Saturday, July 20, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Beating teh heat
I finally got my clothing allowance today!
That's $390 worth of post office clothing I can order--it's about time because my shirts are very grubby and I could use some new stuff.
Other than that, not much has been happening. Just trying to beat the heat. Plus I've been trying to go to bed earlier, too--this heat saps your body like none other. Definitely makes you more tired than usual.
Anyways, halfway through the week--three more days till Sunday, yay!
That's $390 worth of post office clothing I can order--it's about time because my shirts are very grubby and I could use some new stuff.
Other than that, not much has been happening. Just trying to beat the heat. Plus I've been trying to go to bed earlier, too--this heat saps your body like none other. Definitely makes you more tired than usual.
Anyways, halfway through the week--three more days till Sunday, yay!
Monday, July 15, 2013
Another one bites teh dust
My hiring process for this job was quite unique. Basically some USPS management folk had a number of us (about 8) go meet them for a mass interview. Upon completion of said interviews, they began to fingerprint us. The first two people they fingerprinted, they told to leave and they would contact them further about the job. They then turned to us remaining 6 and told us we were hired. Pretty sweet and to the chase--if only all interviews worked out like that!
Throughout the Indiana offices, they did this and ended up hiring about 500 people for positions just like mine. In other words, we all got hired on as substitutes and would work when needed. Fortunate for me, in Bloomington, postal carriers are ALWAYS needed. Ha! Hence my 56+ hour work weeks.
Anyways, me and another guy got stationed in Bloomington. He's a pretty aight dude--came back from serving overseas in Iraq and is probably a couple years older than me. Anyways, being hired on at the same time, we kind of developed a slight camaraderie, since we were both learning the ropes at the same time. About a month or so into the job, he told me that one of our supervisors told him that out of the 500 or so people initially hired, only about 150 remained. The rest obviously quit or were laid off.
Well fast forward to today, and my co-worker guy told me he just put in his two-weeks notice. That being said, he does have a kid on the way and just got married last week. He is also taking classes which the job has been negatively impacting so eh, go figure. Still though.
That sucks.
Like I said, we were hired on together. Now I am the only new person at the office--well, after the next two weeks that is. Still, feels weird. Like a lone rookie amidst professionals. Almost makes me wonder how long I'll stay at it. Now I'm not saying I'm quitting--all this work is super awesome for me right now. Still, I wonder if I'll ever reach a similar point where I just get tired of working there.
The job is not accommodating at all, as I'm sure I've mentioned before. Literally no time off for me--I'm always on duty. That being said, I do get two hours of time off per paycheck but in order to use said time, I need to put in a request 3-4 weeks in advance. Oh, and don't count on me getting Fridays, Saturdays, or Mondays off. That is totally out of the question.
I have no insurance either--well I do have my own personal disaster insurance--but still, no on-the-job insurance. Even when I do gain access to the insurance plan after 360 days, I have to pay for all of it out of pocket, unless the contract changes between now and then.
I have no retirement either. No sick leave. No nothing. All's I got is a $15/hour job, which isn't a bad thing. But when you are thinking long-term, well, I'm beginning to think the post office just is not the place to be. That being said, I'm still going to stick it out at this job for a year+. As I said, the job is perfect for me now--lots of work and lots of money--but how long will that feeling about my job last, I wonder? I guess we will find out, won't we.....
Throughout the Indiana offices, they did this and ended up hiring about 500 people for positions just like mine. In other words, we all got hired on as substitutes and would work when needed. Fortunate for me, in Bloomington, postal carriers are ALWAYS needed. Ha! Hence my 56+ hour work weeks.
Anyways, me and another guy got stationed in Bloomington. He's a pretty aight dude--came back from serving overseas in Iraq and is probably a couple years older than me. Anyways, being hired on at the same time, we kind of developed a slight camaraderie, since we were both learning the ropes at the same time. About a month or so into the job, he told me that one of our supervisors told him that out of the 500 or so people initially hired, only about 150 remained. The rest obviously quit or were laid off.
