Another Day Off

On Monday night at work we were told our shift would have a mandatory day off on Tuesday. That’s the fourth time we’ve had mandatory time off for a total of 31.5 hours lost.

Yesterday Amazon had their Holiday Kick-Off event. They paid everyone an extra hour if they wanted to attend so we walked over. Coffeyville Community College had their drum line there to perform. They did a good job, although I was expecting more members. Our son Korey was a percussionist in high school so I’m very familiar with drum lines. This group only had 9 members, with 3 snares, a quad, four different sized bass drums, and 1 cymbal.

The general manager of the plant talked about the decline in business this year. He told us that orders are down 20% from last year at this facility. That’s been very obvious to us. He also said that overall Amazon is up 29% this year. I’m not sure if that’s business or profits or what. Apparently, they will be rerouting some orders to this fulfillment center to even things out. He  picked names, and they gave out fourteen $100 gift cards to employees. We didn’t win :(  We did get some candy the managers were passing out.

I feel bad for the people who work here year round. I’m sure having hours cut is a hardship for many of them. There is also resentment by some against the work campers. They are wondering why new employees are being hired when there isn’t enough work for the regular Amazonians. Once the Christmas rush starts, there will be plenty of work. I’m sure it’s difficult to get enough people hired and trained in time for the rush, and have to deal with all of those employees in the weeks before Black Friday.

We will definitely not be earning as much as last year, but we’ll be fine. My pension starting this year has been a big help. We try to earn enough to cover our expenses so we don’t have to dip into our savings. That’s our choice, though. We will be just fine.

I’m sure after next week, I’ll be complaining plenty about sore feet and being exhausted :)

Not much new on the wedding front. Cathryn is in the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program at Creighton University in Omaha. She is from Moorhead, Minnesota and that’s where Korey currently lives. The wedding will be in Moorhead. While Cathryn is home for Thanksgiving, they will be shopping for a reception venue. I’m sure we’ll know much more after next week.

Here’s a picture of the happy couple on their engagement day. See the post-it notes on a string. That was part of the proposal. Korey has asked his brother Eric to be his best man. I’m looking forward to seeing all of my guys in suits. They’ll be so handsome! I know Eric will be taking his job of hosting a bachelor party very seriously!

 

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

She Said Yes!

Our youngest son Korey got engaged yesterday. He and Cathryn have been dating for a little over four years. We are so happy she will become a member of our family. She’s a wonderful young lady!
Korey told us in September that he had bought the ring. Yesterday was finally the day. They called me on Skype and showed me the ring. You did good Korey!

Its so wonderful to have the technology to be able to share this news with them “in person”. Their plan is to have the wedding sometime next summer or fall in Moorhead, Minnesota. I’m looking forward to the fun that’s involved with a wedding.
I would love to lose about 20 pounds before I buy a dress. I was sure hoping all this walking at Amazon would help me do that. So far, I’ve only lost a few pounds. I’m thinking I’ll have to starve myself. I’ve been wearing a pedometer. We are now picking throughout the entire facility, and I’ve been averaging around six miles per shift.
We finally worked a full 40 hour week. It definitely seems as though business is slower this year than the same time last year. It also feels as if there are less people working there this year. Next week they are having their Holiday Kick Off events. There will be drawings for gift cards and some other events.
We work the doughnut shift so we work Monday, Tuesday, have a day of rest, work Thursday, Friday and have two days off. My feet do very well the first day, but the second day they are hurting. I’m glad we don’t work four days in a row.
I haven’t noticed many big sellers so far this year. The best selling DVD has got to be The Amazing Spiderman. I’ve also been picking quite a few Kindles. It seems many people read Fifty Shades of Grey. Kevin and I have both picked many items related to bondage activities including how-to books, beginner kits of items needed, and naughty costumes. Kinky!
I’m surprised at the amount of CDs that are being purchased. With iPods and MP3 players, I would have thought CDs wouldn’t be so popular anymore.
The weather had been very nice. The last few days have still been warm, but quite windy. There is a front coming through tonight which should bring much needed rain to the area. After that its supposed to cool into the 50s for daytime highs.
Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Hurricane Sandy Hits Amazon

When watching the devastation of Hurricane Sandy on TV, I never dreamed we would feel any consequences from the storm. It’s nothing compared to what those poor people on the east coast are suffering, but these types of catastrophic events have long reaching tentacles.

Shortly after the hurricane hit, orders started declining at all Amazon facilities. Its no wonder with such a concentrated population in the worst hit area. On Tuesday night we were sent home a little over an hour early. On Thursday night when we reported for work, we were told that we would only be working half shifts both Thursday and Friday nights. My feet were doing a happy dance, and I was glad to have two more nights of normal sleep. However, we’re here to make money. So far, we’ve only worked one full shift.

I’m not complaining. I know from last year’s experience that there will be plenty of LONG shifts soon. Thanksgiving is early this year, so within another week or two, we’ll be working plenty. In the meantime, we have time to relax. And, as a bonus the weather has been fantastic the past week. Sunny, calm winds, and highs in the 80s. The upcoming week is supposed to be similar with highs in the 70s. No complaints here.

