Amazon- Back Behind the Pick Cart

October 11, 2016

The four weeks between leaving Geneva Point Center in New Hampshire and arriving in Campbellsville, Kentucky for our 12 weeks working at Amazon have flown by! No leisurely “vacation” between assignments this year. With a marvelous grand-daughter and her parents to spend time with, and catching up with my parents and the rest of the family, we were busy and happy. On top of that the RV needed an extended stay at the dealer to take care of some maintenance and the installation of new coach batteries, including a newly constructed shelf for them. The rig also spent time at the Mercedes-Benz dealer for the truck part to have some work done. We squeezed in doctor and dentist appointments, re-stocked the rig, visited the storage unit, and attended another family wedding on Nantucket. This time we were able to introduce the island to our son-in-law and 18 month-old grand-daughter, and relive experiences with our daughter. We made many memories to treasure, as well as reconnecting with extended family. Phew!

Sunset on Lake Winnipesaukee

Our last night...

Goodbye Geneva Point Center!

Granddaughter running wild at the wedding on Nantucket

All Gussied Up

On the beach in Sconset

Knocking down sandcastles

On the ferry back to Hyannis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Heading back to the mainland

Needless to say we left Maryland for Kentucky a bit on the worn out side. Not the best way to start the rigors of Amazon! Amazon pays for two nights at your chosen campground before you start, so we took two days to drive after leaving Maryland. The night in between found us as usual at a Flying J Truck stop just over the Kentucky line. We arrived at the Green River Resort on Saturday, October 1^st. Definitely not as nice as it looked on their webpage, but the owners are friendly and it is so much better than the trailer park we were put up in while working at the Jeffersonville, Indiana warehouse last year.

Passing through the famous Sideling Hill Syncline as we head west through Maryland on I-70

A really, REALLY big box!

We found a suitable site backing up to a fenced in field and were greeted by our buddies from last year's Amazon experience. Lyle and Lynda and their Black Lab, Lola, arrived three weeks before us and showed us the ropes. The campground is small, just a loop and one short entry road with sites. There is a camp store with hot food, ( we haven't tried it yet), a decent shower house, and a laundry room. That is a godsend! No driving into town hauling laundry.

Our Neighborhood

Our campsite

Most of the campers are working at Amazon, and a few at a local construction site. The local seasonal campers who are still here have been told to move their rigs out of the park. They usually pay a small amount to leave their RV's on a site for the winter, but the resort owners can make more from Amazon by renting to all of us until Christmas. So far it has been pretty quiet here in the evenings since most people are working now.


Green River State Park is across the road, and an Army Corps of Engineers dam and visitors center is 3 miles down the road. We made a visit on our day off and explored both parks. Greg is planning to get out his bike and do some riding on the trails. I get enough exercise walking 10-15 miles a day at Amazon, thank you!

Authentic Kentucky equestrians

Houseboats at the Green River Lake Marina

The outflow from the main dam

Residents of the visitors center

The sign does Not say Greg will get his arm back!

On the beach with the main dam in the background

Green River Lake

Civil War era house at the park used as a field hospital during a nearby battle

Ghostly apparition?

We started with orientation and safety training on Monday. We spent 8 hours learning a new Amazon Fulfillment Center. SDF-1 is smaller than last year's warehouse and a lot older. This facility has been in operation for 17 years and is currently three buildings joined together. Two have been totally refurbished to take on the overflow of apparel that goes into Jeffersonville where we worked last year. Amazon is making a big push into the apparel market. There are still a lot of toys and miscellaneous items, but not a lot of heavy items.


This Fulfillment Center has used workcampers for 7 years, and apparently is very dependent upon us to get them through the Peak Season. There is definitely a “friendlier” attitude here than we found last year. It has been fun to run into familiar faces from last Peak.


Our first week consisted of orientation on Monday and then four 5-hour days of “work-hardening” while we did actual picking and tried to learn the layout of the warehouse. Oh, my! Yours truly was dazed and confused! Picking came right back easy-peasey, but the rat's maze warehouse will take a while, even with the maps they gave us! Friday was a short day. There was a water main break in town and the warehouse had no access to bathroom facilities, so everyone was sent home with pay. We had Saturday off and then picked up our regular schedule, so we went back in for our first 10-hour days on Sunday and Monday. I stayed up for the Presidential debate on Sunday night. Bad move, (for a host of reasons...) but had to be up at 5 am. We clocked in at 6:30 am and back out at 5 PM. That last hour on Monday was one foot in front of the other...


For now, we get three days off, while working for four. Once mandatory overtime starts we go to five days. Voluntary overtime was offered this week so Greg decided he wanted to earn more. He went back in today. I am luxuriating in sleeping in until 8 am and having nothing I have to do today! First time since???



Well, one week down, 11 to go! I'll update when I can. Last year I managed one post a week for our six weeks. This year with 11 to go...no promises! Hoping to get out a bit before the weather cools down. For now it is sunny and beautiful. The warehouse is a bit like the show title, “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. It's always artificially sunny and warm!

