New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and now the day after… wow, in only two more days it will be exactly one year since we embarked on our big adventure. I may have mentioned it before, but rather than “time flying” as it usually does, this year has seemed much longer than usual. I don’t mean to say it has dragged, but rather that we have done so many things and gone to so many new places and our year has been full of so many new experiences that it gave us a sense of slowness so to speak. Does that make sense?
I have not posted since the first two weeks of working at Amazon, and I am pleased to report that things most definitely improved. Management transferred me out of the Picking Department and into the Shipping Department shortly after I wrote that post. In shipping, I quickly ended up working on the “kick-out” line. In other words, I used several computerized tools to diagnose the problem when the computer detected something wrong with a packed box and literally kicked it off the line. Actually there were several things that could potentially be incorrect, and it was my job to determine the problem. I absolutely loved it as I was working with their computer system, and anyone who knows me understands that working with computers is “my thing”! Wayne continued in the Picking Department and did quite well, eventually moving into a similar sort of “problem solving” position. We felt overall it was a great experience. Amazon treated us very well, and although certainly not perfect by any stretch of the imagination (none of them are), seems to be a good company. We have committed to coming back for their 2011 “peak” season in exchange for our choice of shift.
We finished our commitment at Amazon at 3:10 a.m. on Christmas Eve. We slept for a few hours, got up about 11:00 a.m. and proceeded to get our house on wheels ready to get back on the road. Unfortunately, in that preparation, the black tank (for those unfamiliar with that terminology, think “sewer”) overfilled during back flushing and broke! Consequently, we have had to use the restrooms in campgrounds since then. This was interesting in Nashville where we spent Christmas. It was cold and snowy the entire time we were there, and walking in the snow to the restroom at midnight is not what one would usually choose to do. I know, I know, our grandparents had outhouses and always had to walk outside to use the restroom, but we are not used to that. It could be worse. Anyway, we have contacted our insurance, and now that we are in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, we have been in contact with an RV repair service. We hope to get this situation resolved within the first two weeks of January. It may take more than one day, so we are planning on going on a short trip to Gulfport where I lived as a baby for a couple of years and spend at least one night. That way we can have some fun sightseeing while our trailer is repaired.
As I mentioned, we have arrived in Hattiesburg, MS where we are working at the Okatoma Resort and RV Park. Most of the campers here come to the area for some type of temporary work such as construction, computer conversion, etc. They stay at Okatoma for anywhere from a month to two years or more. There are even a few Katrina transplants here living in very small trailers and pop-ups. Quite a diverse group; we have only met a few of them, but they have all been very nice. Fred and Mary Ellen Baker, the owners, are nice people and welcomed us warmly. There are two other workamping couples here, plus one gentleman who functions as a maintenance manager. What is expected of each of us is certainly not difficult. I even get to feed and take care of 19 chickens, including gathering the eggs. I used to do this for my grandmother as a child, so I will really enjoy this part of my job. These next three months at the park should be relatively easy and non-stressful, although there will surely be days when we work hard. The owners don’t seem difficult to please and are quite friendly and pleasant. They left this weekend to visit children in northern Mississippi. It is nice they feel comfortable enough to leave. That at least indicates a level of trust in the workampers they have hired.
We went to Crosspoint Community Church this morning … no, we didn’t go back to Modesto … this church is in Hattiesburg! It was wonderful and we felt right at home. We were welcomed warmly by several people, the pastor was good, the worship was awesome … overall, a great morning. We will be going back. They even want me to sign some songs for them. That should be interesting!
Well, I need to sign off for now. We will see what 2011 holds. A new grandbaby would be nice!
