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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/blog/jim-d/sort_by/entry_order DESC, entry_creation_time DESC/sort_by_last/entry_order DESC, entry_creation_time DESC/page/7
by Sum1
Rated: E · Book · Travel · #1779685
I travel the country on business, sometimes the world. Come see where I've been.
         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.

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July 8, 2022 at 5:12pm
July 8, 2022 at 5:12pm
#1034888
Locale: Bloomington, Illinois

Week of: 7/4/22


         Though this is considered an off week (no delivery because of the July 4th holiday), I still had work to do. We all do, but mine was an organized type of work. The content manager blocked my schedule for this week so I could spend it working with one of our technical writers. We were to work on a course that is a prerequisite for a course that I am the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for.

         We had a one-hour meeting using Google Meet Tuesday-Friday, with a goal of covering all 12 modules in the course. We achieved our goal and then some. She shared the Course Storyboard with me so I could mark it up as needed, delete inaccurate text, and arrange things so it flowed smoothly.

         Let me backtrack a little, and explain a little bit about this course. Being a prerequisite course, it was divided into two separate paths. One path is for what we call the M Core/L Core. These are both Cores used mainly with Trunked Systems. I'm not going to go into what a Trunked system is vs a Conventional System, which often uses the K Core. It's the K Core that I am the SME for. Some of the slides are identical, some have minor or major differences. The problem with this course is that Trunked data/graphics/demonstrations were used at times in the K Core portion. Plus, the flow was not consistent, often we'd see a subject covered in detail, only to come back to that subject later in the course. When that subject was covered later, it may or may not match what had been covered earlier.

         Another thing that's being done with this edit, is to create a new prerequisite course that applies to the K Core only. So, I deleted any slide that was used in the M/L Core content only. As a result, we lowered the modules from twelve to about six or seven. The next step is for the writer to rework everything with custom animations. She'll send it to me for review and suggestions. Corrections will be made by her (yes, corrections will be necessary), and I'll review it all again. She wants this completed by mid-August. I don't have a free week until late August, I am delivering classes for the next six weeks. That doesn't matter to me, I'll do the reviews during an evening or on weekends. I told her to give me a deadline each time, and I will get it done. I like deadlines, believe it or not. I think I work better with one, because I will front load the work so it's completed early, then spend some reviewing the suggestions. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my job? I'm not being sarcastic in saying that either.


In Closing


         I fly to Kansas on Sunday, and and have about a 70 minute drive to Salina from Wichita. I may visit Marquette Kansas on my drive. It one of those towns where you can get property for free! The catch of course is that you have a fixed amount of time biuild a house. Yes, I would not mind one bit living in Kansas. The following week will be spent in Fort Lauderdale for a four day hands-on only class. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!





Jim Dorrell
July 4, 2022 at 10:42am
July 4, 2022 at 10:42am
#1034681
Locale: Bloomington, Illinois

Week of: 6/20/22


         For the first time in a while, I delivered back to back classes of the same course. This is one of the things I love about being qualified in the courses I am. I rarely deliver the same course two weeks in a row. But here I am doing just that, and that's fine. Once in a while.

         This week's class was a Federal Customer, and since it is the Fourth of July weekend, Friday was a holiday for them. This necessitated a slight change in the schedule. Instead of delivering the class in five 3-hour days, I would deliver it in four 4-hour days. It changes things quite a bit really. You might wonder why, so I'll explain. I know where I want to be at the end of a given day for every class I teach. So, teaching five 3-hour days is different than teaching four 4-hour days. You stop at different places in the curriculum. For some it's no big deal, they sort of 'wing' each delivery, teaching each delivery of the same class differently. I was trained to follow a different approach due to my background in Nuclear Power. You follow the Instructor Guide, and personalize the delivery with your knowledge. For most others, personalizing means deliver the class in whatever order you wish, no need to follow a guide. I lost that fight long ago, and though I haven't given up, I realize I'll never change their minds. It would take management involvement to change the way classes are delivered. Oh well.... maybe some day, long after I'm gone.