Leaving the North Woods

September 3, 2016


We are down to our last five days at Geneva Point Center. The nights have been cooling down, and the mornings have the scent of Fall in the air. The loons are changing their calls as they begin to search out one another on the lakes of New Hampshire, and start gathering in large groups for the migration to the North Atlantic coastal waters. They spend the long winters out on the open ocean.

Greg is still working hard in the Buildings and Grounds department and finding satisfaction in the physical labor involved. Last week I delivered our international staff to the local and Concord, New Hampshire bus stations. All but one are off on their adventures to see America. Mat from Slovakia, (“I'm riding shotgun!”, who learned English watching American television), is staying behind for a few weeks in order to help all the oldsters finish out the season. Last year the majority of the international staff stayed until Labor Day and got us through our last few groups. This year they were scheduled to leave a week early, and suddenly we are down to a skeleton crew of mostly retirees who are trying to handle groups of 200 guests and 80 guests, while the Director had to be out of town.

The Ice Cream Shop is shut down for the season.

The Building & Grounds crew cleaning up after tree trimming.

I have been circulating through housekeeping, kitchen, guest services and the ice cream shop. The day before yesterday I put in an 11+ hour day. Yesterday, on changeover day, I joined the “Four Old Ladies”, as we were calling ourselves, to prepare all the necessary bathrooms, shower houses, and cabins by the 3 pm check-in. We didn't finish on time. The irony of working in housekeeping didn't escape me. When Greg and I were preparing to apply for workcamping jobs in February of 2015 we discussed what our dealbreakers would be for any job offers. Mine was cleaning bathrooms! Guess what I have done for the last four days?! Also, when we discussed our finances and made a plan so that we could continue being nomads after our original two year sabbatical, I sort of remember making a comment about if we ever really got in a pinch, maybe I would consider cleaning bathrooms...

I now have a new found respect for anyone who has no choice in order to make a living, but to work in housekeeping, cleaning toilets and showers, and making bed after bed. I got a real baptism into it since we were cleaning the cabins of teen-aged boys!

Today I managed to get my hair stuck on a hanging flystrip, yuck! After coming back to the rig I washed my hair with Dawn dishwashing detergent. I figured if that works to get oil slicked waterfowl clean after oil spills, I better give that a try. My gentle herbal shampoo didn't even begin to cut the glue. At that point I decided that I was done. I didn't come back here to exhaust myself again. I had a great time driving the students on their excursions. Greg and I have both been asked to come back next summer, and I would do the same job. We haven't committed to anything yet.

We've enjoyed our co-workers. They are mostly friends from last year. This summer I was able to attend a concert here during Summer Acoustic Music Week. Last year I had late hours in the ice cream shop and missed out. Our nephew Jon and his girlfriend Rebecca came for an over night and we had a fun morning kayaking on the lake. Our international students asked me to take them to N. Conway, NH to Diana's Baths and Cathedral Ledge, Old Orchard Beach, ME, Portland Head Lighthouse, ME, Salem, MA, Franconia Notch State Park, NH, White Mountain National Forest, NH, the Mt. Washington Hotel, Portsmouth, NH and a nearby whale watching cruise, Castle in the Clouds, minigolf, and numerous restaurants, as well as outlet shops, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, the local bank, and most trips ended by going to WalMart! If I do this again next year I will already know where to find these places! I loved getting to know all the kids who rode with me on those long days in the old camp van. We learned from each other. Most of them were from Eastern Europe and the UK Our six weeks have passed quickly and we are looking forward to more family time soon.

Summer Acoustic Music Week

The Harmonica workshop band

Selfies at Cathedral Ledge

Portland Head Lighthouse

Sarah, Mat, and Vivien soaking up the sun

The Basin at Franconia Notch State Park

Iveta and Laura  after a day hiking

The sign said, "Do you have the 10 essentials?" Do we need a spider?!

The Mount Washington Hotel

Looking at Mt. Washington from the hotel

Downtown Portsmouth, NH

Whale watching tour office

Diana's Baths

Fun at the Baths!

The Geneva Point waterfront

Kayaks and canoes on Lake Winnipesauke.

The kayak paddle and life preserver sheds at the beach

We have been keeping our eye on the weather and are grateful to be gone from Tidewater Virginia and Bethpage Camp Resort as Hurricane Hermine is flooding out that area. Our campground was low and flat and our RV sat in a lake every time we had an ordinary rain! Hopefully by the time we leave for Maryland on Thursday morning we'll be able to avoid the storm. After a good visit, a family wedding and being grandparents, (can't wait!) we'll start on October 3^rd at Amazon in Campbellsville, Kentucky. That job is starting to feel real since we got our e-mail notice yesterday to go get our drug testing done for the job. I'm ready for the Amazon Fitness Plan after eating the free meals here and indulging in all the yummy baked goods calling my name after every meal...

Summers End

Evening along the lake

Saying goodbye to new friends Weronika and Paulina waiting for their bus

Backside of the sign that our international student staff saw every time they left their cabins!