Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Not All Who Wander Are Lost
June, 2019 - Mount Denali, Alaska

Saturday, October 27, 2012

We Survived Week One

Week one at Amazon went very well. This year they have implemented a new procedure where work campers have a hardening week. That means only working half shifts your first week. For us that was 5 pm to 10 pm on M, T, Th, and Fr. If it was up to me, I’d like those hours the entire time I was here. Of course, that would also mean less than half the pay once overtime kicks in.  On Monday we’ll start our full shifts of 5 pm to 3:30 am.

I’m loving the picker job. Its much better than the packing jobs we had last year for two reasons. One, it is very noisy in the packing plant, not so much in the rest of the warehouse. Two, we’re moving rather than standing in one spot.

The first week they program the computer to lock you into a limited area to do your picks so you can get used to how it works. We were in an area of mostly small items like books, DVDs, CDs, and all kinds of bottles of pills and supplements. With the use of MP3 players and iPods, I’m surprised how many people are still buying CDs. We both had no problem meeting and exceeding the quotas set for us.

Next week they’ll release us to pick in half of the warehouse. The following week we’ll work the entire one million square foot facility. That’s when I’ll start wearing my pedometer to report on how many miles we actually walk. We’ve been told it will be around 15 miles per shift. So far, our feet are holding up very well. I’m sure once we are running around the entire warehouse, they will start complaining much more!

We’ve gotten our first paycheck for the week of orientation. They only paid us for one of the days, so I had to send an email to try to get that resolved. Mike in HR replied that he would take care of it. We’ll see how that goes.

On Wednesday the campground owner hosted an Oktoberfest get together. He provided brats and beer and campers brought dishes to pass. There is not a clubhouse building at the campground. The foundation is poured, but the building has not been built. Everyone brought chairs and we sat on the foundation. Luckily, the weather was warm although pretty windy. I’d estimate there were about 75 people who attended. They had gotten donations from local businesses for door prizes. We won a gift certificate for a free large pizza at Pizza Hut. There is a new owner of the campground this year, and it sure was nice of him to host this event!

The weather has been very strange. The first part of the week was hot with highs in the 80s and very humid and windy. We had to run the air. On Thursday morning a cold front came through and dropped the temps by 40 degrees. We went from running the air in the morning to turning on the heater by late afternoon. There is a freeze warning in effect for the next few nights. Kevin disconnected the hose and we’re using water from the tank. Last year it didn’t get below freezing until December. The extended forecast is looking pretty good, and the winds have finally died down!

I like to cook using my crock pot, but the clean up was always a pain. Last summer, Kevin noticed our friend Betty using a product that has made the clean up so easy. These crock pot liners are only about 50 cents a piece and so worth it. Why didn’t I know about these sooner???

P1130322

We don’t have any big plans for the weekend. Kevin is going to take the fourth original tire off of the fifth wheel. There is a Goodyear dealer in Independence where we will get a replacement. I’m still waiting for an estimate from Burlington RV so I can submit our claim to Goodyear.

I’m going to find a movie to rent at Redbox. Other than that, we’ll rest up for the big week ahead.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

8 comments:

  1. I found the crock pot liners about a year ago. I keep forgetting I have them! At the house clean up is not an issue, but I'm guessing they will come in handy in the RV.

    15 miles a shift should really burn the calories! You will be able to eat anything you want, if you have the energy left to cook it!

    Does Kevin take a turn cooking?

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  2. So glad the first week went well. I think those half shifts would be great for getting your feet ready. Last year when we went straight into 50 hour shifts after the orientation week was awful. Sounds like the new park owner is an improvement too. I knew you would like the picking job. I doubt it will be 15 miles when you get to the whole warehouse but probably at least 10. I think you'd have to run to get 15 miles in, but 10 is great and you'll watch the pounds come off. Enjoy your weekend!

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  3. Crockpot liners...nice tip!

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  4. I have never seen crockpot liners!! What a great idea! I am going to look for them for sure!

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  5. Crockpt liners are excellent! We made chili today. Put it on before we went to the Neewolah Parade in Independence. Tomorrow it's meatloaf in the crockpot. Sounds like things are much better at Big Chief. See you guys on Monday night.

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  6. Is your campground across the road from amazon? If so, good blogger friends of ours are in that campground. She has a blog on wordpress called He Says, She Says. Her husband is a star picker at amazon. She had to quit because of problems with her feet when she went to full-time picking. You can find her on the blog and learn about their travels. I met her at a ladies luncheon at Dairy Queen when we were gate guarding in south Texas.

    They've been having their share of hardships.

    TravelBug-Susan

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  7. Well, Steve and I just completed our second day at Amazon! We started right out the shoot with 10 hour days. Shift 7 Friday through Monday 7-5:30. Boy are my feet talking to me. More like yelling at me! We are working as "shooters" in Crisplant. We had asked for the pickers job but instead got the packing job. Never had a job where I stood. I keep telling myself if 70 year olds can do it I should be able to do it. Also have to remind myself that this is going to put a lot of diesel in the tank. Have fun!

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  8. 15 miles per shift ... I hope you have really comfortable shoes :-))) Good luck and have fun at Amazon.

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