Well fast forward to today, and my co-worker guy told me he just put in his two-weeks notice. That being said, he does have a kid on the way and just got married last week. He is also taking classes which the job has been negatively impacting so eh, go figure. Still though.
That sucks.
Like I said, we were hired on together. Now I am the only new person at the office--well, after the next two weeks that is. Still, feels weird. Like a lone rookie amidst professionals. Almost makes me wonder how long I'll stay at it. Now I'm not saying I'm quitting--all this work is super awesome for me right now. Still, I wonder if I'll ever reach a similar point where I just get tired of working there.
The job is not accommodating at all, as I'm sure I've mentioned before. Literally no time off for me--I'm always on duty. That being said, I do get two hours of time off per paycheck but in order to use said time, I need to put in a request 3-4 weeks in advance. Oh, and don't count on me getting Fridays, Saturdays, or Mondays off. That is totally out of the question.
I have no insurance either--well I do have my own personal disaster insurance--but still, no on-the-job insurance. Even when I do gain access to the insurance plan after 360 days, I have to pay for all of it out of pocket, unless the contract changes between now and then.
I have no retirement either. No sick leave. No nothing. All's I got is a $15/hour job, which isn't a bad thing. But when you are thinking long-term, well, I'm beginning to think the post office just is not the place to be. That being said, I'm still going to stick it out at this job for a year+. As I said, the job is perfect for me now--lots of work and lots of money--but how long will that feeling about my job last, I wonder? I guess we will find out, won't we.....
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Bye-bye cool weather!
It's been a good minute since my last post. This happens from time to time--when I'm done with work, I'm done with a lot of things postal service-related. Writing an entry about my daily occurrences does not hold weight over doing something recreational.
That recreation is nice--I feel I barely get enough time to do fun stuff outside of work anymore. Well I do but then it is only a matter of time before I have to go to bed and start all over again in the morning. That's normal though--it's much better than being a freeloader and barely working/not working at all.
I've been there before--at first, the idea of not working and not having many responsibilities is great, but it gets old. Fast. I can't see how some people can stand it, honestly.
Anyhoo, this last week I was doing a route that averaged 6.5+ miles a day. Yeah, you could walk that distance in about 1.5-2 hours easily, but doing so while delivering mail puts the time on your feet in the 6+ hour range. Talk about tiring! It wasn't a bad route--real hard to get adjusted to at first but I made due. I even met some of the route customers and got on a first-name basis with them and their dogs.
Now I'll be switched to another route tomorrow. It's not bad, though. The variety is nice. It does stink having to leave the people you met on your prior route. But hey, when you get on that route again, it's like seeing old friends which feels pretty nice. That being said, the time in which I do said route again is a little bit--a week to a month or more--but yeah, it's not bad.
The last three days of last week were really cool, too. Like 80 degrees with a cool breeze and little humidity. This week is gonna be in the 90s though. Ouch. I can feel the heat already! I'll survive though--I'll just be highly uncomfortable and shweaty for a while during the week. No new experience for me--though it ain't my favorite feeling, either....
That recreation is nice--I feel I barely get enough time to do fun stuff outside of work anymore. Well I do but then it is only a matter of time before I have to go to bed and start all over again in the morning. That's normal though--it's much better than being a freeloader and barely working/not working at all.
I've been there before--at first, the idea of not working and not having many responsibilities is great, but it gets old. Fast. I can't see how some people can stand it, honestly.
Anyhoo, this last week I was doing a route that averaged 6.5+ miles a day. Yeah, you could walk that distance in about 1.5-2 hours easily, but doing so while delivering mail puts the time on your feet in the 6+ hour range. Talk about tiring! It wasn't a bad route--real hard to get adjusted to at first but I made due. I even met some of the route customers and got on a first-name basis with them and their dogs.
