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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 |
| Date: Week of June 11th Locale: Lansing, Michigan This week finds me in Lansing Michigan again, and again the customer is the State Of Michigan. I drove here again, mainly because getting decent flight times to and from Lansing from home is almost impossible. Besides, it's only a 5 hour drive, which is about the same, or less time I'd spend in the air, on layovers, or getting to the airport initially. This is the same class I've taught them three times before; they just have so many technicians that they can't all attend in just two sessions. It wouldn't surprise me if I were to return here again for at least 3-4 more classes. Lansing is not that big, and there really isn't a lot here to see 'tourist' wise. True, Michigan State University is here, the city (town) is nice, not too big. But as far as sights to see? Nothing that I've found so far. Then again, I usually get here in the evening of a day, spend the next two days teaching the class, and leave after class is done the second day. So no real time to get out and explore much.  Noteworthy Restaurants: Lansing Brewing Company http://www.lansingbrewingcompany.com/ This is a really 'hoppin' place,very busy each time I've been there, with excellent beer and food! Been there a couple of times now, will go again should I return to Lansing. In Closing My next two classes are in Canada. Next week will find me in Saint John New Brunswick, then I have two weeks of non-delivery time where I will work from home, and work in Schaumburg to upgrade our small Conventional Radio System. After that, I get to visit Calgary, Alberta! Til next time, y'all stay cool in the heat, enjoy your time, your loved ones. And most of all, Write!  Jim Dorrell |
| Date: Week of June 4th Locale: McAllen, Texas This week finds me in McAllen Texas for a class with the Customs & Border Patrol once more. It's the same class I delivered in Tucson, different students of course. McAllen sits on the Rio Grande, meaning that Mexico is a hop-skip&a jump away all the time. Small town, and of course the popular places to dine are Mexican Restaurants. Needless to say, the food was excellent, with HUGE serving sizes! This class is far from the challenge my last class was. This course was the first class I taught at Motorola, way back in April of 2001. I've taught it so much, I could deliver it blindfolded, with my hands tied behind my back! Okay, not quite like that, but you get the picture. It was difficult to find decent flights from Central Illinois to McAllen, plus Motorola wanted me to complete forms as if I was going to a violent foreign country. I even asked myself if I needed a passport!  So instead of flying in to McAllen, I looked at other cities to fly to. Much as I wanted to, I couldn't get decent flight times to Corpus Christi, so I flew to the closest large city I could, San Antonio. But that meant a four hour drive to and from the airport. Hopefully I can sleep on the plane tomorrow, since it leaves at 6am, which means I should be there by 4:30 at the latest....  Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Padre Island National Seashore https://www.nps.gov/pais/index.htm I wanted to spend a lot more time here, A LOT more. But I couldn't, since I stopped on my way to McAllen. I would love to have relaxed on the beach, just listening to the waves. Ah, another day, another trip perhaps, Padre Island National Seashore is the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world! It's beautiful, but you need to spend some time to really appreciate it. I also came here for a specific reason though too. I purchased a National Parks Passport years ago, 2010 I think, and started collecting stamps at Visitor's Centers (good ol' ink stamps). But some sections were full, and I couldn't place any more stamps. While at the Flight 93 Memorial two weeks ago, I saw a beautiful collectors edition passport, much larger, with many more pages for stamps. So I decided to start all over, and get this one stamped. Padre Island National Seashore got me going, with four more! Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park https://www.nps.gov/paal/index.htm This is one of the newer National Parks, and is significant for it's part in the Mexican-American War. It was fought twenty years before our Civil War, and many of the senior officers in the Civil War (on both sides) fought in this battle. And of course, I was there to get more stamps. I really dislike stopping just to get my passport stamped, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. As I approached the park though, a spring storm appeared almost out of nowhere. It rained so hard, we couldn't drive more than about 30 mph. Luckily, as I turned off the Interstate to head to the park itself, I left the rain behind. I found the rain again later today as I drove to San Antonio. In Closing I will spend next week in Lansing Michigan again, before heading to Saint John, New Brunswick the following week. I have to confess that I'm not really looking forward to that class, mainly because of who will be in it. They are all instructors themselves; it's supposed to be a train-the-trainer class, something we don't normally do. However, there are four students. One has a BSc in Engineering, with 20 years teaching experience (I have 22 though). Another has an Electronics Diploma, with 15 years teaching experience. A third has an MSc in Engineering, and has taught for 2 years, and the fourth has a PhD in Engineering, with a number of years in Electronic Communications in the Private Sector, and 20 years teaching experience. I have a HS diploma... and a wealth of experience that most don't have. Oh well, it will be fine, I just dislike classes like this is all. Til my next entry,y'all stay warm or cool, love those close to you, and write! |
| Date: Week of May 21st Locale: Salisbury, Maryland I decided to drive to this week's class, and really enjoyed myself in doing so. The drive was uneventful, other than visiting National Museum Of The US Air Force. This was the opening weekend of the Memphis Belle Exhibit. I know many of you have probably seen the movie, but wonder how many of you know the entire story of the plane, and its remarkable crew.... The movie was good, but learning the complete story is worth it. Suffice to say that they (the 10 man crew, the same crew for every mission) flew 25 missions against the Nazi's in World War II. This in itself was highly unusual. It was not uncommon for a B-17 Flying Fortrress to be shot down, nor was it unusual for a crewmember to be baly hurt, requiring a replacement to take their place. These 10 men flew together for 25 missions, but what really amazed me, was that their pilot was a really 'old' man. He was all of 24! The class itself was a bit of a challenge. Not because I didn't know the equipment or course material, but because we encountered small issues at every turn. Luckily, I was able to answer all their questions, and show them things they hadn't known yet. I could (should) have done better though, but this was only the third time I've delivered this class. No excuse. But it is the truth. Once class was completed on Thursday, I drove to York, Pa on a special 'mission' of my own, spent the night there before heading home. Friday was a very somber day for me. I was in the area, and thought I would visit the Flight 93 National Memorial outside Shanksville, Pa. Tears welled in my eyes as I saw some of the displays, listened to recordings from that fateful day (9/11/01) in case some of you don't know about this), and saw a graphical viewing of the last minutes of the flight as the passengers tried to wrest control of the aircraft from the terrorists. A black walkway made of individual black brick tiles marks the flight path of the plane as it approached the meadow. The meadow has a large boulder at the approximate site of the plane's impact. Nearby is a marble wall with 40 slabs, each slab contains the name of one of the people on the plane. A wooden gate at the end of the wall is a symbolic entrance to their final resting area. A new monument called the Tower of Voices is being erected at the entrance to the Memorial Park. It will be a series of large wind chimes hanging in the middle of a 16 foot diameter monument. https://www.nps.gov/flni/getinvolved/tower-of-voices.htm There will be a 40 wind chimes, one for each American who perished on the aircraft. The plan is for it to be completed in time for the remembrance this year. I would love to be there! Sadly, I will be in Colorado that week, thus unable to attend. If you are in that area, take the opportunity to visit this wonderful memorial. Have tissues handy, you'll need them. Noteworthy Restaurants: The Crabby Pig http://www.thecrabbypig.com/ This place sits under the Interstate (I-68) in Cumberland Maryland. It is a unique place, serving seafood and BBQ. Their Rib n Seafood Combo was very good! Old Mill Crab House oldmillcrabhouse.com This place was recommended by the students, and I can see why! It sits right on the Maryland-Delaware state line. I figured I'd have something 'small', so I ordered their Blue Crab Mini-Feast. Except small could never be used to describe this plate! FIVE Blue Crabs, a Boat Of Fried Clams, Corn-On-The-Cob, a Boat of Fried Shrimp, a piece of Fried Chicken, and a Boat Of Hus Puppies! Needless to say, I didn't finish this feast... Photo's From Visit:  P51 Mustang  The Memphis Belle  Bockscar  View Of The Meadow Where Flight 93 Crashed  40 Victims of Terrorism  A View Looking Down The Wall Of Names Historic/Interesting Places Visited: National Museum Of The US Air Force http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/ If you enjoy things that fly, this is the place for you! Touring it is a joy for me, I've done that in the past, but not this day. I was here for one reason, to photograph the Memphis Belle. If you plan on visiting this museum, give yourself plenty of time, like 4-5 hours at least. Flight 93 National Memorial Every one in America should visit this site to remind them of why we need to remain strong as a military power. I've said it in this post already, war is horrible. I don't think it's a necessity, but until we can find a way to not war with other nations, we need to keep our military strong, Visiting this site will remind you of what can happen if we let our guard down. In Closing I will spend next week in Schaumburg attending meetings, and learning a new course to teach. After that, it's back to the grind of delivering classes and traveling. Til my next entry,y'all stay warm or cool, love those close to you, and write! Jim Dorrell |
| Date: Week of May 7th Locale: Tucson, Az After spending a couple of days in Lansing, my travels took me to Tucson, Az. I flew in and out of Albuquerque so I could visit my sister-in-law briefly and make sure she's doing alright. She is doing as well as can be expected, cheerful at times, others times teary eyed. She invited me to dinner Sunday with her daughter and grandchildren there, and it was a good time. We talked some, I managed to play a bit of Wii Sports with her two grandsons, and had a nice dinner. Ruth does not like going out to eat, never has. She would rather sit home and cook than go out to any restaurant, and she's an excellent cook! She fixed us homemade red-chile with chunks of pork in it, Navajo Fry Bread, Spicy Guacamole, and the fixin's for Navajo Tacos (shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes, etc.). If you enjoy New Mexican Food, you missed quite the meal! Yes I said New Mexican, because this is not Tex-Mex, neither is it Mexican. You have to visit here to understand really. Since class was in Tucson, it meant I had a drive ahead of me. Monday I headed over to Tucson via I-25 to Hatch, then across southwestern New Mexico to I-10, then I-10 to Tucson. Weather was great in Tucson, at least if you ask me. It was 105 each day I was there, yet it never felt that hot to me. The lack of humidity really causes that effect. I was home for the weekend, and while it was 'only' 85 there, it felt hotter at 85 in Central Illinois than it did at 105 in Tucson. Of course, it was about 60% humidity in Illinois, less than 10% in Tucson. Everyone jokes about the dry heat thing, but it's a fact. My customer was the Customs/Border Patrol, the class being one on a piece of gear called the 'Quantar'. This was the first class I taught for Motorola, so I'm plenty familiar with it. I swear, I could teach this in my sleep! Not too surprisingly, the class was well received and flowed very well. Class was completed about 11 am on Thursday, so I drove back to Albuquerque. This time I chose the mountainous route on state highways. It was a beautiful drive, but took a bit longer than the trip out. I loved it though, it's a pleasure to drive state highways instead of interstates.Photo's From Visit:  Iconic Saguaro Cactus  Beautiful Cactus Flower Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Saguaro National Park (East) https://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm Saguaro National Park is a United States national park in Pima County in southeastern Arizona. The 92,000-acre (37,000 ha) park consists of two separate areas - the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) about 10 miles (16 km) west of the city of Tucson and the Rincon Mountain District (RMD) about 10 miles (16 km) east of the city - that preserve Sonoran Desert landscapes, fauna, and flora, including the giant saguaro cactus. The volcanic rocks on the surface of the TMD differ greatly from the surface rocks of the RMD; over the past 30 million years, crustal stretching displaced rocks from beneath the Tucson Mountains of the TMD to form the Rincon Mountains of the RMD. Uplifted, domed, and eroded, the Rincon Mountains are significantly higher and wetter than the Tucson Mountains. The Rincons, as one of the Madrean Sky Islands between the southern Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico, support high biodiversity and are home to many plants and animals that do not live in the TMD. Earlier residents of and visitors to the lands in and around the park before its creation included the Hohokam, Sobaipuri, Tohono O'odham, Apaches, Spanish explorers, missionaries, miners, homesteaders, and ranchers. In 1933, President Herbert Hoover, using the power of the Antiquities Act, established the original park, Saguaro National Monument, in the Rincon Mountains. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy added the Tucson Mountain District to the monument and renamed the original tract the Rincon Mountain District. Congress combined the TMD and the RMD to form the national park in 1994. Popular activities in the park include hiking on its 165 miles (266 km) of trails and sightseeing along paved roads near its two visitor centers. Both districts allow bicycling and horseback riding on selected roads and trails. The RMD offers limited wilderness camping, but there is no overnight camping in the TMD. In Closing I will spend next week back in Schaumburg delivering a class on radio programming. It's an on-line class, lasting only 2.5 hours/day, so it will be a relatively easy week for me. I will spend the rest of my day reviewing the course materials for the following week's class. This class is called Radio Management, and is not one I've delivered very often, nor very much. As a result, I need to do a little studying/prepping for that class, unlike the class this week. It's getting warm here in the United States, stay cool; read, write, and review! |
| Date: Week of April 30th Locale: Lansing, Mi Well, I flew home Saturday, even managed to get an earlier flight for no extra charge, and arrived home about midnight. Sunday was a busy day because of several chores that needed to be done. Chief among them were getting wash done (needed clean stuff for this week), general cleanup of the yard and such, getting a little groceries in the house, and resting when I could. Monday I got a rental car, and drove here to Lansing Michigan. I was here twice last year for this same class, but there's no way I could have trained every technician for the Michigan State Patrol in just two classes. So I'm here again for the same reason. I arrived here last night, and taught class today. This class is an evolving one in that I've changed my approach a little over the last year. This device is easy to manage and program, but it's configured a little differently that other devices, which is probably the hardest thing for people to get their minds around. Things went well today, tomorrow is my last day, already! Yep, short class, small device so a longer one isn't needed. In Closing I will spend next week in Tucson, Arizona. I am looking forward to being in the Southwest; I think that's where my heart lives. I will fly home to Albuquerque, visit my sister-iin-law (Ruth), and drive to Tucson from there. Being home is always special as you know. Since I get there so seldom, it's even more precious to me. Til next time, y'all continue to write, I'll review, credit the Anniversary Forum, and try not to make a pain of myself. See you then my friends.... |
| Date: Week of April 23rd Locale: Chehalis, Washington After being 'forced' to not deliver a class for a week, and spending a week in Schaumburg delivering a resident class, I somehow managed to be scheduled for a week in Washington! Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love the Puget Sound area; Chehalis is in the south, not really part of the Seattle Metro area, nor even part of the Puget Sound area. But I still flew in to Seattle to spend a little 'me' time seeing a place I'd never been to. I arrived in Seattle on Friday afternoon, and spent Friday night up in Everett. Dinner at Anthony's Homeport started the week off on an excellent point! On Saturday morning, I took a hour long Ferry ride from Anacortes to San Juan Island! Despite living in the Puget Sound region for 10 years, this was a place I'd never visited. I spent the day exploring the island and having dinner before having a quiet evening at a local Bed & Breakfast. During my drive around the island, I found the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park, a large outdoor area containing about 150 sculptures! Some were astounding, all were beautiful. I also visiting a Lighthouse on the islands Southeast corner, and managed to snap a few photo's of a mother Fox who had just caught a rabbit to beed her young kit. Sunday I visited a Lavender Farm before heading back to Friday Harbor to catch the Ferry back to Anacortes. Sadly, I missed my scheduled ferry ( I arrived 28 minutes early, but they have a strict rule about being there 30 minutes prior to departure, so I was placed in the 'standby' line). There wasn't enough room for me on that ferry, so I had to wait for a later Ferry. Not much I could do, so I sat and waited... and waited... I went to Chehalis, which is south of Olympia, and spent most of Monday driving around. I managed to get within a few miles of both Mount Rainier, and Mount St. Helens! Both are awesome to see up close. I wanted to get closer, but to be honest, it would have taken almost 4 hours just to get to the base of one of them, so I settled for seeing both from a distance. Besides, it's not like I was going to climb either one.... The class went quite well, and I may get invited here again for another class they need. Only time will