This week we only had 2 days off to relax, so that's what we did. During the work week we have to copy the TV shows that are televised past our bedtime, so we spend some of our free time each week catching up on these shows. Some of them are new shows this season, so there several we had to watch to see if they will remain on our copy list for the rest of the TV season. Of course, we have been watching the new X Factor show along with the new shows Whitney, Prime Suspect, Revenge, Charley's Angels, Playboy Club and Terra Nova. Some of these shows are real winners, while a couple will probably drop off our must copy list. The big advantage to watching these shows after the fact is that we get to fast forward through the ads. That means that a one hour show can be seen in less than 45 minutes. If you watch several of these, like we do, it saves a lot of time. There are other shows that we copy that aren't new, but are televised during work hours, such as I Shouldn't be Alive which is televised on the Animal Planet channel, and is always an exciting show to watch. These are real life, true stories, of individuals that experience life threatening incidents while in remote areas.
We did our usual off day activities of laundry and computer stuff to stay current on those needs. Our friends - Sue & Roger - stopped by on their way to work late in the afternoon to invite us to a BBQ at their place in Green River State Park (where we stayed last year), on Saturday night after we get off work. Their schedule is pretty close to the one we all had last year and they are happy to stay on the night shift. It works for them. One of these off days we will schedule washing duties for our vehicles, including the fifth wheel. They are in desperate need of a good cleaning.
Cool weather is in store for the next several days so it should be fairly pleasant at work. The days of profuse sweating are hopefully over for the year. We find ourselves drinking a lot less water now but still look forward to jumping in the shower after work. So, it's off to work again for the 14th week - only about 12 weeks to go as we jump on the sled to go downhill...
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Reviewing This Day for the Previous Two Years
Every Once in awhile it's nice to visit the posts from the same days in previous years. Two years ago we were in Vegas on a trip that was made prior to leaving Happy Jack when Chi Chi and Jamie gave us free room coupons from a cycle rally they had been to. It was two years ago tomorrow when we hit our big jackpots at the Circus Circus Casino on our first spins on a machine. One year ago we were in Cody, preparing to leave on our journey to Amazon, via several nice stops along the way, including time at Patty's in Naperville. Sometimes it seems like we just started out, and other times it seems like it has been longer. Right now, we are anxious to get through this commitment here and move on to the next chapter. The fact that October is so close makes it feel like the end is not too far away.
The paperwork was sent back to the Mountain Views Resort in CO for next summer. We are hoping that it works out so we can plan for next year. That will give us a sure thing out west for next year, even though we still have a couple other options still open. At this point, we haven't yet heard back from Phoenix Flower Shops about Josie's opportunity, so our time from Jan- Apr is still up in the air.
The rest of the day yesterday was spent getting haircuts and doing more work inside the rig. The weather has been mostly lousy - rain or windy or both. Also, it has cooled down quite a bit so the fall colors are starting to appear. We both have now received our free T-shirts from the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Association for completing the Bourbon Trail tours. Below is a picture of the souvenir shirt:
The Front-
The Back-
It is a nice reminder of the trips we took to those distilleries.
The fog has rolled in this morning so who knows what the weather will be like today. Usually, the sun shines when the fog burns off so maybe we are due for a pleasant day, weather wise. It's our second and last day off for this week, so we better make sure we are rested for the next go round. Later...
The paperwork was sent back to the Mountain Views Resort in CO for next summer. We are hoping that it works out so we can plan for next year. That will give us a sure thing out west for next year, even though we still have a couple other options still open. At this point, we haven't yet heard back from Phoenix Flower Shops about Josie's opportunity, so our time from Jan- Apr is still up in the air.
The rest of the day yesterday was spent getting haircuts and doing more work inside the rig. The weather has been mostly lousy - rain or windy or both. Also, it has cooled down quite a bit so the fall colors are starting to appear. We both have now received our free T-shirts from the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Association for completing the Bourbon Trail tours. Below is a picture of the souvenir shirt:
The Front-
The Back-
It is a nice reminder of the trips we took to those distilleries.
The fog has rolled in this morning so who knows what the weather will be like today. Usually, the sun shines when the fog burns off so maybe we are due for a pleasant day, weather wise. It's our second and last day off for this week, so we better make sure we are rested for the next go round. Later...
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Completed Overtime Day
It doesn't sound like a 5 day work week should be that bad on anybody. Working 5 ten hour days in a very physical job is tough - especially at our age. We get some aches and pains from our developing arthritis and also some aches from lingering problems - such as Josie's hands that were damaged from so many years of making floral arrangements. She suggested I mention this new, almost miracle gel, called BioFreeze, which we discovered while here last year from our friend Brenda. It is a medication that we use regularly for our aches and pains and provides almost immediate relief. If you haven't tried it, and would like to find a good muscle medication that works, give a shot. We found the best price to be found through Amazon.com, with no sales tax and free shipping. There are several different forms of the medication - gel, roll on, pump - but it is the same no matter what form is used. No, we don't get any commission for selling the stuff.
The overtime day yesterday was not so bad. Again though, it is easy to say after the day is done, but it was not so easy while going through it. We both did our normal stowing duty and until Amazon makes arrangements to clear out some inventory, it makes for a tough day. They are opening 3 new fulfillment centers within the next 2 weeks - 2 in Tennessee and one in South Carolina - and they plan to move a lot of the inventory to those new facilities. That will make some more room for us to stow merchandise and remove some of the frustration we all have as a result of not finding many empty bins in which to stow the product. The warehouse now is at 95 % capacity.
People keep arriving for the peak season which begins very soon - October 1. It is interesting for us to see the changes in management policies and attitudes as we near the peak season. Many of the "nuisance" issues we have been fighting are going away. We still will not ever come to work at any of the Amazon facilities again unless it is at the beginning of the peak season. We have talked about - possibly - working just the peak season at the facility in Fernley, NV, next year, which is just outside of Reno. We talked about spending some time in Vegas following our summer in Southwestern Colorado - if it works out - and then just driving up the road to Fernley in October. It could be a decent plan. It wouldn't cost us anything to stay in the Thousand Trails campground in Las Vegas, so that could be a real decent option. Gosh, spending several weeks surrounded by all that entertainment and - casinos. Watch out!
The overtime day yesterday was not so bad. Again though, it is easy to say after the day is done, but it was not so easy while going through it. We both did our normal stowing duty and until Amazon makes arrangements to clear out some inventory, it makes for a tough day. They are opening 3 new fulfillment centers within the next 2 weeks - 2 in Tennessee and one in South Carolina - and they plan to move a lot of the inventory to those new facilities. That will make some more room for us to stow merchandise and remove some of the frustration we all have as a result of not finding many empty bins in which to stow the product. The warehouse now is at 95 % capacity.
People keep arriving for the peak season which begins very soon - October 1. It is interesting for us to see the changes in management policies and attitudes as we near the peak season. Many of the "nuisance" issues we have been fighting are going away. We still will not ever come to work at any of the Amazon facilities again unless it is at the beginning of the peak season. We have talked about - possibly - working just the peak season at the facility in Fernley, NV, next year, which is just outside of Reno. We talked about spending some time in Vegas following our summer in Southwestern Colorado - if it works out - and then just driving up the road to Fernley in October. It could be a decent plan. It wouldn't cost us anything to stay in the Thousand Trails campground in Las Vegas, so that could be a real decent option. Gosh, spending several weeks surrounded by all that entertainment and - casinos. Watch out!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Deluge While Working
Just as we were getting ready to go to work yesterday, the skies opened up and it started pouring rain. We could see that it continued to rain very hard as we sat in the break area before starting and saw all the people coming in for work - drenched. It turned out that we received almost 1.5" of rain while we were at work. The temperature only went to 74 so it wasn't a very exciting day outside. Those are the kind of days we're glad to be at work.
Our day at work was spent almost entirely in the prep area. After we did a couple carts stowing in the morning, we were asked to work in the area that we enjoy as a break from the physical stowing routine. The timing was good, as we are doing an overtime day today and we aren't as tired. Some of the items we prepared for shipment were: car cleaning kits, sports blankets with sleeves for all professional teams, case logic cases of all sizes and plastic (rubber?) lanterns. The items that we prepare during the day almost always turn up in our carts to stow the next day. Essentially, we just take the items out of the original box, bag them so they don't get soiled, and place them either back in the original box if there is liquid involved, label them with a bar-code if there isn't one visible and place them directly on a cart for stowing. For some reason, the day seems to go faster when we are on that job. Maybe because it is different from the normal duties.
Instead of sleeping in this morning, it was up at 4 AM again to do another day. We are always glad we did the extra time when it ends, but it is tough going through it. October is almost here - Amen!
