We were not sure how the first day of our first full week back at Amazon would treat our bodies. We know now that we have the same aches as the first full day last Wednesday. Our feet were hurting and our lower backs were hurting. The big difference is that today the aches are pretty much gone and our muscles appear to be acclimating to the hard work schedule. Of course, we have 3 more days to know for sure.
Our day started in the HR office yesterday as we are trying to get Josie registered in the online system at ADP - the company that processes the payroll. The person we need to see was not in yesterday, so we will revisit HR today when we go in at 5 PM. The work force is so small compared to last year during the peak season. For the first time ever, we took one of our scheduled breaks in the lunch room we used exclusively last year - and we were the only couple in the entire break room. The small workforce is also evidenced by the attendance in our pre-work meeting every day. That is when the manager lets everybody know about the statistics for the previous day - items received, processed and stowed - and the targets for the coming day. We now have about 15 people in those meetings where the normal attendance was around 50-60 last year during the peak. The stretch exercises are also conducted at those meetings for all the workers to help get loose for the day. Once again, we know it will change dramatically around September.
With only about 4 1/2 hours between getting up and going to work again, the activities during the day are minimal. We will go to the store and get some Gatorade, or some other drink mix that will provide electrolytes for our bodies. As we are drinking only water to replace lost sweat, we want to make sure our kidneys are staying as healthy as possible. Amazon is very good about offering all the free cold water you want, and they encourage you drink lots of it all day long. There are coolers and refrigerators throughout the warehouse where you can grab a bottle of water.
So, with that, we'll call it a day for now...
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Four Roses and Wild Turkey
Yesterday was a good opportunity for us to visit 2 more of the Bourbon distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We had already visited the 3 that lie along the western part of the trail (Makers Mark, Heaven Hill and Jim Beam), so we went to 2 of the 3 remaining distilleries that were on the north/central part of the Trail - Four Roses and Wild Turkey. Both of those are in the city of Lawrenceburg, KY, which is about 20 miles from Lexington.
Of course, they all have to go through the same distilling process, but they are each very different in the way they "tweak" the products to produce variations of bourbon that make up their product lines. We also discovered yesterday that each of the distilleries has a shut down period each year when they clean their facilities and perform necessary maintenance on equipment. Both of the distilleries we visited yesterday were in their shut down period, so we didn't get a chance to see actual production like we did in the others. Another of the reasons for having their shut down period in the summer is the heat, and the resulting costs associated with production in the warm weather. The water used in the process is taken directly from the rivers and it must be a certain temperature to produce the best bourbon. The costs associated with cooling the water in the hot summer are not justified by some of the distilleries.
Anyway, the first stop was at the Four Roses Distillery:
and we immediately could see a very different architecture of all the buildings in the facility. It is the only distillery that is Japanese owned, and the Japanese influence was evident, especially in the signs that were written in both English and Japanese. This is the most automated of all the distilleries (of course, Japanese), and they won the award in 2011 as the top Distillery;
They have been primarily an exporter of bourbon until recently, and they are now distributed and marketed in 47 states. That explains why it is the least known of the bourbon brands along the Trail. Our guide was very knowledgeable and did an excellent job describing the process and the differences in their products:
The beautiful buildings and grounds were very different and evident throughout the tour. The warehouses at this distillery are only 1 story high versus the 6 or 7 story warehouses at the other distilleries. They believe that this gives a more consistent flavor as it doesn't go through the wide fluctuations in temperature that bourbon does in warehouses that have barrels on the 1st floor, and barrels on the 6th floor, where it is much warmer.