Last night we attended a CamperForce get together at Pizza Hut in Coffeyville. They have a group room which was filled with fellow Amazon work campers. We met some new people and chatted with some people we already knew. Good food and good company. Here we are enjoying ourselves. I think Kevin was having an intense conversation about something.

In my previous post, I had a picture of a converted bus that arrived at the campground. I thought it was the same bus that was here last year. But, I believe I was mistaken. These people have three daughters, and the bus last year had boys.

I received a comment from Greg letting me know these new people have a website at theschollbus.com. They certainly have an interesting set up. I spent some time reading about their adventures. Another example of people who seem to be very happy in a non-traditional life. Good for them!

The Green Bay Packers game is again not on TV this week. Can you believe the local FOX channel is broadcasting soccer instead. At least we have computers and satellite radio. Go Pack Go!

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

Mother-in-Law Suite?

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something surprising comes along. Today a converted bus camper pulled into the campground.

We remember this bus being here last year. The dad worked at Amazon. The mom stayed at the bus with the kids. I think they had two or three kids last year and she was pregnant with another. They also had two dogs. They’ve added some extras to the bus this year.

The main thing you notice is the second story they’ve added. It could be a mother-in-law suite, but my guess is maybe a master bedroom or a room for the kids. They now have a trailer for bikes and other things they need. They also have a car this year. Last year whenever they needed to go anywhere, they had to take the bus.

The second story is very interesting and ingenious. I hope they reinforced the roof of the bus. That’s a lot of weight up there. Also, notice the BBQ on the right front. It’s attached to some bars and swings out from the side.

Last year they were parked near us, and the kids were often outside playing. They were the sweetest, most polite kids we’ve encountered. They put up a sign in the laundry room to be dog walkers. There are a lot of people with dogs, so I’m guessing they got some work.  I wonder if their last name is Scholl. Notice the spelling on the bus.

We finished our first two full shifts at Amazon. This week we’re assigned to half of the warehouse. Next week they’ll be assigning us picking areas in the entire facility. Last night I wore my pedometer and clocked just under six miles. My feet are pretty sore by the end of the shift, but its so much better than last year. At least my back and wrists aren’t aching from the standing and packing. The good news is we’ve both lost a few pounds. I have a lofty goal of losing 20 pounds. We’ll see how that goes.

Last night all pickers and packers got sent home an hour early because of lack of work. This happened a few times last year as well. They bring in the work campers in September and October to train and prepare for the big Christmas peak season. So, right now they have more workers than work. At almost every shift, they offer VTO (voluntary time off) to all workers. Many of the regular employees jump at the chance because they know once the rush starts, there is no time off allowed.

Some work campers take VTO, but many say no thanks. We came here to make as much money as possible, so we’re working. They can’t make you go home unless they send everyone home. I was okay with leaving an hour early last night. I was tired and my feet were aching. Today we rest, and tomorrow we’re back for two more full days.

I can’t get my mind around how the computer system works at Amazon. Everything is scanned and placed in the warehouse. The computer knows where every item is located, assigns each picker items to pick based on orders, then tells the packers which orders to pack and in what size box, then prints a shipping label for the box. All of this is done by computer. All the workers do is scan an item, and the computer does the rest. Its amazing how it all works!!

I talked to both boys this week. Eric is doing well and is happy the hot summer days are behind him. Work is now back to a normal pace. Korey just got back from a two week vacation cruise with his friend Jeremy. Jeremy works for Disney World and gets awesome deals on Disney cruises. This year they went to Disneyland and then a 14 day cruise to Hawaii. They had a great time.

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

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???

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!

Variety Galore

We had our second orientation session on Friday. More paperwork and training videos. They talked about changes that have been made since last year. If the information is correct, it sounds like things will work more smoothly. We start tomorrow, so we’ll find out.

We’ve been walking for about an hour a day to keep working on conditioning for our 10 hour shifts on our feet. If we walk up and down each row of the campground twice, it takes an hour. There are 6 rows with 22 sites per row for a total of 132 sites. Currently about 115 of the sites are occupied. There certainly are a variety of units here.

Today Kevin and I counted how many were motorhomes or other types of RVs. We really need to get a life :) There are 52 motorhomes and 59 fifth wheels or travel trailers, pretty equally divided. Then there are a few other types of units such as camper vans.

Units run from very expensive to barely road worthy. People work here for a variety of reasons. Some are hear just to supplement a nice income. Others are barely scraping by and really need this money. We met a number of people last year who said they just needed something to do.

Most of the people in this park work for Amazon, although a few work at an oil refinery in town. Here are a few pictures of the diverse types of units at this park.

The front one looks like a work van converted into a camper. It has a sewer hose so must have a bathroom. A lone guy and his large dog live in it. The back Casita is occupied by a lone young lady. Rumor has it she is traveling the country before attending college.

These two trailers appear to be occupied by one family. They have a little boy and a dog. You’ll notice the hot tub on the right side. I don’t know if its hooked up. They also have a Dish satellite dish, everyone has their priorities.