Our day at work was spent almost entirely in the prep area. After we did a couple carts stowing in the morning, we were asked to work in the area that we enjoy as a break from the physical stowing routine. The timing was good, as we are doing an overtime day today and we aren't as tired. Some of the items we prepared for shipment were: car cleaning kits, sports blankets with sleeves for all professional teams, case logic cases of all sizes and plastic (rubber?) lanterns. The items that we prepare during the day almost always turn up in our carts to stow the next day. Essentially, we just take the items out of the original box, bag them so they don't get soiled, and place them either back in the original box if there is liquid involved, label them with a bar-code if there isn't one visible and place them directly on a cart for stowing. For some reason, the day seems to go faster when we are on that job. Maybe because it is different from the normal duties.
Instead of sleeping in this morning, it was up at 4 AM again to do another day. We are always glad we did the extra time when it ends, but it is tough going through it. October is almost here - Amen!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Signing Up for Overtime
We made a decision yesterday to sign up for an overtime day this Tuesday. It is just too much extra cash to pass up. It amounts to almost $300 for one day's work, and there are lots of things we can do with that extra money. We would be doing the extra day every week if we were younger and didn't need the extra day's rest. Last year we worked 5 eleven hour days, but that was a much shorter total length of time (7 weeks) than this year. If we tried to work that amount of time this year for 6 months, we would be totally burned out by Christmas. It isn't worth it.
The article that appeared in the local Naperville paper about Austin's game Friday night is attached. Thanks to Patty and Mark for that info. It is a great season for Austin and his team and this season is one huge thrill to follow. The real news is that his grades are excellent, and there should be nothing but good news for him in the future. He is the total package and, hopefully, some top colleges will be courting him. Actually, Penn State already has a jump on the others.
We will complete the information requested by Mountain Views RV Resort this morning and send it back. It would be nice to get a commitment from them so that we are able to better plan our time for next year. Josie hasn't heard back from the Phoenix Flower Shops yet, so that piece of the puzzle is still sitting out there for now.
So, instead of working today for our last day this week, we will also work tomorrow. UGH!!...
The article that appeared in the local Naperville paper about Austin's game Friday night is attached. Thanks to Patty and Mark for that info. It is a great season for Austin and his team and this season is one huge thrill to follow. The real news is that his grades are excellent, and there should be nothing but good news for him in the future. He is the total package and, hopefully, some top colleges will be courting him. Actually, Penn State already has a jump on the others.
We will complete the information requested by Mountain Views RV Resort this morning and send it back. It would be nice to get a commitment from them so that we are able to better plan our time for next year. Josie hasn't heard back from the Phoenix Flower Shops yet, so that piece of the puzzle is still sitting out there for now.
So, instead of working today for our last day this week, we will also work tomorrow. UGH!!...
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Light Saturday
The weekend days are very different from the rest of the week, as far as number of workers. Friday had as many people working as we've seen so far, and yesterday had less than half the number of workers. You can tell it isn't peak season yet, not only by the fewer number of workers on weekends, but the fact that Amazon doesn't even have a night shift for Saturday night. Once the peak season begins, Saturdays and Sundays will be no different from the weekdays. Right now, we are enjoying the lighter crowd on these weekends.
There are signs that they are beginning to relax some of the rules that have been a departure from the relaxed atmosphere last year. They announced that they would no longer track certain errors that have been driving us crazy. Maybe now we will see more emphasis on the positive aspects of the job. We hope so.
Yesterday was also the company picnic at a local park. It started at 4 PM and workers that were on our shift had to wait until the 4:30 quitting time to attend. It didn't matter to us since we didn't plan to attend anyway. We just look forward to getting home and relaxing a little bit before we have to go to bed. The couple of hours that we have before going to bed for the next day's work are spent resting up for the next day. As it was, it was difficult getting up this morning because we went to bed later the night before as a result of going out to dinner with our friends. Age is beginning to show on how our bodies react to all this physical work. We keep telling ourselves that the worst is over, but we still have a lot of weeks to go. September is nearing an end, so that means there are 3 months down, and less than 3 months to go. Yes, it's downhill from here...
There are signs that they are beginning to relax some of the rules that have been a departure from the relaxed atmosphere last year. They announced that they would no longer track certain errors that have been driving us crazy. Maybe now we will see more emphasis on the positive aspects of the job. We hope so.
Yesterday was also the company picnic at a local park. It started at 4 PM and workers that were on our shift had to wait until the 4:30 quitting time to attend. It didn't matter to us since we didn't plan to attend anyway. We just look forward to getting home and relaxing a little bit before we have to go to bed. The couple of hours that we have before going to bed for the next day's work are spent resting up for the next day. As it was, it was difficult getting up this morning because we went to bed later the night before as a result of going out to dinner with our friends. Age is beginning to show on how our bodies react to all this physical work. We keep telling ourselves that the worst is over, but we still have a lot of weeks to go. September is nearing an end, so that means there are 3 months down, and less than 3 months to go. Yes, it's downhill from here...
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Meeting Up With Friends
There was an email waiting for us when got off work yesterday from our friends from last year - Roger and Sue. They are the couple we palled around with most of the time. They were working at a campground in Maine the last several months and made it into Campbellsville yesterday afternoon. They attempted to get reservations at the campground here, but were unable to, so they are presently staying at the State Park where we all stayed last year. The "Meet and Greet" welcoming meeting for them with Amazon will take place on Monday, and that's when they find out where they will be working and the shift they will work.They went to San Diego from here last year and had a long trip to Maine from there in the early part of Spring. Anyway, we met them at Gatti's in town for dinner and spent a few hours catching up on our lives since we last saw each other. That meant that we got to bed later than usual for a work night, and this morning we are more tired than normal. It may be a long day today.
Our package also arrived yesterday from Mountain Views RV Resort in Creede, CO. There is a questionnaire in the package that we need to complete and send back which we will do tonight. The package included some good information on the area and events that take place each year in the area. It looks like an outstanding area that would be worth the time to visit next summer. We'll fill you in on details as we get closer to an agreement to work there.
The report on Austin's high school football game last night is that he ran for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns in Waubonsie Valley's 51-0 win. I wasn't able to see a write up of the game, but Patty will fill in the details I'm sure. It's fun to follow his season.
It rained again yesterday and is now the 6th consecutive day of rain. The amounts aren't huge but it does keep things cool. We were back in the high 60's yesterday and it is only 52 outside as I write this entry. Day number 2 for our work week lies ahead, so we'll see 'ya tomorrow...
Our package also arrived yesterday from Mountain Views RV Resort in Creede, CO. There is a questionnaire in the package that we need to complete and send back which we will do tonight. The package included some good information on the area and events that take place each year in the area. It looks like an outstanding area that would be worth the time to visit next summer. We'll fill you in on details as we get closer to an agreement to work there.
The report on Austin's high school football game last night is that he ran for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns in Waubonsie Valley's 51-0 win. I wasn't able to see a write up of the game, but Patty will fill in the details I'm sure. It's fun to follow his season.
It rained again yesterday and is now the 6th consecutive day of rain. The amounts aren't huge but it does keep things cool. We were back in the high 60's yesterday and it is only 52 outside as I write this entry. Day number 2 for our work week lies ahead, so we'll see 'ya tomorrow...
Friday, September 23, 2011
Finishing Up Last Day Chores
The days off just go too fast. There were some projects that didn't get done these last few days, but that was mostly due to Josie's computer virus problem which we think we at least have under control. We eliminated all of the contacts from her email account except one - me - to see if there would be any more offensive emails sent. There was one email that I received yesterday which tells us the virus is still there, but should be under control if I continue to be the only recipient of these emails. Eventually, we will have to get her computer "cleaned" professionally, but we can wait to do that.
I did get the water hose prepared for the cold weather. I actually swapped out the hose we had which was a 15' hose, for a shorter, 10' hose, which is all we needed for the water hookup. I wrapped it in the foam covering we used last year and it should be ready to go. Josie did some laundry and I also did more document scanning so that was the bulk of our last day off activities. After going to the store for groceries, it was about time for dinner so that ended our final day off this week.
Josie received an email from the HR person at Phoenix Flower Shops asking if she was planning to be in Phoenix this winter. They would like her to work for an individual - in the same shop she left several years ago - who is taking a maternity leave. We don't know the dates yet, but that was something we talked about over the last few weeks. She was going to send an email to them asking if they needed any help during the busy holidays next year - Valentine's Day and Mothers Day. If we can somehow agree on the dates, we would be in the Phoenix area for several months this winter, before heading out for our summer job - wherever that turns out to be. We have been anxious to get our storage unit emptied out and this may be the chance for us to accomplish that. Of course, we are committed here until late December, so the whole thing could fall through.