The tasting room was actually outside:
and they had several different products that were available for tasting. Their bourbon is excellent, and the gift shop was loaded with quality merchandise that was one of the best so far:
Our next stop was only about 8 miles up the road, also in Lawrenceburg, KY, at the Wild Turkey Distillery:
This was a tour that I was looking forward to as I was a huge fan of the Wild Turkey "101" brand for many years during my earlier hunting days in Washington State. This distillery was also shut down for the summer, but we were given an excellent tour through the facilities of one of the largest producers of bourbon. This tour was the first one that used a bus to carry visitors around the facility, and there were several stops, beginning at the fermenting building:
where our guide explained the process:
and we saw the many vats that were used in the fermenting process that were sparkling clean and empty for the season:
Our next stop on the tour was a warehouse that was fairly typical of those we've seen elsewhere - except for the Four Roses single story warehouses - where we saw thousands of barrels in the aging process:
We eventually made it back to the visitor center where the tasting room was located and the gift shop was located:
The shot we took of the tasting session wasn't that great, so it was not included here. We did get to taste some great bourbon, including my old favorite "101", and a new product called American Honey. We liked the taste of this so much that we purchased a bottle on the way out of the gift shop.
There's only 1 more distillery to see to complete our tour. That last one - the Woodford Reserve Distillery - is near Lexington and we plan to visit that one when we go to Lexington for a visit in the near future. Kentucky is best known for horses and bourbon, and we are gaining a real appreciation for the bourbon part. There are some nice places to visit that are Thoroughbred horse farms that will be on our list of places to go and things to do.
It's off to work again today at 5 PM and that begins our week of 4 straight 10 hour days. I hope we 're up to it...
Of course, they all have to go through the same distilling process, but they are each very different in the way they "tweak" the products to produce variations of bourbon that make up their product lines. We also discovered yesterday that each of the distilleries has a shut down period each year when they clean their facilities and perform necessary maintenance on equipment. Both of the distilleries we visited yesterday were in their shut down period, so we didn't get a chance to see actual production like we did in the others. Another of the reasons for having their shut down period in the summer is the heat, and the resulting costs associated with production in the warm weather. The water used in the process is taken directly from the rivers and it must be a certain temperature to produce the best bourbon. The costs associated with cooling the water in the hot summer are not justified by some of the distilleries.
Anyway, the first stop was at the Four Roses Distillery:
and we immediately could see a very different architecture of all the buildings in the facility. It is the only distillery that is Japanese owned, and the Japanese influence was evident, especially in the signs that were written in both English and Japanese. This is the most automated of all the distilleries (of course, Japanese), and they won the award in 2011 as the top Distillery;
They have been primarily an exporter of bourbon until recently, and they are now distributed and marketed in 47 states. That explains why it is the least known of the bourbon brands along the Trail. Our guide was very knowledgeable and did an excellent job describing the process and the differences in their products:
The beautiful buildings and grounds were very different and evident throughout the tour. The warehouses at this distillery are only 1 story high versus the 6 or 7 story warehouses at the other distilleries. They believe that this gives a more consistent flavor as it doesn't go through the wide fluctuations in temperature that bourbon does in warehouses that have barrels on the 1st floor, and barrels on the 6th floor, where it is much warmer.
The tasting room was actually outside:
and they had several different products that were available for tasting. Their bourbon is excellent, and the gift shop was loaded with quality merchandise that was one of the best so far:
Our next stop was only about 8 miles up the road, also in Lawrenceburg, KY, at the Wild Turkey Distillery:
This was a tour that I was looking forward to as I was a huge fan of the Wild Turkey "101" brand for many years during my earlier hunting days in Washington State. This distillery was also shut down for the summer, but we were given an excellent tour through the facilities of one of the largest producers of bourbon. This tour was the first one that used a bus to carry visitors around the facility, and there were several stops, beginning at the fermenting building:
where our guide explained the process:
and we saw the many vats that were used in the fermenting process that were sparkling clean and empty for the season:
Our next stop on the tour was a warehouse that was fairly typical of those we've seen elsewhere - except for the Four Roses single story warehouses - where we saw thousands of barrels in the aging process:
We eventually made it back to the visitor center where the tasting room was located and the gift shop was located:
The shot we took of the tasting session wasn't that great, so it was not included here. We did get to taste some great bourbon, including my old favorite "101", and a new product called American Honey. We liked the taste of this so much that we purchased a bottle on the way out of the gift shop.
