Sunday, December 20, 2015
Greg and I survived the week! Six 10 hour days for him, and five
for me. We kept hoping all week for word of an early release, but as
of today we are still scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The
Hazlett, Texas warehouse got word that they finish up Tuesday, but
each warehouse sets its own schedule.
We did get informed this week that our warehouse will not use work-campers next year. This was the first full season for
Jeffersonville, as a small test group was brought up from the
Campbellsville, KY location partway through last season. We thought
maybe they canceled the program because there was no longer a labor
shortage in the area. This area seems to have attracted a fair amount
of immigrants, and our warehouse reflects that. We have a large group
of Spanish speaking workers, as well as African and Middle Eastern,
with some Asian languages mixed in. Our department, Picking, is not
as diverse, as English reading skills are required to read the
clothing labels.
Yesterday we discovered that they are not hosting another year of
workcampers because of our group. Management got tired of all the
“bitching and complaining” and said they wanted no parts of the
program next year! Now, we were the last bunch to arrive and have
only been here six weeks, and because of our late start have pretty
much decided not to try to get to know the larger group that has been
here much longer. We've been working and keeping our heads down, so
we've only heard a few rumors about that type of behavior. I expect
we'll never know the full story, but we feel that all our
expectations have been met. The experience has pretty much been what
we were led to believe it would be based on our interview and our
multi paged contract. Not gonna' play the blame game. We do need to
figure out where to apply in case we do this next year. We are being
offered early applications to get us to the top of the list and need
to give them our top two choices.
Anyway, this week was more of the same. After we are done I'll
post a “Day in the Life” of an Amazonian. 5 am came extra early
this week! A few more friends left. Rachel and Gavin took off for
Iowa for a family funeral. We missed the young couple as they were a
part of our lunch and break group. Lyle and Lynda went with us to Big
Four Burgers and Brews for a farewell dinner on Friday night. We will
especially miss them. This experience would have been a whole lot
tougher without new friends to commiserate and gossip with!
Greg and I are spending our two free days, (Greg has only had one
day a week off the last three weeks), relaxing, doing laundry, and
starting to stow the rig and prepare for leaving. We are hoping to be dismissed after shift
on Tuesday. Even if we still work Wednesday we'll be prepared to
hitch up the car and drive a few hours towards Maryland until we get
sleepy and find a Flying J. For now, our plans are to spend a week in
Maryland with family and head south to Florida the first week in
January. Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park will be a great, quiet
and beautiful place to volunteer from January through March!
Monday, December 21, 2015
Monday, December 14, 2015
Amazon Update! Life In the Fast Lane!
Monday, December 14, 2015
Last week is finished! We dug deeper into the whole Amazon experience and are ready to run the last leg. Greg worked Monday through Saturday and earned another $100 gift card as well as overtime pay for 59.5 hours. I spent Monday doing laundry and other chores and picked him up at 4:30 pm. Starting to feel out of sorts, as my post last week showed! Well, I was coming down with what was probably a noro-virus, not unexpected given the fact that we are in contact with the same surfaces that thousands of other people touch each day at Amazon. I missed work on Tuesday.
Wednesday I crawled out of bed and dragged my sorry self into work. No work means no pay and since we are here for a short time I needed to just do it! Going to an office and sitting at a desk when you don't feel well is one thing. Walking 10-16 miles a day while you feel sick is not something I'd like to repeat! By Saturday I was pretty much back to the normal end of week Amazon exhaustion. So I earned no overtime this week, but at least got in my 40 hours.
On top of not feeling well, I had to work near the guy who was so rude to me last week. He apparently saw the error of his ways, and spent the week trying to avoid me, which was nearly impossible given that we were frequently working in the same area. I discovered that he is trying to advance himself at Amazon and now seems afraid that I will report him and cause a problem. I have no intention of reporting him, but I hope he learned his lesson. He will be very glad to see me go!
This week starts “Crush Week” at Amazon. We got robocalls from the plant manager thanking us for our hard work and reminding us to keep it up. There will be orange crush sodas served one day and opportunities to pick 200 items an hour to earn a vendor buck to use for a candy bar in the vending machines, and be in a drawing for a $25 gift card. Given the spread out “pick paths” we've had all week, I don't expect anyone we know will be able to qualify.
So, another 50 hour week for me starts tomorrow and Greg started his 59.5 hour week today while I grocery and Christmas shop. No word yet if we will be released early. If not we are still working next Tuesday and Wednesday in order to qualify for our $1 an hour bonus for all time served. We only get that if we last through the 23rd, or if they release us sooner. With Amazon breaking sales records this year, including our warehouse, no one knows if we might get out early.
When you hear from me next, this week will be in the bag and we'll either be finished or two days away from finished! Can't wait...
Last week is finished! We dug deeper into the whole Amazon experience and are ready to run the last leg. Greg worked Monday through Saturday and earned another $100 gift card as well as overtime pay for 59.5 hours. I spent Monday doing laundry and other chores and picked him up at 4:30 pm. Starting to feel out of sorts, as my post last week showed! Well, I was coming down with what was probably a noro-virus, not unexpected given the fact that we are in contact with the same surfaces that thousands of other people touch each day at Amazon. I missed work on Tuesday.
