones. Noteworthy Restaurants: Eatery A https://www.eateryadsm.com/menu/ I thought Eatery A to be a strange name for a restaurant, but the menu looked excellent, so I thought I'd give it a try. It's a very nice Mediterranean restaurant, with excellent food. I ended up having their Bacon Wrapped Dates, and Wild Boar. I was not disappointed one bit in my choices. Coopers On 5th https://www.cooperson5th.com/menu I have to say, I think Eatery A had better food, but this place was not bad at all. Interesting place, I loved the area around it because of the Christmas Decorations on the street, and just the overall look of things. They have a daily 'Egg Roll Du jour', so I had to try that. I also have this gargantuan Cuban Sandwich, and ended up bringing half of it back to my room for lunch the following day. Bubba http://bubbadsm.com/food/dinner/ Yes, the name makes you wonder, but the food sure doesn't. I made a mistake during the day though, and skipped lunch. For my meal there, I had Fried Okra Spears (Love Okra!), and a Succotash Stuffed Chile Relleno. I just had to try their bread pudding, and that probably put me over the edge, so-to-speak. I returned to my room, posted my nightly joke/pun, and promptly proceeded to veg the rest of the night. I lay down about 7pm, not under the blanket at all, and didn't stir until almost 4 this morning! Shame on me for not taking better care of myself, and eating better (too many carbs?) last night. I should have had a salad, and something else, not so much fried food. I'm not used to eating a lot of fried food... In Closing This concludes my travels for 2019. I will spend Christmas and New Years at home, then be in Chicago January 2nd and 3rd, plus the 8th-10th cross training teammates. 2020 starts off with a bang though. I'm going to Algeria around the 23rd of January for two weeks, will go back there in April, as well as Japan in March. I also have classes in California (Folsom), Montana, Washington DC with the Senate Sergeant At Arms group, and a couple of resident classes in Schaumburg. That's just the first quarter too. Look like it will be a really busy year. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Montross, Virginia This week finds me in Montross, Virginia to deliver a class to Westmoreland County. The class is one I've taught many times, that's always good. I found out quite a bit about their system today, one being a bit of a surprise, but nothing I can't teach about. But, being here leaves a lot to be desired. Not that Montross is a bad place. Let me explain. It leaves a lot to be desired for a couple of reasons, and there are a couple of 'different' things about this class. First the different thing. The only student who is a County Employee is not a technician, he's more of an Administrator. Now why do I say Montross leaves a lot to be desired? Montross is more of a village than a town, I hate saying this, but there's just not a lot there. No fast food joints for those of you looking for that (I'm not). But there are no major restaurants either. No Hilton hotels of any kind, nor Marriott, Holiday Inn, and the like. There is of course a couple of small places, but if I had stayed there, where would I find a decent dinner? Richmond? That's an hour away. Fredericksburg? That's an hour away. The class itself has been good, I've answered every question, and explained a lot. As you might guess, I'm not staying in Montross either. My hotel is in Dahlgren, about 30 minutes away. Yep, long commute, but only for three days. I think I can live with that. While there are major chain hotels in Dahlgren, there's not much more here other than the Naval Warfare Center. All the really good places to eat are seasonal, and are closed for the winter. But there's a really good thing that will happen as part of this trip, tomorrow night. I'll mention it by asking a question. What do you call three older grandfatherly ancientmature men who are members of a fantastic Writing Website? We can't be called The Three Stooges, nor The Three Callaberos. Three Blind Mice? No, that's been used also. Hmmmmm. Tomorrow night, three WDC members will meet in Fredericksburg for a drink/meal/whatever. One has an excellent sense of humor, quick wit, and known for a sharp pen. His blog is a joy to read because it always makes me smile. Thank you my friends for thinking of me, but no, it's not me! I'm speaking of Robert Waltz  ! (Applause please)Another one is a great poet. He has entered many contests on WDC, winning far more than often losing. That's not me either, but thank you for thinking of me. (I can't hold a candle to this man when it comes to poetry.) I'm speaking of none other than 🌕 HuntersMoon  ! (Again, Applause please)The third one is known for his (dry) sense of humor also. It is very dry, often hard to grasp, and many of his jokes make you shake your head in disbelief, you wonder where he finds them. Like the other two, he loves WDC, and runs a small forum on the site to boot. Yep, that's me, I'm him. Tomorrow the three of us will meet at a restaurant in Fredericksburg and share a few stories I'm sure. Would be really nice to have a crowd, huh! Might even get an 'open-mic' sort of thing going.... NOT. At least for me. In Closing I will spend the weekend at home before flying to Des Moines for a class next week. That will be my last class for 2019. It all starts again quickly in 2020. Right now, I'm scheduled to teach 37 days in the first quarter! Plus, I'm booked solid through May 1st. That could change though, right? Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Loveland, Colorado Well, I'm back in Denver once again. It's the second class in Networking this time, with nine students back from last week, and two new ones. This makes the class easier, yet tougher. Why? Much of what they did last week is done this week, albeit on different devices. But it's fresh in their minds, they understand the concepts, so it's easier. And faster. Therein lies the problem. I speak faster than most people naturally, and since I don't have to explain the basics as much, it went a lot faster than I liked. Plus, there's one hands-on activity we can't do here, because there's no 'Master Site' I can access. But really, everything went well. Let me tell you a little about my instructional style, how I teach. I'm me, that's all I can be. Once I know the subject material, I don't use notes. It's all in my head, so I can display slides and discuss them in-depth. I can have them access whatever equipment we're on that week, and don't have to routinely look things up in the help files of the software. So I'm relaxed in my delivery. It's like we're a group of friends who have gathered together to learn. I'm the center of attention, which I don't like in every day life. But this is teaching, something I love, so I get to take a break from real life, and relax with friends. That's what I tell them the first day of class. We go through our introductions, background, etc for the first 30-45 minutes. I tell them they are my BFF's for this week. Next week they'll be back at their jobs, and I'll be off to find new BFF's, for a week.  That's what makes all this so good for me. How can you call it work when you get to do something you love every day?Noteworthy Restaurants: Smokin Fins http://finsconcepts.com/smokin-fins-menu/ This place was so good the first three times that I went back again! Excellent seafood. Their Lobster Stuffed Fried Avocado is something you really have to try.... Not only that, but the Southwest Poki Bowl is excellent too, though a bit much. Two of my students came with me, so we shared around. Their Edamame is good, but how bad can you make Edamame? Sweet Oysters, good Sushi, loved their Poblano Corn Chowder. In Closing I will spend the weekend at home before going to Schaumburg next week. I was scheduled to sit in a class for qualifications, but will be teaching a different subject instead. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Denver, Colorado This week finds me in Denver, Colorado for a different type of class. In a way. This week, my students are not from a local shop, nor are they from a city/county/state. They are from Motorola shops that support cities and such that don't have their own technicians. The subject this week is Networking Essentials. The course covers basic Networking, how a Layer 2 Switch operates, as well as a Layer 3 Router. We use older Cisco routers for this class to prevent/reduce overlap between this class, and the second class we have on this subject. This is the class I struggled with a bit in Phoenix in January. But, I've studied more, practiced more, and taught it more. The result? Far better results of course!  I landed here in Denver on Sunday, October 27th, and there was this white stuff on the ground, and still coming down.      Sadly, I didn't get to make a  for a couple of reasons. But someone please tell me why Avis would rent me a car that week, and not provide an ice scraper?? I had to use my coat sleeve to get the snow off the windshield on Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday it had cleared up, but was cold, so the snow remained on the ground. But it was a good week that flew, or so it seemed.Noteworthy Restaurants: /pôr/ Wine House https://www.porwinehouse.com/food This place is a hole-In-The-Wall type of restaurant. Looking at it from outside, you'd think it couldn't be good. And, you couldn't be more wrong. I couldn't bring myself to try their 'Blistered Shis***o Peppers', and settled for their Bacon Wrapped Dates for my appetizer instead. I wanted their Spicy Ahi Tuna Nachos, ,but thought they might be a bit much, since I was dining alone. I'll be back next week, when I'm here the week of 11/4 for another class. I 'settled' for two of their Fish Tacos, and they were excellent! In Closing I will spend the weekend at home. Okay, I'll be home only 36 hours before flying right back to Denver for the second of those Networking classes. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Philadelphia, Pa This week finds me in Denver, Colorado for the third of four classes with the Federal Protective Service. It's the same class I've delivered in Suitland, Md and Battle Creek, Michigan, and Denver, Colorado. This was a fun class to deliver because of the interaction with the students, and because I've finally come to know quite a bit about the system. You might wonder how I could 'not know their system' very well, and still deliver this class, right? Well, the class only covers a small portion of the system, so I don't need to know everything about it to deliver this class. This system though, is very complex. It's one of the most complex I've dealt with in my 18+ years at Motorola! No matter how much you study or exchange e-mails with the customer, there's no way you can really know a customer's system when you walk in the door. I'm lucky, I've been able to deliver this class in all four of their major locations, and that has helped. We've discussed basic (and advanced) RF Theory and Operation, system management, maintenance and troubleshooting, configuration and programming, and IP Networking. It's been a great series of classes. You can't come to Philadelphia without seeing a few historic sights. This is my fifth time in this area, so I've seen a lot of it, but today I was drawn back to the Liberty Bell. This piece of American History means a lot to me, mainly because of my personal beliefs, and serving our country for 20+ years on Navy Submarines. Some of you gave me feedback on a notebook post about a new Trinket, and I thank each of you who took the time to respond. It's always nice to get feedback from others.   