It's back to work this morning and we just hope the next 4 days go as fast as the last 3 days we had off. I doubt they will, though...
I did get the water hose prepared for the cold weather. I actually swapped out the hose we had which was a 15' hose, for a shorter, 10' hose, which is all we needed for the water hookup. I wrapped it in the foam covering we used last year and it should be ready to go. Josie did some laundry and I also did more document scanning so that was the bulk of our last day off activities. After going to the store for groceries, it was about time for dinner so that ended our final day off this week.
Josie received an email from the HR person at Phoenix Flower Shops asking if she was planning to be in Phoenix this winter. They would like her to work for an individual - in the same shop she left several years ago - who is taking a maternity leave. We don't know the dates yet, but that was something we talked about over the last few weeks. She was going to send an email to them asking if they needed any help during the busy holidays next year - Valentine's Day and Mothers Day. If we can somehow agree on the dates, we would be in the Phoenix area for several months this winter, before heading out for our summer job - wherever that turns out to be. We have been anxious to get our storage unit emptied out and this may be the chance for us to accomplish that. Of course, we are committed here until late December, so the whole thing could fall through.
It's back to work this morning and we just hope the next 4 days go as fast as the last 3 days we had off. I doubt they will, though...
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Computer Day
We hope that the virus has been eliminated from Josie's computer. There were lots of options that I reviewed in the AM after we got up, and settled on a software package called STOPzilla. By the time we got it downloaded and started, it was around 8 AM. The thing ran for most of the day, scanning her entire computer, until almost 3 PM. Thinking that we were getting a free "trial" version of the software, I clicked to remove the errors it found - 215 of them - and it indicated I had to "purchase" the full version to accomplish the removal. Another bait and switch scheme. This time though, they have online support that was excellent and accomplished the removal with the full version they downloaded and installed, and then provided a $30 mail in rebate for the $39.95 software. So, the net cost was $9.95, and hopefully the virus is gone. We'll see.
We decided to pass on the overtime day today at Amazon. Even though the money was good, we felt we needed the extra day to rest and finish up some other chores we have to complete. Josie still has to do laundry, and I have outside work to do that I couldn't finish as a result of all the rain we've had the last few days. We've had over 1" of rain the last 3 days, and it came down pretty good for awhile yesterday. That, plus it has also been cool. Our high hasn't gone over 80 for 8 days now. Maybe fall has finally arrived.
We've heard from a couple we worked with last year at Amazon that are on their way here again for this year's peak season. We will try to connect with them sometime over the weekend for dinner and catch up on what we have been doing since we all left last December. They spent the summer working at a campground in Maine. There is also a couple heading here from Grey's Point that will be staying in a KOA campground about 15 miles from here. They may be sorry they are so far away as we recall the tough times getting to work and back in December during the subfreezing temperatures and some snow on the ground. The campgrounds should be filled to near capacity after this weekend as most of the summer workers arrive from around the country. Let the fun begin...
We decided to pass on the overtime day today at Amazon. Even though the money was good, we felt we needed the extra day to rest and finish up some other chores we have to complete. Josie still has to do laundry, and I have outside work to do that I couldn't finish as a result of all the rain we've had the last few days. We've had over 1" of rain the last 3 days, and it came down pretty good for awhile yesterday. That, plus it has also been cool. Our high hasn't gone over 80 for 8 days now. Maybe fall has finally arrived.
We've heard from a couple we worked with last year at Amazon that are on their way here again for this year's peak season. We will try to connect with them sometime over the weekend for dinner and catch up on what we have been doing since we all left last December. They spent the summer working at a campground in Maine. There is also a couple heading here from Grey's Point that will be staying in a KOA campground about 15 miles from here. They may be sorry they are so far away as we recall the tough times getting to work and back in December during the subfreezing temperatures and some snow on the ground. The campgrounds should be filled to near capacity after this weekend as most of the summer workers arrive from around the country. Let the fun begin...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
New Projects
The first order of the day yesterday was to return a call from the owner of a campground we are considering for next summer - Mountain Views RV Resort in Creede, CO. This is a park that we discovered at the Tampa RV Show last year and the owner called us to begin discussions and paperwork to join his staff for the 2012 summer season. It is in an area that we have been wanting to spend some time, and is convenient to many areas in Colorado that have been on our "must see" list for a long time. So far, the discussions about the jobs, hours and pay are good, so we are getting excited about that option. The Resort is located at an elevation of 8800 feet, so the season is shorter than many other parks. The season runs from May to October, which is a good amount of time to spend there. More on that situation as it develops.
I did the first day/night shade restringing and it wasn't bad at all. It took about an hour, but that was for the first one which had a learning curve. We've decided that we can do that to all of the shades ourselves, and save a lot of money. The normal time should not exceed a half hour per shade when we do them again. It was a pretty nasty day all day so it was a good opportunity to do inside work.
The mobile tech guy for the RV stopped by with the part he ordered for our refrigerator. It turns out that the part was already in the refrigerator and isn't the cause of the inside water leak. He went back to the drawing board to figure it out and will be in touch with us again when he has a solution. The outside leak has been fixed.
We had (actually, still have) a frustrating situation with Josie's computer. It seems that there is some kind of Spyware infection that is taking all of her contacts and sending offensive emails to them. We apologize to anybody who has received one and we are working to eliminate the cause. That will be a major project for today.
As mentioned, it was a nasty day yesterday and is again so far today. We had over .75" rain and it is still raining off and on. I'm sure we'll find plenty to keep us busy for the day...
I did the first day/night shade restringing and it wasn't bad at all. It took about an hour, but that was for the first one which had a learning curve. We've decided that we can do that to all of the shades ourselves, and save a lot of money. The normal time should not exceed a half hour per shade when we do them again. It was a pretty nasty day all day so it was a good opportunity to do inside work.
The mobile tech guy for the RV stopped by with the part he ordered for our refrigerator. It turns out that the part was already in the refrigerator and isn't the cause of the inside water leak. He went back to the drawing board to figure it out and will be in touch with us again when he has a solution. The outside leak has been fixed.
We had (actually, still have) a frustrating situation with Josie's computer. It seems that there is some kind of Spyware infection that is taking all of her contacts and sending offensive emails to them. We apologize to anybody who has received one and we are working to eliminate the cause. That will be a major project for today.
As mentioned, it was a nasty day yesterday and is again so far today. We had over .75" rain and it is still raining off and on. I'm sure we'll find plenty to keep us busy for the day...
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Our Weekend Begins
As is always the case here, we are happy to see the work week end and have some off days. This week may be a bit different since the mandatory overtime for the regular employees is actually voluntary for us. Not only that, it is scheduled for Thursday which is 1 day before our regular start. At this point, we are still undecided about working the extra day. We're very tired, but the extra money is always welcome. More on that tomorrow.
We found out that the flu shots that are offered by Amazon are free for all "blue" badge employees, which we are. The only people that must pay the $24 are the "white" badge employees who are regular seasonal or temporary employees. When our manager originally made the announcement a couple weeks ago, he failed to mention that and we assumed that Josie would have to pay the $24. Since we both already got our shots at Walmart last week, and it cost us $25 for Josie's shot, it was unnecessary money spent. The positive side to that is we received our shots well before the start of the flu season instead of on October 18, which is the date we would received them at Amazon. That late date is kind of close to the start of flu season and with a 2 week effective date for the shot, it cuts it kind of close. I guess we should just consider it the cost for early immunization and the convenience of getting the shots on our own schedule.
It rained again yesterday - .30" - and it is still very cool. Since the day looks gloomy again today, we'll probably stay close to home again. We received the cord for restringing the day/night shades, so I'll try to do one of those today. If it's easy, we'll end up doing all of them eventually. There a couple more that are very close to requiring new cord, so I'm hoping it's an easy job. Other than that, it looks like a good day to just rest...
We found out that the flu shots that are offered by Amazon are free for all "blue" badge employees, which we are. The only people that must pay the $24 are the "white" badge employees who are regular seasonal or temporary employees. When our manager originally made the announcement a couple weeks ago, he failed to mention that and we assumed that Josie would have to pay the $24. Since we both already got our shots at Walmart last week, and it cost us $25 for Josie's shot, it was unnecessary money spent. The positive side to that is we received our shots well before the start of the flu season instead of on October 18, which is the date we would received them at Amazon. That late date is kind of close to the start of flu season and with a 2 week effective date for the shot, it cuts it kind of close. I guess we should just consider it the cost for early immunization and the convenience of getting the shots on our own schedule.
