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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 am a Senior Training Specialist for Motorola Solutions, and teach classes on a wide variety of subjects centered around 2 way radio communications (for eight more weeks). I knew that when the time arrived that I would retire. That time is now. 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 are not in demand anymore. My students were/are 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? This probably won't have daily entries, but I will make entries to update you about my life before and during my employment with Motorola Solutions. I also intend to update you all about what I'm doing in retirement. Well, here we go with this new adventure, let's see where it takes us.  Best Cultural And Regional Honorable Mention |
Visiting Friends & Relatives Talk about tiring! Wow, visiting three relatives/friends in three days, in three different states is exhausting! Here's what we did. On Wednesday May 7, we drove to Columbia Tennessee to see my best friend from Motorola. Steve retired five years ago and we've stayed in touch all this time. We had dinner with him and his wife Sue at a local place. It was a good time for all of us. But the day started with a small delay on our part. Someone named Mother Nature insisted we stop for a routine visit. Could she ask us both at the same time? No! So two stops were necessary. All was well though, it was just a minor inconvenience. Wednesday night though, I discovered I had left an adapter for my CPAP at home. Of course this meant I had to sleep without it. I was fine, it's happened before, it'll happen again, though I hope it doesn't. Thursday we drove from Columbia Tennessee to Montgomery Alabama to see my daughter and her family. Of course we stopped along the way at a LinCare facility to pick up that adapter. We met my daughter at a Catfish House for dinner., It was a very good time for all. I brought my camera out and let her children use it all they wanted. I haven't looked at the photo's they snapped, I'm not sure I want to.  I will upload them to G-Drive though and share with her.Friday we drove to Gulfport Mississippi to see my former Father-In-Law. He turns 90 this year, I'm not sure how many more times we'll be able to get together. He does look good though, he seems to be in better health than I am...  But, along the way, while driving through a good ol' Southern Downpour, the engine on my van sounded louder. I immediately knew what had happened. My van is 11 years old now, it seems that the Exhaust System developed a hole in it. Where? I don't know of course. So tomorrow I'll take it in and leave for as long as it takes the shop to get to it and fix it Driving home yesterday and today was fun though. NOT! It was decently loud, and seemed to get louder today. But we're home, even if a certain someone (not me!) worried about it overheating, stalling, seizing, whatever else you can imagine. It's still drivable, it's just noisy of course.That was our adventure for the week, and why I haven't been available much as a result. I will work, sometime in the future. We'll see what new career (job) I choose, huh! Well, that's it, I'm done. Enjoy yourself, enjoy your life, and love those in your life that really matter! Love To You All, JimD |
Retirement Well, it was just time. Time to sit back and relax some. I can't travel as often as I once did. the fun was still there for me, my mind is still alert and able to process class material. My body just can't do it anymore, so it was time. I was hired by Motorola on January 22, 2001. Alex Torres, the man who hired me said, "If you can teach Jim, we'll teach everything you need to know about Radios & their systems." Well, it's been 24 years since then, I either talked a good talk and fooled them all, or I learned. It was the latter, believe me. My first few weeks were filled with sitting in classes. I didn't even have a laptop until my second week there! So I wrote my notes in a notebook, and became a sponge, a learning sponge. It's what I did in the Naval Nuclear Power pipeline, it was just a career move to a different technology in my eyes. By the end of 2001, I was teaching six different classes, and ended the year delivering 68 days of classes. This despite not teaching my first class until late April! I learned, and I grew knowledge wise. It's been a good career. I can deliver over 30 classes now, though half of them are legacy classes, meaning we don't deliver them anymore. Still, 15 classes? Yep. Yesterday, Friday May 2, 2025, our manager gave us (me) a retirement luncheon at a local restaurant in Schaumburg, The Granite City Food & Brewery. https://gcfb.olo.com/menu/schaumburg It was a very nice time together, I met people I haven't seen in almost a year. Yeah, I saw them all last year during Memorial Day week when we had meetings all week. I made sure to shake/hug everyone and thank them for being there. Even those I wouldn't consider a friend. Yes, there are some co-workers that I don't consider a friend. Still, they arrived for the luncheon. Privately, I said to myself, 'They're here for the food, not me.' I would never say that aloud, that would be so inconsiderate. That thought did enter my mind though.Now I'm unemployed, my first time being unemployed since January 31, 1993 when I retired from the Navy, That lasted a week. Now, I'm taking May off, and we'll see what happens afterwards. Next week we're going to see a close friend in Tennessee, then we'll visit one of my daughters living in Alabama, then see my former Father-In-Law. We are close friends, we served together, my first Submarine, his last. Him & I will always be friends. Now I wait and see what the future holds. I will still work, I'd love a part time job, not a full time one. We'll see what new career (job) I choose, huh! Well, that's it, I'm done. Enjoy yourself, enjoy your life, and love those in your life that really matter! Love To You All, JimD |
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I'm sure whatever tomorrow will bring, you'll embrace it. Not to be a downer, but I'm pretty sure we all know the final destination. Enjoy the journey, my friend. I promise you it will be a lot of what you don't expect.
