peak

The return of peak is at UPS. This morning we started our early morning start time. We showed up at three am instead of four am. This might sound bad, but its not horrible. Some people call this month hell month. I can understand why. On top of working early they encourage us to sign up for a second program, the Driver Helper program. This program is what I was originally hired to do last November. the driver helper program is also called jumping, but they discourage people calling it that. The main reason for that is they don't want people jumping in and out of the trucks. This leads to injuries and UPS hates injuries. Injuries hurt profits and they don't like that.

This jumper season I decided to sit it out. Last year I last about three weeks before I hurt myself to the point that I couldn't walk. My knees are already sore right now from working for the past year. I figure working five to six hours every morning will be enough work for me. If you don't hear from me for awhile I just want you to know I'm either laying in bed trying to get some sleep or laying in the tub trying to soak my sore muscles. Which I'll need both. I hope everyone has a great peak season! I know I'll be trying to make the most of mine.

Summer is Coming to an End

I hate and love when summer is over here in Bloomington. One thing that is nice about summer being over it the temperature and humidity goes down. The leaves start to change color (that's still about two months away). The sun goes down earlier and earlier, which is nice for me since I go to bed early. Yes, autumn is coming and I can't wait.

The problem with fall in Bloomington, the return of the students. This has always been a double edge sword for me. Without the students I would have never lived in Bloomington period. When I was a kid my Dad taught at the University. Now my wife is one of those many students. There are many ways to tell that the students have moved back. Traffic is doubled through town. You can't walk through Target anymore. There are tons of extra boxes and people inside. It worst than Christmas.

Although the main way I know the students have returned is my habit of almost hitting them on the way to work. During the summer I have no trouble getting to work at four am. Hardly anyone is up and I don't have to worry about people dressed all in black darting out in front of my car as I drive to work. This week I almost hit four or five different people on their way home from the bars. You would think they wouldn't jump out in front of the only car on the road to cross the street. I am always the only car on the street, but they still feel the need to cross the street before I pass. I do not understand this, is waiting ten or twenty seconds really going to affect their time getting home?

As much as I love the end of summer in Bloomington, it's a bitter sweet. I love the crisp weather. I love the changing of colors. I don't like the crazy students jumping in front of my car at four am.