         I know I've mentioned this before, but Fleetmapping is all about configuring the system (in particular, a server at the Core called the 'Provisioning Manager') and the radios to maximize their capabilities. I teach radio programming also, making this class a bit easier to learn initially. In every class of radio programming, I tell the students that configuring a field value in CPS (the software used to program radios) only gives the radio the ability to perform that function. The system in this case, is that server called the Provisioning Manager. Here's an easy example. Suppose I configure the radio with CPS to send a voice call using encryption? I have to log on to the Provisioning Manager (PM), create/edit that 'radio object', and configure the radio in the PM to grant it permission to make that kind of call. Now imagine that your company, county, city, state, or whatever your agency is, has spent over 100 million dollars on this new radio system, and the radios you want to be able to send Encrypted Calls can't because they have not been configured correctly in the PM. You start to see the value of Fleetmapping.

         I was given a copy of their Fleetmap, which is in the preliminary stage. They have a long way to go, and a lot to learn. The class was good, everything went well. I could almost see their eyes becoming less confused as the class progressed, even though I never saw their faces. (No one turns on their Webcams for class). This group did a good job in asking questions and discussing topics they didn't understand well. Only time will tell how much they learned as they build their Fleetmap.


In Closing


         I am home this week, and will spend it working with a curriculum developer on modifying an online prerequisite dourse. My session with military members was a complete flop since no one showed up. Since they are still in the Military, they had Friday off also, so I'm not surprised. My next trip will start Sunday when I fly to Kansas to visit Dorothy, and the town of Salina. After that, it's back to Fort Lauderdale for a four day hands-on only class. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!





Jim Dorrell
June 26, 2022 at 10:29pm
June 26, 2022 at 10:29pm
#1034321
Locale: Bloomington, Illinois

Week of: 6/20/22


         This week was a rare 'Resident' delivery of the course 'Fleetmapping'. A resident class is a class that allows open registration. What that means is that any customer can register for the class, and attend it. Resident classes are normally delivered in our Schaumburg or Fort Lauderdale faciltiy. When the pandemic hit, we delivered a lot of classes remotely (from home). It was early in the pandemic that I was asked to deliver this class, and have been doing that for 2 years now. I find I really enjoy this class, and I'm not sure why. This class was no different from my other fleetmapping deliveries, other than there was little discussion/questions from the students. That's somewhat normal in many virtual classes, but I usually get more participation in this class than other online deliveries. Not this week though.

         I think I've mentioned this before, but Fleetmapping is all about configuring the system (in particular, a server at the Core called the 'Provisioning Manager') and the radios to maximize their capabilities. Customers spend million of dollars on these systems, getting them configured correctly can be a challenge. That's where Fleetmapping comes in.

         Don't get me wrong though, this was a good class, everything went well. There just wasn't that many questions from the students. Maybe I don't ask enough questions myself to bring them out of their shells, who knows?


In Closing


         I am home next week delivering Fleetmapping once more. This time it will be four hours/day for four days, instead of three hours/day for five days. This is a Federal customer, and I guess they get Friday 7/1 off. I don't, I will still be online in a Virtual classroom presenting a special presentation to any military members who are leaving the service soon and might want to work for Motorola. If they do, they will be Interns until their enlistment is up, then get hired as a Field Tech. If I was 20 years younger, I'd love to do that. Then again, maybe not, I love teaching too much. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!





Jim Dorrell
June 23, 2022 at 9:07pm
June 23, 2022 at 9:07pm
#1034162
Locale: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Week of: 6/13/22

         I'm back in Fort Lauderdale this week, still having fun of course. Right now, I'm scheduled to return in July for four more days, then December for a week. We'll see what the future holds, won't we?

         The first week was spent delivering a basic Networking Class. This week was a more advanced Networking class that focused on the networking addresses and equipment used in our radio systems. Like the class last week, there are a lot of hands-on opportunities, and the students spent most of it doing just that. The students love it too, making it even better. Monday, and part of Tuesday was 'Death By Powerpoint' as I like to call it. After that. it was all hands on. I emphasized to the students that everything we were doing was in the Powerpoint slideshow, but doing it was far better than reading slides. Additionally, there's a lab guide to follow, and we did. Actually, we went above and beyond the lab guide.

         Since I was here two weeks, I rented a car for the weekend and drove up to Clearwater/St. Petersburg, My Father-In-Law lives there alone now after losing his wife in September. I figured he would like some company, and I was correct. He insisted on fixing me dinner Friday night, and took me to breakfast both Saturday and Sunday. In return, I was able to do what I'd intended, take him to dinner Saturday night. (See below about where we went). It was a great weekend though. He needed someone to talk to, someone with a common background (We served on the USS Theodore Roosevelt SSBN 600 together) that would understand the things he mentioned. So I listened. A lot. It was a very good visit, and a must really. After all, he's 87, no telling when or if I'll see him again.