There's only 1 more distillery to see to complete our tour. That last one - the Woodford Reserve Distillery - is near Lexington and we plan to visit that one when we go to Lexington for a visit in the near future. Kentucky is best known for horses and bourbon, and we are gaining a real appreciation for the bourbon part. There are some nice places to visit that are Thoroughbred horse farms that will be on our list of places to go and things to do.
It's off to work again today at 5 PM and that begins our week of 4 straight 10 hour days. I hope we 're up to it...
Saturday, July 9, 2011
All Day Rain
We were certainly due for a day like yesterday - slow and steady rain almost the whole day. We received over .5 inches but it was like a Seattle rain - a little bit at a time. It was kind of nice actually, to watch the rain and just sit around doing little odds and ends and not going anywhere. It gave me a chance to try to complete our online registration for direct deposit and withholding taxes for Amazon. This year they have the employees entering their own information which takes away a cumbersome activity from the HR people. It's very easy once you get entered into the system with your user names and passwords. I finally got my information in, but I cannot get past go for Josie's info. Evidently, the system in Seattle (where the payroll is processed) doesn't have her employee information ready, so I'll try again today.
We keep seeing people arriving in very small numbers. One more couple arrived the day before yesterday and they appear to be workampers as they are set up in their space for a long term visit. We can always tell the long term folks from the overnighters as the overnighters only set up as much as they need to for 1 or 2 nights. Sometimes - like us - they won't even unhitch from their rigs for the night. Amazon would have received a much better response for this pilot program if they had announced it sooner, and they are realizing that. Most people that are here for the program - ourselves included - left places where they had a commitment for the summer, but weren't getting the hours that were promised. Many others that would have come are fulfilling their obligations at the summer locations before heading back here to Campbellsville. Those are the folks that are getting their hours and are otherwise happy with their current locations. We have been communicating with several of the couples we worked with last year, and they are anxious to hear about changes, the work and other folks we all know that are here.
With just one more full day left - today - before we start our regular work schedule, we will try to go somewhere. I'm not sure we will attempt one of the "biggies" like Louisville, Lexington or Nashville, But there are still many places to see within a fairly short distance. I'll give the online system one more try this AM for Josie's info, and then it's off to (?)...
We keep seeing people arriving in very small numbers. One more couple arrived the day before yesterday and they appear to be workampers as they are set up in their space for a long term visit. We can always tell the long term folks from the overnighters as the overnighters only set up as much as they need to for 1 or 2 nights. Sometimes - like us - they won't even unhitch from their rigs for the night. Amazon would have received a much better response for this pilot program if they had announced it sooner, and they are realizing that. Most people that are here for the program - ourselves included - left places where they had a commitment for the summer, but weren't getting the hours that were promised. Many others that would have come are fulfilling their obligations at the summer locations before heading back here to Campbellsville. Those are the folks that are getting their hours and are otherwise happy with their current locations. We have been communicating with several of the couples we worked with last year, and they are anxious to hear about changes, the work and other folks we all know that are here.
With just one more full day left - today - before we start our regular work schedule, we will try to go somewhere. I'm not sure we will attempt one of the "biggies" like Louisville, Lexington or Nashville, But there are still many places to see within a fairly short distance. I'll give the online system one more try this AM for Josie's info, and then it's off to (?)...
Friday, July 8, 2011
Quick Recovery
Yesterday was a recovery day - for our muscles - and it appears that we are probably about 90% recovered from our aches and pains. The only activity was a short trip to the grocery store. It was another hot and humid day, so it probably was wise to stay home anyway. As hard as we tried, we couldn't stay up too late last night. Our hope was that we could stay pretty close to our work schedule as far as sleep and eating, but our bodies - and our minds - are too programmed yet for the normal hours. I'm not sure if we even want to adjust to those hours on our off days since that would mean sleeping late into the morning or early afternoon, and that would be wasting our days off. Besides, if we get transferred to days for the regular (peak) season, we will be sleeping our normal hours anyway.