Wednesday I crawled out of bed and dragged my sorry self into work. No work means no pay and since we are here for a short time I needed to just do it! Going to an office and sitting at a desk when you don't feel well is one thing. Walking 10-16 miles a day while you feel sick is not something I'd like to repeat! By Saturday I was pretty much back to the normal end of week Amazon exhaustion. So I earned no overtime this week, but at least got in my 40 hours.
On top of not feeling well, I had to work near the guy who was so rude to me last week. He apparently saw the error of his ways, and spent the week trying to avoid me, which was nearly impossible given that we were frequently working in the same area. I discovered that he is trying to advance himself at Amazon and now seems afraid that I will report him and cause a problem. I have no intention of reporting him, but I hope he learned his lesson. He will be very glad to see me go!
This week starts “Crush Week” at Amazon. We got robocalls from the plant manager thanking us for our hard work and reminding us to keep it up. There will be orange crush sodas served one day and opportunities to pick 200 items an hour to earn a vendor buck to use for a candy bar in the vending machines, and be in a drawing for a $25 gift card. Given the spread out “pick paths” we've had all week, I don't expect anyone we know will be able to qualify.
So, another 50 hour week for me starts tomorrow and Greg started his 59.5 hour week today while I grocery and Christmas shop. No word yet if we will be released early. If not we are still working next Tuesday and Wednesday in order to qualify for our $1 an hour bonus for all time served. We only get that if we last through the 23rd, or if they release us sooner. With Amazon breaking sales records this year, including our warehouse, no one knows if we might get out early.
When you hear from me next, this week will be in the bag and we'll either be finished or two days away from finished! Can't wait...
Monday, December 7, 2015
Slogging Along...
Monday, December 7, 2015
Our first week of longer hours at Amazon was rough. Greg decided to go for the most overtime allowed and a $100 gift card, so he worked Monday through Saturday. His week ended at 4:50 pm when he maxed out at 59.5 hours which is the limit. Supposedly going over that risks firing. No one knows why. We took the option given to work-campers to only work 10 instead of 11 hours for our required 5 days, so that's what Greg and I did all week, swiping in at 6:30 am and leaving at 5 pm.
The days were long and frustrating. Most days we definitely did the 15 miles being sent from one side of a floor and back again after one pick, and then back again to the original spot. Our group spends a lot of time trying to figure out the computer's logic for the “pick path”. Greg got moved to the jewelry area at the other side of the 1/3-mile long warehouse. I stayed in our previous mod running up and down all floors many times a day. I can tell by how my pants fit that I've lost weight, and my everyday walking pace off the job has picked up!
At our last break of the week on Saturday afternoon, I got a taste of the local “culture”. A fellow picker decided that I disrespected him, I'm not sure how, and just before I got up from my table to go back to work walked up and verbally blasted me, then raced off! I was so shocked and speechless as were Greg and our friends, that I could hardly finish the afternoon. I am used to professional situations where if you have an issue, you address it civilly. It was a reminder that we are the interlopers here in a working class culture. One one level, I am furious with the guy. On another level I feel sorry for him that he has issues that cause him to blast a woman he doesn't even know. His buddies were all watching my reaction, so I guess that upped his credibility in their eyes. I've got two weeks left and I get on with my wonderful life while he has to keep working at Amazon. I'm choosing not to make this an issue for him if he leaves me alone.
Greg went in to work today so I went to the laundromat without him and will go pick him up again soon. Tomorrow it's back to the grind again and 12 more days for me and 13 for Greg. I am ready to be done. I don't know how the others who came in mid-September and mid-October are coping. As one of them said, she feels like she's “brain dead”. A few work-campers managed to get put into other departments after working for a while. The powers that be said that we were only to be put into picking even though other Amazon warehouses with work-campers use them in all areas. I told our HR person that I would only consider coming back next year if I could be put into something besides picking. All the other jobs are less strenuous. She told us they might not use work-campers here next year because they only hired 60, and were hoping for 200. Some new warehouses may open up to work-campers next year, but the advantage of this one is that it is mostly apparel, which is easier to handle than heavy electronics and appliances.
One of our 14 person orientation group quit this week, as well as several others who arrived before we did. It was too much to handle physically. No quitting here! I must admit I am a bit down today. The weather is gloomy, and I am feeling tired and out of sorts. The mobile home park we are staying in is bleak as well, and we are missing family and better warmer weather. Oh, and the sun! It's dark when we leave. We are sealed up in a warehouse all day, and dark when we come home. Okay, we are in the home stretch! I'll check in again next week!
Our first week of longer hours at Amazon was rough. Greg decided to go for the most overtime allowed and a $100 gift card, so he worked Monday through Saturday. His week ended at 4:50 pm when he maxed out at 59.5 hours which is the limit. Supposedly going over that risks firing. No one knows why. We took the option given to work-campers to only work 10 instead of 11 hours for our required 5 days, so that's what Greg and I did all week, swiping in at 6:30 am and leaving at 5 pm.
The days were long and frustrating. Most days we definitely did the 15 miles being sent from one side of a floor and back again after one pick, and then back again to the original spot. Our group spends a lot of time trying to figure out the computer's logic for the “pick path”. Greg got moved to the jewelry area at the other side of the 1/3-mile long warehouse. I stayed in our previous mod running up and down all floors many times a day. I can tell by how my pants fit that I've lost weight, and my everyday walking pace off the job has picked up!