Noteworthy Restaurants:


         Batch - New Southern Kitchen          https://www.batchsouthernkitchen.com/ftl/          I came here to try their Shrimp & Grits. While they were very good, they don't compare to the dish in Charleston, SC, at Fleet Landing. I'll come back here though, the meal was good, service was good, I had a nice time there!


         Tiki Tiki          https://letstikitiki.com/menu/          This place was 'found for me', it was recommended I come here. I have to say it was a good recommendation. I tried the Ahi Tuna Nachos which were HUGE! I couldn't finish them of course, but did add what Tuna that was left to my leftovers I took back with me. My meal was their Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl. Do you see a theme here? *Smile* As mentioned, I added the tuna from the Nacho's to the leftovers of this bowl, and had it for lunch the next day. Wow!

         Con Murphy          https://www.conmurphysfl.com/          Let's just say that although the food was pretty good, I probably won't return here. The blackened Grouper on my sandwich looked a little like Tilapia. I've sold enough fish in my life that I can identify some, Tilapia is easy to identify, and I don't really eat Tilapia, even though it is a white fish with a mild flavor. Plus, I don't want to pay Grouper prices and get Tilapia. Now, Tilapia is not on their menu, but it would be easy to use any white fish in place of Grouper, and charge for Grouper. Tilapia is MUCH less expensive than Grouper. Am I being paranoid? Maybe, I'd like to think I'm not. After my experience in North Carolina years ago, I wouldn't be surprised if this was being done by far more than one restaurant. Especially in today's world and times. So, I won't be going back.


In Closing

         I am home for three weeks now, teaching classes the first two weeks, then working on a course review with a curriculum developer the week of July 4th. My next trip is to Kansas, the town of Salina, followed by a return to Fort Lauderdale again! Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!




Jim Dorrell
June 13, 2022 at 6:48am
June 13, 2022 at 6:48am
#1033777
Locale: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Week of: 

         I'm back in Fort Lauderdale this week and next. I find it ironic that our facility opened here about 5 years ago, and I've been scheduled to be here at least once every year. However, the schedule changes frequently, so this is my first year making it down to this locale. Right now, I'm scheduled to return in July for four more days, then December for a week. We'll see what the future holds, won't we?

         The first week was spent delivering a basic Networking Class. Everything went well, even if I was a little rusty with the course materials. I love the hands-on opportunities offered in this course, and spent most of it doing just that. The students love it too, making it even better. Monday was 'Death By Powerpoint' as I like to call it, we finished that up the first hour Tuesday. After that was all hands on. I emphasized to the students that everything we were doing was in the Powerpoint slideshow, but doing it was far better than reading slides. Additionally, there's a lab guide to follow, and we did. Actually, we went above and beyond the lab guide.

         Since I have two weeks here, I rented a car for the weekend and drove up to Clearwater/St. Petersburg, My Father-In-Law lives there alone now after losing his wife in September. I figured he would like some company, and I was correct. He insisted on fixing me dinner Friday night, and took me to breakfast both Saturday and Sunday. In return, I was able to do what I'd intended, take him to dinner Saturday night. (See below about where we went). It was a great weekend though. He needed someone to talk to, someone with a common background (We served on the USS Theodore Roosevelt SSBN 600 together) that would understand the things he mentioned. So I listened. A lot. It was a very good visit, and a must really. After all, he's 87, no telling when or if I'll see him again.


Noteworthy Restaurants:


         Pirate Republic Seafood          https://piraterepublicseafood.com/          This place sits on a river here, with beautiful boats cruising past. I finally saw the one I'd own if down here. A small inflatable dinghy. I had their Spicy Garlic Shrimp for an Appetizer, and their 'Pirate Bowl' for my meal. It was excellent, but even being on expense account it was expensive. As a result, I may never return, unless I have someone to dine with and want them to experience the atmosphere and the pleasure of dining there.

