Dog related adventures, pirates (oh my!), travels and more

For other news, please also view our "pack's" website.

Or click on the links below to go right to these items:

• Pet therapy article mentions Sandy


• See our Dog Days page for news about Samantha, Kennedy or Jasmine



• Pirate fever invades JDSU

• Joining USCG Auxiliary and LL Bean seasonal crews

Wanderlust strikes again -- travels to Australia

"You're a 'Beaner' now"

Those were the words of welcome from the HR person who hired me in September as one of the many seasonal employees that work at LL Bean in Maine during the holiday "peak" (between Sept/Oct and December). LL Bean is an institution of sorts in Maine, and it seems many locals work seasonally at Bean at one time or another.

Bean's "flagship" store is located in Freeport, Maine (about 20 minutes north of Portland) and is the only one of it's kind in the world. The flagship store actually consists of a "campus" of buildings in addition to the main building - specialty wings devoted to hunting, camping, biking, etc. The stores are open 24/7 every day of the year -- they don't even have locks on the doors (actually I think the door handles are canoe paddles).

In addition to the flagship store, Bean's warehouse and returns facilities and outlet are located in Freeport as well. There are also call centers, other outlets and a host of other Bean facilities around Maine. I work as a "picker" at Bean's new "Order Fulfillment Center" (warehouse) in Freeport, a 650,000 square-foot center with the capacity to process 27 million items per year.
I was amazed to find out that ALL orders, whether from catalog, online or for other stores comes through the Freeport facility. Pretty amazing considering Bean is now a 1.5 Billion dollar business that sends merchandise to customers all over the world. Pickers locate and pick the merchandise in the warehouse and then send it for gift boxing, monogramming or altering if the customer has requested that -- otherwise we send the items right to the packers for packing and shipping.

I've never worked in a warehouse environment before, so I'm finding it very interesting and educational. We work 3 shifts a day 24/7 (I work 1st shift 5am - 1:30pm). I chose this position because it's one of the most physical positions Bean has - pickers walk several miles a day and do lots of bending, climbing, squatting and we're just always on the move. If you're interested, it works something like this:

Pickers walk around the warehouse and "pick" the items for customer orders from the warehouse shelves. This involves pushing a "hopper" - sort of like a big shopping cart with an attached ladder that allows us to reach the higher shelves. For each item to be picked, we first find that item's location in the warehouse, then we match the information on the pick sticker to ensure we have the right SKU, size and color. Then we match this against the vendor label to be sure that's correct also. And finally, we verify the size on the hang tag (the little tag that tends to stick up at the back of your neck) to be sure it's correct as well. If an item passes all of these "tests" - then in the hopper it goes! Bean is VERY devoted to customer service and accuracy, so our required goal is making only one error in 5,000 items picked. And we have production expectations too - we should be able to pick 230 items in 1 hour (again, with only 1 error in 5,000 items). Daunting, but apparently doable since there are pickers who meet this goal every day. I'll have to get back to you about whether I'm able to become one of them. :)

The position doesn't pay very much (pickers make about $10/hour starting seasonal), but the culture at Bean makes it a great place to work. The emphasis is on mutual respect, exemplary customer service, and of course the Bean tradition of a respect of nature and general love of the outdoors. We also receive a healthy discount on Bean merchandise and free use of outdoor equipment like canoes, kayaks and ski equipment. But the real perk is the e-store (employee store). This is where various "non-resalable" merchandise goes and is made available to employees at prices that make Filene's Basement look expensive. On a given day you might find a $60 backpack for 50 cents, a lined winter field coat for $6, pants at five for a dollar, and so on. It's amazing.

So if you find yourself in Maine in the fall and looking for employment, check out LL Bean!

The Paradox of Our Time.....by George Carlin

A friend recently forwarded this to me (thanks Denise) and I found it very thought inspiring. I hope you do too. Best, cy
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What a difference a sad event in someone's life makes. GEORGE CARLIN (His wife recently died...)

Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate.

A Message by George Carlin:
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. If you don't send this to at least 8 people....Who cares? George Carlin

Adding 3 dogs means a full house

If you've visited this blog or our website before, then you know that in July of this year we added two wonderful senior dogs to our "pack". So in addition to Samantha of course, that means our "pack" now consists of 3 dogs total (and Tim and I of course).

I introduced Kennedy and Jasmine previously, so please our Dog Days page of our website and the photos and anecdotes below related to of our new life with three dogs!

Samantha (aka Sammie or Samurai)

Samantha (spayed Husky-Shepherd mix) has stepped up to acting as their "big sister" (even though she is actually the youngest) and is doing her part in helping Kennedy (neutered cream-colored Lab mix) and Jasmine (spayed Husky-beagle mix) adapt to our home and way of life. It's great to see the way Sammy is adjusting to their presence, with lots of patience and sharing on her part.

Jasmine (aka Jazz or Jazzie)

Jazzie loves rawhides, which is great since they are good for her teeth and gums. But she is also a bit of a "food hound" which of course comes from living in an environment where people probably fed her table scraps. We don't make a habit of doing that because it sets the dog up to develop bad habits later related to people food. So we're working with her about how to behave when we eat (we teach our dogs to find a comfortable spot away from the table and lay down - we don't allow them to stand nearby and "beg"). In Jazzie's case, this sometimes includes moving her to another room if she doesn't follow the "house rules", but with consistent guidance on our part, she is learning rapidly and doing a great job of learning to "mind her manners.".

Kennedy (aka Kenman or Big Guy)

It's fun to watch the dynamics between Kennedy and Samantha as they jockey back and forth for "lead dog" position. Samantha stepped up to this role after Sandy died, particularly when we adopted Kennedy and Jasmine. Kennedy's early attempts to dominate Samantha resulted in her firmly letting him know she wasn't about to be pushed around, which we were glad to see - he's a sweet dog, but he does have a tendency to be a bit "pushy" if other dogs let him get away with it.

After only two months, all three dogs seemed to have completed their adjustment period. And it seems Samantha is starting to defer to Kennedy a bit as the more "responsible" dog, so it's not clear yet who will ultimately emerge as the alpha dog. Now that Kennedy has earned Samantha's trust, it seems she is willing to relinquish the lead role to him. But time will tell, so please stay tuned....