Zombies, Spiders, and Seekers

Hope everyone had a spooktacular Halloween!  Mine was quite fun!  Dad and I dressed up as "Amazombies" and Dad ended up winning 1st place for his shift in the Amazon Halloween costume contest!

Mom didn't enter the contest, although she says she looks and feels like a zombie every work day!  Especially this last week, when she and Dad were asked to work an 11-hour day as "water spiders".  "Water spiders" have a much more physical job than working as counters in ICQA or even compared to working in Receiving.  They must haul pallets, lift totes, load the automated K-SAW, run the VRC elevator, etc. Basically you need the multiple "hands" of a spider and must keep a maniacal pace to ensure all stations on the floor have ample work.  





The day before she worked at the tote stacking machine, which entailed loading the stacked totes on pallets and hauling them to other areas of the building.





These are jobs that some of the Workampers (and full-timers for that matter) don't want or like to do.  But Mom and Dad are willing to do anything--they get paid no matter what task they do and it gives them a break from counting.







I just realized that Amazon is a world of acronyms and strange titles.  For example, a "Seeker" is the person who assists the Stower by handing them items to place in the bins, theoretically increasing the Stower's rates.    "VRC" (mentioned above) is the "Vertical Reciprocating Conveyor".  Mom says Amazon should provide a special dictionary/vocabulary guide when you start to work there!








Looks like the last of the Workampers have arrived at Amazon now, and we have had fun meeting new folks and sharing good times with friends from last year.  In fact, a group of us went into Fort Worth to visit the Rahr Brewery one Wednesday.  For $10/person, you get music, camaraderie, 3 full pints of beer from a choice of nearly a dozen plus a half pint of their specialty seasonal beer (pumpkin rum was on tap the day we visited).  I had a hard time getting in to the joint since I left my rat I.D. at home.  But I finally beguiled my way in.  Thank goodness I am blessed with good looks and a charming personality!

Sharing an ale at Rahr Brewery!

My Rat ID.  Now you know why I left it at home--it just doesn't fit comfortably in my wallet!

My new friends!  This little lass is 10 month old Everest!

Meet 347-pound Major, complete with his own drool bib!

My family took a day to visit the Stockyards, checking out the longhorn steer as they paraded down the street.  They are some BIG  boys!  We stopped at the Fort Worth Water Gardens as well, relishing in the calming effect of the unique pools and falls.

Let the taste-testing begin!  Yes, Mom has  started her holiday cookie baking!  Her cookies and bringing back fish from our Canada/Alaska trip are the only reason we have a chest freezer, but what worthy reasons they are!







Speaking of Canada/Alaska, our Bank of America AAA Visa card announced recently that it will no longer charge foreign transaction fees. Would have been nice if they put this into effect earlier in the year when we incurred fees for traveling through Canada enroute to Alaska.   Mom whined to them, so she was successful in getting us a refund of $9 for charges from August, but she is disappointed that they could not make the refund retroactive to cover the entire $75 of fees we incurred since January.  But it is good news for the RVillage North to Alaska Class of 2017, as I am sure other credit cards will follow suit.






I keep myself busy while my parents are at work.  I tend to get up with them at 5 a.m. (after all, who could sleep with all the racket they make preparing for work!)  There is something so spiritual about watching dark turn to light, witnessing the break of dawn.

My parents usually use their motorcycles to get to work.  So one day, I left Tabby, Stewey, and Dewey at home unsupervised and took Big Boomer out for a joy ride (don't tell my parents!)

I visited Marion Samson Park, which offers scenic views of Lake Worth.  They have lots of trails, but they are geared toward mountain biking rather than hiking, and very few of the trails are actually marked.  So I just lingered at the pavilion and lounged on the great expanse of grass soaking in some sunshine and enjoying the local scenery.  

Seemingly, Tabby entertained herself in my absence.

We are still experiencing very hot, humid weather in Texas.  In fact, October turned out to be the hottest October on record!  And November 1 was about 15 degrees above the historical norm.  Can't wait to get to the dry, arid desert of Arizona!







Congrats to the Cubs on their historical win!  I'm not a big sports fan, but even I was glued to the TV.  It was one heck of a nail-biter! Chicago is in the news for reasons other than the World Series:  apparently they have a bad infestation of rats!  People are adopting cats from shelters and offering homes to stray cats just to keep the rats at bay!  Good news for cats in need of a home in the Chicago area, bad news for my rat relatives and friends!








Well, I've rambled on enough--time for me to say goodnight.  Talk to you again soon!







  

All Hands On at Amazon

My parents just completed Week 4 at Amazon, and have the countdown clock going.