         Rocco's Tacos          https://www.roccostacos.com/fort-lauderdale/          I was there twice this past week. I dined alone on Monday. While there I saw that on Taco Tuesday they have 'All You Can Eat Tacos' for $25. When I mentioned that in class, two of my students wanted to go, so the three of us went there when class was done,. It was so nice to have someone to dine with and talk/exchange information with. I didn't do the All You Can Eat because despite my looks, I can't eat enough (you'd have to finish off 5 tacos to not be wasting money, since they normally about $5 each). I had my favorite dish, Chile Rellenos. This place really rocked on Cinco De Mayo, I was there, and it was crazy.

         Cuba Libre          https://www.cubalibrerestaurant.com/en/fortlauderdale/menus/dinner/          My Uber Driver told me that Cuba Libre was better than my favorite Cuban place here, Padrino's Cuban Restaurant. Frankly, I liked Padrino's a little better. I had Paella in both places, and prefer Padrino's over Cuba Libre. The view is better at Cuba Libre. Once again I dined with a student, and he about broke his neck several times as a woman walked by. *Laugh* Padrino's is also quieter which I prefer.

         Shuck N Dive          https://shuck-n-dive.com/food/          This place is more of a Dive than anything, but it was fine., I was in the mood for Cajun food, so I went there. The Mahi Mardi Gras was smothered in Crawfish Etouffee, and was served with Beans N Rice and Hushpuppies. The food was pretty good, but lacked the heat one would expect in a Cajun Dish.

         Salt Rock Grill          https          This is an excellent seafood restaurant! If I was looking to complain, I'd just say that I ordered their Shellfish Stuffed Sea Bass, and though it was outstanding, it wasn't stuffed, it was more like strips of Sea Bass just covered in their excellent Shrimp, scallops, and crab stuffing with citrus cream sauce, and garlic mashed potatoes.
But that's being very picky. This is where I took Ken for dinner Saturday. He had never been there, and loved it. For our appetizer, we had Tuna Sashimi, which was just scrumptious. Our table was outside so we had a nice view of the boats at the pier. Overall, it was a nice relaxing afternoon/evening.


In Closing

         I spent the weekend in Clearwater as mentioned, and am right back here in Fort Lauderdale next week. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!




Jim Dorrell
June 8, 2022 at 6:27am
June 8, 2022 at 6:27am
#1033598
Locale: Bloomington, Illinois

Week of: May 30, 2022


         Back in the Before Time, the department would have everyone meet in Schaumburg for Cross-Training/Meetings. It was always a good week because despite being co-workers, there were several instructors I rarely saw. Seeing them in person, chatting, exchanging information and knowledge was always a good time. Plus, Friday afternoon we'd have a picnic/bbq, an afternoon of fun and games. Then the Pandemic hit, and everything shifted to the online enviornment. We didn't travel anywhere of course; in fact we spent 6-7 weeks just editing course materials to be used in an online enviornment. Of course our week of meeting & cross-training was moved to the online environment also. This meant that the department didn't fly in those who live & work remotely. Counting myself, there are 7 or 8 people who would have flown in (I would drive up to Schaumburg of course, no need for me to fly that short distance). With airfares the way they are right now, plus meals, cars, and hotels, that would be about $2000 person. As a result, any chance we have to meet during a 'vacation week' such as Memorial Day, Labor Day and such, is long gone. Instead, we end up meeting online. In my opinion, the days of getting the group together are gone forever. The savings alone dictate that. Never mind that we thrive on seeing each other, can learn so much more in person it seems, or the mental benefit we get just from being together. That's what happened this week of course.


         I was given the chance to share my knowledge of Fleetmapping with the group; in fact, while every other meeting was about an hour in length, I was scheduled for 4 hours. No, that wasn't because I'm so great at this, that time was necessary, but it still wasn't enough. Everything went fine, except not one person felt they can deliver Fleetmapping without sitting in the class first. The people saying this are very experienced at their jobs, very knowledgeable about their subject matter. To say I was disappointed to hear that from them would be an understatement. I always figure that if I can do it, so can they. They would have an advantage over me too. An advantage in having decent course materials to work with (I had to re-write the course, and edited it several times), as well as having a resource to ask questions of (Me!). I had no one I could turn to with questions really, since this class had always been delivered by Contractor Instructors. Oh well. It's a course I enjoy, I'll jjust continue delivering it.


         Overall it was a good week, I guess I just long for the 'good old days' when we'd meet in person. You can't have it all, and change is inevitable.


