AMAZON UPDATE, RENO ACES & 150 YEARS OF NEVADA

AMAZON UPDATE, RENO ACES & 150 YEARS OF NEVADA   

I have been working at Amazon in Fernley, NV for the last three weeks and just now have time to sit down and make my post. We are staying at Sparks Marina RV Park in Sparks, NV about a 30~45 minute drive to Fernley, NV depending on the traffic and road conditions. I 'm working at Amazon for the next 11 weeks or so as a CamperForce. It's a program where Amazon hires RV'ers to help out in their warehouse during the peak season of high sales during the Christmas season. I'm assigned to the stowing area. After items are received and disseminated they arrive to the department I'm working. My job is to scan each item, place them on the shelve and then scan the shelve. The item sits on the shelve until someone purchases it off the Amazon website. Currently, I'm working nights from 6:00 pm - 4:30 am at 40 hours a week and taking any overtime that is offered. Last week was the first time overtime was granted and I just finished working my first 50 hour week. I'm sooooo tired, but I will get all the sleep I want after I arrive in Arizona with my fellow snowbirds. Soon, we will be moving from 10 hour shift to 12 hour shift for the high demand of items coming and going in the next few weeks. I look at this not as a job, but from the consumer view. Like so many other people, I use Amazon and now I can see how it works from the inside. And, making some extra spending money for next summer is just a plus.

The first week we arrived at Sparks Marina RV Park we made a trip to Reno about 10 minutes away. After walking around "The Biggest Little City in the World" just behind the Harrah's Casino is the home of the Reno Aces the AAA affiliate of the Arizona D-Backs. My second favorite player and fellow Kent State alumni Andrew Chafin spent most of the second half of the season in Reno. I walked into the team shop and looked around. They had game used jersey that the players wore during the season. I was lucky as they had one Chafin jersey remaining. I started talking to the store manager that I went to Kent State the same time Chafin did. Come to find out that the store manager's mother went to Kent State and that he lived in Akron, OH when growing up. America is really a small world. I traveled all the way across country and ran into someone less than 30 minutes from my hometown. The store manager told me that the jersey will be going on sale in a few weeks. I was able to put $10 down to hold the jersey until that day. The other day I got a call and picked it up the day after they went on sale. This is one of my BIG items to get autographed next year at spring training in Arizona.    

   

Yesterday, 31 Oct Nevada celebrated it's 150 Birthday. So, what did mother nature bring the next morning ... snow covered mountain tops. The wind also ripped my tire cover. Good excuse to get new ones.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN, NEXT STOP FERNLEY, NV

ON THE ROAD AGAIN, NEXT STOP FERNLEY, NV

7 Oct

Two months have come & gone and before I knew it, it was time to movie on. After all the lights, sounds, water shows and showgirls wore off , Las Vegas is just like every other city I have visited. All the hoopla is what draws the tourist. However, if I learned anything as a full time RV'er it not about an endless vacation, it's a lifestyle. Living in Las Vegas is a lifestyle, treat it like a vacation and you wont last two weeks before your broke running trying to find a way back home.

As we left Las Vegas in our rear view heading North on 95 the view is nothing we have not seen all ready. We did pass the Death Valley NP entrance, the same road we took five months ago. 95 is a lonely stretch of highway with no view except open land. Oh, we did come across aliens, a brothel and a drone aircraft. Heading deep into the mountains we saw drone aircraft flying overhead. It must have been part of Nellis AFB range away from the main base just outside of the Las Vegas Strip. Is big brother spying on US Citizens? From what I've seen on this road trip my thinking is now 50-50.

We stopped for lunch at a gas station and Area 51 gift shop, I met some funny looking aliens.

Just behind the gas station that's located in the middle of nowhere is a brothel. The wife have never head of brothels in the US and is the first time I have ever seen one. It was something new we have never seen and I just wanted to share it with you. NO, we did not go inside to take a look.

We continued on until we stopped for the night in the town of Tonopah. It is the the half way point form Las Vegas to Fernley. So it was a good place to call home for the night. We parked in a Casino's large open lot reserved for semi's and RV's.

8 Oct

Woke up to a cool desert temperature of 55 F. They only way I know this is because there was a sign board flashing the time and temperature all night. We soon hit the road trying to warm up while driving and stopped at the first rest stop to eat breakfast. No semi's allowed so it was a quite morning. However, when we arrived a 5th wheeler had all three slides open along with their awning out. It's a rest stop NOT a RV Park. Keep your slides & awning closed. Respect the unwritten rules of RV'ing and don't "F" it up for the rest of us.