It rained again yesterday - .30" - and it is still very cool. Since the day looks gloomy again today, we'll probably stay close to home again. We received the cord for restringing the day/night shades, so I'll try to do one of those today. If it's easy, we'll end up doing all of them eventually. There a couple more that are very close to requiring new cord, so I'm hoping it's an easy job. Other than that, it looks like a good day to just rest...
Monday, September 19, 2011
Overtime This Week
It was made official yesterday - there is mandatory overtime for all shifts this week. The overtime is voluntary for the workampers, but we feel that it is a good push for us to work the extra time. The big difference is that the overtime day is Thursday, instead of Tuesday, when we have been taking it in the past. It doesn't make much difference except that we get our 2 days off this week starting tomorrow. Next week will be the long one with 5 straight days beginning on Thursday. The explanation for the overtime is to handle the extra merchandise being diverted here from the Indianapolis facility that is down for repairs. We wonder how those employees are handling their mandatory down time.
So far the experience here has been disappointing compared to last year. The management is different and there is very little acknowledgement for good performance. Perhaps it's because we are still early for the peak season and it will change when the big rush begins in October. We hope so. There is also a huge difference between the people on the day shift versus the night shift that we left. There doesn't seem to be the same camaraderie on the day shift. Maybe that will also change with the peak season. The other thing is that we only worked for about 7 weeks total last year, and this year we are more than tripling the experience. Right now we have already exceeded the time we were here last year - in fact, it is almost double the time. The time of the year is different and that also creates a different feeling. We were already into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season last year and that always makes for a more enjoyable experience. We'll see.
In the meantime, we only have one more day to go - today - and we can relax for 2 days. We're looking forward to that...
So far the experience here has been disappointing compared to last year. The management is different and there is very little acknowledgement for good performance. Perhaps it's because we are still early for the peak season and it will change when the big rush begins in October. We hope so. There is also a huge difference between the people on the day shift versus the night shift that we left. There doesn't seem to be the same camaraderie on the day shift. Maybe that will also change with the peak season. The other thing is that we only worked for about 7 weeks total last year, and this year we are more than tripling the experience. Right now we have already exceeded the time we were here last year - in fact, it is almost double the time. The time of the year is different and that also creates a different feeling. We were already into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season last year and that always makes for a more enjoyable experience. We'll see.
In the meantime, we only have one more day to go - today - and we can relax for 2 days. We're looking forward to that...
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Marching Through September
One of the real joys for us is to follow the high school football games that our grandson, Austin, is playing in on every Friday night. Following an off night last week, he bounced back this week in their homecoming game. He ran for 209 yards on 13 carries, including a 62 yard touchdown run in his team's 54-7 victory. He continues to shine as a Junior, and we are thrilled to watch him grow through his high school years. Last night was the homecoming dance, so we are anxious to see the pictures that Patty has from the big weekend. Don't we all recall those wonderful years. Austin has a bright future ahead, and we are excited and proud to watch his progress.
The month of September seems to be moving fast as we are now more than half way through. Once October arrives, the time should pass even faster with the holiday seasons of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas not too far away. The time seems to fly by when there are holiday festivities. That, plus the peak season at Amazon which is super busy and that helps make the time go faster. The only downside is the colder weather that comes during that time. Hopefully, this will be the last year that we spend a (partial) winter in a colder climate. Unless, of course, it is spent sitting in a log cabin somewhere with the fireplace going and a having a nice glass of hot cider to drink while watching the wildlife pass by outside. Sounds good to me.
Yesterday was a day that was very different from Friday. All the new faces were gone and we had our usual, small number of people working on the weekend shifts. Actually, there is no night shift on Saturday night - yet - so there really isn't a need for those extra people until Monday. We actually prefer the more laid back weekend schedule. That will all change when peak season hits. Until then, we'll just take whatever comes...
The month of September seems to be moving fast as we are now more than half way through. Once October arrives, the time should pass even faster with the holiday seasons of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas not too far away. The time seems to fly by when there are holiday festivities. That, plus the peak season at Amazon which is super busy and that helps make the time go faster. The only downside is the colder weather that comes during that time. Hopefully, this will be the last year that we spend a (partial) winter in a colder climate. Unless, of course, it is spent sitting in a log cabin somewhere with the fireplace going and a having a nice glass of hot cider to drink while watching the wildlife pass by outside. Sounds good to me.
Yesterday was a day that was very different from Friday. All the new faces were gone and we had our usual, small number of people working on the weekend shifts. Actually, there is no night shift on Saturday night - yet - so there really isn't a need for those extra people until Monday. We actually prefer the more laid back weekend schedule. That will all change when peak season hits. Until then, we'll just take whatever comes...
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Tough Day Out of the Way
It became obvious as soon as we arrived at work yesterday and sat in the break area for our morning "lull" before starting work - there were lots more people and new faces in the group. There were even a couple people we remembered seeing last year that have done what we did and that's to switch from the night shift to day shift. What that means for us is that there are more people stowing and it will be tougher to find areas that have empty bins for placing merchandise, and fewer carts to take that have merchandise to stow. It promises to get even more difficult as more people arrive and begin working. The official start for "peak" season hasn't arrived yet - probably around the end of October. The indication was that Amazon had planned to hire about 450 workampers this year which is double the number from last year. We're sure they are getting closer to that number. Even though there are lots more people working, they are spread over several different, staggered shifts, so we will see new faces almost every day. Our first day back after having 3 days off is always tougher on us anyway.
We are definitely in a downward trend as far as temperatures go. It is again only 52 degrees outside this morning and the whole northeastern part of the country is having a cooling down. I doubt if it will go over 90 anymore for the rest of the time we are here. The 80's will be just fine for the next couple months, but we don't need any freezing temps this early. The satellite TV news we watch on the major networks originates in New York City and we saw that there are counties in New York that have frost warnings already.
There was an indication yesterday that there might be mandatory OT for us this week. The fulfillment Center that is located in Indianapolis is closing down this weekend for repairs, and deliveries are being diverted to our facility. We were wondering how people that plan trips on their days off can handle last minute mandatory OT. If you don't work when asked, you receive points on your record, and if you accumulate 5 points in a 6 month period, your out. Those points are also handed down if there are performance deficiencies or unexcused absences. It's almost like school all over again where you need a note from the doctor to be excused. It's easy to see why they have those rules, as many of the regular employees are young people that probably have little desire to work.
It's time to get ready for day 2 of our work week, so have a great weekend...
We are definitely in a downward trend as far as temperatures go. It is again only 52 degrees outside this morning and the whole northeastern part of the country is having a cooling down. I doubt if it will go over 90 anymore for the rest of the time we are here. The 80's will be just fine for the next couple months, but we don't need any freezing temps this early. The satellite TV news we watch on the major networks originates in New York City and we saw that there are counties in New York that have frost warnings already.
There was an indication yesterday that there might be mandatory OT for us this week. The fulfillment Center that is located in Indianapolis is closing down this weekend for repairs, and deliveries are being diverted to our facility. We were wondering how people that plan trips on their days off can handle last minute mandatory OT. If you don't work when asked, you receive points on your record, and if you accumulate 5 points in a 6 month period, your out. Those points are also handed down if there are performance deficiencies or unexcused absences. It's almost like school all over again where you need a note from the doctor to be excused. It's easy to see why they have those rules, as many of the regular employees are young people that probably have little desire to work.
It's time to get ready for day 2 of our work week, so have a great weekend...
Friday, September 16, 2011
Big Swings in Weather
Just when we think that summer is back, it turns to winter again. Yesterday was a lousy day, weather wise. It started out raining and rained all morning into the afternoon and the temperature hung around the low to mid 50's all day until the sun finally broke through in the afternoon. The high ended up at only 66, and it was 87 the day before. The total rainfall was ,25" but it was windy (27 MPH gusts) all day. Not a good day to do anything outside.
We ended up doing necessary things around the rig and Josie did laundry. I scanned some more documents and made some contact with potential employers through email. We are trying to get more details on the opportunity that we mentioned in southwestern Colorado for next summer. The owner of the campground contacted us last year following the Tampa RV Show and asked us to stay in touch. At that time, he already had his staff lined up for the 2011 summer season but wanted us to consider coming there next year for the 2012 summer season. It is one of our high priorities to spend some time in that part of the country. Hopefully, it will work out.
It is only 50 degrees outside this morning as we prepare to start our work week. It is back to our warmer clothes that we wore all last season while we were here. Actually, it is just replacing our shorts with jeans, and taking a light jacket to wear while walking from the car to the entrance. The warehouse will almost certainly still be very warm. This is our least favorite day of the week, and it builds in satisfaction until 4:30 Monday when we get time off once again...