At our last break of the week on Saturday afternoon, I got a taste of the local “culture”. A fellow picker decided that I disrespected him, I'm not sure how, and just before I got up from my table to go back to work walked up and verbally blasted me, then raced off! I was so shocked and speechless as were Greg and our friends, that I could hardly finish the afternoon. I am used to professional situations where if you have an issue, you address it civilly. It was a reminder that we are the interlopers here in a working class culture. One one level, I am furious with the guy. On another level I feel sorry for him that he has issues that cause him to blast a woman he doesn't even know. His buddies were all watching my reaction, so I guess that upped his credibility in their eyes. I've got two weeks left and I get on with my wonderful life while he has to keep working at Amazon. I'm choosing not to make this an issue for him if he leaves me alone.
Greg went in to work today so I went to the laundromat without him and will go pick him up again soon. Tomorrow it's back to the grind again and 12 more days for me and 13 for Greg. I am ready to be done. I don't know how the others who came in mid-September and mid-October are coping. As one of them said, she feels like she's “brain dead”. A few work-campers managed to get put into other departments after working for a while. The powers that be said that we were only to be put into picking even though other Amazon warehouses with work-campers use them in all areas. I told our HR person that I would only consider coming back next year if I could be put into something besides picking. All the other jobs are less strenuous. She told us they might not use work-campers here next year because they only hired 60, and were hoping for 200. Some new warehouses may open up to work-campers next year, but the advantage of this one is that it is mostly apparel, which is easier to handle than heavy electronics and appliances.
One of our 14 person orientation group quit this week, as well as several others who arrived before we did. It was too much to handle physically. No quitting here! I must admit I am a bit down today. The weather is gloomy, and I am feeling tired and out of sorts. The mobile home park we are staying in is bleak as well, and we are missing family and better warmer weather. Oh, and the sun! It's dark when we leave. We are sealed up in a warehouse all day, and dark when we come home. Okay, we are in the home stretch! I'll check in again next week!
Sunday, November 29, 2015
28 Football Fields, Red Yeti, Black Friday, and KingFish
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Well, Week 3 of everything Amazon is in the bag! Next week we transition from 4 days to 5 days a week. The whole warehouse is on 11 hour days, and starting at 6:30 am as of Black Friday, but the extra hour is optional for workcampers. Last weekend was our last 3 day weekend, so like crazy people on Monday, our middle day off, we went back to the Amazon Fulfillment Center!
We were offered a tour, so we gathered with their PR person and
another half dozen workcampers and took an hour and a half stroll
through the huge warehouse. Cameras, and cellphones are not allowed
in the building past security, so there are no photos of the tour. We
also had to sign a non-disclosure form before we started working
there. Since we took the standard press tour I will fill you in on
the basics.
Amazon SDF-8, our warehouse, covers 1.2 million square feet, with up to four levels on each end which house the products. (Note from Greg - the Amazon building is easy to find on the Google Earth or Google Maps satellite photos. It is much bigger than any other building in our area of Kentuckiana). The building is thermostatically controlled to be 75 degrees and very dry. It is the size of 28 football fields. Considered one of the 7th generation of Amazon warehouses, the 8th generation will cover 60 football fields and have robotics and possibly drones! It is huge! Their are over 30 million products stored here. In fact our plant just broke a worldwide record for having the most items. In our short 6 weeks here, Greg and I will have personally handled thousands of them.
There is an impressive system of conveyor belts rushing totes and boxes in and out of the building, with thousands of humans doing the jobs that fill those totes and boxes. We walk 10-15 miles a day, while many people in the other departments are stationary all day as they sort and pack. Single items are packed in a separate area from the multi pack items. That area is proprietary and we weren't allowed to view it.
The most fascinating stop on our tour was the imaging studio where the majority of the items that you see photos of on the Amazon webpages are photographed. The cameras, screens and lights facilitate 360 degree photos of each item that are computer manipulated to have perfect clarity and detail as you view them on your computer.
Our tour concluded and we took off to grocery shop. Got to keep enough calories around to fuel our busy days! We eat at our twice a day breaks and at lunch and then I try to throw together a healthy dinner at the end of an exhausting day. The last two weeks I made crockpot meals that provided two consecutive nights dinner. The other nights we relied on the old standbys of grilled cheese and scrambled eggs.
Tuesday we did laundry at the local laundromat that has free dryers! The washers are a little costlier than some places we've been, but cheaper than others. It's a nice clean place as well. Afterwards, since Greg would be working on Wednesday for his 60th birthday, we drove into downtown Jeffersonville and had a late lunch at The Red Yeti Brewing Company. The food was top notch and we each had a decent local beer. Then we walked the block or so to the Ohio River and over to the park at the base of the old Big Four railroad bridge. The bridge has been turned into a walking and biking path with huge concrete ramps leading up to it and parks at the base on each side of the river. Lots of people were enjoying the sunny weather as they strolled or power walked back and forth from Jeffersonville, Indiana to Louisville, Kentucky. Greg and I declined to walk across. It's not like we never walk anymore!
