The Days When The Gummies Win!

Ever want a job with action and adventure?   Then you should consider a career as a material handler at a Gummy Factory! 

It was a tough week at the Haribo this week.   But I managed to survive.... (Que dramatic Music....) 

 Barely!

So what makes working at Haribo so exciting and adventurous?   Well, a number of things.    One of which is that the Gummies Never Stop!

It also "helps" when there are fewer material handlers than are scheduled.   That means there is a job that needs to be done with no one there to do it!   Oh!  Sure....   If a number of lines are down for any given reason,  then you "might" be able to handle things with one less person.   

But if TWO material handlers are missing...   (There are supposed to be at least 5!)  That means that the remaining three have to move mountains to stay on top of things.  And by mountains... I mean a mountain of Gummy Bears!

And so it was for two of the 6 days that there were only three of us.   Tino, Elsa and myself....  Holding back the flood doors of Gummies as they vortexed down the Mogul system.  Usually,  the management pulls another Fork Truck Driver to help us out.   And if they can't find one,  they will jump on a Stand-up  to give us a break.   But this week,  no third shift-ers or any operators could help.  It was just us....

We did manage to pull it off.   Luckily, several of the "Serious" lines were down either due to parts or change-overs.   So we were not completely buried in finished goods or gummies.   But even then, Sacrifices had to be made!   Elsa and I barely got our lunch and NO breaks...  Tino managed to get his first break that that was all.  

But the day flies by when you are in "the Zone" of moving pallets and gummies around the floor.   And keeping the lines fully stocked with boxes and materials even though you are maxed out with other tasks to complete.   It usually means that things get "put aside" instead of sent to the warehouse.   But eventually,  things get caught up on Saturday.   

And Tino and I worked yesterday and took a large chunk out of the clean up.   I finished all of the "Returns" and Tino cleaned up the broken pallet stacks that were cluttering the charging area.  I doubt third shift was able to do much more, since only one material handler showed up.   But at least we set up the Monday first shifters with a cleaner floor.   

And that is not to mention the Gummies!   Tino mostly focused on keeping the lines stocked, and second shift alone cleared out several rows of  Peaches and Wildberry Gold Bears from the floor.  Even Elsa showed up for 4 hours yesterday to help out first shift!  

There are times when you end the day at Haribo with a feeling of frustration of fatigue.   Knowing that there was nothing you could do to stop the tidal wave of candy coming down from the second floor.   

However,   Most of the time, there is this great feeling of satisfaction that washes over you when you are able to ride the waves and stay above water.   And instead of drowning in Gummy Bears,  you find yourself Surfing  and having fun with your Team.  I genuinely enjoy the team aspect of the job.   I'm not sure what it is like on the other shifts, but Second Shift has some great people who help each other out as best we can and, I think,   genuinely enjoy working with each other.  Of the five Material Handlers that punched in yesterday,   Three were from Second Shift!

I have been working with a couple of the temps that can drive Fork Trucks.   They are good guys and we all work well with each other.   Haribo does not like using Temps for material handlers (for Obvious reasons...)  But Alex has been working there longer than any of us.   And is still a Temp!   

My hope is that those guys eventually get hired on permanent and can join the team full time.  But until their contract with the Temp agency ends,  we can only hope that they are able to help out from time to time.  

So... Another Busy week at Haribo.  And a new month is upon us.   Which means MORE gummies for the employees.  ( Each month they give us two to three boxes of Gummies!)  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all of them.  I have been giving them away since I can't possibly eat them all ( nor should I!  Too much candy!) Luckily, there are some folks at Church and at the Clubhouse who enjoy them.  And The Bartenders share them with some of the regulars while the Teachers share them with the Kids at KLA.   In all,   Spreading the Joy of the Gummy Bear is something I enjoy doing.  

Time to prep for Monday!  Another Week of Sparing with the Mogul Guys as they dump tons of Gummy Bears down on the Packaging Floor.    AGAIN!    Hopefully, this week, we will be able to keep up with them and ride the waves instead of simply treading water.  

A Challenge and Goal  I shall look forward to....  All while making every second count.

A Taste Of Spring!

 A quick post about the wonderful weather we have been having.   In fact,  Today it nearly rose to 50 degrees!  You could walk outside comfortably with a T-shirt, if it were not for that strong breeze.  

By the way,   Did anyone know that it was President's Day last Monday?   I knew....  Yet I forgot and went to mail something at the post office.   Of course, the post office was closed!   (The one day I actually have to use it...)   So, being in downtown Kenosha that early in the morning, I decided to go for a walk near the Lake.  