Now I'll be switched to another route tomorrow. It's not bad, though. The variety is nice. It does stink having to leave the people you met on your prior route. But hey, when you get on that route again, it's like seeing old friends which feels pretty nice. That being said, the time in which I do said route again is a little bit--a week to a month or more--but yeah, it's not bad.
The last three days of last week were really cool, too. Like 80 degrees with a cool breeze and little humidity. This week is gonna be in the 90s though. Ouch. I can feel the heat already! I'll survive though--I'll just be highly uncomfortable and shweaty for a while during the week. No new experience for me--though it ain't my favorite feeling, either....
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Dat's some heat!
Mail volume is a strange phenom at the post office. Some days are average, with about 20,000-30,000 pieces of raw mail--this is your standard envelope-sized mail. Mondays are always heavy with usually 45,000+ pieces of raw mail. The highest I've once witnessed was 60,000+ pieces of mail in one day.
That being said, I have no way of determining how much mail I deliver on a current route other than counting it all--which is an insane and stupid idea, considering how much time that would waste! Best I can do is supply a picture based on an average amount of mail:
This was my mail load for today, Tuesday, which is a typically super-light day. Think of it as "the calm after the storm", the storm being Monday.
On Monday I had four trays of raw letters, as seen on the right. I had about double the amount of boxes I had today, and about triple the amount of small parcels--small envelopes, boxes, etc., that can usually fit in a standard mailbox. Though you can't get a good view of my trays of flats (magazines, large envelopes, etc.)--they are in the back right, behind my pile of parcels. I had double the amount of flats for Monday compared to today's load.
Oh, and I had two tubs full of parcels for two academic departments I had to deliver to on Monday, something that I didn't have to deal with today.
In other words, my mail load for Monday was at least double for what I had today. It may not seem like a whole lot, but there is a considerable difference when delivering them suckers, especially since this route is all walking. That's a lot of stuff to carry! Ugh... Not to mention dropping mail by accident. The act of dropping a bundle of mail on the ground is like seeing your life flash before your eyes--it's a horrible thing to have happen to you as a mailman. Luckily once the mail hits the ground, it is still relatively in order--all you have to do is simply take a deep breath, calm your nerves, and piece the bundle back together again. While working under time restraints though, man, I've almost broken down after having a bundle of mail slip from my hands.
Other than that, Tuesday is usually pretty quick. I also met a dog today that was really nice. Most dogs, especially those with their owners out on walks, are usually pretty nice. If not, well, it doesn't take much to determine a good dog who just wants pets from a bad dog who wants to maul ya. This dog, a herding dog, was being walked across the street by its owner. I said "hi" to the guy and then commented that his dog looked plum tired and needed a nap. As soon as I said that, the dog on cue lay down on the ground. It was pretty funny, considering I just said "nap." The owner explained the dog, Bing, usually does that for attention and due to instinct, him being a herding dog and the like. I gave it a good number of pets and went on my way, glad that I met a good dog instead of the opposite.
Oh, and yes, I usually drive mail trucks while delivering. However, we have about five vans at my station, one of which is assigned to the route I've been doing the past week. Hence the van in the above photo. It's especially nice in this hot, steamy weather, since the van has some high-power AC in it. Perfect for those segments where you drive from one walking loop to the next. :D
That being said, I have no way of determining how much mail I deliver on a current route other than counting it all--which is an insane and stupid idea, considering how much time that would waste! Best I can do is supply a picture based on an average amount of mail:
This was my mail load for today, Tuesday, which is a typically super-light day. Think of it as "the calm after the storm", the storm being Monday.
On Monday I had four trays of raw letters, as seen on the right. I had about double the amount of boxes I had today, and about triple the amount of small parcels--small envelopes, boxes, etc., that can usually fit in a standard mailbox. Though you can't get a good view of my trays of flats (magazines, large envelopes, etc.)--they are in the back right, behind my pile of parcels. I had double the amount of flats for Monday compared to today's load.
Oh, and I had two tubs full of parcels for two academic departments I had to deliver to on Monday, something that I didn't have to deal with today.