We ended up doing necessary things around the rig and Josie did laundry. I scanned some more documents and made some contact with potential employers through email. We are trying to get more details on the opportunity that we mentioned in southwestern Colorado for next summer. The owner of the campground contacted us last year following the Tampa RV Show and asked us to stay in touch. At that time, he already had his staff lined up for the 2011 summer season but wanted us to consider coming there next year for the 2012 summer season. It is one of our high priorities to spend some time in that part of the country. Hopefully, it will work out.
It is only 50 degrees outside this morning as we prepare to start our work week. It is back to our warmer clothes that we wore all last season while we were here. Actually, it is just replacing our shorts with jeans, and taking a light jacket to wear while walking from the car to the entrance. The warehouse will almost certainly still be very warm. This is our least favorite day of the week, and it builds in satisfaction until 4:30 Monday when we get time off once again...
Thursday, September 15, 2011
More Light Chores
It was a very nice day yesterday so we took advantage of it to do some more work outside. Actually, Josie went to do a load of laundry - rugs and blankets - so I had to wait to put the air in the Jeep tires. It was still morning anyway and I didn't want to run the compressor in the AM while there still was a chance that people may be sleeping. With the night shift people still in bed, I decided to wait until the afternoon to make that noise. I took out the compressor around 1 PM and filled each tire, including the spare, with the recommended 33 lbs cold pressure. I did lots more scanning yesterday and Josie did some cleaning inside. I also ordered some string from the shade manufacturer so that I can attempt to restring the shades myself. It doesn't look that complicated, so I'll give it a shot. We sat out and enjoyed the nice weather in the late afternoon before doing some burgers on the grill.
Several of the new arrivals in the campground stopped by for a chat while we were outside so we are meeting the new faces in the neighborhood. Right now, the campground is almost half full, so the next couple weeks will bring in the rest to fill the place for the peak season. They have a waiting list for people wanting a space, so it will definitely be packed to capacity.
It is pouring rain this morning and we didn't put away our chairs from yesterday. That means we will not be sitting out today, even if the sun comes out later today. Usually, we follow the forecast and put them away, but yesterday we didn't. Oh, well. It is only 58 degrees outside this morning so it looks like more scanning and regular laundry is the order for today. It's the last day off this week and once again the days just zipped by...
Several of the new arrivals in the campground stopped by for a chat while we were outside so we are meeting the new faces in the neighborhood. Right now, the campground is almost half full, so the next couple weeks will bring in the rest to fill the place for the peak season. They have a waiting list for people wanting a space, so it will definitely be packed to capacity.
It is pouring rain this morning and we didn't put away our chairs from yesterday. That means we will not be sitting out today, even if the sun comes out later today. Usually, we follow the forecast and put them away, but yesterday we didn't. Oh, well. It is only 58 degrees outside this morning so it looks like more scanning and regular laundry is the order for today. It's the last day off this week and once again the days just zipped by...
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Busy Day
We have gotten used to going to bed early - falling asleep while watching TV - and getting up early - before daylight. Yesterday was one of those days where we got an early start doing our chores. The first thing on the schedule was to take down one of our day/night shades in the kitchen area. As always happens after a few years of use, the cords wear out and the shades need to be restrung. I have never done that before and investigated all options before deciding whether to attempt that myself. You see, there is a special cord, or twine, that is used and I tried to locate it locally. I was not successful in finding the right string at Lowe's or any of the local stores. I called the manufacturer and they indicated that they would send some cord - $10 per 50 foot roll - or, I could send the shades back to them in Indiana and they would restring the shades for free. Hmm. That sounded like a good offer, but the expense of packaging the shades and sending them $15 for each one to cover handling and return shipping became too expensive even with the free work. Even if I used a whole roll on each shade it would be cheaper, and faster, to restring the shades myself. I guess I'll give it a shot.
The next project was to cut a hole in our water connection cover so that the hose connection would be totally covered when the cold weather arrives. Below is a picture of the finished setup:
Previously, the cover sat on top of the hose, exposing the entire connection at the valve (about 18" below the surface) to the weather. The owners of the campground indicated that there would be no problem in modifying these covers to prevent frost from getting into the connection if we wanted to cut the holes. I needed to get a larger drill bit to make the hole and I used a hacksaw to cut down to the hole to complete the groove for the hose. It will work perfectly, especially when I wrap the hose in the foam insulation for winter.
While we were out shopping for string and drill bits - plus some groceries - we both got our flu shots at Walmart who was offering them for free to me - Medicare - and $25 for Josie who doesn't have insurance. We both had signed up for these shots at Amazon but they wouldn't be administered until October 18. This way, we got them done early and don't have to worry about them. It cost us $1 more than Amazon would have charged Josie, but it was worth it to save the hassle of going to Amazon on our day off, and waiting until October which is close to the flu season.
That's about it for our first day off this week. The only thing I didn't get done yesterday that will be done today is to get out the compressor and fill the Jeep tires with air. There's lots of scanning left to do, so I'll fit that in during the day. Josie will catch up on cleaning chores and maybe even get the laundry done early this week. We're glad we have the 3 full days off this week...
The next project was to cut a hole in our water connection cover so that the hose connection would be totally covered when the cold weather arrives. Below is a picture of the finished setup:
Previously, the cover sat on top of the hose, exposing the entire connection at the valve (about 18" below the surface) to the weather. The owners of the campground indicated that there would be no problem in modifying these covers to prevent frost from getting into the connection if we wanted to cut the holes. I needed to get a larger drill bit to make the hole and I used a hacksaw to cut down to the hole to complete the groove for the hose. It will work perfectly, especially when I wrap the hose in the foam insulation for winter.
While we were out shopping for string and drill bits - plus some groceries - we both got our flu shots at Walmart who was offering them for free to me - Medicare - and $25 for Josie who doesn't have insurance. We both had signed up for these shots at Amazon but they wouldn't be administered until October 18. This way, we got them done early and don't have to worry about them. It cost us $1 more than Amazon would have charged Josie, but it was worth it to save the hassle of going to Amazon on our day off, and waiting until October which is close to the flu season.
That's about it for our first day off this week. The only thing I didn't get done yesterday that will be done today is to get out the compressor and fill the Jeep tires with air. There's lots of scanning left to do, so I'll fit that in during the day. Josie will catch up on cleaning chores and maybe even get the laundry done early this week. We're glad we have the 3 full days off this week...
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Back to Work and Weather
I looked at the weekly planner for 2011 to figure out exactly how many weeks and how many days we left to work at Amazon. It is now 13 weeks to go, and 52 scheduled days. That also translates into about 14 weeks to go before Christmas - better go get your shopping done. It actually sounds like a long time, and it is. In one more week we will reach the halfway point in our total time here - that sounds a little better.
The one thing that happened last year was that we were not prepared for the winter season. I had to wrap the hose and sewer lines in sub freezing temperatures last year, and it was not very much fun. This year, I will begin the preparations now, so they will be done when the first frost arrives - expected in November. One of the chores for this weekend will be to wrap the hose and fix the connectors so that they will be protected from any freezing temperatures. It is now getting cool enough outside to do those jobs. We also had the low tire pressure light come on in the Jeep, so we also need to get out the air compressor and make sure they are brought up to normal. It looks like our 3 days off will be filled with plenty to do. Right now there are no plans to go anyplace, unless it's to the store to get something. Have a great day...
The one thing that happened last year was that we were not prepared for the winter season. I had to wrap the hose and sewer lines in sub freezing temperatures last year, and it was not very much fun. This year, I will begin the preparations now, so they will be done when the first frost arrives - expected in November. One of the chores for this weekend will be to wrap the hose and fix the connectors so that they will be protected from any freezing temperatures. It is now getting cool enough outside to do those jobs. We also had the low tire pressure light come on in the Jeep, so we also need to get out the air compressor and make sure they are brought up to normal. It looks like our 3 days off will be filled with plenty to do. Right now there are no plans to go anyplace, unless it's to the store to get something. Have a great day...
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tenth Anniversary of 9/11
The biggest event yesterday wasn't working or reporting the weather, but revisiting the events of the terrorist attack on 9/11/01. It's hard to believe that it has been 10 years since that dreadful day, and just like the assassination of President Kennedy, we all remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when the event occurred. That is, those of us that are old enough to have been a witness to both events. Of course, we were at work while all the TV coverage of the 10th anniversary was taking place, but we recorded the specials on TV and watched them last night after we got home. The sadness is difficult to watch each year on these anniversaries, but the new memorials that were built at these actual event locations of 9/11 are spectacular and appropriate for the bravery that was displayed by these victims on that day. They were right when they made the statement - repeatedly - that our lives were changed forever as a result of these attacks. We try to place ourselves in the shoes of these victims and wonder if we would have responded the same way they did while the attacks were taking place. It was a truly unifying event that brought us all together to fight the inhuman evil that exists in this world.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Summer is Back
It didn't take long to heat up again once the storms went through. Yesterday was 82 for a high and even though we had .01" of rain sometime during the night, it was basically a sunny day. More people arrived at the campground and it is rapidly filling up. We notice the difference in the response times on the free wi-fi network they have for the campers. We have been using that network but may have to go back to our Verizon card to be able to get better response. Our Verizon card is also a secure network vs the "open" network at the campground. With so many people in the campground now, it is probably better to use our secure network anyway - especially when making purchases online or having to access our private accounts. There are always "hackers" lurking in today's world and we don't need those problems.