tell on that one. I loved the area near Chehalis. You are about an hour south of the Seattle-Tacoma Metro area, and an hour north of the Portland Oregon Metro area. But Chehalis itself is pretty rural, and appeals a lot to me. Sadly, I can't live here, my allergies will not allow that. Itchy eyes, sinus's that just won't dry up, a constant cough, and more that last for about 9-10 months of the year. There's not an allergy medicine out there now that will alleviate those symptoms. So, I live away, and treasure my time here. I can tell it's time to leave though, my eyes have been itching the last couple of days! Noteworthy Restaurants: Anthony's Homeport https://www.anthonys.com/restaurants/detail/anthonys-homeport-everett/ This is one of the nicest restuarants I've been to recently, a little 'above' my normal style. I prefer a homey place, laid back, and not formal at all. Anthony's is not formal by any means, but it is a cut above my normal style. The food is excellent, and of course, the service is also. Their Baked Dungeness Crab, Shrimp & Artichoke Dip has to be tried to really appreciate it, and their Chop Chop Seafood Salad is scrumptious! Cask & Schooner http://www.caskandschooner.com/menu This place is really more my style, relaxed, laid back, but excellent all around. Their Fish n Chips are some of the best I've ever had. Thick cut of Cod, perfectly battered and fried. A little greasy, but not too gooey like Fish n Chips can be when not properly prepared. Duke's Chowder House https://www.dukesseafood.com/menus/dinner-menu/ Duke's is a place you can dine at, and enjoy outstanding Seafood, as well as a laid back atmosphere. It's a little pricey, but well worth it if you ask me. Their Dungeness Crab Stuffed Halibut is so moist, so tender, and just perfect! Photo's From Visit:  Roche Harbor Resort Marina  Dragonfly Totem At San Juan Islands Sculpture Park  Shark Fin Seen Through The Arch  Wavy Blue Wands  Mount Rainier  Mount St. Helens Historic/Interesting Places Visited: San Juan Sculpture Park http://sjisculpturepark.com/ Approximately 150 Sculptures from numerous artists adorn the grounds of this park. It's generally free to the public, but they do ask for donations. A $5 donation is well worth an hour or two of roaming the area admiring the objects. This was a great way to spend a sunny April afternoon! In Closing I will spend next week in Lansing Michigan. I was there last year delivering two classes on the same piece of equipment; they want more of the same this year for other technicians who could not attend last years classes. Jim Dorrell |
| Date: Week of April 2nd Locale: Pismo Beach After spending a week in Schaumburg delivering a resident class, I somehow managed to be scheduled for a week in sunny Central California! I was in Pismo Beach once again, and had looked forward to this class for some time. Having been there in December, I knew what to expect with the customer, and the surrounding area. Being there was a real treat away from our winter that continues to hang on. Once again the customer was Pacific Gas & Electric's Nuclear Power Plant at Diablo Canyon. This time, I flew in and out of San Francisco so I could stop at Garlic World in Gilmore, California and get a braid of garlic. But to get home at a decent hour, I had to take the red-eye from San Francisco to Chicago. Needless to say, I'm still recovering from that... This class was on our newest 'Base Radio', and a small device called a Comparator. These two devices work together in a radio system to repeat what is called 'voted audio' from several remote sites. The students seemed very appreciative of information provided in the class. I also did something I've started doing with classes I deliver over and over, and am very comfortable with. I use the Powerpoint slides during the early stages of the class, then put them aside and use just the equipment and software to get learning points across. This allows them time to operate the equipment/software themselves. It was especially important this week, because they have strict requirements on accessing their system when it's 'live'. Plus, there's not a high failure rate on this stuff, so it may be months before they get to access it again. Noteworthy Restaurants: Guiseppe's Cucina Italian Restaurant https://www.giuseppesrestaurant.com/ Dinner was absolutely excellent. There was an appetizer special that night that I had to try. Zucchini Blossoms filled with a light cheese (I think it was Ricotta), lightly battered in a Tempura style batter, and deep fried. As I said, it was excellent! The whole meal and dining experience was one of the best I've had in recent months. Photo's From Visit:  Fisherman's Memorial Fountain In Closing I am home for the well deserved week off. I am supposed to be working from home, but will most likely use it as a vacation week. Spring is supposedly here, but it snowed tonight, so it's not really here yet.. However, I think I see a warming trend coming along. Keep writing & Reviewing, and enjoy life! |
