Today was our first day in our specific job assignment at Amazon.  We are assigned to Picking, which is the most mobile of all the jobs.  Today was just a five-hour workday, and the first half was going to “Picking School”.  We had 2 excellent and patient trainers that worked with our group of 10 Workampers.  In very simple terms, you have a scanner, and it tells you where to go in the building, what aisle, and what shelf and bin.  The hardest part is just figuring out where to go, as there are 3 buildings in the warehouse, all connected. I felt like we were on a scavenger hunt all afternoon.

After our 15 minute break, they let us loose, and we started to pick actual customer orders.  There are no names or anything associated with the scanner.  Everything is done by bar codes.  And there is no rhyme or reason about what is on the shelves.  The Stowers (people who put the merchandise away to be picked), just put the merchandise wherever they find an opening.  So you can pick 5 items from one shelf, and then 5 more of the same item in another aisle.  And the variety of items is amazing.  It’s very fast paced, but not very difficult.

And yes, I decided I better start wearing my glasses, so I can read the tiny little print on some of these items!

Tomorrow we have another 5 hour shift, and they will probably give us orders in another building.  Today we just stayed in one building.  I am going to try to find my pedometer, and see how much walking I am doing.  They have coolers of bottled water all over the buildings, and free Gatorade and coffee in the break room.  Of course the safety lady stopped and reminded me to keep 2 hands on my cart when I am going down the aisles.  They are very safety oriented at Amazon.

Makena was very excited to see us when we got home, and we went for a long walk around the park.  They are starting to decorate for Halloween here at the State Park as they have a big Halloween Party in a few weeks.  The park is also starting to fill back up, and there are lots of kids, which was a bit puzzling. Kentucky has no standard start date for their schools.  The schools around here start in early August, and they are now on a Fall break for the week.  And they are done in May.  The schools in the northern part of Kentucky are on a different schedule.

Quote for the day:  If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito – Dali Lama