The Week That Was

So I've survived my second full 50-hour week and am beginning to think I might make it all the way to the end. By 3am this morning, my feet were hurting but not as badly as last week. And overall I felt better. Amazing what the body will do if you just keep on. Maybe I'll get a firmed-up ass out of all this walking.

Am still discovering little piddly rules that I didn't know about, like clocking back in after lunch. I thought that powering up the scanner (which is assigned to me) did it, but nooooo. So now I have to remember to do that. Started the night in A Mod (1/2 mile), then sent to G Mod (1/2 mile), then back to A Mod (1/2 mile). Once arrived anywhere, you get a cart, load "product," and start scanning and shelving. Discovered that I walk 1/2 mile in 5 minutes, so a 20-minute mile; not too bad a rate.

"Office politics" has begun to rear its ugly head. There are some workampers who bustle about and give directions and orders and generally waste time being officious. Then there are the amazingly competitive ones who stack their carts with huge piles of totes, sometimes leaving almost nothing for the rest of us (I'm in the group that likes to share the wealth so we all have something to do).

I had a small run-in with one woman (workamper). I asked her where to put the "problem" totes (this in an area new to me). Well, she didn't just tell me where, she pulled on my cart to go there and began to tell me how to handle the problem tote. Thanks, I said, I know how. Would she stop? No. She kept on, started tugging on my totes (that sounds funny), babbling all the while. Thank you very much, I said, I know what I'm doing. She kept on and kept on and kept on. I finally said, Hey! I know how! Go away!

Some of the regular supervisors have begun to talk to some of us about Amazon and working there and other people who work there and who's good and who's bad, etc. etc. I'm so glad I'm not a permanent employee.

Tonight the workampers are gathering at the Pizza Hut for dinner (at 5pm -- farmers hours). Tomorrow is errand/chore day. Four more weeks of work, then a week waiting for my last check, and then I'm outa here, heading for Arizona.