Working Kimbo

So I've officially started working my new Wal-Mart job, and today is my first day off.

Thursday was orientation, which meant me made up our name badges, filled out paperwork, watched movies all about the company, and even played a game. There was only three of us, two were going to be cashiers, and then me, the people greeter.

The next day I started my new schedule of working 7am-4pm. I figured out though, that by working a 32 hour a week schedule, it would put me over the $940 a month that I have to stay under or else I will lose my benefits with disability. I spoke to my manager about it, and she said she totally understood because she has a few other associates who are also on disability and need they work 30 hours a week, so I will start that after this coming week, so she wouldn't have to change my schedule.

The first part of my Friday was sitting on a computer in the training room, doing computer based learning, where you watch videos and slideshows of different things, like how to clean up chemical spills and such, and you have to take an online skill assessment after each lesson, and pass with an 80% or better. I had 18 to watch, and it took all morning until my lunch. After my lunch, I was finally able to go out on the floor and learn my job, because I had to pass the lessons first.

The job itself it not very hard. There are two doors, grocery side, and general merchandise. The grocery door is the side that is the most busy. Basically, when people walk in, you said hi, or good morning/afternoon/evening, and pass out smilie stickers to the little ones. Also, you have to check customers reciepts when the leave if they have anything under their cart, or have anything is their cart, such as electronics. Also, when someone comes in with a return, you scan the item and it will print out a sticker you place on the item, then direct them to customer service. Plus, you get asked questions about where things are in the store, and other misc. stuff. we also have radios that we can use to contact supervisors and managers if we need assistance with a customer, or need to alert them of something. Yesterday was my first full day on the floor, and it really was quite easy, just getting used to working long days like that again. Plus the job is pretty much unsupervised. They come over to tell us when to take our breaks, because you can't have a door unattended, but other then that the supervisors are busy at the front with the cashiers. I know they check on us, but the job is pretty simple, so it doesn't require much supervisors, which is nice because you can just focus on welcoming customers.

Today is my day off, and then I will also have Thursday and Friday off. Phil also has today off, so we have to spend most of the day packing, since we are moving a week from today into our new apartment, and we really havent' had time to do a whole lot of packing. The good thing is I was able to quit doing the rebate job, since I make so much at Wal-Mart. Doing rebates would push me over the $940 a month to make. And with Wal-Mart I am just about there.

I have a cute picture my mom took of us in our wal-mart dress attire, since Phil works at another store doing instock (which is recieving) and will now be the one in charge of assembling bikes and furntiure. I will have to upload it from my camera, we are a wal-mart family, or at least until he finishes school or something else comes along in his field.

Wish me luck packing!

Welcome to Wal-Mart...

Will be what I will be saying to every customer that comes into the Wal-Mart by my house because yes...I got the job!!!

I had my interview at 9am this morning, and had the first part of the interview with a really nice guy, who asked me a bunch of different questions about my work related experience. When that was done he said I was a great interview and thought I was going to be the right fit for their store. After that I had another interview, the second part with a manager, and I was asked more questions and then I was told I got the job, and they went through how much I would be making, and what the duties and responsibilities were of a people greeter, then I was given the paperwork to go get a drug test and they said they will call me once they get the results of my drug test back, and orientation will be next week.

I went right from interview over to the where the drug testing place was, and figured it should go pretty quickly, seeing as all you have to do is pee in a cup. Who knew I was going to be sitting in there for almost two hours before I was even called back. At one point they told a women who had been there for three hours that all the rooms in the back were full of patients and things should be speeding up, but when I was called back there every single exam room was empty. I am guessing maybe their techs were at lunch and they didn't want to tell us. Anywho, I did the whole pee in the cup, which I have to say is very embarrassing to have your pee in a cup and have some tech have to take it and test it. But I know I am going to pass it, I have never taken drugs and the only medicine in my system is for arthritis.

Now I am on a search to find my Wal-Mart attire, which is Khaki pants and a blue shirt, and I also need to get a pair of shoes, because the only shoes I own are my flip flops, which I can't wear there.

So yay me for getting the job!

Been awhile...

Since I last blogged huh?

Life has been so busy around here, mainly with me working on these rebates all the time. I really thought this was going to be a job that could help make some good side money, but I am only making about $66 a week, and when payday comes around, the entire check I get goes directly into the gas tank, which makes me angry. Right now I am processing 330 rebates twice a week, I go in Tuesday and pick up mail, which has to be turned in electronically by midnight on Thursday, then I go back into the office on Friday and pick up more mail, which needs to be turned in electronically by midnight on Sunday. So the reason I haven't been online much is because this really takes up a lot of my time.