Many units are very nice. These three motorhomes are all parked in a row and look like they cost a few bucks.

I’ve never seen a Class C made by Forest River. This one is called a Solera and has solar panels on top that take up most of the roof. I wonder if it comes with the solar panels and that’s why its called a Solera. The Class B next to it is occupied by a lone man. I can’t imagine living in such a small space.

Some work campers start working here as early as August. Its very hot here that time of year. We’ve seen a number of creative air conditioning options on some the trailers. Here’s an interesting one.

The weather this weekend has been wonderful with highs in the low 80s both days. This morning before football started we washed our windows and Kevin cleaned off the front cap of the 5th wheel. Those darn bugs sure do make a mess up there.

It’s time to start working. There’s not much to do in this neck of the woods other than count trailers :)

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

So Far, So Good

Today was our first day of orientation at Amazon. We were there for 4-1/2 hours. They explained how the CamperForce program works, showed us the diversity and workplace ethics videos, took our ID badge pictures, told us our job assignments, did the drug test, administered an easy skills test, filled out I-9 forms and fed us lunch. We also got CamperForce shirts. They had a drawing for some prizes, but we didn’t win any of those. Mostly shirts and coffee mugs.

The drug screen was interesting. They had a stick that you had to place in your mouth for a few minutes. When the dot turned blue, you were done. You placed the stick in a vile and closed the top. This was then put into a bag and sealed. It was quite painless and nice to be able to do the drug test on site. Last year we had to drive over an hour each way to a lab and do a urine test. They did tell us that next year they’re going back to the old way of doing things. No more on-site drug tests. I don’t know why. I hope they change their mind.

I’m much more impressed with the CamperForce personnel this year. They seemed to be much better organized and concerned about everyone’s happiness. Everyone in our group got the job assignment they were promised. We have another 4 hour orientation session tomorrow. I’m not sure what we still need to do that will take that long, but we’re getting paid, so who cares.

We start our jobs next Monday. We’ll be pickers working 5 pm to 3:30 am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. The first week is a hardening week, so they only let you work half shifts. That means we’ll be done at 10 pm. Another week of good sleep for me :) Last year we were told there would be a hardening week, but we just started full time right away. The downside is less money, the upside is a chance to get used to the job.

We’ll still have 8 full weeks with at least 4 of them at 50 hours. Plenty of time for exhaustion!

Our travel day on Tuesday was much better than on Monday. No tire problems!! The only other mishap we had was that our large shade on the back window pulled lose on one side. There is only one screw on each side holding up that large, heavy shade. Last year the screw on the other side pulled out. Kevin has now reinforced it across the entire top. It should be good forever!

I’ve been in touch with Burlington RV in Wisconsin where we’ve had repairs done on our 5th wheel in the past. They are going to send me an estimate for repairs based on pictures I’ve sent them. That way we can submit our claim to Goodyear and wait to have the work done when we get back to Wisconsin in April. The damage isn’t that bad and is all cosmetic. We really don’t want to deal with repairs while on the road this winter. I’ll let you know what happens with Goodyear.

On Tuesday we crossed this cool bridge over the Missouri River into Kansas City.

Here’s the Kansas City skyline. The tree colors in Missouri and Kansas were fantastic.

We traveled on Hwy. US-169 in Kansas. Parts of it are four lane and other sections are two lane. Twice while we were on the two lane sections they were repaving and had traffic down to one lane. 

At the first stop, they had this lady with her stop sign standing out in the weather. It was in the 70s out, but it was quite windy. We waited there for about 15 minutes until the pilot car came to guide us through the construction. The lady switched spots with the driver and then she drove the car. At least she didn’t have to stand there all day.

 

At the second stop, they had this portable red light set up. It had a barrier down across the road like they have at railroad crossings to help assure cars stopped. We waited at this stop about another 15 minutes and then a pilot car came to guide us through. This red light sure seems like a better and cheaper alternative to having a person with a sign.

We arrived at the Big Chief campground in Coffeyville, Kansas Tuesday afternoon. There is a new owner this year. It looks like he is making some improvements, but its slow going. We are parked in site D-11 this year. This is one row over from where we were last year, and its on higher ground. I told the owner we did not want to be in the lake we were in last year. Here’s a reminder picture in case you forgot about our lakefront property last year.

The owner claims he has built up that row. There are some motorhomes on those sites right behind us, so we’ll see what it looks like when it rains. It still looks low to me.

The weather when we arrived on Tuesday was 82 degrees. Its been quite windy and in the 70s since then. This afternoon they actually closed down a stretch of I-35 south of us due to poor visibility caused by blowing dirt. The weekend is forecast for sunny and low 80s. We’re off, so we’ll have to get out and enjoy.

Kevin is super pleased with our new truck. He says it tows like a dream and the brakes work much better. We also averaged almost 10 mph even while driving into the wind. We’re able to travel farther before refueling so we didn’t have to stop once for fuel while towing. This also made Kevin very happy!!

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