In other words, my mail load for Monday was at least double for what I had today. It may not seem like a whole lot, but there is a considerable difference when delivering them suckers, especially since this route is all walking. That's a lot of stuff to carry! Ugh... Not to mention dropping mail by accident. The act of dropping a bundle of mail on the ground is like seeing your life flash before your eyes--it's a horrible thing to have happen to you as a mailman. Luckily once the mail hits the ground, it is still relatively in order--all you have to do is simply take a deep breath, calm your nerves, and piece the bundle back together again. While working under time restraints though, man, I've almost broken down after having a bundle of mail slip from my hands.
Other than that, Tuesday is usually pretty quick. I also met a dog today that was really nice. Most dogs, especially those with their owners out on walks, are usually pretty nice. If not, well, it doesn't take much to determine a good dog who just wants pets from a bad dog who wants to maul ya. This dog, a herding dog, was being walked across the street by its owner. I said "hi" to the guy and then commented that his dog looked plum tired and needed a nap. As soon as I said that, the dog on cue lay down on the ground. It was pretty funny, considering I just said "nap." The owner explained the dog, Bing, usually does that for attention and due to instinct, him being a herding dog and the like. I gave it a good number of pets and went on my way, glad that I met a good dog instead of the opposite.
Oh, and yes, I usually drive mail trucks while delivering. However, we have about five vans at my station, one of which is assigned to the route I've been doing the past week. Hence the van in the above photo. It's especially nice in this hot, steamy weather, since the van has some high-power AC in it. Perfect for those segments where you drive from one walking loop to the next. :D
Monday, July 8, 2013
Sweat and grime
Yeah, I sweat a lot.
I'm sure I also have talked about how I sweat a lot in past posts as well so it should be of no news to ya.
Anyways, today I sweat a bunch. It was a real scorcher and it wasn't a matter of time before my shirt was soaked. Once I reached that degree of sweatiness, the constant cooling effect of the sweat was very much welcome.
However, though I was wearing a relatively clean postal shirt, I couldn't help but notice that I smelled bad and probably looked pretty hot and miserable as well. I don't mind this stage of acclimation but when it comes to me conversing with others on the route, I feel a little... what's the word... undesirable to be around.
I mean, I'm all sweaty and hot and probably a little smelly--basic b/o smell and sweat smell. I feel my main issue with this is when I encounter a pretty lady on the route. I guess I just have to bear with it though till cooler weather comes along.
Who knows, maybe ladies don't mind a sweaty, overheated (and sometimes stinky) mailman delivering their mail? I can only hope!
I'm sure I also have talked about how I sweat a lot in past posts as well so it should be of no news to ya.
Anyways, today I sweat a bunch. It was a real scorcher and it wasn't a matter of time before my shirt was soaked. Once I reached that degree of sweatiness, the constant cooling effect of the sweat was very much welcome.
However, though I was wearing a relatively clean postal shirt, I couldn't help but notice that I smelled bad and probably looked pretty hot and miserable as well. I don't mind this stage of acclimation but when it comes to me conversing with others on the route, I feel a little... what's the word... undesirable to be around.
I mean, I'm all sweaty and hot and probably a little smelly--basic b/o smell and sweat smell. I feel my main issue with this is when I encounter a pretty lady on the route. I guess I just have to bear with it though till cooler weather comes along.
Who knows, maybe ladies don't mind a sweaty, overheated (and sometimes stinky) mailman delivering their mail? I can only hope!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Welcome to Paradise
Anyways, to make the day rougher, I was put on a route I never did before. Actually, I did deliver on it before but that was before the route got "modified" recently. Therefore, the route was in a sense, a brand new route full of new twists and turns and variations. I made it through that route OK, but I was then given another two hours worth of mail for another route I've never done before.
Long story short I broke my record for longest day worked at the post office--12.5 hours. Yowch!
My shirts aren't getting any cleaner, either. Still all grubby and the like--hopefully I get to order some new uniforms and stuff with my uniform allotment soon!