Wednesday it was back to work for the lead-up to Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Thanksgiving there was a smaller crew scheduled, but we had been told that even though in the past employees had been let out early, we shouldn't expect it. There was a backlog due to a bomb threat Saturday night when everyone was sent home early. Thanksgiving was a very tiring day with some of us, (not Greg), being sent all over up and down and back and forth to the far ends for single or a few items before being relocated again. I stopped counting around 12 times I was moved and that was before lunch. At 2 pm we were all called off the floor and told that the backlog was caught up and we could go home early. The locals were happy, the workcampers, not so much. None of us had family nearby and we were making time and a half for the holiday. Losing four hours meant everyone was thrown into a shorter work week, which meant not enough hours to kick the rest of the week into overtime pay. Hmmm...
So, for Greg and I the compromise was to work the extra hour (for
11 hours) on Black Friday and Saturday that we had not planned on. We
wound up with a 38 hour work week and a tough last hour those two
days. Black Friday was hectic but not too bad. We had a 20 minute
break mid-afternoon when we were shut down. Being too efficient, our
department picked faster than packing could keep up with us, so they
needed time to catch up. We were all joking that we “broke”
Amazon! Saturday as we slogged along our new friends Lyle and Lynda
suggested a drink and dinner at a local restaurant after work, so we
said yes and wound up at the KingFish Restaurant on the waterfront.
It was dark and raining so we only got glimpses of lit up Louisville
across the river as we walked to the car. Also, we were in t-shirts
and jeans and work shoes, and stinky bods from the hot warehouse, but
did we care, no! It was great to sit and share dinner with new
friends!
Today, Sunday, we slept in and chilled for the day. Tomorrow I have to get up early and drive Greg to Amazon. He is doing voluntary overtime the next three Mondays to boost his hours to 59 ½, the most we are allowed. He also gets a $100 VISA gift card each week. We can use that for diesel for the rig when we relocate. I will do laundry and groceries those days. I know myself well enough to know I can't push it that hard. This week is our first 5 day week, so I need to adjust to that!
Adios for now! Here comes Week 4!
Well, Week 3 of everything Amazon is in the bag! Next week we transition from 4 days to 5 days a week. The whole warehouse is on 11 hour days, and starting at 6:30 am as of Black Friday, but the extra hour is optional for workcampers. Last weekend was our last 3 day weekend, so like crazy people on Monday, our middle day off, we went back to the Amazon Fulfillment Center!
 |
| Our campsite surrounded by other Amazon Camperforce folks |
Amazon SDF-8, our warehouse, covers 1.2 million square feet, with up to four levels on each end which house the products. (Note from Greg - the Amazon building is easy to find on the Google Earth or Google Maps satellite photos. It is much bigger than any other building in our area of Kentuckiana). The building is thermostatically controlled to be 75 degrees and very dry. It is the size of 28 football fields. Considered one of the 7th generation of Amazon warehouses, the 8th generation will cover 60 football fields and have robotics and possibly drones! It is huge! Their are over 30 million products stored here. In fact our plant just broke a worldwide record for having the most items. In our short 6 weeks here, Greg and I will have personally handled thousands of them.
There is an impressive system of conveyor belts rushing totes and boxes in and out of the building, with thousands of humans doing the jobs that fill those totes and boxes. We walk 10-15 miles a day, while many people in the other departments are stationary all day as they sort and pack. Single items are packed in a separate area from the multi pack items. That area is proprietary and we weren't allowed to view it.
The most fascinating stop on our tour was the imaging studio where the majority of the items that you see photos of on the Amazon webpages are photographed. The cameras, screens and lights facilitate 360 degree photos of each item that are computer manipulated to have perfect clarity and detail as you view them on your computer.
Our tour concluded and we took off to grocery shop. Got to keep enough calories around to fuel our busy days! We eat at our twice a day breaks and at lunch and then I try to throw together a healthy dinner at the end of an exhausting day. The last two weeks I made crockpot meals that provided two consecutive nights dinner. The other nights we relied on the old standbys of grilled cheese and scrambled eggs.
Tuesday we did laundry at the local laundromat that has free dryers! The washers are a little costlier than some places we've been, but cheaper than others. It's a nice clean place as well. Afterwards, since Greg would be working on Wednesday for his 60th birthday, we drove into downtown Jeffersonville and had a late lunch at The Red Yeti Brewing Company. The food was top notch and we each had a decent local beer. Then we walked the block or so to the Ohio River and over to the park at the base of the old Big Four railroad bridge. The bridge has been turned into a walking and biking path with huge concrete ramps leading up to it and parks at the base on each side of the river. Lots of people were enjoying the sunny weather as they strolled or power walked back and forth from Jeffersonville, Indiana to Louisville, Kentucky. Greg and I declined to walk across. It's not like we never walk anymore!
 |
| Brisket sandwich and Stone IPA |
 |
| Small vats for the locally brewed ales |
 |
| Street art - Repurposed bicycle flower planter |
Wednesday it was back to work for the lead-up to Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Thanksgiving there was a smaller crew scheduled, but we had been told that even though in the past employees had been let out early, we shouldn't expect it. There was a backlog due to a bomb threat Saturday night when everyone was sent home early. Thanksgiving was a very tiring day with some of us, (not Greg), being sent all over up and down and back and forth to the far ends for single or a few items before being relocated again. I stopped counting around 12 times I was moved and that was before lunch. At 2 pm we were all called off the floor and told that the backlog was caught up and we could go home early. The locals were happy, the workcampers, not so much. None of us had family nearby and we were making time and a half for the holiday. Losing four hours meant everyone was thrown into a shorter work week, which meant not enough hours to kick the rest of the week into overtime pay. Hmmm...