We stopped in Hawthorne a small town that I think only exist because of the US Army Ammo Storage. We pulled over at a vista overlooking Walker Lake. I put the camera on the tripod, set the timer and placed on the hood of the RV... this is view we had.  Because on the angle of the tripod leaning on the hood and front glass it gave us a diamond shade picture. 

We arrived in Fernley four days early, so we had to pay for these days, the rest of our stay will be covered by Amazon. I wanted to get the lay of the land so when I'm working the wife can get around and understand where everything is located. I want to make it easy for her. Speaking of Amazon, Next week I will start the seasonal workforace at Amazon. I have been getting mixed stories about this job, but I'll take the free advice for what it is and will start with an open mind. I'm nervous and at the same time excited. We did a dry run and it took me 35 minutes o drive from the RV Park to Amazon parking lot. Pretty easy, straight shoot on I 80. I will post more about this as the season goes along. 

Update notes:

I'm still behind in my post. I have them started, but not completed. Our trip to BC Canada, WA, ID, UT and some more on our stay in Las Vegas. There has been a lot going on and I will do my best to get all our adventures updated. There is just not enough time in the day to see and do everything and them write about it, before waking up and doing something different the next day. I'll find the time and keep my promise. 

VIDEO UPDATE

VIDEO UPDATE

I finally stopped procrastinating and completed another part of our 2014 Pacific Midwest Road Trip. I know, it's been four months since my last video update but I just had to find the time to get off my A$$ and do something about it. I think I was worried that my last video only received a few hit and I was debating to putting all that time and effort into another video and getting the same results. Then, I came a cross a blog Alyssa Padgett it's just what I needed to give me that push. The stars aligned and her posts where dead on. I commented to one of her post and gave her a links to this blog and my fist video. I did not know what to expect if any reply at all. When she replied with her encouraging words I worked my tail off and not only did I completed one, but two full videos and a few short one.

I never took any classes on how to take pictures or edit video, but I found out I love to do it. I even learned some tricks that my camera can do more then just point and click (I will share them in a later post). The most important thing I learned on this journey, I don't care about how many views or likes I receive on my videos. I like making them, so I make them for me. If people watch them great, if they like them even better.

Bottom line, if you love doing something take the leap of faith and just do it!

Here is the link to the VIDEO. While you are there take a look at my other videos too... if you like.

UPDATE:

I just added a link to my YouTube channel on the side. You can now view my videos without me having to post a link every time. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have making them.

MY BIRTHDAY IN LAS VEGAS

MY BIRTHDAY IN LAS VEGAS

22 Sep

The title might be a little deceiving. I'm way pass the age of 21 and I'm married so, why would a married man over the age of 40 something spend his birthday in Las Vegas.... it just happens to be the place the RV is parked. 

I woke up no different than an other day, felling the young age of 25 (every year I'm now 25).

I had no idea what my wife had planed for me if anything at all. The first thing on my to do list was take care of a pre-employment drug test for Amazon. (Received confirmed email... I passed) After I got back the wife told me to get back into the car. I usually open the car door for her, however, today the tide has turned and she opened the car door for me and did all the driving. First, she took me to a Pro Bass shop. I'm not big on hunting but, I like to fish. However, this trip was to see the sting ray feeding. Unfortunately, the feeding was canceled for today. We did walk around, where else other then Las Vegas is there a casino in a Pro Bass Shop?

Next, she took me to Mandalay Bay Casino and took me the shark tank. Price $18 a person, but I told them I was working in NV and showed my military ID and we got $3 off per ticket. I never want to go, but every time we got to a zoo or aquarium I'm like a little kid standing close to the glass window looking deep into the blue waters looking at all the sea life. I guess I'm just amazed at whats on the other side. A lot of the pictures did not turn out very good, because I did not know where she was taking me and left my good camera in the rig. We only had the small camera and the fish moving fast in water made most of the close up pictures blurry. 

 Check out that shark over my head.

Then, we walked by a store "Art of Music" in Mandalay Bay. Who did I see signing autographs no other the the baseball's all time "Hit King" Pete Rose. If you don't know by now, I LOVE baseball and there is a living legend sitting right in front of me. I had a felling he's prices would be high and I was right, but at least I got to see him (no pictures).

Finally, she took me to a Japanese owned all you can eat sushi restaurant. There was a time limit of 45 minutes, but the restaurant was not busy and we were there over a hour eating everything on the menu. Living in Japan for 10 years, I've learned to try everything at least once. (Who knew I would ever like eating raw horse?) I saw something on the menu I never heard or tried before. The name alone would put a frown on so many people they would not even try it. It's a large mushroom with a hollow center stuffed with spicy tuna deep fried in tempura batter, then sliced in half and served. The mushroom had a crunchy taste with the tempura batter and going down the spicy tuna kicked in and it was good. Sounds tasty? Would you try it? The name of this dish is called monkey ball. How about now, will you still try it after knowing the name of the dish?