Oh, and we gotta start at 7:35am on Mondays now instead of 8am. Tis nice, cause in theory we will get home earlier and be less restricted by deadlines. In the past however carriers have started at 7:30am, so why that extra five minutes? Haha, it makes absolutely no sense to me. I'm sure there is some logic behind all of it, but who knows.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
July 6
With July 4 come and gone, I had to deal with the annoying phenomenon in which the day after the holiday has double mail. Two days worth of mail tied into one--yeah, it's not too bad, considering Mondays are always like that--but to have two Monday-esque work days in one week? Ew. Not to mention three routes were down because people took the day off for obvious reasons.
Long story short, I was placed on a newly modified route that I've never done before and then was given at least two hours of mail from another route I've never done before. Oh joy!
12.5 hours later, I finished. And was exhausted big time.
I do believe this was my longest workday so far with the post office. Hopefully no more days similar to this one come in the near future because my patience surely was tested. I'd almost rather trade in my July 4 day off for an easy workday than have a ridiculously long workday the day after.
Oh well, here's to hoping today is much, much better!
Long story short, I was placed on a newly modified route that I've never done before and then was given at least two hours of mail from another route I've never done before. Oh joy!
12.5 hours later, I finished. And was exhausted big time.
I do believe this was my longest workday so far with the post office. Hopefully no more days similar to this one come in the near future because my patience surely was tested. I'd almost rather trade in my July 4 day off for an easy workday than have a ridiculously long workday the day after.
Oh well, here's to hoping today is much, much better!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
So it's been raining for a good week now.
So
it's been raining for a good week now. OK, not a week straight but the
weather has been quite moist, to say the least. Not bad really--it's
been mild in the temperature department and I haven't had to struggle to
keep myself hydrated. Still humid but hey, ya can't win everything now,
can ya?
Not sure if I mentioned, but I've been at the post office for three months now--actually hit that mark about three weeks ago. Ha! That means I am official and am off my probationary period. It was quite anti-climatic, really. I am supposed to be able to order some uniform stuff, which is cool--there is this awesome mock-fur winter cap I want really bad. It'll be so awesome-looking to wear, come winter (or whenever it gets chilly out). Gotta get some rain gear, some new shoes, and a buncha new shirts as well, specially since mine are getting grimy. I heard bleach is a good thing to use to cut out the grime, but I'm afraid to use it just in case it turns my postal clothes all funky.
Other than that, postal life is treating me well. Looks to be I'll have a downtown route for most of this week and next, which is nice. Not sure if I mentioned how nice it is to deliver downtown Bloomington before, but it sure is nice. Being in all the hustle and bustle, talking to shop owners, and getting coffee--all things that make delivering mail downtown fun.
Speaking of downtown Bloomington, here is one of the main streets I deliver on--I am currently standing next to a candy store on the second floor of a business on Kirkwood Avenue.
The job blues still sets in now and then though. The humid weather doesn't help--I hate humidity. But like I said before, what are ya gonna do? Just gotta bear with it till fall season comes.
Naw, I think it is being settled down that gets me time to time. It's nothing big right now--just a little prick in the side--but sometimes I want to go off adventuring. I've done it before--last was my trip to South Korea almost two years ago--and I'd like to do it again sometime. Not now, not in a few months, maybe not in a year or two, but eventually. Eventually I'd like to do something big again.
The thing is, I like my job. I really do. But for me to do something big, well, I'd have to take off a lot of days, which is HIGHLY unlikely, given my work position I am in--that and being on the very low end of the seniority totem pole.
That's what jobs do though, isn't it? They restrict you, in a sense, from going off on adventures. Yes, every day is an adventure for me, to some extent. But to hear people's plans to travel--to go to foreign countries--to go on a three-day road trip--it gets to me sometimes.
It's like by accepting this job as a mailman, I've voluntarily agreed to stay in Bloomington and restrict myself mainly to living my life in Bloomington.