This was the last of the Icebergs on Lake Michigan.  They slowly were floating out to sea as the west wind blew the waves out.   The entire lake looked so calm and peaceful...   And the Sun was nice and warm.  Too bad I could not stay longer. 

I am beginning to hope that my foot has healed enough to begin running again.   I certainly could use the exercise!  I used to run before heading to work back in the Summer...  I hope I can gain that habit again as the air warms up. 

Having missed Monday's mailing,  I still had the package and went back on Tuesday.   The temps held and I went for another walk along the pier.   This time there was a little more fog and moisture in the air.   But I walked around the Columbus Park again.   And with a few extra minutes to waste before work, I decided to visit the Kenosha Museum. 

I guess this month is "Shark Week" at the Museum.  ( Or better..."Shark Month!")   I did a quick lap to look at the pics of the sharks and read all the stuff I already know.  I though the display was pretty good!   Especially compared to the "Historic Women" display they had last time. ( Mostly political females you never heard about...) 

Anyway.  I hear the warm spell is not meant to last.   But we have already had our first Spring Rain of 2026.  It rained last night  just before We got out of Haribo.  Luckily, it was not hard enough to get us soaked, but I did have to engage the windshield wipers all the way home.

Tomorrow is our Monthly Haribo Meeting where they tell us all about how the Company is doing.   They gave us Tacos yesterday as a "Moral Booster" for the month.  (Good Tacos!)  And all of the little things to help bring the culture together.   I like it!   And everyday is a fan day at Haribo.  Honestly,  I get to drive a fork Truck around and work with a great team of people!   Who wouldn't want that? 

So that is all.   Time to head to bed and plan for tomorrow.   I have even been planning on some possible Sidewalk Chalk sessions this month.   As long as it does not rain.   

In the mean time,  I'm going to try to make every second count. 

The Weather Breaks!

 I was thinking of "A Break in the Weather" or A Break FROM the Weather."   But those titles seem to suggest something that is not intended.   We will continue to have weather...  and The weather is not broken only to "fix" itself back into the frigid temps of last week.  No... I mean Spring is beginning to manifest itself  here in Kenosha.  

It continues to dip down at night,  but mostly the biting wind chill and temps have mellowed.   And the snow is melting at an alarming rate!  Good news for everyone except Ice Fishermen!  (The "Full Retard" guy is Eddie Arnold.   Who spent the Week Fishing at "Lake Of The Woods."   Looked like a they had a Great Time)  

Speaking of the Ice!   I dropped in to one of my favorite places... Lake Michigan!    And checked out the scene there since I have not visited the shore for several months now.   The wind was out of the west and the lake was calm.    And the ice was piling up on the shore...

Kind of cool!   Seeing the giant cliffs and  "Icebergs" out there with the warm sun shining everywhere.  It reminded me of that time we were training on Spencer Glacier in Alaska.  Huge mountains of ice with deep pools of blue ice water.   It was a unique experience.  

But Lake Michigan coming back from the hard freeze is another sign that Winter's worst is most likely over.  I'll take it with a smile. 

In the mean time,   ever since that crock pot cook off, I have been making a huge pot of Chili and taking it to work for Lunch each day.   One pot lasts me six days!  It is a great way to  save money on food and having my entire week's meals planned.  

 It is also a great way to stay warm with some comfort food.  I'm sure after this last batch, I will be sick of it and planning my next round of meals with something different.   And since the colder weather seems to be on the outs....  I'm sure those "Traditional Cabin Favorites" will be out as well.  I wonder what would be a good "Spring time Lunch?"  

The Cat continues to bother me relentlessly.   She seems to want to be on my face whenever I am typing or watching a movie.  I should be grateful that I have a "muse" to write about.   And with Mushrooms and fishing reserved for warmer months,  a Cat curled up on your face seems like a good topic to write about. 

This weekend, I attempted to do my taxes!   But ran into a few hiccups.   The BIG one was I did not have a W2 from Shoreland.   I'm sure they sent me one...  But probably to the last known address.   The one to the house that burned down.   And since it was nearly 9 months ago...  Chances are the Post office is no longer forwarding my mail to me here.   So..... I contacted Shoreland with my new address.   And Taxes are not due until April... So I have some time.  

Still,  I had the motivation to give the Government Money.   Something that is a VERY RARE thing for me.    And any reason to postpone that transaction,   seems bothersome.   Don't get me started on taxation without representation...   This post would end up as a  five page RANT!