 A small example of the MANY sushi we ate.

 Monkey Ball

Who says the only thing to do in Vegas on your birthday is get drunk and gamble. There is a lot to do in Vegas, after looking pass all the flashing lights and sounds of coins dropping from slot machines. We did not spent one cent on alcohol or gambling and had one of my best birthdays ever!

SEATTLE, WA (PART IV) WIFE'S BIRTHDAY

SEATTLE, WA (PART IV) WIFE'S BIRTHDAY

2 Jun - 2 Jul

My wife loves to watch the Food Network and it so happened to be the week before her Birthday that they had a episode on a restaurant in Seattle, WA. What's the chances of that? It was Man vs Food at the Crab Pot on pier 57. I saw her eyes light up when it looked to be an endless supply of all kind of assorted seafood. She LOVES seafood, I knew form that moment where I was going to take her for her Birthday dinner.

We started the afternoon off with a trip to the Space Needle. We debated for while, and decided not to go to the top. We walked around the plaza looking at the park water art and other activities going on.

Then, we headed downtown to the pier. The biggest problem was finding parking. We found a spot, but it was a little out of the way. Look at the stairs we had to walk, just to get from our parking spot down to the pier.

We arrived, what I thought was going to be for an early dinner, but the line said otherwise. The wait was about one and half hours. Any other time I would not stay and wait, but it was for her birthday and there was lots to see on the pier while we waited. We walked around the pier checking out the attractions and shops.

We now worked up an appetite and felt our stomachs growling we were ready to eat everything. As we got back to the Crab Pot we did not have to wait long before our name was called. We took our seat and wasted no time in ordering our food. For most Americans, it's might seem a little weird how they served the food,.. they dumped it on the table and you grab what you want to eat. It dose make for an easy clean up though. I guess our stomachs had a different plan, we could not finish it all and had to take the rest of the food home with us.

SEATTLE, WA (PART III) NATIONAL PARKS

SEATTLE, WA (PART III) 

NATIONAL PARKS

Current news:
Just got an email from Amazon CampForce and my start day is 14 Oct. I'm now just waiting  three weeks when we will start our drive to Fernley, NV. Keeping my fingers crossed that there is no snow ... yet! I'm going to give ourselves a few extra day on the road and if we arrive early, we'll either stay a Casino parking lot in Reno or just check in to the RV park early.

2 Jun - 2 Jul

We stopped at MT Rainier National Park before heading to Seattle, but never blogged it...so this is the best place to add it. Also, while downtown Seattle we stopped at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Two more Parks add to our growing list. My National Park Passport book is getting full and will need to get some new blank pages so I can add more stamps.

MT Rainier NP
MT Rainier was beautiful with snow visible from the mountain top to some place in the wilderness were the sun dose not sine. Waterfalls, streams with running water from the melting snow and a epic snowball fight waiting for us at the top.

First stop was the lower leave lodge. The lower entrance of the park was having the road repaired and took longer then expected so we had to stop and take a break. The view alone was worth it.

As we continued up the road we stopping at a few waterfalls and streams before having our lunch.

With our tummies full the last stage in the drive would be easy. As we got to the top, the hardest part was finding a parking space. We got to the visitor center and the base of the mountain. Still covered with thick layers of snow. Even the snow plowed along the side of the road was taller than the wife. Families sled riding while skiers came down the mountain. It will be months before all of this snows melt. So climbing higher is out of the question.... at least for this trip.

There was a place I wanted to stop by on the home that I saw on the way to the park. Only a few miles from the entrance is a recycled sculptures on display. Open to the public and on a donation fee we stopped. The sculptures were amazing and the detail in every piece. Take a look at some of them and see what was used.

Klondike Gold Rush NHP

On one of our many day trips to downtown Seattle, we stopped at the Klondike Gold Rush NHP. Inside is an exhibit hall with gift shop and theater.  Not very large, but after watching the movie on the Gold Rush and walking around the exhibit close to an hour tour. Prospectors who wanted to head to Alaska for the Gold Rush stayed in Seattle before heading North. These prospectors had to have one year of supplies before they were allowed to start the journey. By the time most got there the gold was taken or the land bought by local Alaskans. Chasing a dream of riches and most died or were broke compared to the few who made it rich. One exhibit we both liked was "Our weight in gold". IF we were gold how much would we be worth. Needless to stay I won with the most $$.