 |
| The ramp up to the Big 4 Bridge over the Ohio |
 |
| The concrete Flood Wall - on the right, you get the view, on the left, you stay dry. |
 |
| Looking across the Ohio at Louisville |
 |
| Looking west along the Ohio River Scenic Byway |
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| The Big 4 Bridge |
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| The John F Kennedy Bridge (I-65) and, behind it, the Clark Memorial Bridge (US 31 |
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| The new sculpture showing the depth of flood waters in 1937 |
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| City Music Amphitheater with a floating stage |
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| Waterfront park |
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| Town ice rink |
Today, Sunday, we slept in and chilled for the day. Tomorrow I have to get up early and drive Greg to Amazon. He is doing voluntary overtime the next three Mondays to boost his hours to 59 ½, the most we are allowed. He also gets a $100 VISA gift card each week. We can use that for diesel for the rig when we relocate. I will do laundry and groceries those days. I know myself well enough to know I can't push it that hard. This week is our first 5 day week, so I need to adjust to that!
Adios for now! Here comes Week 4!
Sunday, November 22, 2015
New Friends, Lots of Work, and Sore Feet!
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Just how long is a ten hour work day? Long enough to walk 10-15+ miles in an Amazon Fulfillment Center! Today we are sitting with our feet up in the RV. We finished our first four-10 hour day week. It was pretty grueling, but we are both surprised that we aren't as sore as we (I) expected to be. I finally heard a few complaints from Greg when we got home last night, but overall, we survived.
Combining the learning curve with that much walking is also tiring. We are learning a very precise work system and culture that allows for no deviation or mistakes. Your handheld scanner knows where you are, (except the bathroom!) and what you are doing the whole day. There are two huge picking modules at both ends of the building. Most of the workcampers are in the Eastmod with us. It consists of four floors and on each floor, a grid-work of stacked cardboard bins, the highest bins needing to be reached with a ladder, and the bottom row on the floor. There are about 250 aisles and an equal amount of rows running perpendicular in a big square. On each floor you find a pushcart and put 2-3 bins on its shelves and the scanner sends you off in a direction to say, row 178 and bin H625. The ends of rows have numbers to find your directions by, so it is a little like looking for a street and then a house number. Note from Greg: I measured the building from satellite photos on Google Earth and it covers over 24 acres and much of the building has four floors. So searching the rows and aisles adds up to many miles!
When you find your bin, the fun begins. Amazon has a system whereby the stowers put things into random bins, so when you pull out a bin you may be confronted by two large puffy coats, 3 packages of tube socks, several oxford shirts, three corsets, a bikini bottom, four wallets, two pairs of jeans, several Star Wars t-shirts, eight Green Bay Packers knit caps, two slinky jersey evening gowns, and two packages of baby sleepers.??? You were sent by the scanner to find the sealed in plastic bikini bottom and finally discover it near the back and bottom of the bin in between the Star Wars t-shirts. Scan it quickly, since you are being timed and head on to the next item which is often many rows away. Your next pick often brings you back again near the same neighborhood as your previous pick. When the totes are full you need to walk to one of the two conveyor belts and send them off.
There is much speculation among workcampers during breaks about the seeming randomness of everything. We've all had sessions where we spent all our time going long distances up and back and to the far flung corners of the mod, only to return there again. The only explanations we can come up with are that we are picking for a new order that has come in for Amazon Prime customers whose orders must go out overnight and can't wait for the regular picking process, or keeping everyone constantly on the move keeps us from bogging down and socializing with people picking in the same spot. Mixing the items in the bins sometimes makes them easier to spot and usually only one item in the size is in the bin, so you can spot it and not need to check the size. But, sometimes you open a bin and it is filled with the same items and you have to read every size label to find the requested one. So many questions and no answers!
In addition to learning the system and trying to increase our picking speed, we began to bond with our fellow workcampers. We all take our hurried breaks and lunch together, and since we are the last bunch here and the earlier arriving workcampers have already joined together, we sit with our orientation group. There are several couples, some singles, and several 20-somethings. We've spent most of our time with Lyle and Linda, who have been on the road 12 years, and Mike and Teri, who have one year under their belts. We are getting to know some other workcampers, and a few of our workcamping neighbors at Silver Lake, although everyone is working hard and with the cold weather no one is outside socializing at the campground.
Next week we are working Wednesday through Saturday, but the plant is bumping up to 11 hour days on Black Friday and starting at 6:30! Workcampers are given the option of staying at 10 hours. Cyber Monday week, the following week, everyone goes to five days a week. I have been getting up at 5:45 already. I find it hard to fall asleep at night after the stimulating day even though I am really tired.
We have four more weeks to go, so with an end in sight I will push myself. This challenge is important to me. I have set a goal during our travels of physically challenging myself after a lifetime of not pushing the limits and a fear of physical activity. Emotional stress tires me out fast, but in this job I am only stressing myself physically and it feels good to push on through. I am getting adequate sleep, eating healthy, staying hydrated and snacking and sitting down every few hours. I know I'll be really tired when we are done, but I will probably lose a few pounds, be more fit, and have some money to show for my efforts. I'll let you know if I am still this upbeat when we get to the end!