I don't normally smile that broadly for photo's, you can blame the man who snapped it for that. As he was snapping, he said, "Let's be sure to get the crack in the photo. Not YOUR crack." Made me laugh a bit as you can tell. Noteworthy Restaurants: Newportville Inn http://newportvilleinn.net/# I originally found this wonderful small restaurant in June of 2012. Since then, every time in the Philadelphia area, I visit it. I'm not an expert on German food, but I really enjoy 'good food', and this place is excellent! Historic/Interesting Places Visited: The Liberty Bell https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/stories-libertybell.htm This is MUST SEE historical site to visit on a trip to the 'City of Brotherly Love'. The history of this city, the aura that surrounds the grounds is enough to inspire anyone. In Closing I will spend the weekend and next week at home before traveling again the week of Halloween. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Philadelphia, Pa This week finds me in Denver, Colorado for the third of four classes with the Federal Protective Service. It's the same class I've delivered in Suitland, Md and Battle Creek, Michigan, and Denver, Colorado. This was a fun class to deliver because of the interaction with the students, and because I've finally come to know quite a bit about the system. You might wonder how I could 'not know their system' very well, and still deliver this class, right? Well, the class only covers a small portion of the system, so I don't need to know everything about it to deliver this class. This system though, is very complex. It's one of the most complex I've dealt with in my 18+ years at Motorola! No matter how much you study or exchange e-mails with the customer, there's no way you can really know a customer's system when you walk in the door. I'm lucky, I've been able to deliver this class in all four of their major locations, and that has helped. We've discussed basic (and advanced) RF Theory and Operation, system management, maintenance and troubleshooting, configuration and programming, and IP Networking. It's been a great series of classes. You can't come to Philadelphia without seeing a few historic sights. This is my fifth time in this area, so I've seen a lot of it, but today I was drawn back to the Liberty Bell. This piece of American History means a lot to me, mainly because of my personal beliefs, and serving our country for 20+ years on Navy Submarines. Some of you gave me feedback on a notebook post about a new Trinket, and I thank each of you who took the time to respond. It's always nice to get feedback from others. I don't normally smile that broadly for photo's, you can blame the man who snapped it for that. As he was snapping, he said, "Let's be sure to get the crack in the photo. Not YOUR crack." Made me laugh a bit as you can tell. Noteworthy Restaurants: Newportville Inn http://newportvilleinn.net/# I originally found this wonderful small restaurant in June of 2012. Since then, every time in the Philadelphia area, I visit it. I'm not an expert on German food, but I really enjoy 'good food', and this place is excellent! Historic/Interesting Places Visited: The Liberty Bell https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/stories-libertybell.htm This is MUST SEE historical site to visit on a trip to the 'City of Brotherly Love'. The history of this city, the aura that surrounds the grounds is enough to inspire anyone. In Closing I will spend the weekend and next week at home before traveling again the week of Halloween. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Denver, Colorado This week finds me in Denver, Colorado for the third of four classes with the Federal Protective Service. It's the same class I've delivered in Suitland, Md and Battle Creek, Michigan. This was a fun class to deliver because of the interaction with the students. Well, this trip started out with a bang. NOT! Yes it did... What I mean is, I flew to Denver on Tuesday morning, and would be flying home on Friday. Except that when I checked in for the first flight, I realized that my flight home was Thursday, not Friday! Oooops! So, after a call to American Express, and paying the flight change fee, and a fare increase fee (scheduling the flight home with less than 7-14 days notice), I was scheduled to fly home Friday. The hard part was calling my manager and telling him I'd spent $500 (OUCH!) that I shouldn't have had to spend. A drop in the bucket for my employer, but we are supposed to limit our spending of course. This was a first for me, but man, did I ever beat myself mentally for such a stupid mistake. In teaching a technical subject, the one area most every technician wants to learn is hands-on activities. You can't learn to maintain a radio system worth several hundred million dollars without knowing how to troubleshoot, maintain, calibrate/program everything in it. This class had a bit of hands-on activities, but we were limited by equipment accessibility. The story on why access was so limited is too long to relate here, but just know that the 'central location' where the entire system is monitored is in Orlando, and there we were in Denver. We did have a bit of gear on hand, but it was not near enough. Things went well, but it could have been much better if you ask me. Often in our classes, we get asked questions by a student that has nothing to do with the class. Basically, they wonder why 'we' (or they really, since it is their system) didn't do it this way or that way. One question I was asked this week, was "Why don't you use layer 3 switches in the system, instead of a layer 2 switch, and a layer 3 router?" This is a system design question really, and