The End Of GXO.... In The Kenosha Building.

 It was a pretty good day today.   Another free breakfast and Lunch. ( Today is the last day for that, though....)  Zebra has already successfully shipped several items with only minor hiccups...  So people are learning the outbound stuff.    And we have already received several things on the inbound side.   I can only imagine that it works best when you have experienced crew AND a system that actually works!  Hurray for Zebra!

That being said,  GXO is global and their system works for other things for other customers. GXO is not really dying or anything.  They just are not going to be working for Zebra here in Kenosha.  And as a symbolic gesture... Today was the day the huge GXO sign was officially removed from the Building.  

We have been cleaning up the building after the inventory audit,   removing tape and signs and cleaning up the rows.   And today we started the task of removing the old location stickers and replacing them with Zebra's system.   It will take a few days with only 4 teams going down each row,  but I think we are getting the hang of it after just a few hours.   It could go faster in the future.  And it is nice being one of the first people to get a head's up on how the locations are arranged. 

Today's training was all about benefits, volunteering,  and investments. Fun stuff!  I can hardly wait to jump into the website to set things up. Perhaps day when I can fully focus....

And then there was the group photo.  I'm near the back row...  

And finally,  while I'm actually blogging... I may as well not that my Mushrooms are finally Pinning!   They are supposed to double in size each day over the next few days, but the temps and sunlight might prevent that from actually happening.   We shall see though, as they progress.   I will continue to mist them and watch them to make sure we do not let them go too long.  Plus!  I have big plans for future harvests!   I have been saving coffee grounds and the Parkside forest has MANY dead trees that could use an oyster mushroom species to help with the recycling.   I will try to help mother nature along. 

So there it is.   GXO is officially gone and Zebra is hitting its stride.  And I'm on the ground floor while it is happening.  Kind of a cool place to be at the moment.  

Hope everyone is having a fine Wednesday.   And hopefully the rest of the week will be smooth and swift as the weekend approaches.   Thanks for stopping in.

My First Day Of Being A Zebra....

Under new Management!  Officially now.   Zebra has taken over the building and all things GXO are banned....  In the most comical way possible.  I will start off by saying I am grateful to GXO for taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to prove that I can do Warehouse work as well as any Material Handler 3.    Or 2!   And I actually did not have too many issues with the company as a whole.(Seriously!  Hardly any!  Only one comes to mind actually.)   I would recommend them to anyone who was seeking a job change or wanted to get into the warehouse/ distribution world.  An easy job,  Good pay,  Generous leave time and a long rope to swing from if life got in the way of you coming to work.   ( perhaps a little TOO generous...)   

That being said,  I will admit I have very little to compare it to.   Other than my other jobs.   And many of those were FAR worse...  So take it for what it is.    Also,  there were a few bad players...  As with all jobs.   But many of them did not survive the first 90 days.  I would say that pretty much everyone I had the opportunity to work with over the last nine months were wonderful, hard working people.   And a joy to be around and work with.  

 

But now we are Zebra... And I like what I see so far.
 

I get the impression they really want to impress us. And the first impressions are impressive!   At least I'm impressed.   ( Just how many times is he going to use that word?...)  And I think others are as well.  

First...  They bought us breakfast!   Nice.   Catered from Panera!   

Next,   They gave us a Zebra Hoodie!   And took our shoe size!  ( apparently, they will be buying us safety shoes as well.  At least for many of the Material handlers and Fork Truck drivers.) 

They will also be providing us with zebra shirts...  kind of like a uniform, since the entire warehouse will be used as a showroom for future clients.   I have heard 5 at first with 2 additional shirts each year?   We shall see.   I do know that we can also purchase any color and style we want off the Zebra store for our own personal touches.  ( I love the uniforms... And the Slogans! )  

And then there is the swag.   Goodies for just showing up and staying for the orientation.   I got two tumblers,  a zebra book,  zebra lanyard, zebra sack, zebra box, two pens, a Sharpie, and two plush zebra chew toys!   (Not that I would want to chew them... but they are kind of cute. ) Any company that gives you a plush chew toy on your first day, can't be all that bad....  ( That is what Cheryl says, anyway. )

We also got our ID badges on DAY ONE!  That is kind of impressive since the HR person at GXO ( name withheld to protect the person....) seemed to struggle to get them to us after a month! And some people  never really got their's to work properly.   There is a theory that the HR person in question had something to do with it... as the people who had trouble with the badges also seemed to have trouble with HER!  But I digress... Having a badge with my picture on it... with a zip clip for my pocket that was not oversized for he badge slot... was kind of nice. 