Enjoy the photos from previous visits to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park where we will volunteer after Christmas for three months! I will be working in the ranger office and Greg will be working outside mowing, cutting firewood, or other "fun" work. (Note from Greg: I want to drive the Swamp Buggy!)
Just how long is a ten hour work day? Long enough to walk 10-15+ miles in an Amazon Fulfillment Center! Today we are sitting with our feet up in the RV. We finished our first four-10 hour day week. It was pretty grueling, but we are both surprised that we aren't as sore as we (I) expected to be. I finally heard a few complaints from Greg when we got home last night, but overall, we survived.
Combining the learning curve with that much walking is also tiring. We are learning a very precise work system and culture that allows for no deviation or mistakes. Your handheld scanner knows where you are, (except the bathroom!) and what you are doing the whole day. There are two huge picking modules at both ends of the building. Most of the workcampers are in the Eastmod with us. It consists of four floors and on each floor, a grid-work of stacked cardboard bins, the highest bins needing to be reached with a ladder, and the bottom row on the floor. There are about 250 aisles and an equal amount of rows running perpendicular in a big square. On each floor you find a pushcart and put 2-3 bins on its shelves and the scanner sends you off in a direction to say, row 178 and bin H625. The ends of rows have numbers to find your directions by, so it is a little like looking for a street and then a house number. Note from Greg: I measured the building from satellite photos on Google Earth and it covers over 24 acres and much of the building has four floors. So searching the rows and aisles adds up to many miles!
When you find your bin, the fun begins. Amazon has a system whereby the stowers put things into random bins, so when you pull out a bin you may be confronted by two large puffy coats, 3 packages of tube socks, several oxford shirts, three corsets, a bikini bottom, four wallets, two pairs of jeans, several Star Wars t-shirts, eight Green Bay Packers knit caps, two slinky jersey evening gowns, and two packages of baby sleepers.??? You were sent by the scanner to find the sealed in plastic bikini bottom and finally discover it near the back and bottom of the bin in between the Star Wars t-shirts. Scan it quickly, since you are being timed and head on to the next item which is often many rows away. Your next pick often brings you back again near the same neighborhood as your previous pick. When the totes are full you need to walk to one of the two conveyor belts and send them off.
There is much speculation among workcampers during breaks about the seeming randomness of everything. We've all had sessions where we spent all our time going long distances up and back and to the far flung corners of the mod, only to return there again. The only explanations we can come up with are that we are picking for a new order that has come in for Amazon Prime customers whose orders must go out overnight and can't wait for the regular picking process, or keeping everyone constantly on the move keeps us from bogging down and socializing with people picking in the same spot. Mixing the items in the bins sometimes makes them easier to spot and usually only one item in the size is in the bin, so you can spot it and not need to check the size. But, sometimes you open a bin and it is filled with the same items and you have to read every size label to find the requested one. So many questions and no answers!
In addition to learning the system and trying to increase our picking speed, we began to bond with our fellow workcampers. We all take our hurried breaks and lunch together, and since we are the last bunch here and the earlier arriving workcampers have already joined together, we sit with our orientation group. There are several couples, some singles, and several 20-somethings. We've spent most of our time with Lyle and Linda, who have been on the road 12 years, and Mike and Teri, who have one year under their belts. We are getting to know some other workcampers, and a few of our workcamping neighbors at Silver Lake, although everyone is working hard and with the cold weather no one is outside socializing at the campground.
Next week we are working Wednesday through Saturday, but the plant is bumping up to 11 hour days on Black Friday and starting at 6:30! Workcampers are given the option of staying at 10 hours. Cyber Monday week, the following week, everyone goes to five days a week. I have been getting up at 5:45 already. I find it hard to fall asleep at night after the stimulating day even though I am really tired.
We have four more weeks to go, so with an end in sight I will push myself. This challenge is important to me. I have set a goal during our travels of physically challenging myself after a lifetime of not pushing the limits and a fear of physical activity. Emotional stress tires me out fast, but in this job I am only stressing myself physically and it feels good to push on through. I am getting adequate sleep, eating healthy, staying hydrated and snacking and sitting down every few hours. I know I'll be really tired when we are done, but I will probably lose a few pounds, be more fit, and have some money to show for my efforts. I'll let you know if I am still this upbeat when we get to the end!
Enjoy the photos from previous visits to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park where we will volunteer after Christmas for three months! I will be working in the ranger office and Greg will be working outside mowing, cutting firewood, or other "fun" work. (Note from Greg: I want to drive the Swamp Buggy!)
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| Greg's Swamp Buggy? |
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| Ferocious Deer |
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| Crested Caracara |
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| Resting after at grueling 17-inch hill climb! |
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| 12-foot Lap-gator |
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| Kathleen celebrating a vigorous bike ride! |
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| Grumpy water moccasin does not want to share the trail. |
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| Anhinga! |
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| Big-Ass Spider with a 20-foot web between the palms. |
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Living Life On Our Own Terms
Originally written on October 31, 2015
November 12th will mark three years on the road for my intrepid traveling mate and myself. Last year I posted a review of what I had learned after two years on the road. This year I am in a more philosophical mood. Year 3 was very different from the first two. November 12, 2012 began a leap of faith or folly, depending on your viewpoint, after we sold the house and rid ourselves of most of our possessions. Greg's last day of full-time, career-oriented employment was a few days before. Since then we've been running on savings, passion, wanderlust and the deep conviction that we need to live the rest of our lives on our own terms.