So..seeing as this job wasn't making much, I decided to put my resume out there and see if something hit, and I also re-applied for Wal-Mart for the greeter position. Well, Thursday afternoon Wal-Mart called and asked if I was still interested in the position and now I have an interview with them on Tuesday at 9am. This is the job that I have been wanting, because when we move into our new apartment I just need to go across this little street and I am right then in the parking lot, so no need to worry about someone taking me to work. And it will be a part time position, so I can still do the rebate job to help supplement our income.

Speaking of apartments, Phil and I will be moving into our new apartment on Oct. 4th. We thought we were going to have to wait until Nov. 1st before we moved but the lady at the complex called yesterday and said they are now offering more incentives which helps lower our move in cost. So now on top of doing this rebate job and hopefully getting this Wal-Mart job, we have to start packing. Luckily, a lot of our things are still packed up and in the garage, so that will make it a lot easier, since there is a lot of stuff in our room that I believe we can toss or give away since we haven't used them in over a year, such as clothes. This should be our last move for awhile, seeing as this will be our third move in a year. The apartment is really nice, it is one of those new apartments with all sorts of fancy features, like hardwood floors in the kitchen and Berber carpet, and huge soaking tubs. When we first saw the place I was really thinking we wouldn't be able to afford it because it was so nice and I figured the prices would be outrageous, but they really are reasonable. I am excited about us having our own space again, and I know that Brandi dog will love being able to roam free like she used to.

Well, this little Kimbo sure is tired, but I wanted to at least check in with my blog friends and let you I am still here, just been busy.

Happy Birthday Phil!!

Today is my husband Phil's 30th birthday. He says he feels old, but I told him that he is still a spring chicken. I wish I had the money to give him a really fantastic birthday and maybe even a party, since turning 30 is a big birthday, but my parents are taking us out to dinner tonight to the new Texas Roadhouse that just opened up not too far from here, and since we all love that place, it should be fun.

Speaking of Phil, he has decided to go back to school and further his education. Work has been really slow in his trade and he wants to finally get out from being the low man on the totem pole and actually make it up into the big leagues. So we found that ITT Tech has a Bachelor program in Construction Management, so we made an appointment and went through the whole process of getting him enrolled. He starts school on Sept. 8th, and will be entering at first the Associates Degree program in Drafting and Design. He'll learn such programs as Autocad, and will learn how to draft up housing plans and do 3D modeling and such. The recruiter said that after the two year program, he will be able to enter the job market working for an architect or even for the city designing plans for commercial buildings. After he receives that Applied Sciences Degree, he will do another year and 9 months in the Construction Management Program, where he will get his Bachelor's Degree. This is really a great step he is taking not only for his future, but for our future, and the future of our family down the road. I am very proud of him and can't wait to see him succeed as I know he will.

With me, I am still here, processing those rebates. It is definitely turning into a job where I am spending a lot of nights up late trying to get my work done before my deadline, which is mainly because I have had so much to do during the day that I don't get a chance to do my work until after dinnertime. Like today, I picked up new mail, 330 pieces of mail due by Thursday at 4pm, and I won't get a chance to do any until maybe later tonight because we are going to dinner for Phil's birthday. I just need to get into a good schedule where I work during the day and have less work at night, so I don't have the tired and bloodshot eyes that I do today.

My Doctor Appointment

So I've been talking about how my right elbow (the one I broke back in 2004) has been giving me a lot of trouble, and that my arthritis doc felt it was time to have the elbow replaced. Well, I finally was able to get in and see the orthopedic surgeon who did the surgery the first time. He is an amazing doctor and the only way I would ever consider getting any surgery done on my joints would be if he were to do it.

Funny part was, when the doctor first came in the room, I didn't think it was the same guy! 5 years ago, the last time I saw him, he was a pretty big guy, but he has had to have lost about 150-200. He looks great, it was just a shock when your expecting the guy you knew before to come walking in.

Anyway, he took a look at the elbow and the x-rays and said that doing a replacement due to arthritis or due to trauma is two different things. If it were just because my arthritis was acting up, the replacement would last longer, but because it has to be replaced due to trauma, it won't last as long, and he really doesn't want to see me go through that at 29. I told him that over the years I have learned to adapt to losing half the movement in the arm, and it doesn't bother me the way it is, except for the pain, popping, and clicking that has been going on the past few months. So he said he is going to do an outpatient procedure, were he will remove the radial head of the elbow, that is the bottom part of the elbow, think of where your elbow points. He thinks that will get rid of the pain and give me another 5 years with the elbow the way it is before we really have to consider replacement.