They then bought us LUNCH!    Sub sandwiches from a local sub shop. ( I forget the name....  but it was better than Subway.)

Training was positive.   We know many of the Zebra people already and had the opportunity to work with several of them during the 100%  inventory.  Gary and Dave come to mind.   Along with a couple others who's names I forget at this moment.  I'm sure we will be seeing them in the future, as they live very close by and stated that they would love to be transferred to the Kenosha facility.  

So... So far so good!   Things are looking promising.   I also can't state this enough,  I will be working with a great crew of people.   People who I have had the blessing to work with over the last several months.   And I have become rather attached to all of them like a family.  I am encouraged so far that Zebra seems to recognize that and wants to instill a culture that will be a benefit to those  people and to the area of Kenosha. And wants to make opportunities possible for everyone who managed to tough it out through the transfer.  I know it is still early and I'm under no delusions that there won't be any bumps along the way in the future.  But right now... The first impression is  pretty good!  And you only get one chance to make a first impression.   Wish us luck!   And thanks for stopping in.

Checking In.

Is it dangerous?  We shall find out.....

  I figured I would post a brief message on the blog...  Late at night.  Under the influence of some expired Capri Sun with vodka added. (Don't ask... Call it a dare.)  So this post will be brief.  

I ran today.   It is cold today.   I ran IN the cold today.   And I folded Origami.   That is pretty much it.

All this time I could have kept it simple!

Wow!  All this time I have been writing elaborate posts with pictures  when things could have been summed up in just a few simple sentences.   Granted,  My spelling sucks under the influence of an adult beverage.   ( or maybe the expired Capri Sun...)  So...  there you go.  

And some Expired Capri Sun!

Now I'm off to read some of the blog posts of my awesome followers.  ( All 4 of them!)    And if I am able.  I will  try to leave a message to let them know I was there.  

Happy Friday!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!   I begin my new job with Zebra on Monday.  I can hardly wait!  

   Thanks for stopping in. 

The Painting Of The Bathroom.

 We are Finally finished with the 100% Inventory at the warehouse.   Well,  technically,  there are a few hold overs cleaning things up, but I'm not one of them!  And so they have given us the remainder of the week off ( with pay!)  and some of them do not have to show up until February!  

But not me.   I have to show up next Monday for orientation for the new and improved Zebra take over.   I guess I was a "priority" for some reason.   Meaning:  I have to actually work, while many of my co-workers are sitting back, getting paid, and do not have to actually come in for another month.  

Well, what can you do?   Life is not fair.  But we soldier on. 

In the mean time,   what did I do with my day off?   Projects!

I folded some Origami and also volunteered my primitive painting services to Dave.  HE has been prepping for a house painting party one of these days, and I offered to start with the bathroom that I use.   I mean... It's a bathroom!   Smallest room in the house!   How difficult could it be? 

Turns out... kind of a big job.   Dave had a bunch of meetings and things, so I was mostly solo for the entire day.  But one of the challenges that I quickly discovered was that the ceiling is very, VERY high.   And this is not a small bathroom in a small apartment in Wellman.   But...  Painting is a lot like riding a bike.   Or something like that.  

After watching a YouTube video on taping up edges,  I set out to remove anything off the wall that could be pulled out.  Then I taped up all of the edges.  Apparently, for a clean line,  you have to paint the tape and edges first.   And I did that.   But I don't really know how well it helped in the end.  

The color was also an issue.   Terracotta orange was a beast to prime over.   IN the end, it took 4 coats to completely cover that color.  And I had to bring in chairs to stand on so I could reach the top layers.   I used a broom handle for the ceiling.  

In the end,  I finished it and reassembled the toilet and all of the wall mounts.  I think it turned out ok, but will require a bit of touch ups where the tape pulled off some paint.  

But as for now... it is late and I'm happy I now have a functioning bathroom to use tonight.  And I do feel a sense of accomplishment.    I will reward myself by being a bum tomorrow... and possibly refolding a couple of failures for Origami time.  