I turned 63 this year, and Greg will reach 60 this month. We are
aware that we are existing in a Catch-22 world. Not old enough for
all the benefits, financial and otherwise, of retirement, but still
young enough to be left to our own devices to stretch what we have
left. The plan, of course, was two years of a sabbatical of sorts. Those two years flew by as we traveled over 70,000 miles and
explored coast-to-coast the US and Canada, all the way to
Newfoundland/Labrador, and Alaska.
The freedom was intoxicating. We were born to be nomads, but
reality bites, as they say, and at the end of two years we had blown
through a chunk of savings, were about to become grandparents, and
still had three elderly parents with varying needs for our attention.
So, the third year of our freedom reflected those realities.
Neither of us was ready to give it up, go back to jobs and a housebound life, and we still aren't. This past year has required us to adjust our expectations and lifestyle. We spent Christmas in Florida with Greg's Dad after signing up with a mail forwarding service, and changing our residency to Florida. Then we took a last long journey out to the Southwest. After a rally in Quartzsite, and some desert boondocking and exploring in Arizona, we raced back to Florida to buy a towed car. Then to Maryland in early February to await the birth of our grand-daughter. The RV stayed behind in a storage lot, and we rented a place to ride out the cold, snowy, icy winter until our beautiful grand-daughter arrived.
During the 21 days in February we waited before we could be useful
to the new family, we worked on our plans for the rest of the year.
It was time to begin work camping, like so many others who are on the
road full-time. Whether to try to provide all their income, or
supplement what they have, or just to settle for a while and do
something useful, staying on the road long term requires a strategy.
No more impulsive exploring for us. It was time to knuckle down and
figure out how to make this work.
Our biggest expenses are our fixed expenses, health, life, car, and RV insurance. Then come our costs for staying connected, the phones, and wifi. Our single biggest expense is our health insurance. At almost $1,100 a month for a $13,000 deductible that gives us literally nothing in terms of exams or prescriptions. If anything drives us off the road, it will be affording that! We have always had the capacity to live frugally, but can't do anything to change this expense. We have an agreed upon amount of savings we feel we need to conserve if we have to settle down again, and we won't spend below that.
So, in February we phone interviewed with various places
interested in hiring us for the summer. We secured positions starting
May 15th in New Hampshire, expecting to work until the end
of October. After that we hoped to get hired by Amazon for their
seasonal Camperforce and work until Christmas. 7+ months of
employment appeared to cover all our fixed expenses for a year, and
we could be frugal with the rest; food, fuel, camping fees, and the
small miscellaneous expenses of life.
Back to Florida to pick up the RV, attach a hitch and start to
work our way up to New Hampshire. Our first work camping experience
turned out to be not what we expected. We left Labor Day since there
was little money to be made after that, and we were too far from
family. Spending more time in the Mid-Atlantic region allowed us more
time with family and friends, but didn't help the coffers. We managed
to get hired by Amazon for their Jeffersonville, IN warehouse, but
don't start until November 11th. Six weeks at the only
fairly decent paying job in workcampingdom helps. It is going to be
physically demanding, but hopefully I can handle it.
So, now we are lining up jobs for next year. Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in Florida where we stayed briefly the last three winters is taking us on for January, February, and March as volunteers. No pay, 20 hours a week of work, but warmth and beauty and a place to relax for the winter. Summer is the earning season for work campers and we have put out feelers to jobs in the Mid-Atlantic to stay close to family. With parents 95, 90, and 87, and a soon to be toddler grand-daughter we need to be closer. No Western forays for a while.
I guess a lot of people (sane people!) would get off the road at this point. Yet, there are a LOT of full-timers out there making it all work for them. Last night I came across a blog that I had bookmarked a few years ago and never looked at again. The last post was by the wife. She and her husband had full-timed for 2 ½ years, and he had just died unexpectedly. Her well written, but anguished post on his blog told in detail the unexpected disease that quickly took his life. She expressed no regrets, but admitted the difficulties of not being near family when it happened, and the problem of driving their large fifth-wheel trailer to a place of safety so she could be at the hospital with him.
At first reading I put myself in her place and thought about the difficulties she faced that were compounded by her rolling home and lifestyle. That could happen to anyone on the road, and does. But, life happens everywhere, whether you are in a rolling or stationary home. Fear is not a good reason to stop traveling. “Life's too short” is such an overused cliche, but, honestly, it is! It is too short to wait to live out dreams that have been pushed under until the “right timing” happens.
Greg and I have chosen to live life on our own terms. You ask why we would want to live with the uncertainty of our days when it would be “easier” to get off the road and go back to a “normal” life? Because every day we are in charge of our own destiny, in charge of our lives. We answer to no one but each other. I get to have new experiences with my best friend and the one person who gets my wanderlust, because he has it, too. Creating this crazy life together has given us the strongest marriage we have had in our 34 years of married life.