Now is this a bad thing? I have a steady, well-paying job. I live in Bloomington, after all, a city full of wondrous places to eat and many things to do. I live with good friends and have good friends in the vicinity. So yes, life is good, and no, this really isn't a bad thing.
It's also about growing up--realizing that you've had your adventures and now you need to settle down, in a ways, and contribute to the workings of society. Someday my day will come and I will be able to go on an adventure again, so I guess I will just have to settle with that. Also, some people have never gone on adventures or will never be able to do so--therefore I should be thankful for--which I am--the adventures I have gone on throughout my life.
Still sucks hearing about other peoples' plans on going places though. I guess that's something I will just have to learn to deal with, knowing that even though I am working more than full-time now, does not mean my life will be bland and boring.
Anyways, long story short, I do love my job. It's tough at times. It restricts me from making big plans and trips. But it pays well. Bloomington is awesome to live in, too, with all its eateries and activities.
So yeah, life is good and yadda, yadda, yadda :D
Not sure if I mentioned, but I've been at the post office for three months now--actually hit that mark about three weeks ago. Ha! That means I am official and am off my probationary period. It was quite anti-climatic, really. I am supposed to be able to order some uniform stuff, which is cool--there is this awesome mock-fur winter cap I want really bad. It'll be so awesome-looking to wear, come winter (or whenever it gets chilly out). Gotta get some rain gear, some new shoes, and a buncha new shirts as well, specially since mine are getting grimy. I heard bleach is a good thing to use to cut out the grime, but I'm afraid to use it just in case it turns my postal clothes all funky.
Other than that, postal life is treating me well. Looks to be I'll have a downtown route for most of this week and next, which is nice. Not sure if I mentioned how nice it is to deliver downtown Bloomington before, but it sure is nice. Being in all the hustle and bustle, talking to shop owners, and getting coffee--all things that make delivering mail downtown fun.
Speaking of downtown Bloomington, here is one of the main streets I deliver on--I am currently standing next to a candy store on the second floor of a business on Kirkwood Avenue.
The job blues still sets in now and then though. The humid weather doesn't help--I hate humidity. But like I said before, what are ya gonna do? Just gotta bear with it till fall season comes.
Naw, I think it is being settled down that gets me time to time. It's nothing big right now--just a little prick in the side--but sometimes I want to go off adventuring. I've done it before--last was my trip to South Korea almost two years ago--and I'd like to do it again sometime. Not now, not in a few months, maybe not in a year or two, but eventually. Eventually I'd like to do something big again.
The thing is, I like my job. I really do. But for me to do something big, well, I'd have to take off a lot of days, which is HIGHLY unlikely, given my work position I am in--that and being on the very low end of the seniority totem pole.
That's what jobs do though, isn't it? They restrict you, in a sense, from going off on adventures. Yes, every day is an adventure for me, to some extent. But to hear people's plans to travel--to go to foreign countries--to go on a three-day road trip--it gets to me sometimes.
It's like by accepting this job as a mailman, I've voluntarily agreed to stay in Bloomington and restrict myself mainly to living my life in Bloomington.
Now is this a bad thing? I have a steady, well-paying job. I live in Bloomington, after all, a city full of wondrous places to eat and many things to do. I live with good friends and have good friends in the vicinity. So yes, life is good, and no, this really isn't a bad thing.
It's also about growing up--realizing that you've had your adventures and now you need to settle down, in a ways, and contribute to the workings of society. Someday my day will come and I will be able to go on an adventure again, so I guess I will just have to settle with that. Also, some people have never gone on adventures or will never be able to do so--therefore I should be thankful for--which I am--the adventures I have gone on throughout my life.
Still sucks hearing about other peoples' plans on going places though. I guess that's something I will just have to learn to deal with, knowing that even though I am working more than full-time now, does not mean my life will be bland and boring.
Anyways, long story short, I do love my job. It's tough at times. It restricts me from making big plans and trips. But it pays well. Bloomington is awesome to live in, too, with all its eateries and activities.
So yeah, life is good and yadda, yadda, yadda :D
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