We met another workamping couple yesterday that is staying here in the campground. They are originally from Iowa, but most recently were working in South Dakota and arrived in late May for this pilot program at Amazon. They work days in Receiving, which is one department that was taking day workers for the summer. They also indicated that they stayed here at the same campground last year and were happy with it. So far, we agree that the owners are very nice and very accommodating. and the park is obviously the most convenient of all the choices.
It is raining this morning and still pretty dark outside. This looks like one of those all-day rains as there is no wind, thunder or lightening. We'll have to check the forecast to find out for sure. At any rate, that about wraps up the (short) entry for today...
We met another workamping couple yesterday that is staying here in the campground. They are originally from Iowa, but most recently were working in South Dakota and arrived in late May for this pilot program at Amazon. They work days in Receiving, which is one department that was taking day workers for the summer. They also indicated that they stayed here at the same campground last year and were happy with it. So far, we agree that the owners are very nice and very accommodating. and the park is obviously the most convenient of all the choices.
It is raining this morning and still pretty dark outside. This looks like one of those all-day rains as there is no wind, thunder or lightening. We'll have to check the forecast to find out for sure. At any rate, that about wraps up the (short) entry for today...
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Our Muscles are Awake Now
All the muscles that are rarely used are once again awake. We were prepared for a very physical night last night but we had forgotten the feeling after our first night working at Amazon last year. It's a good thing we don't have to go back until Sunday night. It would have been very difficult for us to return to work again tonight for another 10 hour workout. Both of us actually had the same complaint after last night - our lower back and our feet. We know that it won't take too long to get back into the mode we were in by the time we left last year when it became fairly easy for us to comfortably get through the work day. Overtime, although available to anybody that wants it, will definitely have to wait awhile for us.
There was no formal training - or retraining - last night. We were given our scanners and only a brief reminder on how to use them. It all came back to us quickly though, and we were off and stowing product like there was no interruption from our last day worked in December. Both of us put up some very good numbers for the night and the management was very pleased with our first day performance. Actually, our first day numbers were better than some folks who have been there every day as full time employees. There is very little change from last year, and the changes that were made are good ones. The biggest problem for us - aside from getting our muscles toned again - is to figure out the best eating schedule. We had our dinner before going to work at 5 PM last night and only took snacking food for our dinner break which was at 9:30 PM. That seemed to work well except we were hungry when we got off work. I don't think we will be changing that schedule too much though as we don't want to have a large meal before going to bed at 4 AM.
The heat was intense on the work floor all night long. We were told that if the temperature in the warehouse ever reaches 120 degrees, they shut down the plant. The highest it has been during the summer months is 108. That's still way too warm. Josie and I both were wet rags when we got off work this morning, and couldn't wait to get showers before going to bed. It's a different experience here working in the summer but, so far, we are glad we made the decision to come.
Today is a recovery day and we probably won't do much more than going to the grocery store. The posts will be a little later in the day on work days, but shouldn't make much difference. That's it for today...
There was no formal training - or retraining - last night. We were given our scanners and only a brief reminder on how to use them. It all came back to us quickly though, and we were off and stowing product like there was no interruption from our last day worked in December. Both of us put up some very good numbers for the night and the management was very pleased with our first day performance. Actually, our first day numbers were better than some folks who have been there every day as full time employees. There is very little change from last year, and the changes that were made are good ones. The biggest problem for us - aside from getting our muscles toned again - is to figure out the best eating schedule. We had our dinner before going to work at 5 PM last night and only took snacking food for our dinner break which was at 9:30 PM. That seemed to work well except we were hungry when we got off work. I don't think we will be changing that schedule too much though as we don't want to have a large meal before going to bed at 4 AM.