The heat was felt in the Amazon warehouse yesterday. I was assigned to stow on the 4th floor in an area and was sweating all day. Josie didn't feel the heat as much as she was in a 1st floor area, but could still tell it was warming up inside. We hope there aren't many more of those days ahead.
Day 3 of the work week is today and we are now leaning toward taking our full time off instead of working any OT. Both of us were very tired last night and, in fact, the alarm had to wake us up this morning when usually I am already awake before the alarm sounds and I shut it off. I was reading yesterday that people accumulate sleep "debt" when they don't get enough rest and you can't remove that debt unless you have at least several nights of required rest. One night doesn't eliminate the shortfall. The only way for us to catch up is to get the extra night's rest on our days off. One more day to go for this week...
The heat was felt in the Amazon warehouse yesterday. I was assigned to stow on the 4th floor in an area and was sweating all day. Josie didn't feel the heat as much as she was in a 1st floor area, but could still tell it was warming up inside. We hope there aren't many more of those days ahead.
Day 3 of the work week is today and we are now leaning toward taking our full time off instead of working any OT. Both of us were very tired last night and, in fact, the alarm had to wake us up this morning when usually I am already awake before the alarm sounds and I shut it off. I was reading yesterday that people accumulate sleep "debt" when they don't get enough rest and you can't remove that debt unless you have at least several nights of required rest. One night doesn't eliminate the shortfall. The only way for us to catch up is to get the extra night's rest on our days off. One more day to go for this week...
Saturday, September 10, 2011
More Prep Work
Our first day back to work this week stared out in the prep department of receiving. We wrapped small boxes- containing a glass - in bubble wrap, labeled them and placed them on carts to be stowed. We did that up to probably a half hour before lunch when we were called back to stow product. Why they couldn't wait the extra half hour and have us begin stowing after lunch is a mystery. Anyway, the rest of the day was spent doing what we normally do. The only event worth mentioning is that Josie missed her first break of the year. She was merrily stowing away and lost track of time in the afternoon and missed the break at 1:30 PM. Since she carries the little bag with our snacks, I had the break alone, just drinking water. Of course, everybody gets a break, so she took her break right after the regularly scheduled time - alone. Most of the time we are working close enough together to remind each other, but yesterday we were stowing in different areas.
It looks like the weather is rapidly going back to normal now. The high yesterday was 72 and the low was 59 - no rain. In fact, we saw the sun after work for the first time in about a week. More people came into the campground and it is really starting to fill. It is almost half full at this point. In a couple weeks, I'll take a shot of the campground and compare it to when we arrived in July. Most of the people that we talked to are first timers this year, and are all excited about starting work. Boy, are they in for a shock when the work begins. If they are like all the rest of us, they were told that the work is physical, but until once you begin work and discover new muscles, you realize the physical demand was underestimated. As mentioned before, some will not be able to keep up and will leave almost right away.
Day 2 of our work week is today and as of right now, we plan to work just another half day of OT. That may change. Until tomorrow...
It looks like the weather is rapidly going back to normal now. The high yesterday was 72 and the low was 59 - no rain. In fact, we saw the sun after work for the first time in about a week. More people came into the campground and it is really starting to fill. It is almost half full at this point. In a couple weeks, I'll take a shot of the campground and compare it to when we arrived in July. Most of the people that we talked to are first timers this year, and are all excited about starting work. Boy, are they in for a shock when the work begins. If they are like all the rest of us, they were told that the work is physical, but until once you begin work and discover new muscles, you realize the physical demand was underestimated. As mentioned before, some will not be able to keep up and will leave almost right away.
Day 2 of our work week is today and as of right now, we plan to work just another half day of OT. That may change. Until tomorrow...
Friday, September 9, 2011
Uneventful Day
Yesterday was just one of those stay-at-home-and-do-nothing days. The rain had pretty much stopped, but it was still cloudy, drizzly and still cool with a high of only 62. Josie did laundry and I did more scanning of documents. The files are getting smaller and though there are a lot more documents to scan onto the flash drive, it is not hard work but takes a lot of time. Once they are done, we will enjoy the benefit of having very little in the way of papers to carry around with us.
More workampers are beginning to arrive - almost daily. The holes in the campground are being filled and we had 2 rigs come in near us yesterday. These folks have had a hard time getting here with all the rain and flooding. There are still many open spaces, but Amazon is having classes for new arrivals on a weekly basis. This will continue until about October 1, when just about everybody will be here that is going to work the peak season. So far for us, it hasn't been as much fun at work as it was last year. We're hoping that as we get closer to the real busy time, it will be more fun with all the other workampers. The regular, full time employees kind of keep to themselves and don't associate much with us old workampers. We are told that some of them even resent our being here believing that we rob the locals of employment opportunities. Believe me, anybody that wants to work and lives in this area can get a job at Amazon. The problem is that the work is hard and most people want money for doing easy work. That, plus they have strict hiring criteria regarding your background and drug use. They won't tolerate people with criminal records or people that do drugs. The young people come and go. They get a few bucks and quit. The workampers are reliable, dependable and have a great work ethic. In fact, Amazon keeps expanding the workamper program each year because they can see the benefits of hiring us.
It's back to work today and once again we need to decide if we will work any OT at the end of our normal schedule. The half day is easy, so we probably will stick with that. As long as the OT is there, we feel we should take advantage of it for the extra money. So, we will kick off our 10th work week in just over an hour...
More workampers are beginning to arrive - almost daily. The holes in the campground are being filled and we had 2 rigs come in near us yesterday. These folks have had a hard time getting here with all the rain and flooding. There are still many open spaces, but Amazon is having classes for new arrivals on a weekly basis. This will continue until about October 1, when just about everybody will be here that is going to work the peak season. So far for us, it hasn't been as much fun at work as it was last year. We're hoping that as we get closer to the real busy time, it will be more fun with all the other workampers. The regular, full time employees kind of keep to themselves and don't associate much with us old workampers. We are told that some of them even resent our being here believing that we rob the locals of employment opportunities. Believe me, anybody that wants to work and lives in this area can get a job at Amazon. The problem is that the work is hard and most people want money for doing easy work. That, plus they have strict hiring criteria regarding your background and drug use. They won't tolerate people with criminal records or people that do drugs. The young people come and go. They get a few bucks and quit. The workampers are reliable, dependable and have a great work ethic. In fact, Amazon keeps expanding the workamper program each year because they can see the benefits of hiring us.
It's back to work today and once again we need to decide if we will work any OT at the end of our normal schedule. The half day is easy, so we probably will stick with that. As long as the OT is there, we feel we should take advantage of it for the extra money. So, we will kick off our 10th work week in just over an hour...
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Still No Sun
It's now been almost a week since we've seen the sun. The storm is suppose to finally end today and we can see some lighter skies in the distance, but still cloudy. The temperature remains cool - 57 - and the wind is calm this morning. It appears that we will get through this storm with just over 3.20" of rain - not too bad considering other areas got up to 10". I can't imagine getting that much rain in just a few days.
Our trip yesterday to Sams Club in Elizabethtown went as expected. The only surprise for us was that Sams Club either ran out of, or ceased carrying some items that we specifically went to buy. The other shocker was that prices on many items have shot up since our last visit. We were disappointed to see prices rising so fast with the poor economy we are suffering through. Where are we headed with this situation? We'll never see prices go down, so you've got to worry about how you can keep up with the cost of living. On a similar subject, gas prices haven't dropped more than about $.40 per gallon in the last 6 months when we were suppose to see a huge drop as a result of making available our oil reserves. I don't want to get off on that tangent, but it makes you sick.
We started pursuing options yesterday for jobs in the west for the next summer season. There is one that jumped out at us that is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota that has the hours and a good wage. It is an area that we really enjoyed while traveling through last year, but aren't sure if we would want to spend a whole summer season there. We'll think on that one some more. It still is appealing to us to spend the summer in either Creede, CO - in the southwestern part near Durango, or Buelton, CA, which is next to Santa Barbara. Vegas is also an option but it really gets hot there in the summer, so that would probably not be the best time for us to work there. Fortunately, we have a lot of time to work on these options and maybe, something else will come up that is too good to pass up.