I then decided to ask him about knee replacements. I really wasn't, because frankly I have resigned myself to the fact that I was never going to walk again, and I've been ok with that. At this point it has been 4 years since I've last walked. Plus, my arthritis doctor said that with my osteoporosis, that doing a knee replacement might shatter my legs, and finding a doctor to do both knees at the same time, and at my age, will be difficult. So I asked the surgeon first about the possibility of my legs shattering during surgery and he said no, then asked if I ever had a bone density test and why I wasn't on meds for osteoporosis. I told him I've never had a doctor mention bone density or meds, so he is sending me in for the test (you stick your foot in a machine and it measures your bone density), and after that he will put me on some meds to make my bones stronger. He also said he could do the replacements. He asked if my ankles and hips were ok, and I told him my hips are fine, but my ankles always hurt me when I walk, a lot of that to do not only with the arthritis, but my weight. So he told me that last year he did the same surgery on a women who was 62, hadn't walked in 4 years, and was heavier then I was, and now she is doing great, walking on a treadmill everyday. I told him that frankly, I just would love to have the ability to walk around my house, and even go out by myself and be able to put my chair on the lift that's on the car, and then get out and go somewhere by myself. I still will need the chair to do any shopping or long walking, but being able to stand at the sink and wash my dishes would be great.

So I am going to get x-rays done of my knees, and we'll go from there. He said be prepared for some hospital time, and then in patient rehab before I'll be allowed to go home. Sometimes I've heard of people having to be at a rehab facility for a few months, but I think it will be worth it. First and foremost, I need to lose weight, and when you can get up and move, it is very hard to lose it. Being able to walk again will allow me to use some exercise machines and get my body moving. I want to be able to actually give my husband a hug standing up, and maybe even dance with him, since we've never gotten to do that. And for the future, I want to be able to take my kid to the park and push them on the swings and really play with them, not watch from the sidelines.

So all in all, the appointment went well. I haven't had a chance to blog about it until now because I have been so busy with my new job of processing rebates. It is a lot of work, and time consuming, and I will have to process a lot of rebates in order to make some good money, but I am willing to put in the time and effort to do it to help my family.

My new job

Yesterday was the start of my new job, where we attended the training class. I had to admit, I was a little nervous, seeing as the last time I was in the workforce was back in 2004, before I was put on disability by my doctor. But on the other hand, I was really happy to be back doing something that I have experience in, and use the knowledge that I had gained from my career in customer service.

The training class started at 11:45am and we were there until 4pm. We got a ton of information, everything that we would need to know to do this kind of work from home, such as training manuals and things we might need if we run into any problems doing this from home. Then we got introduced into how to load the software onto our computers, and then got introduced to the fabulous world of data entry and rebate processing. Basically, anytime you submit a rebate for a product, there is a very good chance that is will go to the company that I now work for, and I just might be the one who enters in the information into the computer and submits it so you get your rebate. This company is the largest fulfillment company in the country, and also does fulfillment for international companies.

It seemed like everyone in the class was getting it, except the teacher did kick out one woman about two hours in. She was just not getting anything that he was saying and he would say something, then she would ask him a question, the answer being that he just said to the class. He said at the beginning that he can tell within the first hour and a half whether this job will work for you and if he thinks it won't, then he has to send you home without mail. So he escorted her out. The the older man sitting in the aisle next to mine kept farting...lovely.

So we came home yesterday with mail, 100 for me, and 100 for my mom. We have until Friday to have to submitted, and for the next two weeks we go in three times a week to pick up mail. After that, we can chose the amount of mail we want to have per week, and only have to go in once a week to get mail. I loaded my software when I got home last night, and did about 20 rebates before I decided to head to bed because I was so tired. Today I have been helping my mom get her software loaded, so tonight after dinner I will work until bedtime again getting as much mail done as possible.

This seems pretty easy, it really is right up my alley, and I think I really will be able to make some good money at it for my family once I really get the hang of it and get faster. But for now, it is nice to have a job again, and even better, one I can do in pj's!

Last Day of Unemployment

Tomorrow I go to my training class for my new job, processing rebate checks. My mom is doing this with me, and today I was able to get my aunt Kelly registered into the class tomorrow too. I am looking forward to being able to do something to help us make more money, pay off our debts, and get enough money put away that we can have enough to get a home of our own.

I'm also a little nervous. 2004 was the last time I worked, when I had to go on disability. I have always been looking for something that I could do from home, but so many times jobs from home require you to put money down, and those are always scams. This job is legit, and we know someone who is doing it, and the are BBB Accredited, so we're good on all accounts. I am looking forward though to going out and doing a training class, learning something new, knowing that I can do this job from the comfort of my own home, even in my jammies if I want!

So wish me luck tomorrow, and I will update you all on how it went with a blog tomorrow!