Work Hardened

No one likes corporate euphemisms more than I.  Amazon.com refers to the first four weeks on the job with them as "work hardening".  It really just means that at the end of four weeks working for Amazon you don't find yourself calling out for your Mommy at the end of 10 hours of walking 10 miles on cold, hard, unforgiving concrete, and that you can handle a "scanner" without harming your fellow workers, or small animals.  As you will recall we only worked 5 hour days the first two weeks, and then shifted to 10 hour days two weeks ago.  There are two things that happen.....one, you get more mentally tough, and two, your feet hurt in places you never before imagined.  For the first time in a decade I have blisters on my feet.  Of course, that is what "Mole Skin" was made for, and I have used it liberally this past week.  Fortunately, no new blisters have shown up.....just the 3 I got on Tuesday during the last two hours of my shift.  The first 8 hours are a breeze....it's the last two that get to you.  

Until the summer of 2011 I used to officiate a lot of adult indoor soccer, which is played at night during the week .  Sometimes I would get the Friday night shift that would go from 6pm to Midnight, or 1am.  Typically that would involve 7-8 soccer matches with maybe 3 minutes break between each game.  I used to think that was a tough gig.....trying to stay mentally alert, be on your feet, and maintain concentration for only 6-7 hours in a row.  Doing 4 ten hour days at Amazon makes that experience look tame.  Around 2am you start to get a little "punchy", or "punch drunk".  I started out last week (the first week of 1o hour shifts) drinking a lot of coffee, Dr. Pepper, and 5 Hour Energy during my shift.  As my body and mind have adjusted I only drink one cup of coffee now with lunch.   I consume 3-4 bottles of water every shift.  I sometimes drink a 5 Hour Energy drink just before we go to work, but that's it.  

We did not do much Friday afternoon......there really isn't a morning anymore....we go to bed between 4am and 5am, and sleep 'til almost Noon, so we have about 4 hours of lazing around before we have to start getting into work mode around 4pm.....I usually take a nap around 3pm, and then eat dinner at 4pm, then get my feet prepped for walking and standing for 10 hours.....if we walk to work we leave around 4:50 for the 10 minute walk over to Amazon.  This week it was extremely cold, and rainy so we drove the car Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday we walked to and fro.

We spent the past 2 weeks in Building "B" working Pick Mods C, D, J, K, LMN, P and Q.  I now know my way around those "Mods".  My percentages have gone up from low 80's this week to often over 100%.  TLE picks like she types......she is routinely well over 100%....she is my "picking" hero.....lol!  TLE and I occasionally cross paths during our shift, and I always perk up when I see that famous TLE smile across the conveyor belt.

Friday night was another short shift.....we were released again at 2am, and, frankly, there were no complaints from moi.  

Saturday will find me watching more college football, taking naps and keeping my feet elevated.

Thanks for stopping by!