Someday, due to age, health, or lack of finances we'll have to get off the road. In the meantime we are relishing the freedom to choose each day's course. Sure, we are hiring ourselves out to pay the bills, but we are working when and where we want, and not tied to one place indefinitely. Our life is one of new experiences instead of possessions, and our small RV allows us to lightly touch the planet.
Update- November 12, 2015 Today is officially our third anniversary of full-timing. We are in our first week of working at Amazon and meeting new friends and having an interesting experience. After applying for a new health plan through a broker who is a full-time Rver, too, we discovered that we are able to qualify for a subsidy and drastically reduce our health insurance cost. As long as we are earning over $16,000 a year as a couple we qualify for the subsidy. Since we plan on continuing to work camp that shouldn't be a problem. Things are looking up for our long term life on the road.
November 12th will mark three years on the road for my intrepid traveling mate and myself. Last year I posted a review of what I had learned after two years on the road. This year I am in a more philosophical mood. Year 3 was very different from the first two. November 12, 2012 began a leap of faith or folly, depending on your viewpoint, after we sold the house and rid ourselves of most of our possessions. Greg's last day of full-time, career-oriented employment was a few days before. Since then we've been running on savings, passion, wanderlust and the deep conviction that we need to live the rest of our lives on our own terms.
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| The Newbies heading out |
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| The Desert Southwest |
 |
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| The Northeast corner - Newfoundland |
Neither of us was ready to give it up, go back to jobs and a housebound life, and we still aren't. This past year has required us to adjust our expectations and lifestyle. We spent Christmas in Florida with Greg's Dad after signing up with a mail forwarding service, and changing our residency to Florida. Then we took a last long journey out to the Southwest. After a rally in Quartzsite, and some desert boondocking and exploring in Arizona, we raced back to Florida to buy a towed car. Then to Maryland in early February to await the birth of our grand-daughter. The RV stayed behind in a storage lot, and we rented a place to ride out the cold, snowy, icy winter until our beautiful grand-daughter arrived.
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| On the Beach in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington |
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| Cape Blanco, Oregon |
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| Cheticamp, Nova Scotia |
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| El Malpais Lava Beds |
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| One of our favorite towns - Leading Tickles, Newfoundland |
Our biggest expenses are our fixed expenses, health, life, car, and RV insurance. Then come our costs for staying connected, the phones, and wifi. Our single biggest expense is our health insurance. At almost $1,100 a month for a $13,000 deductible that gives us literally nothing in terms of exams or prescriptions. If anything drives us off the road, it will be affording that! We have always had the capacity to live frugally, but can't do anything to change this expense. We have an agreed upon amount of savings we feel we need to conserve if we have to settle down again, and we won't spend below that.
 |
| Exploring the canyons of Mojave Desert Preserve |
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| Seminole Canyon in Texas |
So, now we are lining up jobs for next year. Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in Florida where we stayed briefly the last three winters is taking us on for January, February, and March as volunteers. No pay, 20 hours a week of work, but warmth and beauty and a place to relax for the winter. Summer is the earning season for work campers and we have put out feelers to jobs in the Mid-Atlantic to stay close to family. With parents 95, 90, and 87, and a soon to be toddler grand-daughter we need to be closer. No Western forays for a while.
I guess a lot of people (sane people!) would get off the road at this point. Yet, there are a LOT of full-timers out there making it all work for them. Last night I came across a blog that I had bookmarked a few years ago and never looked at again. The last post was by the wife. She and her husband had full-timed for 2 ½ years, and he had just died unexpectedly. Her well written, but anguished post on his blog told in detail the unexpected disease that quickly took his life. She expressed no regrets, but admitted the difficulties of not being near family when it happened, and the problem of driving their large fifth-wheel trailer to a place of safety so she could be at the hospital with him.
At first reading I put myself in her place and thought about the difficulties she faced that were compounded by her rolling home and lifestyle. That could happen to anyone on the road, and does. But, life happens everywhere, whether you are in a rolling or stationary home. Fear is not a good reason to stop traveling. “Life's too short” is such an overused cliche, but, honestly, it is! It is too short to wait to live out dreams that have been pushed under until the “right timing” happens.
Greg and I have chosen to live life on our own terms. You ask why we would want to live with the uncertainty of our days when it would be “easier” to get off the road and go back to a “normal” life? Because every day we are in charge of our own destiny, in charge of our lives. We answer to no one but each other. I get to have new experiences with my best friend and the one person who gets my wanderlust, because he has it, too. Creating this crazy life together has given us the strongest marriage we have had in our 34 years of married life.
Someday, due to age, health, or lack of finances we'll have to get off the road. In the meantime we are relishing the freedom to choose each day's course. Sure, we are hiring ourselves out to pay the bills, but we are working when and where we want, and not tied to one place indefinitely. Our life is one of new experiences instead of possessions, and our small RV allows us to lightly touch the planet.
Update- November 12, 2015 Today is officially our third anniversary of full-timing. We are in our first week of working at Amazon and meeting new friends and having an interesting experience. After applying for a new health plan through a broker who is a full-time Rver, too, we discovered that we are able to qualify for a subsidy and drastically reduce our health insurance cost. As long as we are earning over $16,000 a year as a couple we qualify for the subsidy. Since we plan on continuing to work camp that shouldn't be a problem. Things are looking up for our long term life on the road.
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