While they enjoy reconnecting with workampers from last year and meeting new folks, including full-time employees known as "Blue Badges", they prefer the work of the Receiving Department to that of the ICQA Department to which they are assigned this year.  And for some reason Mom is getting backaches, something she did not experience while working in Receiving.

Yours truly, PoPo the Rambling RV Rat, with fellow workampers at the Happy Hour we hosted

They attended Amazon's "All Hands On" Meeting recently. The good news is that their hourly wage increased from $10.75 to $11.50/hour due to an across-the-board wage increase.  The bad news is that more than likely they will not receive the $1/hour incentive for working weekends that they scored last year.   And based on the way the department is structured this year and the statements of the new General Manager, it seems ICQA will not incur as much overtime as Receiving did last year.  This is troublesome for yours truly, Rambling RV Rat, as I compile my Christmas wish list!  I had my heart set on getting a cheese fondue pot and pizza maker this year!

The one thing about Amazon that you can count on with certainty--change.  So I'm hoping they change their positions on overtime and the incentive plan.  In the meantime, I've put my sister Tabby and my Cousin Bailey on notice:  their Christmas catnip cartons from me will be downsized.

We got some good perks from Verizon this month.    As Amazon employees, we received a 19% discount on our data plan, saving us $20/month.  Then we were awarded 4 gigs of promotional data.  So we are back to streaming episodes of the series "24".

It was through Mom's efforts that we actually got that promotional data.  You see, my Mom is a real PIA (Pain in A**).  A woman of principle, she will fight every billing inaccuracy, fraudulent advertisement, and what most of us would not even consider wasting our time on.  This week alone, she scored us a savings of $8 on grapes and received a 40 ounce bag of Hershey Kisses FREE (value $8.98) because she was charged more than the posted prices.  Then she disputed a partial toll charge of $5 we incurred while traveling to Livingston last month and somehow got the entire toll of $15 waived.  The best thing about this story, though, is that she took the money she saved and  treated me to a pizza from Frenki's Caprisio in Azle.  It was a pretty good pie and I thought it very caring and generous of Mom to do this for me!  Then I learned she was still reaping savings:  Frenki's offers a one-topping pizza for just $8.99 as a daily special!

Hard to believe it is mid-October, particularly since the Dallas/Fort Worth area still has 90 degree temperatures.  We had a few days of cooler weather thanks to cold fronts coming through, but unfortunately, these periods are short-lived.

We searched for some place to go apple picking in the area these last few weeks, an activity we did frequently back in New Jersey.  But no orchards could be found in this part of Texas.  We stopped instead at Demases Produce Market in Boyd, a fourth-generation farm founded in 1919, and purchased some zucchini and tasty tomatoes.

Well, gotta run and help Mom cook that zucchini.  We are turning it into the Greek dish Moussaka.

Talk to you soon!

  

It's A Miracle...

...A cold front has come through, reducing the temperatures from the high 90s to the more comfortable high 70s.  Heck, we even had a little breeze yesterday and today.  Hope it stays like this a while!





...My folks survived their first week of 10 hour days at Amazon!  Unfortunately, there were many hours spent standing around since Amazon currently has more workers than work stations/assignments.  This is status quo for this time of year, when training is ongoing and more new hires arrive every week.   But they are enjoying reconnecting with work-campers from last year like Angie/Ray, Linda/George, Sue/Rodger, and Sandy/Bill as well as meeting new folks.  They were pleasantly surprised to be greeted so warmly by some of the the "Blue Badges" (i.e., full time Amazonians) with whom they worked last year. And we shared more info and laughs when we attended another get together among work-campers residing in our RV park.






...I finally had the opportunity to see a real live copperhead snake slithering in the woods as we hiked within the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge!  Cool stuff!











Owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth, this place is huge, with more than 3,500 acres of land!  There are a variety of ecosystems, including forests, prairies, and wetlands, and more than 20 miles of hiking trails.  And a pretty good value for just 5 bucks/adult ("geezers" and kids get in cheaper).

Some of the trails are closed for ongoing repairs from flooding that occurred last year, but there are still plenty to explore with different terrains and elevations.





In addition to Mr. Copperhead, We saw deer, blue herons, cranes, frogs, lizards, bison, and prairie dogs.
























The Refuge also has an educational center.   Despite its small size, we spent a half hour there.  We were just mesmerized by a snapping turtle trying to use the red lure on his tongue to capture a fish.  Unfortunately for the little fish, Mr. Turtle was successful.  Here he is right after he enjoyed his afternoon snack.  The food chain and cycle of life just amazes me.  One species must die so another may live.












I was disappointed that I did not see any armadillos along the trails, even though they supposedly live in the area.  Ironically, they have no known predators, yet all the armadillos I have ever seen were dead.  Apparently they had experienced close encounters with chrome bumpers!