Our final day off this week is today, so we will try to make the most of it. See 'ya later...
Our trip yesterday to Sams Club in Elizabethtown went as expected. The only surprise for us was that Sams Club either ran out of, or ceased carrying some items that we specifically went to buy. The other shocker was that prices on many items have shot up since our last visit. We were disappointed to see prices rising so fast with the poor economy we are suffering through. Where are we headed with this situation? We'll never see prices go down, so you've got to worry about how you can keep up with the cost of living. On a similar subject, gas prices haven't dropped more than about $.40 per gallon in the last 6 months when we were suppose to see a huge drop as a result of making available our oil reserves. I don't want to get off on that tangent, but it makes you sick.
We started pursuing options yesterday for jobs in the west for the next summer season. There is one that jumped out at us that is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota that has the hours and a good wage. It is an area that we really enjoyed while traveling through last year, but aren't sure if we would want to spend a whole summer season there. We'll think on that one some more. It still is appealing to us to spend the summer in either Creede, CO - in the southwestern part near Durango, or Buelton, CA, which is next to Santa Barbara. Vegas is also an option but it really gets hot there in the summer, so that would probably not be the best time for us to work there. Fortunately, we have a lot of time to work on these options and maybe, something else will come up that is too good to pass up.
Our final day off this week is today, so we will try to make the most of it. See 'ya later...
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
More About Irene Damage
Our tropical storm isn't doing anywhere near the damage that hurricane Irene did a couple weeks ago, but we are glad that the worst of it seems to be passed. The winds weren't nearly as strong during the night last night, and neither was the rain. We have had a total of 3.20" of rain from the storm so far. It is less than a lot of other areas that will be looking at final totals of between 4-10 inches. The temperature is still very cool - 59 right now at 7 AM, and yesterday's range was a low of 56, and high of 59.
We received some pictures last night from our friend Bruce at Grey's Point and I have included them below. The first one is a shot of the tree that took out the main power line in the campground and just missed the store on the right:
The next couple of pictures show damage at the marina, including the fish cleaning station that was just rebuilt:
The next several pictures are of the damage to the park models and the trees that fell during the storm:
These were only a sampling of the damage. Bruce indicated that there were 10 homes that received damage. They had a huge crowd for the Labor Day Weekend holiday, and they are now getting ready to close the park for the season. Bruce was the one that took over my duties on security at night, and he indicated that the local deputy that we used on holiday weekends was kept busy with what was probably the most unruly crowd of the season. One individual was arrested for public drunkenness, and several others were threatened unless they ended their parties. I think we left there at the right time.
Our plan is to go to Elizabethtown today to Sams Club. We have a list of items that we plan to pick up that should keep us stocked for the next few months. Even though we have lingering showers, it's nice to see the light at the end of this storm tunnel...
We received some pictures last night from our friend Bruce at Grey's Point and I have included them below. The first one is a shot of the tree that took out the main power line in the campground and just missed the store on the right:
The next couple of pictures show damage at the marina, including the fish cleaning station that was just rebuilt:
The next several pictures are of the damage to the park models and the trees that fell during the storm:
These were only a sampling of the damage. Bruce indicated that there were 10 homes that received damage. They had a huge crowd for the Labor Day Weekend holiday, and they are now getting ready to close the park for the season. Bruce was the one that took over my duties on security at night, and he indicated that the local deputy that we used on holiday weekends was kept busy with what was probably the most unruly crowd of the season. One individual was arrested for public drunkenness, and several others were threatened unless they ended their parties. I think we left there at the right time.
Our plan is to go to Elizabethtown today to Sams Club. We have a list of items that we plan to pick up that should keep us stocked for the next few months. Even though we have lingering showers, it's nice to see the light at the end of this storm tunnel...
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
It's All About the Storm
Tropical storm Lee is taking its good old time passing through this part of Kentucky. We've now had over 2.50" of rain since it started on Sunday night and the winds are now at 25 MPH. Our fifth wheel was rockin 'n rollin all night long, and it was easy to get up this morning for our half day of overtime this morning. The forecast now is for the rain to continue through today and tomorrow, and ending on Thursday. There are flood watches all over the southeastern part of Kentucky. We are fortunate that our campground is sitting on top of a hill.
The temperature only rose to 69 yesterday and that was recorded before daylight. The high during the day never made it above 65, and the temperature right now (4:15 AM) is 59. We both are dressing in our winter work clothes that we used last year when we came in November to work. It's amazing that only a few days ago we were sweating in 98 degree temps. This all comes with the territory of the east coast and we will be glad to leave this part of the country when our work assignment is completed. We feel sorry for the folks that just got over Hurricane Irene just over a week ago.
There isn't much to do on our days off with this storm still passing through. We will probably go to the Sams Club in Elizabethtown tomorrow. Other than that, we will just sit and watch the rain while watching some movies we copied from TV over the last couple months. Oh, and I probably will do some more work on eliminating old documents with the scanner when I figure out the best method for organizing the data. Have a great - and dry - day...
The temperature only rose to 69 yesterday and that was recorded before daylight. The high during the day never made it above 65, and the temperature right now (4:15 AM) is 59. We both are dressing in our winter work clothes that we used last year when we came in November to work. It's amazing that only a few days ago we were sweating in 98 degree temps. This all comes with the territory of the east coast and we will be glad to leave this part of the country when our work assignment is completed. We feel sorry for the folks that just got over Hurricane Irene just over a week ago.
There isn't much to do on our days off with this storm still passing through. We will probably go to the Sams Club in Elizabethtown tomorrow. Other than that, we will just sit and watch the rain while watching some movies we copied from TV over the last couple months. Oh, and I probably will do some more work on eliminating old documents with the scanner when I figure out the best method for organizing the data. Have a great - and dry - day...
Monday, September 5, 2011
Tropical Storm Lee
It started raining late yesterday afternoon and hasn't let up at all. The rain gauge only shows 1.40" inches of rain so far, but I'm guessing that most of that has been within the last few hours. There hasn't been much heavy wind - so far - but we did have to put up our awning early this morning. For some reason, these storms have been moving very slowly and result in enormous rainfall amounts. The word is that this tropical storm will dump rain for up to 3 days on everybody that lies within its path, and from 4 to 10 inches. It sure makes up for the nearly 2 weeks we went without any rain at all. It is 65 degrees outside and will only go to the high 60's today according to our forecast. It's a good thing we're working as anybody that had a picnic scheduled for Labor Day today will be disappointed. We switched our TV over to the local antenna since our satellite signal is affected by the storm. It looks like it is working OK as we are getting very clear reception from the Louisville station.
Josie had a pleasant surprise at work yesterday. The management has been performing audits on all the Stowers this week and they are measuring each Stower on 6 performance areas. They announced in our all hands meeting following lunch yesterday that Josie was the only person to pass all 6 criteria so far. She has not hit 100 % many times, but her quality of work is the best. She definitely pays more attention to the details.
The rain will probably dictate our schedule over the next few days. We will probably work a half day OT tomorrow since the rain will almost certainly still be around and we can handle that amount of extra work. We talked about going to Sams Club on Wednesday since we need some things that are always cheaper at those (warehouse) stores. We will play it by ear (and sight) but we hope the weather is better where you are. That's it for today...
Josie had a pleasant surprise at work yesterday. The management has been performing audits on all the Stowers this week and they are measuring each Stower on 6 performance areas. They announced in our all hands meeting following lunch yesterday that Josie was the only person to pass all 6 criteria so far. She has not hit 100 % many times, but her quality of work is the best. She definitely pays more attention to the details.
The rain will probably dictate our schedule over the next few days. We will probably work a half day OT tomorrow since the rain will almost certainly still be around and we can handle that amount of extra work. We talked about going to Sams Club on Wednesday since we need some things that are always cheaper at those (warehouse) stores. We will play it by ear (and sight) but we hope the weather is better where you are. That's it for today...
Sunday, September 4, 2011
So Far, A Great Football Season
One of the joys we had last year at about this time while visiting Patty and her family in Naperville, IL, was going to the high school football games of our grandson, Austin. He is now a junior at Waubonsie Valley High School and his heroics continue this year. The team has started out 2-0, and Austin has been a significant factor in the fast start. After scoring the teams first touchdown of the season last week, this week he scored 4 touchdowns in a lopsided 34-14 win. Patty sent an email to us yesterday indicating that Austin has just received his first official college recruiting letter - from Penn State. Now that's a pretty good football school. His interest is in going to Iowa, and we're sure he will receive an offer from them eventually. We're very proud of him, as you can imagine.