I'm excited about the weather change.   I impulsively purchased the means to make some Charcoal sticks for some possible sidewalk art later this month. ( Weather providing.)  Perhaps I will invest in some chalk-making supplies as well.   Good chalk seems to be difficult to find these days.   And I always loved the way I made it.   Brighter colors! And enough of that color to allow me freedom without worrying if I had enough of a certain color to finish. But  I should wait before I dedicate too much time and effort into another hobby.   I hardly used my Origami paper I made this winter.   Too many hobbies and never enough time...

Other than that... The week flew by as usual.   And Haribo continues to challenge and delight me everyday.   Mario is back after a long leave time, and the "Three Amigos" from the back have been reunited once again.   It was a fun week working with Elsa and Mario again.  Unfortunately,  Elsa will be moving to first shift soon, and we will have another vacancy to fill on second shift.   Hopefully,  we will get someone who gels with the team and helps everyone out.  Material Handling is not a job a single person can handle alone.   It's a team effort.

Time to enjoy the last few hours of daylight  now.  Weekends are so Precious these days.   And when the weather is this nice,  you have to make every second count...

The Melancholy Of Snow.

 I love that word...  "Melancholy." It sounds so beautiful and poetic. Much more so than "sad."   And definitely less soul-crushing than "Depression. " 

Depressed people bring down the room with their purple aura of Sadness.  No one wants to be "Depressed".   

But Melancholy  is just a passing phase.  A "moment of sadness"  if you will...At least that is how I view it.  

And so it was that it snowed again tonight.   After donating another Saturday to Haribo,  I was welcomed with the soft white flurries fluttering  gently down.   And it was beautiful. Each flake a tiny ice  crystal of art!  

And I felt Melancholy. 

Perhaps it is because it is February and we have already passed Groundhog's Day.  Or maybe it was because I was alone as I walked out, and got to experience the beauty all by myself.    With no one else to share the moment.  A picture that a thousand words could not describe.  

 And yet...   Here I am.  Attempting to do so. 

As mentioned before,  I volunteered to work at Haribo again.  It really is not the tremendous hardship as I present.  In fact, I would say it is an easy day to catch things up.    And they compensate me handsomely   for my time,  which is nice.  I now understand why single men tend to "marry their jobs."  

Not much else has happened this week.  The routine is fixed:   I worked.  I ate.   I slept.  

It has been nice coming home to a cat each night though.   A Living creature  that actually looks forward to your return and loves to cuddle and play when you walk through the door. Aside from the constant meowing around 4 AM each night,   she is pretty nice to have around.  

I do find myself yearning for Spring time these days.   I have had enough of the cold and snow.  Even with the beauty I see before me,  I would rather have the Dampness and Color of Spring. Rather than the "Cold and Sanitized Winter.   As it is, I think I'm coming down with a bit of a chill at the moment.  Stuffy nose,   sneezy,   bit of a cough.   All signs that I would rather not have.    

But tomorrow is Sunday!  And I will have an entire day to rest and recover before a new week begins.  And hopefully,  I will be able to accomplish something significant.   At least more significant that simply saying I was able to sleep all day. 

And then the cycle begins all over again....

So I will end this melancholy post now.   And hopefully chock it up as a "check in" post rather than any deep-seated problem. or a cry for help.  It is not.   Just a moment of sadness that will pass.... 

Just like the melting snows of winter.  

So try to make every second count. 

A Farewell To A Fair Fellow.

 I have been putting this post off for a while now, but finally have run out of reasons to procrastinate any longer.   Honestly,  I have been struggling to find the words to begin this long goodbye.   As mentioned previously,  I dislike goodbyes.   But there is a time when I think something has to be said...  Even if it is a random train of thoughts woven together that ultimately say nothing.   So here it goes...

As I have probably mentioned previously,  Dave and I met in High school back in the '80's.   Michigan Lutheran Seminary was a fairly small school, so everyone pretty much knew everyone.   But we traveled within the same circle of friends, and were not in sports, so we did lots of stuff together. ( Lots of D&D campaigns. with Paul Maske.)  

We stayed in touch through college,   he and my brother went to Northwestern while I went to DMLC.  Both of them would visit me occasionally,   ( Because DMLC had all of the girls!)  And we would catch up on things.   And that led us to Alaska!

Ah Alaska!   I will struggle to stay focused, as the topic of Alaska often takes me down tangents that pull at my storyline.  But let's just say that Me,  my brother,  Dave, and several other Northwestern and DMLC students had possibly one of the best summers in my memories.  A summer filled with Fishing, Hiking, midnight sun parties, and battles with Battletech.    Lots of Battletech!  (Battletech, the board game, replaced our D&D campaigns.) 

