Warehouse fun, and watching the skies just got more interesting.

Music: The news. Waiting to see how long I'm gonna freeze my ass off this weekend.
4:30p

I could sum up this past work week in three words: hectic, frustrating, and fast. If I wasn't standing in front of a computer setting primes, something was wrong. After my record-breaking four pages from Friday, Saturday and Sunday were a little slower, and this time, I had a partner. Saturday my co-worker and I set a plan into action; I was to be in charge of setting primes only, and she could verify. Halfway through the day, I swear she was going to kill my boss (guess who got dumped over in Phase one again!), thus breaking up our thing we had going. Again, I get over there, and there's nothing to verify. Called my boss. P2 was running over 400 labels (yikes) and asked me to come back, saying he'd probably send me back towards the end of the day. Okay, ya'll gonna have to start paying my gas for this. Good news is I didn't have to go back. Even better news is that I saw just how much my boss cares for his team. Too many fingers are being pointed at us (from receiving) on how we're 'not doing our job.' People, please understand, when we get asked to set a prime, these are now the steps we have to follow (as of the 1st):

1. What department is the item?

2. How much of said item is coming in/on order?

3. What's the freight type, and the weight of the item?

4. Find what dock item is going to, according to dept. #

5. Find a prime depending on weight and freight type of item.

6. Find an OPEN prime.

7. Set prime. Be sure dimensions are accurate. 

Not to mention, we're trying to decide during this whole process if this is going on standard pallets, or tier racks. Seven steps (with some minor details that I'm not listing), and total time it takes is about 10 minutes (if you're quick) to set your prime. Now, if you're getting 10 at a time from unloaders who refuse to follow protocol, do the math and it takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half! This is exactly what happened to me on Friday. Boss wasn't happy....with THEM. As QA, we ask our dock folks to get with us with each different item they come upon. Saturday and Sunday, QA was let off before 6, and receiving was still going. Not complaining there, that is, until each night, right at 6, and AFTER QA had been paged to bring it in, I was handed two primes each time. Immediately called my boss. He didn't need a cart; he came charging down the dock, on foot, probably faster than the golf cart could have taken him! It was funny and serious at the same time. He wasn't afraid to get into the manager's office. I had the last laugh, as he then turned me loose, and I didn't have to set a single prime. You're talking about 20 minutes to set two primes. Not happening, and he wasn't about to let any one of us succumb to their needs, when it was receiving's responsibility to find QA before the last possible minute. ('oh, but we tried to find you') Nah, not having it, and neither was my boss. So happy was I when the weekend was over, that I think I was actually high (not to mention, no OT this week). 

So what does this mean for me? The last couple of weeks, I've been enjoying my freedom, kind of in limbo. Not really committing to staying or going. But now that I've found just how much my boss sees what's going on, and is trying to keep his QA team out of trouble, I don't know. I still hate counting and unsure just how much he can help if I ask. I really don't know. And naturally, while typing this, my email job alert goes off. Coincidence?? 

FREAKY. 

*opens up email and discards it just as fast*  Nothing to see here, move along. 

Still undecided. 

So, I'm on my way home Sunday night, when I see what looks like a funnel cloud just a few miles north of me. Of course, it's nearly dark, and hard to see. It didn't look like it was anywhere near the plants, but like I said, hard to see from the distance and it was dark, plus it's hard to really look when you're doing 70 down the highway. I ran to Taco Bell and parked myself, excited and freaking out all the while because omg it could have been real! Hey, let me have my moment. The skies were freakishly green and dark. But hardly any wind. Oh, well. The thought of moving right down the road is becoming all the more tempting. 

This week, I did some research, and finally took the plunge. I'm taking a Skywarn class this coming Tuesday. If you don't know Skywarn, you don't know weather. I've known about this organization for over 10 years, from the first time I saw a vehicle with the logo plastered on its bumper when I worked at McDonald's, thus naturally sparking my curiosity. Skywarn uses volunteers to be the eyes and the ears in the field when radar fails. Meaning, these people can spot rotating wall clouds, funnel clouds/tornadoes, or even flash flooding when the radar cannot. They relay reports to the National Weather Service to aid in warnings to the public, and ultimately, they save lives!

I missed my opportunity last year to join. This year, they are offering two online classes for the month of March. Classes are free, and once you pass, you become a certified spotter. This is a HUGE opportunity for me, and I'm all too excited and anxious to become a part of the Skywarn community. So, this week, I've spent countless hours researching and learning. This is amazing! On getting my next check, I'm going to buy a weather radio and a book I've been after for years. God has opened a door that I'm sure will lead to others as well. 

Three days of warehouse fun are ahead of me, then it's back to studying and class next week. Next time I post, hopefully you'll be looking at Sky's newest member! 

For now, I'm out. :)

Watching the ice caps melt away..

Music: Restaurant Impossible on Food Network. 
Looking at the time is depressing me.

I never did pick up where I left off from last time. Things on the other side of the world (commonly referred to as Spring) were tense last week, and my anxiety levels shot up so quick and was so severe, I actually am considering asking my doctor to put me back on my medication after 10 years. Everyone at that house is going through their own situations, which causes me to not get a moment's peace (and I go up there to get away from everything..). 

But I believe my own situation might have something to do with the stress. I am two days away from getting my step 2 removed, and I still have no clue what I'm going to do. The flip-flopping is leaving me exhausted, and I'm tired of balancing the pros and cons. But I made it-all the sweating in the beginning and me prematurely panicking and ready to jump ship (and went as far as asking.....that, um, guy....by the dealership. Yes, I sunk that low. I'm still kicking myself for it. The hell was I thinking?)-and here I am. I wrestle with the question 'do I stay or do I go' every second of everyday. I wish God would give me a little nod (more like shove) in the right direction. I need a day off where I can sit down an analyze every angle and weigh one against the other. What do I do to make this work? I'm still unsure....

I'm still waiting on my first Invisalign refinement tray. I've had this set of braces in for three weeks now, and this week I've started getting headaches (whether stress related or braces related I have no idea), and I wish I could get them so I can get back on track with this. I want them off in October. I can't move forward until I get these trays. Oh yeah, and I researched the gum issue (with some scary examples). Gum is bad, bad, bad. Of course, you don't chew it with the trays in. Idiot. With attachments, gum is bad, bad, bad. Unless someone who's been through the treatment can correct me (I'll love you forever...I'm scared shitless to ask my dentist). So looks like that banana gum that Juan gave me from Mexico will have to sit another 9 months on my desk. Looks really good, too. Oh well. It'll be well worth the sacrifice come October! (hope the gum is still good by then)

For now, I'm just here, trying to survive and have fun doing it. I'll update again soon. I'm going to go play Wartune and hide in my castle now.