Our day at work yesterday was another in the area that we dread - Transhiping. That's where we have to handle many heavy plastic totes while stowing the products that are in them. Some of them are heavy and it is more difficult locating empty bins in which to place the items, so there is a lot more physical work involved. We were tired at the end of the day, to say the least.
Our initial plans are pretty well set for when we leave here - projected at the end of December. Reservations are made for 3 weeks at the Orlando Thousand Trails beginning on December 31, and leaving on January 20. That gives us a little time to travel to Florida, and relax for a few weeks in the warm weather before heading west. We are working on plans for the period from February to March, during which we hope to have a summer job nailed down. Our preference is still the areas of Santa Barbara, CA, Las Vegas, NV, or southern Colorado where we have been talking to an owner of a campground in Creede, CO, not far from Durango. There is always Cody, WY again, but it is always nice to try something different, in a new area. Anyway, we would like to try to spend some time in AZ during the months of Feb-Mar.
Day 3 of our work week is a short time away, so I'll close for now...
Our day at work yesterday was another in the area that we dread - Transhiping. That's where we have to handle many heavy plastic totes while stowing the products that are in them. Some of them are heavy and it is more difficult locating empty bins in which to place the items, so there is a lot more physical work involved. We were tired at the end of the day, to say the least.
Our initial plans are pretty well set for when we leave here - projected at the end of December. Reservations are made for 3 weeks at the Orlando Thousand Trails beginning on December 31, and leaving on January 20. That gives us a little time to travel to Florida, and relax for a few weeks in the warm weather before heading west. We are working on plans for the period from February to March, during which we hope to have a summer job nailed down. Our preference is still the areas of Santa Barbara, CA, Las Vegas, NV, or southern Colorado where we have been talking to an owner of a campground in Creede, CO, not far from Durango. There is always Cody, WY again, but it is always nice to try something different, in a new area. Anyway, we would like to try to spend some time in AZ during the months of Feb-Mar.
Day 3 of our work week is a short time away, so I'll close for now...
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Turning Up the Heat
After talking about how nice the weather has been the last couple weeks, it became hot again the last 2 days. It was 97 on Thursday, and yesterday it went to 99. That matched the highest temperature we had all summer since we arrived. In fact, it was so hot that the breaks were extended 5 minutes to 20 minutes each yesterday. For a while it appeared that we would get a thunderstorm last night but it just missed us. The wind did go to 25 MPH at 6:30 PM, and it looked like we would get a big storm, but got nothing but the wind. Now, we are watching the tropical storm that is moving on shore in Louisiana. It appears right now that we will get some rain - eventually - from that powerful looking depression. In fact, we heard that Louisiana could expect 10 - 20 inches of rain from the storm. Wow. That's a lot of rain to get in a couple days.
The holiday will provide some advantage for us on Monday. We found out that we get time-and-a-half pay for the day. The regular, full time employees get a full 8 hours holiday pay on top of the regular pay they get for working the holiday. Amazon takes good care of its employees that way. Most companies do pay extra for working holidays, but since we are temporary, seasonal employees, we thought we may not get the extra pay. That was good news.
Since there is nothing else going on right now, we'll make this entry short and sweet and get ready for day 2 of work this week...
The holiday will provide some advantage for us on Monday. We found out that we get time-and-a-half pay for the day. The regular, full time employees get a full 8 hours holiday pay on top of the regular pay they get for working the holiday. Amazon takes good care of its employees that way. Most companies do pay extra for working holidays, but since we are temporary, seasonal employees, we thought we may not get the extra pay. That was good news.
Since there is nothing else going on right now, we'll make this entry short and sweet and get ready for day 2 of work this week...
Friday, September 2, 2011
Caught Up on Rest
The last 3 days were good days for us as far as catching up on rest. I guess we're ready to go again for the next 4 1/2 days, but it doesn't seem to get much easier. We essentially did what we planned to do - Josie did laundry and I did more work on the document reduction plan with the new scanner. I had to stop that effort about mid afternoon when I discovered the files weren't being organized quite like I want on the new flash drive, and I need to do some research in the manual to see if there is a better way.
We heard back from our friend Bruce at Grey's Point, and they are feverishly working to get the place ready for the Labor Day weekend. The pools were full of leaves and junk and the whole campground has to be cleaned up. The marina is closed since there was severe damage there, and there were 8 seasonal homes crushed by trees. He said he would send some pictures next week. The power returned on Wednesday, and went out again for about 12 hours early Thursday morning, but is back on at the present time. They were expecting 24 rigs yesterday and 102 for today. They will be very busy this weekend. One difference for us is that the work we do is the same whether or not it is a holiday weekend. I don't know if that is better or not.
We received our paychecks in our bank accounts today (at midnight last night) so that is the driving force for us to plow onward. If it all works out the way we have it planned, we will be able to enjoy a month somewhere in the warm south beginning at the end of December. Beyond that, our plans are unsettled. It will be difficult to find work that starts in February and ends in the April time frame, but we will try to find something that helps fulfill our goal of heading back west this spring. It seems that all of the good jobs on the east coast during the winter are work-for-your-site jobs, and don't pay much, if any, extra money. That will be enough at some point down the road, but not at this point in our journey.
That about does it for now, so it's back to work we go...
We heard back from our friend Bruce at Grey's Point, and they are feverishly working to get the place ready for the Labor Day weekend. The pools were full of leaves and junk and the whole campground has to be cleaned up. The marina is closed since there was severe damage there, and there were 8 seasonal homes crushed by trees. He said he would send some pictures next week. The power returned on Wednesday, and went out again for about 12 hours early Thursday morning, but is back on at the present time. They were expecting 24 rigs yesterday and 102 for today. They will be very busy this weekend. One difference for us is that the work we do is the same whether or not it is a holiday weekend. I don't know if that is better or not.
We received our paychecks in our bank accounts today (at midnight last night) so that is the driving force for us to plow onward. If it all works out the way we have it planned, we will be able to enjoy a month somewhere in the warm south beginning at the end of December. Beyond that, our plans are unsettled. It will be difficult to find work that starts in February and ends in the April time frame, but we will try to find something that helps fulfill our goal of heading back west this spring. It seems that all of the good jobs on the east coast during the winter are work-for-your-site jobs, and don't pay much, if any, extra money. That will be enough at some point down the road, but not at this point in our journey.
That about does it for now, so it's back to work we go...
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Looking for Fairs
Yesterday was the kind of day that we felt like going to a County or State Fair someplace. After researching the fairs in Kentucky online, we discovered that were only 2 fairs going on as of yesterday - one in New Castle, KY, that is about 86 miles from here and just northeast of Louisville, and the other, in Alexandria KY, which is about 163 miles from here and is in northeastern Kentucky. Neither one sounded like it was large enough to justify a long trip those distances. The Kentucky State Fair was held last week in Louisville and if we had thought about it last Thursday on our day off, we could have gone. Oh, well. We remember all the fairs we went to in WA that were a kick and were held at different times during the summer months and into September. It's probably the same here, but we need the right combination of size and time. The one in New Castle sounded like a small hometown crafts show with local entertainment and a few horses. It didn't sound like our kind of fair. There are some more scheduled that we will look into, so maybe we will get to one eventually.
The day was spent hangin' out at home. There was enough to do here to keep us busy and late in the afternoon the office gal came by and dropped off a package we received - the replacement scanner. Wow. That was actually overnight delivery, and not the 2 day that was quoted to me. Had I known it was in the office, I could have done more work on our documents yesterday afternoon. It looks like today will be taken up with that activity while Josie does some laundry for work this next week. This is our final off day for this week and, once again, the off days went too fast.
It's hard to believe that it is now September. The time seems to be moving along quickly, so maybe the length of time we are committed to work here will seem short. On second thought, that's hogwash. It still means we have almost 4 months to go.
There is still no more word from Grey's Point, so we are assuming the power outage there continues. We'll be anxious to get an update soon, and will pass along the latest report when it arrives. Until tomorrow...
The day was spent hangin' out at home. There was enough to do here to keep us busy and late in the afternoon the office gal came by and dropped off a package we received - the replacement scanner. Wow. That was actually overnight delivery, and not the 2 day that was quoted to me. Had I known it was in the office, I could have done more work on our documents yesterday afternoon. It looks like today will be taken up with that activity while Josie does some laundry for work this next week. This is our final off day for this week and, once again, the off days went too fast.
It's hard to believe that it is now September. The time seems to be moving along quickly, so maybe the length of time we are committed to work here will seem short. On second thought, that's hogwash. It still means we have almost 4 months to go.
There is still no more word from Grey's Point, so we are assuming the power outage there continues. We'll be anxious to get an update soon, and will pass along the latest report when it arrives. Until tomorrow...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