| Date: Week of March 19th Locale: The Bronx, New York City, New York This week found me in the Bronx, delivering a basic RF class. For me, it was a first in a few ways. My first time in the Bronx. My first time working in, or even being near, a 9-1-1 Call Center. In my job, I found out long ago that a 9-1-1 Call Center is called a PSAC (Public Safety Answer Center). i was here in January with the same students, so it was nice to see them all again. When I was there in January, I learned of a small area about 2 miles east of me called 'Little Italy', on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Restaurants abound all around this area, and I just had to go see it, have dinner there. I learned that I needed to spend a day there to experience the atmosphere and see/learn about the neighborhood. The whole time I walked down Arthur Avenue, my mind was thinking "Godfather"! Class this week covered several subjects, each providing background on basic RF (Radio Frequency) theory. It's a pretty basic class when it comes to RF knowledge, but I credit it with allowing me to learn as much as I do know about RF in general. It's caused me to read up on people who were instrumental in the development of radios. People like Nikola Tesla, Harry Nyquist, Thomas Edison, Heinrich Hertz, and many more. I love teaching this class, the students and I end up in quite a few discussions on various topics. Wednesday was interesting, mainly because it started snowing Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, and snowed all day Wednesday. Since I didn't get a rental car this trip (I rarely get one when visiting NYC), I didn't go out anywhere. Dinner was a to-go order a Applebee's, which only served to reaffirm my standard of not dining at national chain restaurants when traveling. I did have an excellent Moscow Mule (Kentucky version, made with Bourbon instead of Vodka) at the hotel bar. Turns out, the bartender there had never heard of a Kentucky Mule. Didn't stop her from introducing them to another gentlemen the next night. He ended up having three! Noteworthy Restaurants: Zero Otto Nove https://www.089bronx.com/#Menu As I hinted at earlier in this post, it seems the Bronx is almost all Italian. This place was recommended to me at the hotel; I wasn't disappointed. Excellent food, I tried their Coniglio Alla Cacciatore (Rabbit Stew In Tomato Sauce with Fresh Rosemary), and a small appetizer, Brasato e PeperoniSecchi (Short ribs, sun dried peppers, arugula, shaved parmigiano reggiano, & spicy olive oil). Both were excellent! Photo's From Visit:  Sunrise In The Bronx, Tuesday, March 20th In Closing I am home for the weekend, and will be in Schaumburg delivering a class next week. Spring is here so I'm told. So I wonder how it is that we're supposed to get 3-5" of snow tomorrow! It's still far too cold, but not as bad as it could be. Keep writing & Reviewing, and enjoy life! Jim Dorrell |
| Date: Week of March 12th Locale: Kingston, Ontario, Canada This week found me in Kingston, Ontario, once again teaching in a Prison. The facility was the Bath-Millhaven facility, composed of two separate prisons sitting side by side. One is a medium security facility, the other a high securityfacility. I was actually in the prison itself this time, the medium security one. The course itself was a tailored course we created five years ago for this customer. I was (AM) proud of the small training system used in this course; I built it with no drawings to refer to, about a month before the initial delivery of this course. Only four students, but things went well and they were very pleased with what they learned. A variety of subjects were covered, but at a high level. They won't be doing much maintenance on the system, so they didn't need all the nitty-gritty details/knowledge we cover in most classes. Radio programming/configuration for two different models of radio was covered, along with system operation, console configuration and maintenance, and three separate 1 hour classes on Friday for their dispatchers. It started snowing on Monday while class was going on, and continued almost the entire time I was there. The temperature was right at freezing though, so though the ground was covered, it never amounted to much due to melting during the day. Kingston is a beautiful town, my hotel was on the waterfront, but my window faced another building. So no view of the water at all. Kingston sits on the north side of Lake Ontario, right at the beginning of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Sadly, I didn't get to see much of that due to working, but I did see a good portion of the city and surrounding area. Bath-Millhaven is about a 30 minute drive from Kingston, but you get to see