In Closing


         I was home this week fo course, and will travel again the first week of June. I will be back in Fort Lauderdale for 2 weeks delivering Networking classes. The weekend I have free, I plan on getting a rental car and visiting an old friend in Clearwater/St. Petersburg. He lost his wife in October and does not get out much. There's no telling when or if I'll see him again, so a visit there is almost mandatory.. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!





Jim Dorrell
May 28, 2022 at 6:56pm
May 28, 2022 at 6:56pm
#1032968
Locale: Bloomington, Illinois

Week of: May 23, 2022

         This week was another week where I delivered part of one class during the day, then delivered another class that night. A co-worker also has Multiple Myeloma, except his was caught later than mine. To give you an example, he's been on Revlimid for 3 years now, and is not in Remission yet! His last Bone Marrow Biopsy showed a little bit (his words) of Myeloma, so his doctor wanted to repeat it this month. He needed Monday off as a result, so I covered Monday for him. We're the only two instructors who deliver this class, there was no way I was not going to cover for him! I'd have delivered the entire week if necessary.

         My scheduled class was an online class with the US Air Force. The AFB in Yokota Japan. The original scheduled time was 10 am Japan time, to 3 pm Japan time. This would have been 8 pm to 1 am local time for me, Yuck! The customer didn't like those hours, since it ruined their normal work-day, and asked if we could start at 7:30 am their time. Obviously I agreed. Except for Monday. We started at 9 am their time, since I couldn't get home from Schaumburg by 5:30 pm my time. Still, it worked for me much better than an 8 pm start time! Everything went well with both deliveries overall, I was happy with the Yokota AFB class, and enjoyed being in Schaumburg that one day.

         I am home again next week. Since it's the Memorial Day week, the week will consist of online meetings and cross-training. I get to spend about 5 hours Thursday cross-training some instructors on Fleetmapping. That class is becoming, or has become, very popular, and there's a need for more qualified instructors. I've been told that some of my co-workers don't want to deliver it though. At issue is the fact that no one is qualified to teach everything. In the case of Fleetmapping, you really teach portions of 3 different courses. Console programming/configuration, radio programming/configuration, and system configuration. No one teaches all of those courses. Well, no one except my manager (he shouldn't deliver classes at all really), and the co-worker who I covered for this week. Both of them are kept busy delivering other classes besides Fleetmapping. So my co-workers don't want to deliver this because they aren't qualified to deliver all three courses. My opinion, and I know what it's worth, is, GET OVER IT. When I started teaching Fleetmapping, I was only qualified to deliver one of those three classes. That hasn't changed either. If I can learn enough to deliver this class, and deliver it with excellent grades from every class so far, so can they! We'll see what happens this week.


In Closing


         As I said, I have been home this week, and will be home next week also. The following week I will be back in Fort Lauderdale for 2 weeks delivering Networking classes. Maybe I will get to meet Lilli ☕ still Quilling this time, or anyone else who is in that area (hint, hint! Are any of you in the Miami/South Florida area) and would like to connect? The weekend I have free, I plan on getting a rental car and visiting Key West again. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!





Jim Dorrell
May 21, 2022 at 12:47am
May 21, 2022 at 12:47am
#1032662
Locale: Bloomington, Illinois

Week of: May 16, 2022

         This week has proved to be a productive week as far as studying goes. I reviewed the course materials for the class I delivered in Las Olas, and arranged to pick up some equipment when I'm in Schaumburg Monday. Ah yes, about spending one day in Schaumburg. I will deliver one day of a class for a co-worker so he can see his doctor. This is an appointment he can't miss, and I'm the only instructor besides him that is qualified to deliver that class. Actually, I'm the Master Instructor for that class, he's the other qualified instructor. Doesn't matter really, I will cover for him because with all the appointments I've had in the past two years, I know what it's like to need to see your doctor.

