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 Being Retired now, I thought that it was time for a new name to this Blog |
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Talk about perks, my career had one of the best I can think of! I traveled in the course of business, delivering classes for my employer. I was a Senior Training Specialist for Motorola Solutions, and taught classes on a wide variety of subjects centered around 2-way radio communications. I knew that when the time arrived that I would retire, and I have. I've always said that if you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, get out! I can't handle the heat anymore. I was qualified to deliver approximately 32 different classes, but about half of those were 'Legacy' classes, and were not in demand anymore. My students were technicians, those who maintained, programmed, calibrated, and repaired 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 traveled, sometimes frequently, 3-4 weeks in a row.... where have I been? Some of the places I've been (I can't list them all here, the list would be toio long) are pretty interesting. 1. Hawaii - Four times, Oahu, Maui (twice), and the Big Island 2. BangkokThailand, twice 3. Frankfurt Germany, twice 4. Algiers, Algeria 5. Melbourne Australia 6. Bismarck North Dakota, Summer & Winter 7. Los Angeles, Too many times to count 8. Washington DC, Too many times to count 9. Seattle three or four times 10. Texas, all over the state 11. Florida, all over the state 12. New Mexico, HOME! Several times  Best Cultural And Regional Honorable Mention |
| Locale: Springfield, Missouri Week of: November 30, 2020 This week finds me in Springfield Missouri for a Networking class with the city. I was in Springfield in 2002, and have a few fond memories of being here. Don't ask where I dined though, because I couldn't tell you. Other than Lambert Throwed Rolls that is.  I drove there, it was only a 5 hour drive or so, and a nice one at that. I have to say that for there being a Pandemic going on, there sure was a lot of people heading home on the highways from a family weekend. I didn't mind, I'm glad they were able to get together, assuming that was the reason there were so many on the road. The class itself was good, I may be invited back for a different class too. For me, that's always an honor. An honor that someone thinks well enough of me to ask for me to come back for another class. We'll see what happens. It seems that the instructor who owns this course has changed it a little... again. There were at least 2 hands-on exercises that we did, and I don't recall seeing them before. So I have some studying to do so I have them down solid. But really, things went well. At least there were no questions asked that I couldn't answer. It's amazing how these systems can change, the new capabilities that are being configured. It can be quite the chore to keep up with all the changes, but somehow we manage to stay even with the curve at least. Noteworthy Restaurants: Cafe Cusco https://www.cafecusco.com/menu This is a Peruvian/Chilean inspired restaurant, and I thought the food was very good. I went there twice, the first time I had their Fried Guacamole appetizer, and Olive Trout. On my second visit, I wanted the Drunk Goat, but they were out of that, so I settled for the Fried Rabbit. Everything was very good as I said, though I forgot to order the Ceviche Miami on my second visit. Ocean Zen https://www.eatoceanzen.com/menu I had to visit this place, their menu looked terrific, and I was in the mood for Sushi. I wasn't disappointed one bit. I will admit that their Tuna Poke was a little on the small side, but it was still very good. I forget which Sushi roll I had, but it really hit the spot. I thought about having a second appetizer, but didn't want to overdo it and get too full. Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Uranus, Missouri I can't drive west on I-44 without stopping here. I found a few things I wanted, and when I approached the cashier, the sweet young lady said, "It's nice to see you! We're glad you picked Uranus!" You can see that this could go on and on. I wanted to say something like, "Well, I can't drive past here without visiting Uranus, it's always a pleasure." but figured she was 21-22 at most, and since I could be her grandfather, I decided not to say anything too outlandish. You can get several knick-knacks there, so I settled on a glass with their logo that reads, "Packing Fudge Fresh In Uranus Since 2015". I also picked up a jar of Garlic Stuffed Green Olives that also stated, "Fresh from the farm to Uranus". Boy do I have a warped sense of humor!  In Closing I will spend the rest of the year at home, with at least 1-2 nights in Schaumburg to cross-train on a new course. I teach online the next two weeks, then have two weeks on holiday before hitting it again the first of the year. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!  Jim Dorrell |
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