The heat was intense on the work floor all night long. We were told that if the temperature in the warehouse ever reaches 120 degrees, they shut down the plant. The highest it has been during the summer months is 108. That's still way too warm. Josie and I both were wet rags when we got off work this morning, and couldn't wait to get showers before going to bed. It's a different experience here working in the summer but, so far, we are glad we made the decision to come.
Today is a recovery day and we probably won't do much more than going to the grocery store. The posts will be a little later in the day on work days, but shouldn't make much difference. That's it for today...
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Back to Work at Amazon
We arrived in the lobby at Amazon right on schedule at 9:30 AM yesterday. There was one more couple there - Doug and Patty - who were returning workampers and were here from Dollywood Park in Tennessee, They left there for the same reason we left Grey's Point Camp in Virginia - not enough hours. We were given our old badges back from last year and we clocked in for the safety training. That was a repeat of what we had last year but it was a good refresher. There have been some minor changes since we were here last here, but for the most part, it was like we hadn't left at all.
It was close to 11:30 by the time the safety class wrapped up so we took a 1 1/2 hour break before we had to meet in HR for our orientation. One of the advantages to staying in the campground across the street is that we are able to come home in situations like this rather than sitting in a break room for long periods.
Part of the orientation was receiving our shift assignments, and we discussed day shift possibilities with the HR representative. She talked to a couple folks and they were able to switch us to the day shift - Sun thru Wed, 6 AM to 4:30 PM. We were happy about that. Unfortunately, that decision was overturned later in the day when we received an email stating that no workampers had been assigned day shift yet by the senior operations people, and they switched us back to nights. So, instead of going in to work this morning at 6 AM, we will go in at 5 PM, work tonight, and then have off until Sunday night. We were not happy about that, but we can make it work as long as they put us on the day shift for the regular season beginning sometime in September. It shouldn't be too bad with the almost empty campground. One of the biggest problems with working nights last year was the noise outside during the day when we had to sleep. That should not be a problem from now until September.
Since we have to work tonight, we will stay close to home today and probably try to get in a nap before we leave for work. It will take some adjusting to get used to the new schedule, but we've done it before. Tonight we find out about on-the-job changes that were made since we left in December. We're hoping for a smooth beginning...
It was close to 11:30 by the time the safety class wrapped up so we took a 1 1/2 hour break before we had to meet in HR for our orientation. One of the advantages to staying in the campground across the street is that we are able to come home in situations like this rather than sitting in a break room for long periods.
Part of the orientation was receiving our shift assignments, and we discussed day shift possibilities with the HR representative. She talked to a couple folks and they were able to switch us to the day shift - Sun thru Wed, 6 AM to 4:30 PM. We were happy about that. Unfortunately, that decision was overturned later in the day when we received an email stating that no workampers had been assigned day shift yet by the senior operations people, and they switched us back to nights. So, instead of going in to work this morning at 6 AM, we will go in at 5 PM, work tonight, and then have off until Sunday night. We were not happy about that, but we can make it work as long as they put us on the day shift for the regular season beginning sometime in September. It shouldn't be too bad with the almost empty campground. One of the biggest problems with working nights last year was the noise outside during the day when we had to sleep. That should not be a problem from now until September.
Since we have to work tonight, we will stay close to home today and probably try to get in a nap before we leave for work. It will take some adjusting to get used to the new schedule, but we've done it before. Tonight we find out about on-the-job changes that were made since we left in December. We're hoping for a smooth beginning...