         During the class for the Port Of Los Angeles, one of the senior technicians made a comment that made me realize I really should work on a certain course, and qualify to deliver it. My manager has said the same thing. Let me explain. Fleetmapping is something that every customer should do when they purchase their system. Let me describe it this way. When a customer buys a radio system, there are many pieces of equipment that need to be configured/programmed. I call one side 'The System', and the other side 'the field (or subscriber) radios. The system side is equipment that is mounted in a rack. You know, two metal stands about 19 inches apart with holes drilled in the sides. The equipment consists of Virtual Servers, (a computer with numerous cores, a 600 GB hard drive, and about 16 vertically mounted 600 GB pocket sized hard drives mounted beneath it), and connected via a cable. If you're glassy eyes already, please hang in there. There's more. The equipment also consists of networking equipment, routers & switches, repeaters (rack mounted radios), and numerous other pieces of equipment. I teach a lot of it, and have more than a layman's knowledge about what I don't teach, but I do know what I don't know.

         Back to my story. So this system is purchased at a cost of several hundred million dollars, depending on the size of it, and other factors. Fleetmapping allows the customer to configure the system to their needs. The system is very flexible as far as configuration goes, and can be configured in so many ways it makes my head spin. But just configuring the system isn't enough. The radios that people use, whether they are mounted in a vehicle, or carried on a person's waist, need to also be programmed/configured. If the customer only configures the system and not the radios, they have wasted their money. Realize that when I say configure, I mean configure to optimize their performance and operation on the system. Configuring the radios incorrectly results in less than optimum operation, it could result in poor radio coverage, especially in an emergency situation. So the radios should (I say MUST) be configured to match the system in order to maximize their performance. Conversely, configure the radios so they do EXACTLY what you want them to do in any situation, but don't configure the system to match them, and once again, a lot of money has been wasted. Fleetmapping teaches them how to maximize system and radio performance.

         So what class does my manager and this Senior Technician feel I should deliver? Radio Systems Administration (RSA), which teaches technicians how to configure/program their system, as well as monitor it. Yep, I teach Fleetmapping, which is all about System and Radio configuration, but I don't deliver this course. I know a lot about it, but I don't know all the ins and outs necessary to deliver it. So this week, in addition to improving my knowledge of one course, I also started studying RSA. I will pick up equipment on Monday so I can further improve my knowledge on that Las Olas class. But I've also arranged to have remote access next week so I can perform the hands-on activities that are a part of the RSA course, and will review all slides until I'm sick of them. Sadly, with the schedule the way it is, I may not get a 'team-teach', and will be 'thrown-to-the-wolves' for my first delivery. Most likely it will be in Schaumburg so I will have ready access to a wealth on information in the form of our lab techs, and anyone who's qualified that course and is in the office that week delivering a different course. We'll see what the future holds.

         You might be asking yourself how I can be so confident about things. The answer is, I've been this way since Junior High School, maybe even earlier. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, I realized there is little one can't do if they set their mind to get it done. It's not just me, anyone can do it. I approach every challenge with an attitude that I will get this done. Heck, give me a manual on rocket science, its construction and design. Allow me to work with the equipment involved assembling it, testing it, programming/configuring it, and I will learn it. Again, any of us can do that with a positive attitude, and A LOT of work. There's nothing we can't do if we put our minds to it. One thing I don't do, is invent/create things. My mind doesn't work along those lines, so don't look to me to invent something that is different than anything on the market. Could I learn or gain that talent? Probably. But I don't have a desire to do that. That's just my attitude, and the way my mind works.


In Closing


         I have been home this week, and will be home the next two weeks. Monday I will be in Schaumburg teaching, then I will teach from home Monday night from 7pm til midnight. My customer is the US Air Force, the base in Yokota Japan. Major time difference which necessitates the odd hours. I will teach that class Monday thru Thursday. The following week is Memorial Day, I will be involved in Virtual meetings all week long, and present a very condensed version of Fleetmapping to co-workers on Thursday so a couple of them can qualify that class. The first week of June I will be back in Fort Lauderdale for 2 weeks delivering Networking classes. Maybe I will get to meet Lilli ☕ still Quilling this time, or anyone else who is in that area and would like to connect. Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!






Jim Dorrell
May 13, 2022 at 5:44pm
May 13, 2022 at 5:44pm
#1032361
Locale: Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale, Fl

Week of: May 2, 2022

         With class for the Port Of Los Angeles going so well, I knew I was in for a rough week that followed. First, it's a class that I've not taught very often. Teaching a class ten times in a six year period does not get you in a good flow of material. Plus I hadn't taught it for 2 years; all this combined to make this a pretty tough delivery for me. It also didn't help that I experienced "gray hair" syndrome during class, being unable to remember basic stuff. There's no excuses for it if you ask me, but it is what is, as they say. I was unhappy with my delivery, I'm sure the students could tell that too. All I can do is move on and do better from here on out. And I will.