So just wanted to blog tonight.   Because I actually had something to blog about.  And the time to do it.   Hope everyone is having a great week so far.   and thanks for stopping in.

Busy Work Week, And Some Winter Gardening.

Happy Weekend... almost over.   This has been the first time I have been able to actually sit down and type something for the blog.   You see,  I have been working at the Warehouse like a mad man!  And by "mad"  I mean:  Crazy!   Because we started the 100% inventory last week and that means long hours and extra Saturdays.  But there are things to blog about... And there will be Mushrooms!

Cut hole in box.

The Warehouse  actually kind of fun.   Well, the whole job is fun as a whole for me.   You have to find enjoyment in your job somewhere... otherwise you are just miserable and it is "work' just getting up in the morning.   But counting things, taping off sections that have already been counted, and scanning serial numbers has a certain "zen" like quality that I find very peaceful. 

We are just scratching the surface.

Sure, there are moments when you lose count or have to do the scan over again, ( after 500+ scans!)   but we are paid by the hour and there is a certain satisfaction you get when you are able to complete an entire pallet of serial scans without a single mishap.  

Let it soak in a bath of Water

At least that is how I look at it.   Or maybe I'm just weird.

Yesterday, we worked until noon and I was able to go out with a couple co workers and chat about the upcoming Zebra Transfer of the company.  And other things.  It was the first time I ever grabbed a beer with co-workers here in Wisconsin... So maybe I'm getting out of my shell a little more. 

I was also asked to join Dave for another piece of Helen's Awesome Apple Pie!   Remember that Awesome Pie I had about a month and a half ago?   Well, I was pleasantly impressed when Helen delivered another miracle in a Pie tin.   It was just as spiritual as I remembered it.   Only this time... she gave me the recipe!   So,  I will have to enlist the services of my beloved Wife to bake one of these up for me in the future.   And I know it will possibly take several attempts to get the experience just right.   But that is part of the fun... Right? 

I was able to open several of my Christmas Presents today, as the Christmas Tree and all of the holiday attire is being taken down today.   With work and other things getting in the way, we were not able to properly exchange gifts with each other.  So we took the opportunity today.   Christina opened her Electric blanket and I got a wonderful sweatshirt, book and bottle of Specialty Maple Syrup.  And Dave go some exotic beers from Woodman's.  Blueberry Wheat and S'mores!

Do I have a green thumb?

I also got some farming equipment.  

Maybe the bowl was a too small

Ok,   Small pots for an herb garden...   I decided to get them started today because I have to work again tomorrow.   And this will be my only day off.  I also got a Mushroom Growing kit from my Sister-In-Law and wanted to get that started as soon as possible.  My plan, is to take out the remnants( afer we grow the Mushrooms....)  and see if I can plant them in the forest in the park.  There are LOTS of dead trees that could use a little help in their decomposition. And who wouldn't like to have Wild Pink Oyster Mushrooms growing here in Sommers?  (Just in time for next year's Mushroom Hunting Season!)

And lastly,   I just finished an Origami Scorpion out of a piece of Chick-Fil-et Wrapping paper.   The warehouse bought us breakfast for coming in on Saturday, and I managed to keep my wrapper.... for folding purposes.  It is a foil based wrapping paper... and I think I pushed the paper to the limit.   But I did manage to finish the piece before the paper began to tear.  I may bring it to work tomorrow. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  Mine was rather busy, but I am actually looking forward to going back and working with my co-workers for the Inventory.  They are all good people.  And fun to work with.  I have heard rumors that if we finish the inventory early, we may be able to get a few days off... With pay!  While they set things up for the next phase of the transfer to Zebra.   We shall see.   

Thanks for stopping in! 

A Post New Year New Year Post.

 Happy New Year!  Ok... I'm a little late for such a greeting.... But this has been the first opportunity I have had to blog about such a topic.   And even now, there does not seem like much time to even post the entry I had envisioned.   But here I am.   So I may as well attempt it. 

My first thought was to have an entry critiquing 2022 as a terrible year.   One that would go down in the history of my life as one of the worst years ever.   But then I actually thought about it for more than the "knee-jerk" moment that had initially hit me... And I came to a rather odd conclusion.  