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Rain on the Parade
The forecast was right-on for the day. There were scattered thundershowers all day - scattered all over Campbellsville. We went to the parade in town at around 10 AM for the start, and it was still dry when it started:
We were surprised and happy to see that the Grand Marshal for the parade was Mitch McConnell, the Senior Senator from Kentucky and the House Minority Leader:
He was fortunate to get through the whole parade route before the skies opened up. The entire Main Street was crowded on both sides:
and the parade had its usual number of horses, including the little ones:
After watching for about 15 minutes, the skies opened up and drenched everybody. Many people had umbrellas and many just stood in the rain. We were able to duck under the canopy of the local Country and Western music station in Campbellsville. Of course, the people on the floats didn't have much choice on where to go to take cover from the rain - some had umbrellas, and others just walked in the rain:
We had to get a picture of the Amazon.com float that was part of the float contest (above and below):
The parade was an unusual one for us. This one had a heavy emphasis on Agriculture, and there must have been 50 tractors in the parade. Last year, it was mostly horses in Cody, WY.
The rain finally stopped by the end of the parade, and everybody spilled out into the street to visit the arts and crafts booths, and merchant booths that lined the street:
There was a stage at the end of the street where the entertainment was scheduled all day long. We caught them setting up for the first group to entertain for the day - the East Campbellsville Church of God Choir:
You can see the long list of scheduled events to the left of the stage. It is one of the largest and best 4th of July celebrations in central Kentucky. People were everywhere and it seemed like the whole population of Campbellsville was there, which could have been. We took one last shot of the crowd in the street as we left for home:
There were scheduled events all day long, but we decided to wait to return for the fireworks display at the local park that was scheduled at dark - around 9:30. By the time 9 PM rolled around, we were comfortable in the fifth wheel and not anxious to take a chance on being part of another thundershower and, perhaps, cancellation of the fireworks. It seemed like they went off as scheduled as we both saw them from our rig and heard them from inside. All in all, it was a great day, in spite of the rain.
Today is the start of our next assignment at Amazon.com and we are ready for the paperwork phase and the classes that they have scheduled for us. The real work begins tomorrow, but we are anxious to get things started. We will try to get our shift changed to days, but are prepared to work nights again if they can't accommodate the change. It's off to work we go...
We were surprised and happy to see that the Grand Marshal for the parade was Mitch McConnell, the Senior Senator from Kentucky and the House Minority Leader:
He was fortunate to get through the whole parade route before the skies opened up. The entire Main Street was crowded on both sides:
and the parade had its usual number of horses, including the little ones:
After watching for about 15 minutes, the skies opened up and drenched everybody. Many people had umbrellas and many just stood in the rain. We were able to duck under the canopy of the local Country and Western music station in Campbellsville. Of course, the people on the floats didn't have much choice on where to go to take cover from the rain - some had umbrellas, and others just walked in the rain:
We had to get a picture of the Amazon.com float that was part of the float contest (above and below):
The parade was an unusual one for us. This one had a heavy emphasis on Agriculture, and there must have been 50 tractors in the parade. Last year, it was mostly horses in Cody, WY.
The rain finally stopped by the end of the parade, and everybody spilled out into the street to visit the arts and crafts booths, and merchant booths that lined the street:
There was a stage at the end of the street where the entertainment was scheduled all day long. We caught them setting up for the first group to entertain for the day - the East Campbellsville Church of God Choir:
You can see the long list of scheduled events to the left of the stage. It is one of the largest and best 4th of July celebrations in central Kentucky. People were everywhere and it seemed like the whole population of Campbellsville was there, which could have been. We took one last shot of the crowd in the street as we left for home:
There were scheduled events all day long, but we decided to wait to return for the fireworks display at the local park that was scheduled at dark - around 9:30. By the time 9 PM rolled around, we were comfortable in the fifth wheel and not anxious to take a chance on being part of another thundershower and, perhaps, cancellation of the fireworks. It seemed like they went off as scheduled as we both saw them from our rig and heard them from inside. All in all, it was a great day, in spite of the rain.
Today is the start of our next assignment at Amazon.com and we are ready for the paperwork phase and the classes that they have scheduled for us. The real work begins tomorrow, but we are anxious to get things started. We will try to get our shift changed to days, but are prepared to work nights again if they can't accommodate the change. It's off to work we go...
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