Three down five to go
I just completed my third week at Amazon with five weeks to go. Not too much to write about which explains the lack of my posts.
Lack of sleep
I chose the night shift since I thought it would be better for Chica. She would sleep through the night and only wake up once I got home. Then she wouldn’t miss me as much and not go crazy when I got home. So far that has worked out well although she still does get a little crazy when I get home but not as much as when I worked days.
It works out better for her but NOT for me. I get off work at 4:30am, but I cannot get to sleep immediately when I get home. I watch the news and then hit the sack at 6:00. I tried going to bed earlier but my neighbor works the day shift and starts his diesel at 5:15 and it runs until 5:30 when he leaves for work on the day shift.
Then about 6:30 to 7:00 the sun rises and pours lots of sun into my rig waking me up. Sometimes I can roll over and go back to sleep and other times I just can’t get back to sleep. Most of the time I have to force myself to get back to sleep. Total sleep for the night is usually only 4-5 hours. YUK! Sometimes I will try to nap in the afternoon but I am not usually a nap person so that doesn’t work.
I have tried everything. One couple I met on my shift told me they go to bed immediately when they get home. I tried that but the noisy diesel always woke me up. Others had suggested drinking a couple of beers, but at 5:00 in the morning that does not sound too appealing.
Caught a bad cold
Last weekend I was in bed all three of my days off with a nasty cold. I had gotten too run down from lack of sleep. I did get over that, but it was not a pleasant time off from work. This week I tried an over the counter sleep aid called Melatonin. I found it didn’t work that well with me and it gave me a jittery feeling all day. I have also covered up some of my windows which does help.
Aching muscles better
It takes a couple of weeks for your muscles to get used to Amazon work. This year rather then packing, picking or stowing I am taking inventory of bins. You have to count everything in a bin and record it on your scanner. It involves a lot of bending low for the bottom bins and standing on a stool for the upper bins.
I still get sore every day but it is not nearly so bad thanks to a daily dosage of Aleve. That stuff really works miracles.
Chica gets used to her new home
When we first got her she would go crazy barking at the neighbor’s dog. She has really calmed down now and only sits and quietly (most of the time) watches. Her head perks up each time they come out their door but she doesn’t bark.
She really enjoys her walks during the day and meets all the other critters in the neighborhood. It is funny but she doesn’t pay too much attention to other dogs while she is walking, but when she is looking out the window she will bark at the same dog if she sees them go by. I guess she wants to be out there with them. This is her favorite spot as it is in the sun and she can see all the activity by the neighbor.
Early Thanksgiving
This Friday Amazon is giving all their employees a huge Thanksgiving dinner. They do it every year in appreciation of all the hard work we do during the peak season. More on that later. It will be the first year I have Thanksgiving dinner at 12:30am.
Weather has been good
We were lucky and didn’t get the huge weather front that came down from Alaska. It bypassed us and I’m glad it did. Right now the days are in the mid 50’s and nights in the mid 30’s. My catalytic heater runs 24/7 and I have my electric heater set for 65 and it goes on and off during the night. Chica also has her bed warmer on 24/7 and loves to sleep on it. So we are both comfortable. I am only about 100′ from the bath and laundry so am using their facilities. It is nice to be so close.
That is all for now. I need to take a shower and walk Chica and then it is off to the Silverado casino to meet up with some friends for $1 beers and watch Monday night football.
Jimbo's Journeys 
As a law enforcement officer I worked a lot of midnight shifts. Like you, I found it hard to sleep during the day until it occurred to me that if I were working a “Normal” shift I wouldn’t go to bed as soon as I got hiome. I began to stay up during the morning until about six or seven hours before I had to start getting ready for my shift. That worked much better for me and I hope it helps you. Happy midnights! Jim
Hi Jim,
Good to hear all is well at Amazon. I admire you for taking on the nightshift. Wowzee! It would never work for me. I worked in ICQA last year with Mary Lou as supervisor. She is a gem. Nola had enough of Amazon for the time being however for this year, so she is taking a grand vacation from any seasonal work, and I am a Demo Team member for a winery where I give wine tastings in stores in southern Oregon (Eugene) like Safeway, Fred Meyer, etc. A lot more fun but not as lucrative. We are moving into an apt after eight years full-timing as Nola wanted to return to our many friends and family in Eugene. It’s been a grand experience and now we will RV travel about four months a year. Maybe I’ll do Amazon again next year. In the meantime, I wish you and the other Lazy Daze members at Fernley, NV the very best during this Holiday season. Wishing you and Chris Ford a Happy Thanksgiving!