Mom has started researching jobs for the Spring of 2017.  We determine what state we wish to visit and then she seeks out jobs in that area.  The winning state for 2017 is Wyoming.  My parents like to firm up their work assignments in the Fall, although we have found many employers wait until January to advertise/hire.  We shall see how things gel out.






Well, I'm off to enjoy my bedtime snack of cheese and crackers.  Talk to you soon!

Suffering the Post Alaska Blues

It seems our truck, Big Boomer, is suffering the post Alaska Blues.  Dad noticed when he steered, Big Boomer’s wheels pulled to the right.  So Dad took him to the truck hospital, AKA the International Service Center in Dallas.  The doctors there said Big Boomer busted a tie rod.  This was the same diagnosis last year when we left Arizona—but on the opposite side of the truck!  It took another $1,388, but he is feeling better now.  However, the doctors noted he may also need new king pins!  They estimate that will cost another $1,500.  Yeesh!  Advice for those going to Alaska in the future:  Budget in some extra money for repairs!  Almost everyone we knew from the RVillage 2016 Class had some unexpected mishap/repair; thankfully, most of the issues occurred at the end of the trip.

Guess it is a good thing my parents are earning some buckaroos at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Haslet, Texas from September to December.   This is their second season working as Amazon Elves for the peak holiday season.  Last year, they worked in the Receiving Dept.  This season all work-campers are assigned to ICQA (Inventory Control/Quality Assurance).  I won’t lie to you:  working at Amazon is a very physical job, standing for 10-11 hours a day, bending, lifting, etc.  Heck, you can log a ½ mile just walking from some areas of the parking lot to your work station!  But you can’t beat the gig for return on investment.  Not only do you earn decent wages ($10.75/hour) and a completion bonus of $1 for every hour worked, but you get a reduction of your living expenses because Amazon also pays for your full hook up RV site.  And the benefit of the paid RV site IS NOT considered any form of income on your W-2.  Unfortunately, the majority of the Amazon-approved campgrounds are at least 30 minutes from the facility, with some of them requiring driving on I-35, which can be a nightmare during peak drive times.  But you’ve gotta accept the good with the bad, right?

Big Boomer isn’t the only one suffering the Post Alaska Blues.  Mom and I miss the cooler Alaskan weather, having endured 2 solid weeks of 95F+ temperatures, which feel more like 100F+ when taking the dew point into account.  This is especially true when we are out doing our 4-mile walks.  Welcome to Texas! 

Since my parents started working on September 14, I try to keep busy and find fun things to do.  Like on Monday, I participated in “International Talk Like a Pirate Day.”  Too bad our pet cockatiel died last year—Sweet Cheeks would have made a great prop for my pirate costume!

"Arr, ye maties, Po-Po Sparrow here t' wish ye all a great Talk Like a Pirate Day!  So all ye Swashbucklers best be talkin' like a Buccaneer today or ye be findin' yer way t' Davey Jones Locker!"

Sometimes I go to work with them, too, and ride the roller coaster!

I’ve met some of the doggies in my neighborhood in Azle, Texas, like Rocky Balboa, Chewey, and Lucy.  Rocky Balboa, a miniature pinscher Chihuahua mix, is a tough nut to crack, but I think he’s starting to take a liking to me.

I particularly like chatting with the cows and goats from the nearby fields and, of course, the roadrunners who reside in the area.  Some of them seem to remember me from last year!

I’ve been on a nature hunt as well.  Check out these pics of some cool insects I’ve discovered!

This one has an egg sac on its back!

I'm also sharing photos of some pretty Texas weeds.  (Funny, when we saw these types of plants in Alaska, we called them wildflowers and marveled at their beauty!)  

Jeffrey and Donny visited my family on September 15.   Formerly from New Jersey, they moved their families to South Carolina upon retirement.  (Like most of us from the Northeast, you work like a dog, make your money, then get out of Dodge to retire).   They were in the midst of a motorcycle trip to Arizona and made a point to stop and visit us in Azle, Texas.  They had a long, rough ride, hitting some nasty weather along the way.  So they were so appreciative of Mom's home-cooked meal of grilled halibut, zucchini/mozzarella casserole, and my personal favorite, mac and cheese.  How wonderful to  spend time with old friends!

My family attended a Meet and Greet hosted by Susan and Rodger, our next door neighbors for the last two Amazon seasons, which gave us a chance to speak with friends from last year as well as work-campers who are first-time Amazonians.  It was great fun for all of us!

Well, I’ve gotta run—I’m helping Dad grill  Alaskan halibut for our dinner!  And it is an early to bed night since my parents have 10 hour days starting tomorrow!

Talk to you soon!