JFK ASSASSINATION SITE & AMAZON HASLET, TX (UPDATE II)
Week 9
This week I was selected as CamperForce Ambassador. It's no big deal, and not pay increase. I teach safety class to the new Amazon associates. When I attended the safety class by first day, I thought this was poorly taught. Now, I can help out and make it like the other Amazon's I have worked, I only hope that the new associates don't think the class was poorly taught. Classes are held after lunch on the first day of orientation, so I get to leave the receive department for half the day.
A bit of bad news... Make sure you check your time clock every week. Since CamperForce is not required to work 11 hour shift, I have been working only 10 hours shift. My last two days (26th and 27th) I have been docked points for leaving work early. For some reason my schedule shown that I'm to work 11 hour shift. the last thing I need is to get released for Amazon for doing nothing wrong. Hiromi checked her time clock and she had only one day incorrect. I talked to HR and they fixed it on the spot. I have also sent an email to CamperForce HR and waiting a reply of how and/or why this is happening as the prior 8 weeks time clocks are correct. At least I caught it now, then after I got paid for working 11 hours and have to deduct my pay later down the road.
Daylight savings time this week, just what my body has been asking for extra sleep.
Week 10
When arrived to the warehouse on Monday morning, we got a surprise announcement that mandatory overtime this week has been canceled. We took advantage of this time off and headed to Dallas to visit Dealey Plaza and the location of JFK Assassination. Parking $7.00 at the JFK sixth floor museum, $10.00 all day (cheaper if under 2 hours) at the Dallas County Court House and of course street parking but very limited in this area.
The Assassination happened at the very end of parade route just before departing under the triple underpass on his way to Trade Mart make his speech.
Of all the history I have learned in school, I never heard of anyone else getting hurt in the shooting. I had to learn this from this visit. Dallas Governor, a police officer and a car salesman were also caught in the line of fire. I always pictured that when I heard "grassy knoll" that it was a large hill, but when I saw it for the first time it was smaller than I thought and not as steep.When the shoots were first fired everyone thought it came from the grassy knoll. There is a wooden fence on top of this hill (no longer the original, but replaced sever times to look like it did on 22 Nov 1963).
Later to find out that the shoots came from the Texas School Book Depository on the sixth floor corner window.
About two block from this site is a Kennedy Memorial Plaza.
Afterwards we tried to find some place nice to eat, but could only find a McDonald's with in walking distance. While we where still in a big town we made two stops at sports card stores so I could build my collection of Red Sox and Twins cards to get signed in Spring Training and added some more Indians who will likely be in Akron next season to get signed when I go to their games. I left the two store with a box of 2015 Topps Update and over 200 single card. Good thing I packed two 5,000 count boxes to store all these cards in. In the box of 2015 Topps Update with 36 packs I pulled a few cards that are hard to come by.
Two tough cards pulled from the same box. By far the best box I have ever opened in my 28 years of collecting.
Week 11
I moved to the new NORTH side of the building. A manager on our third day saw that I was on the North and Hiromi on the South and he moved us both to the North. I don't have to walk across the building any more for breaks and lunch. We had overtime this week and I worked dock work for four of the five days with a half day on the receiving line and half day teaching safety / tour class as an Ambassador to new hires.
On our overtime day there was a power hour. This is an incentive for people to work harder to get something in return. That day, I was a assigned to line unloader. Totes that receivers filled would come down a conveyor and I would stack them on pallets to be moved to stowing. Usually, only receivers on the line would get the reward. However, the totes that came to me was removed and pallets where being moved from my station pretty fast. At the end of the hour I was rewarded with a $5 Amazon LONESTAR bucks.
This is the first time in my 2 peaks that I have ever received swag bucks. These card can be exchanged for Amazon swag. I can only get sunglasses now or I can save them up and get something better. I'll let you know at the end of my commitment what I did with my swag bucks.
Week 12
A little bit of history was made last week when we got the number we set in one day. In one hour we received 89,000+ items, in one shift 840,000+ items and one day 1.48 Million items. All numbers are building and new world wide records.
However, when we both woke up and went into work, we felt like we hit a brick wall. Our body and mind is just drained. Hiromi's arthritic is getting bad, she can't even make a fist without her hands hurting. My wrist is bothering me when lifting and grabbing heavy boxes. Waking up at 4:00am I'm useless and just a walking zombie all day. We tried requesting to be moved to nights to any open department eight weeks ago, but never got approved. I walked into CamperForce HR and told them we are about ready to walk out and explained about Hiromi and my injuries. They said if we quit it would not effect next years application because of our injuries.Neither one of us are quitters, so we came up with a plan. We have earned five hour paid vacation so we used it on our last day of this pay cycle to receive a full 50 hour pay week. We also use our four, five hours approved time off (unpaid) to close out our work week followed by our scheduled three days off. We hope that these five days off will recharge our batteries so we can finish the last five weeks of our commitment strong.