I told him that. Others in the class know him well, and asked him not to ask such questions, but I said go ahead, because I love a good discussion session. We discussed many things during class, many of them being system type questions, others just being 'old fashioned' RF knowledge questions. Just a three day class, and all these questions and answers! In the end, the one who asked the layer 3 switch question told me he'd learned not to challenge my knowledge of this system. He made me smile, but I told him not to stop, to always challenge me (us), because we probably don't know everything, and what he knows, and can bring to the table will help everyone learn more. I'm not always right, nor do I want or need to be. What I want most of all, is for the correct knowledge to be passed on.Noteworthy Restaurants: Smokin Fins http://finsconcepts.com/smokin-fins-menu/ Their Lobster Stuffed Fried Avocado is something you really have to try.... I'd been here while in Loveland Colorado last year, and the Stuffed Avocado brought me back again. I wasn't disappointed. In Closing I will spend the weekend in the weekend at home before flying to my next destination on Tuesday. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Plattsburgh, New York This week finds me in Plattsburgh New York delivering a class for Clinton County. It was a good class, but small. Six students were registered for the class, but only two showed up. Of course this caused things to flow a little faster than normal, and at their request, class ended on Thursday instead of Friday. The class itself was excellent. With only two students, it was easy, and good, to concentrate on a couple of areas they were mainly interested in. We even found time for a small field trip to one of their radio sites, and I found myself giving thanks for it being September, and not December/January. Plattsburgh is in the northern Adirondacks on the shore of Lake Champlain, and the area around it is mountainous. These are not the size of the Rockies and such, but being far enough north, they receive a lot of snow. Another thing that made this class a bit more special, was the journey. The best part was the return trip. It was extra special because of a nearby location. Plattsburgh sits about 50 miles northeast of Lake Placid. Of course, Lake Placid is the home of the 1980 Winter Olympics. What some of us fail to remember, and rightly so, is that Lake Placid also hosted the 1932 Winter Olympics. This caused me to do a little research. In the 1932 Winter Olympics, 17 nations participated, with 252 athletes in competition. At the 1980 Winter Olympics, 37 nations participated, with 1072 athletes in competition. The biggest question that crossed my mind, was 'Where did everyone stay, and how many people attended the games?' So, you know I had to visit Lake Placid. It was quite the experience really, especially when I stopped for breakfast at a local restaurant. Photo's From Visit:  Ski Runs At Whiteface Mountain  Ski Jumps At Lake Placid Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Lake Placid https://www.lakeplacid.com/ You really need to visit here if you're ever in upstate NY. Fascinating, and beautiful. In Closing I will spend the weekend at home before hitting the road again next week. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
| Locale: Battle Creek, Mi This week finds me in Battle Creek Michigan to deliver a class to the Federal Protective Services. It's the same class as last week in Suitland Md, with the same issues concerning equipment on hand. Once again, the students have been great at understanding the limitations we face, but we've done a decent job in discussing key things with their equipment. I would love to tell you more about the classes, but frankly, I think you'd get glassy eyed from boredom quickly. Other than the class, I have to say that Battle Creek is pretty interesting. After all, it's known as the cereal capital of the USA, and at one point had over 100 cereal manufacturers here! That's pretty amazing in and of itself, but where the class is being held is something worthy of a novel. Not just any novel, but maybe a horror novel, or at least a deep mystery. Now why would I say that? Well, it's quite the story. The Kellogg brothers (John Harvey Kellogg and W.K. Kellogg) had the Sanitarium built as a Spa of the Day. Yep, I too thought Sanitarium = Hospital for the Insane, but it's not even close to that. It was built as a Spa where Harvey promoted a healthy diet (shades of today and how we are looking eat less processed food!), but also some bizarre treatments, even for adults. Add to this that John Kellogg had some very disturbing ideas about what caused young children (male and female) to start 'experimenting with self pleasure'. The things he did to both boys and girls would have him in prison quickly in this day. I want to keep my blog E-rated, so I can't describe what he did here without changing the rating. But you get the idea. So here we are, almost revering Kellogs in today's world, yet a lot of what he did would cause us to think of him as a pervert. Historic/Interesting Places Visited: The Battle Creek Sanitorium http://www.asylumprojects.org/index.php?title=Battle_Creek_Sanitarium This is quite an interesting read. Especially when you look up Harvery Kellogg, and his practices. https://pictorial.jezebel.com/john-harvey-kelloggs-legacy-of-cereal-sociopathy-a... https://factslegend.org/20-interesting-john-harvey-kellogg-facts/ In Closing I will spend the next week working from home before traveling to Plattsburgh, NY the following week. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE! Jim Dorrell |
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I then went to Taiwan for two weeks; but, although that was nice, it wasn't 'home'. 