quite a bit of the lake and shoreline getting there. I was in heaven! One night, I dined at Dianne's Fish Shack, and while looking at their beer menu, I noticed they had a local beer from the McKinnon Brothers brewery in Bath. You know I had to order that! After I ordered it, the man sitting next to me (we were at the bar), turned to me and said, "A man after my own heart. Hi, I'm Mike McKinnon. I'm the father of the two men who run that brewery." Needless to say, we struck up a conversation and had a good time chatting.Noteworthy Restaurants: Dianne's Fishshack & Smokehouse http://www.dianneskingston.com/ Everything you could want in a good seafood meal is here. So good, I went there twice. They have a seafood Charcuterie that is very good. Tuna Tartare, Trout Pate, and Smoked Salmon. Yummmm! Photo's From Visit:  Shoal Tower Viewed Through The Kingston Fountain  Snowy Morning 3/13/18, Shore of Lake Ontario, Kingston Ontario  Snowing Hard In The Afternoon 3/13/18 Kingston Ontario In Closing I am home for tonight, but fly out tomorrow for my next class. Spring is on the horizon! At least that's what they tell me. It's still far too cold if you ask me, but not as bad as it could be. Keep writing & Reviewing, and enjoy life! Jim Dorrell |
| Date: Week of March 5 th Locale: Houston, Texas This trip was one I decided to drive, instead of fly. It's late winter, at least for me, and I knew it would be warmer in the south than here in Illinois. So I drove. Nice drive, I know I drove a little close to a few WDC members, maybe even passing through towns some live in! I can think of LegendaryMask❤️  in Alabama (I drove through Mississippi getting there), and Angus  (I drove through East Texas going home).The weather really cooperated while I was there, with daytime highs in the low 70's. That was a welcome change from the 20's and 30's of Illinois, or the single digit temperatures I experienced in North Dakota! This area of the country has seen a lot of rain in the last few weeks, it was easy to see the result of it. I saw flooded areas, houses with what seemed to be lakes right at their doorsteps, but the roads were clear! The class this week was on a small device called a 'Comparator'. This device is used in a system where multiple towers might receive the same call from one radio. This signal is sent to a 'Prime Site', but it can't re-broadcast the two signals, it can only broadcast one. So this Comparator will compare the two signals, and send the one with the best audio quality out for re-tranasmission. Simple device really, no parts that can be serviced by technicians, and very reliable. But most technicians don't understand how this particular one works, how to configure it, etc. So the class was all about their efforts in that regard. The class went well, was well received, and a lot of information was exchanged, as well as the class as a whole discovering some of the cabling was incorrectly wired. However, now they know what to do and how to correct these minor issues. Noteworthy Restaurants: Catfish Kettle http://catfishkettle.com/menu/ I found this little gem of a restaurant in Farmington, Missouri. Their menu was pretty basic, but the food was excellent! Everything is served family style, with sides of your choice. They had about 8-9 sides to choose from, so I chose fried okra, cucumber salad, and coleslaw. The catfish was fried perfectly, as was the chicken and shrimp. Good Eats Grill http://www.goodeatsgrill.com/ I was pretty tired when I arrived in Houston, and didn't want to go out too far. This was close to my hotel, and the menu looked good. I was a bit thrown off when I walked in because they were a little busy, but there was no host around, and those who did see me seemed to ignore me. However, one of the male servers seated me, and was just outstanding in his service. So much so that he changed my mind and attitude about the place. Very good food, but excellent service from Carlos! Historic/Interesting Places Visited: Vicksburg Military Park https://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm Vicksburg was vital to victory for both sides in the American Civil War. The city was fortified with many forts on the Mississippi River and the general area, with 170 cannons protecting the city proper. The Union laid siege to the city for 47 days in 1863, culminating in the Union capturing the city on July 4th when the Confederate Army surrendered to General Grant. The Military park is a beautiful, but somber reminder of a time in our nation when brother fought brother. In Closing I am home for the weekend, but fly out tomorrow for my next class. Winter is here full force, y'all stay warm. Down under, it's the heat of Summer. Stay cool! Whatever you do, keep writing! |
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I then went to Taiwan for two weeks; but, although that was nice, it wasn't 'home'. 