When arrived to the warehouse on Monday morning, we got a surprise announcement that mandatory overtime this week has been canceled. We took advantage of this time off and headed to Dallas to visit Dealey Plaza and the location of JFK Assassination. Parking $7.00 at the JFK sixth floor museum, $10.00 all day (cheaper if under 2 hours) at the Dallas County Court House and of course street parking but very limited in this area.
If you ever visit Dealey Plaza enlarge this picture and use it
as a starting point.
The Assassination happened at the very end of parade route just before departing under the triple underpass on his way to Trade Mart make his speech.
Of all the history I have learned in school, I never heard of anyone else getting hurt in the shooting. I had to learn this from this visit. Dallas Governor, a police officer and a car salesman were also caught in the line of fire. I always pictured that when I heard "grassy knoll" that it was a large hill, but when I saw it for the first time it was smaller than I thought and not as steep.When the shoots were first fired everyone thought it came from the grassy knoll. There is a wooden fence on top of this hill (no longer the original, but replaced sever times to look like it did on 22 Nov 1963).
About two block from this site is a Kennedy Memorial Plaza.
Afterwards we tried to find some place nice to eat, but could only find a McDonald's with in walking distance. While we where still in a big town we made two stops at sports card stores so I could build my collection of Red Sox and Twins cards to get signed in Spring Training and added some more Indians who will likely be in Akron next season to get signed when I go to their games. I left the two store with a box of 2015 Topps Update and over 200 single card. Good thing I packed two 5,000 count boxes to store all these cards in. In the box of 2015 Topps Update with 36 packs I pulled a few cards that are hard to come by.
Hank Aaron Etched in History (Etched in History 1 in every 621 packs)
Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner Yellow Printing Plate 1 of 1 (Printing Plates 1 in every 758 packs)
Two tough cards pulled from the same box. By far the best box I have ever opened in my 28 years of collecting.
Week 11
I moved to the new NORTH side of the building. A manager on our third day saw that I was on the North and Hiromi on the South and he moved us both to the North. I don't have to walk across the building any more for breaks and lunch. We had overtime this week and I worked dock work for four of the five days with a half day on the receiving line and half day teaching safety / tour class as an Ambassador to new hires.
On our overtime day there was a power hour. This is an incentive for people to work harder to get something in return. That day, I was a assigned to line unloader. Totes that receivers filled would come down a conveyor and I would stack them on pallets to be moved to stowing. Usually, only receivers on the line would get the reward. However, the totes that came to me was removed and pallets where being moved from my station pretty fast. At the end of the hour I was rewarded with a $5 Amazon LONESTAR bucks.
This is the first time in my 2 peaks that I have ever received swag bucks. These card can be exchanged for Amazon swag. I can only get sunglasses now or I can save them up and get something better. I'll let you know at the end of my commitment what I did with my swag bucks.
Week 12
A little bit of history was made last week when we got the number we set in one day. In one hour we received 89,000+ items, in one shift 840,000+ items and one day 1.48 Million items. All numbers are building and new world wide records.
However, when we both woke up and went into work, we felt like we hit a brick wall. Our body and mind is just drained. Hiromi's arthritic is getting bad, she can't even make a fist without her hands hurting. My wrist is bothering me when lifting and grabbing heavy boxes. Waking up at 4:00am I'm useless and just a walking zombie all day. We tried requesting to be moved to nights to any open department eight weeks ago, but never got approved. I walked into CamperForce HR and told them we are about ready to walk out and explained about Hiromi and my injuries. They said if we quit it would not effect next years application because of our injuries.Neither one of us are quitters, so we came up with a plan. We have earned five hour paid vacation so we used it on our last day of this pay cycle to receive a full 50 hour pay week. We also use our four, five hours approved time off (unpaid) to close out our work week followed by our scheduled three days off. We hope that these five days off will recharge our batteries so we can finish the last five weeks of our commitment strong.
Wow, this is very interesting Russell.. How many of those Camper workers are seniors? I can't imagine most of us putting in those long hours of heavy physical work. BTW, Paul and I are going to Florida this year too. We hope to go back to Buckeye the following year. Safe Travels.
ReplyDeleteThere is about 220 some campers and only a hand full are 20-40 year olds. Most of the campers are seniors. I fall in the "Younger" crowd (I look younger than my age) and get the heavy physical work. I guess If I request to work the receiving line they would put me there. Less physical work would be nice to finish our commitment.
DeleteWe hope to be in Fort Myers FEB - MAR and work our way back to Ohio for the summer. The last two summers we have been on the road, need to take a break and stay in one place this summer. Five weeks and we are out of here, but no plans set on where is next. Need to start working on that and taking care of soon.
Safe travels to you two, too.