David and Nola
Initially I felt bad for you due to lack of sleep :-(, but when you stated you were going off for beers and football, I realized you CAN bounce back no matter the amount of sleep you’ve had! 🙂 Enjoy the game.
Bed warmers are the bomb – whether for people or pets! I sleep much better when I pre-warm my bed.
Virtual hugs,
Judie
How about moving your rig away from the noisy diesel?
Try running a box fan or some other white noise to help sleep. I guess you may miss your camp hosting summer.
Hi Jimbo, Sounds like things are getting in order there. I only sleep about 6 hours a night. You get older and need less sleep. Anyway enjoy the wether its getting colder here.lol. Keep the fires burning….HoboJoe
If you can’t move your camper, try ear plugs. They really work well for me blocking out unfamiliar or disturbing noises, especially while camping. Not being able to get a sound sleep is the pits! Also, how about some herbal sleep remedy tea like sleepytime or nighty-night? You may find those helpful. Glad that Chica is doing well with your schedule. Good luck for the rest of your Amazon stint.
By the time you get used to the new sleep pattern, you will be ready to move on. Hope you find a satisfactory solution.
Good comments above for better sleep – you know, sleep is soooo important for our health. You’ve gotta figure this out and add white noise, ear plugs, etc., or move if you can. Have you mentioned to the neighbor that his diesel is keeping you awake, or to the park manager? You might as well be in a truck stop if you have noise like that all night. The good part is that before you know it, you’ll be sleeping in the peaceful, dark, quiet nights of Quartzsite. (With more money in your bank account.) I’m heading there right now. See you… 🙂
” Have you mentioned to the neighbor that his diesel is keeping you awake, or to the park manager? You might as well be in a truck stop if you have noise like that all night.”
All night?
…starts his diesel at 5:15 and it runs until 5:30 when he leaves for work
Right now the score is 14-45…..I’d be home sleeping if I was at Amazon…..Shoot four $1.00 brews, that should help you sleep?..Seems that Monday and Thursday games are not worth watching, good thing I have a great supply of library books..
Hang in there!
David
I have just recently started using a sleep mask and am amazed at how much better I sleep when it is light out. I just have to remember I have it on when I get up to go to the bathroom!
Nice to hear from you. Yikes, evening time work. We have decided that we are not night owls. Nothing new here….just same old, same old which we assume must be okay. Will you be in CA around Christmas holidays? Curt is planning a visit, but we don’t know for how long or when. More on that later on. Curt has a few days of vacation time to use. Hope all is well! Ann & Chuck
I never adjusted to sleeping in the day time & I tried for 8 months.
If you line the windows where you sleep with that foil backed insulation (that comes in rolls) you can get cave like darkness & that helps. It was odd buying beer & doughnuts on the way home when others were buying coffee & doughnuts but a couple of beers (back then) did help unwind while I watched Good Morning America.
An hour or so to unwind, a beer, a dark room and your neighbor should be gone. You ought to sleep well.
Hey, we’re working Shift 6 at Fernley (nights)…..what shift are you working?
I’m working shift 4 nights. I am in ICQA dept.
Yikes–only 5 weeks left?! I’d better get my holiday shopping done! Chica is so cute there in her little viewing area–she does a good job of protecting her home. Hope the diesel guy has decided he doesn’t need to run his engine like that unless he has a super–super–old diesel truck! My Jim said you don’t need to do that with the new diesel trucks, regardless of how cold it is outside. It should warm up pretty quickly inside once he gets on the road so he can run the heater inside. Anyway, I hope somehow he gets a clue but sometimes it’s hard to fix clueless/stupid. Boy, night shift AND the time change–no wonder you got sick! Take good care!
Tried and true, eye sleep mask and ear plugs. Won’t be without them.