2022 was actually not that bad.   At least for me.

I would say that any year with serious change in the routine of life is destined to be viewed as "Bad!"   After all, "Change" is never viewed as good or bad until after the effects of that shift are evaluated.  

But it is scary!  And that us pretty much always a bad thing.   

There were lots of changes in 2022.   First,  I left Iowa.   And left Cheryl there... alone.   ( It's a long story,  and not a very happy one.)  But I managed to link up with a long time friend and he was generous enough to offer me a place to stay while I found a means of income.   And I did!  A new Start-Up warehouse job at GXO ( soon to be Zebra...  but that is for another blog post.) It is a great job  with benefits and I have been enjoying it.  

Cheryl also found a job writing for the local newspaper in Kalona.  She also is enjoying her new sense of purpose and means of income.  It did not take her long to climb to the role of "editor" at the paper.  And she is actually getting to know the folks who lived by us for 12 years!   ( Without my help... might I add.) In other words:  The job prevents her from being shy.  And my absence has taken away her ability to hide behind me as a shield.

With both of us "fending for ourselves"  so to say,  we discovered that we are capable of many things we have long since forgotten.  And I would like to say that we have been shown that our roles while we were together were rather under-appreciated.  Example:   Cheryl's ability to navigate and purchase items online and my ability to reach high places and fix things.

One of the only bad things is that we are not able to see each other regularly.  And when we do... it costs money in travel, time and sometimes lodging. It is a far cry from being with each other almost every waking hour of the year.   ( Even working at the same jobs and for our little stocking shop!)  

Speaking of Stockings... This was the year that the Christmas Stockings were put on hold.   We are uncertain if they will be able to recover from the blow.   We actually toyed with the idea of trying to do them over the long distance, but decided ( wisely) that it was probably impossible to do it and remain profitable. So it currently looks like 2022 will mark the end of our Christmas Stocking business. 
 

But with one item lost,   Another is found! I was able to go fishing!  Something I have not done in a very long time ( 12 years at least!)  And I actually enjoyed it.  Dave managed to convince me to do many things that I have been uncomfortable doing.   Including going to a rock concert!  Another first for me.  ( Yes!  I have NEVER been to a live Rock concert before  in my life.   I was very sheltered.)

I also went to a baseball game and a number of  local taverns.   I attended two Cross Fit gatherings. 
(Another thing I have never done before.)  And got to find and eat many new mushroom species while here in Wisconsin.  I even got to ride in a Corvette!  (A cool car I would never want to purchase for myself.)   Thanks Dave!  For "Cattle-Prodding" me out of my comfort zone.

Cheryl, on the other hand, got to run  two marathons and actually won third place overall at Little Rock. She also talked me into running several 5 Ks  ( Something I had never done before.. on an "official race" capacity.) 

This year also marks that last of the Michigan cats.  Hiro died.  And that was very sad.    I believe he was the longest living cat we have ever had the opportunity to  enjoy.   And his passing was the last of our possessions from Michigan that survived the journey to Iowa.   He has now been re-united with Red and Rasha in the Happy Hunting Grounds in  the sky...  But he will be missed by us here.  .  

And while we are on the subject of Heaven.   I might as well mention that I have started to go to Church again.   Seems like an odd thing to say in Wisconsin,  Since being a Lutheran in Wisconsin is rather ubiquitous.  And God never really leaves you.   Even if you try to leave him.  Not that I ever tried to leave him or anything.   Mostly, I just got lazy.   ( as with many other things in my life.) But God seems to find a way to get you back on track sometimes... in ways we could never imagine.  I think my Dad would be proud.

And this is the point where my ramblings become too much for even me to endure.   I will finish with my weekend  holiday activities.   I drove to Iowa and spent the  long weekend with Cheryl.   We did a number of errands and rearranged the furniture in the apartment.  We also stayed up and I got to ring in the New Year at midnight with a Kiss.   Something we have not done  for many, MANY years.   I'm looking forward to 2023.   And hopefully,  the year of "Change" will be followed by a year of goals and focus.  I'm not really sure just where that focus will be at the moment.   But I think when it finally becomes clear,  I will be able to pursuit it with gusto!  

Happy New Year everyone!  May we all find happiness and achievement in everything we do. 

Thanks for stopping in.