         Being my first time in Fort Lauderdale (that may have been a contributing cause too), I was a little anxious to experience some of South Florida's seafood (another distracting cause?). There are some very good restaurants nearby, so I went to the ones at the top of my list. So, where did I dine?

         Padrino's Cuban Restaurant          https://padrinos.com/menu/fort-lauderdale/          I went there on Monday to have their Paella, which I had had in Plantation a few years ago. I was not disappointedone bit, it was excellent!

         Boathouse At The Riverside          https://www.boathouseriverside.com/menus          I really wanted their Smoked Fish Dip as an Appetizer, but they were out of it for the night. So I had Shrimp Ceviche, an excellent substitution! For an Entree, I had Pan Roasted Black Grouper. Once again, I was not disappointed.

         Rocco's Taco's & Tequila Bar          https://www.roccostacos.com/fort-lauderdale/#all-day          I dined at this place in Brooklyn a few years back and wanted to go again. I browsed their Tequila Menu, and was surprised, and quite happy, to see they had Forteleza Tequila! I ended up having their Forteleza Blanco, and will try their Anejo next time. If you're a Tequila fan, and like Blanco Tequila's, you'll love this one, though a bottle will run you close to $80. For an appetizer, I had Queso Fundido, for my entree, I had one of my favorite dishes. Chile Rellenos! Yummmm


In Closing

         I have been home on vacation this week, and will work from home next week instead of teaching. No, I'm not being punished for last week. A contractor was scheduled to deliver a class in LA, and like a couple of mine, it was cancelled at the last minute. He was already getting paid, so instead of paying him to sit at home, they gave him my class, and I'll sit at home working on projects. *Smile* Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!






Jim Dorrell
May 2, 2022 at 6:18am
May 2, 2022 at 6:18am
#1031799
Locale: San Pedro, Ca

Week of: April 25, 2022

         This week's class was more than one could hope for. I always try to do my best, and this particular subject brings out my personality more than most. Why? Because it's not a technical subject, but then again it is. It's just that in this class, you facilitate far more than lecture. True, it's 'Death By Powerpoint' all week, but it's how you deliver it that makes it a good class. I don't read from the slides, we discuss the idea of it all. But, you have to know the technical side too, you must know the subject matter, just like any class you teach. It's all in how you deliver it.


         Prior to coming to SoCal, I contacted a few WDC members I know who live in the LA area. We arranged to meet on Saturday morning for breakfast/lunch. What a fantastic outing it was too! We met at 'The Pan' and were not disappointed in the menu one bit.          https://www.thepan1.com/lomita-menu          I saw an item on the menu, and stopped looking. I love Shrimp & Grits, and this serving of it was excellent. But wait, who was there with me? Well, how lucky can an old man get when three beautiful women meet him for breakfast on a Saturday morning? Joining me were Annette , someone I've met several times in the past, a woman I consider a close friend. Also joining us was Schnujo is in the Falklands . She has so much energy with the things she's doing, not just on WDC here, but in real life. I get exhausted just reading what's going on with her! And last, but certainly not least, was QueenOwl ~ A New Day Dawns . She is such a sweetheart, a very caring person who wants to meet other WDC members and live life to the fullest. This was my first time meeting Jody Schnujo is in the Falklands and Miriam QueenOwl ~ A New Day Dawns , I certainly hope it won't be the last time we meet. But what a way to end the week!

         After that wonderful breakfast, I drove to LAX to catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale for my next class. We didn't leave until 3 pm LA time, and arrived in Fort Lauderdale about 11 pm. Needless to say, I was pretty tired by the time I got to my hotel. Unlike LA, I don't have a car here. Parking is outrageous and costly. Of course it's that way in any big city, but it seems worse here. Plus, the training site is a 15 minute walk away, so I don't need a car other than to get to dinner. Uber will suffice fine for that purpose. *Smile*


In Closing

         I am here in Fort Lauderdale this week and will fly home Friday once class is done. Next week I'm on vacation, or staycation since we're not going anywhere. I do have plenty to do around the house, and will get some work done despite being on vacation. My boss hates it when I do that, but it's about the only time I can find to get things done at a leisurely pace! Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!






Jim Dorrell

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