And then,  I graduated.  And joined the Army.  When I was assigned Alaska,  I stopped in at the Lodge where we worked, only to find Dave cooking there!   He had signed up for another summer, unbeknownst to me.   We did not have much  time to chat, but that was the last time I had seen him. 

Fast forward 25 years!

If you  followed the previous blog, you may know what happened.   I was going through a rough patch in my life. And I will skip most of that part.   Even now, I'm not sure how to put this part into words where it would be believable.   Dave likes me telling the story, but I think it makes me sound like a crazy person.  But after writing several paragraphs,  I figure I might as well put this story down in the blog somewhere... Crazy or not....  So here it goes:  

I was unable to sleep.   Five nights in a row,  I could not get more than an hour of sleep, and found myself waking up  in the middle of the night with crippling anxiety.   To combat this,  I was taking long walks through the Iowa countryside.   Down these long gravel roads,   where there was not much light aside from the moon, stars, and an occasional farm light off in the distance.  

 

It was almost poetic... "Lost in the Darkness."  

But being alone in the dark kind of forces you to talk to God.  And, even though I had not been to a church service in years,  that is what I found myself doing.   Talking aloud... in the darkness.   To no one!  Crazy!  Right?  

But this one night,  I was asking God to give me a sign.   ANYTHING!  Because I was really REALLY lost and struggling for what to do next.   

And then,  as if on queue...  A light came on.   One of those motion-detecting flood lights that blind you if you are looking at it when it hits you.  The Irony and coincidence was not lost on me.  

I walked over to the building the light was coming from,  figuring a raccoon or other small animal must have triggered it.   But the light stayed on.   And as I approached,  I noticed it was coming from the Lutheran Church.   

There are Lutherans in Wellman Iowa?  With it's flood light on at 2 AM in the morning?    I knew there were Amish, and Mennonites.    There were Presbyterian and even a Catholic church in our small, sleepy, Iowa town.   But I had never noticed the Lutheran church, tucked over on the other side of town...  I'm not even sure what denomination it was. (Missouri synod, perhaps.)   But that was it.   Nothing more happened.   

I don't know what I was expecting...  A booming voice to tell me what to do next, I guess.   But nothing.   After 20 minutes,  I moved on.   And continued my walk just thinking about the odd coincidence that happened.  

The next night, around the same time, I found myself once again in that area.   I figured I would walk up and "trip" the flood light once again.   Only,  this time,  there was nothing....

No light at all!  I stood under it waving my arms and nothing happened.  This caused me to begin questioning if it had even happened initially.   And Once again,  I asked God,  "What should I be doing?"  'Where should I go?"  

And I heard a voice.   Not the Booming Voice you would imagine.   But one in my head.   As clear as if someone was whispering it in my ear.   Dave Pagel. 

Of all the people in the world...  My Parents are gone.  My Brother and I had not spoken in years.  My other friends lived in Michigan and Alaska.  Why Dave Pagel? 

I had not been in contact with him for 25 years!  What will I even say to him?   How will he receive me after such a long time?   I had at least, a small line of communication through Facebook.  I sent him a "short" vague message to see what would follow.  

Imagine my surprise when he replied quickly.   And with just enough information to encourage me to make a phone call.  Which I did. And from there,  he invited me to stay with him in Kenosha.    

And I took it.   

He gave me a place to stay and a chance to breathe.   And most of all, I started going to Church again.

There is much to thank him for.  Even now, I currently reside in a house he managed to acquire from the Church. ( though, temporarily. of course. )    I had been staying with him for the last three years, and got to know his family and friends. ( He has a LOT of acquaintances. in Kenosha.) And found a way back into life.  I even got to answer a question that had been plaguing me for 25 years.  It was almost as if it were all a "Divine Intervention."  

I think back on where I was at that time.  It is doubtful that I would have landed as squarely on my feet as I have now.  And I don't know the future, but I do think it is brighter than it was that dark night.   

And Dave was instrumental in that journey.   

And so I would like to thank Dave.   For being there.  For being a friend.  And for Helping me out in the darkest of hours.  I can imagine that NO ONE can imagine the pain and suffering one goes through unless they, themselves have gone through something similar.  And the response to that pain and suffering that others give helps shape who you will become.   Someone who helps?  Or someone who ignores?   Or worst.... Someone who shames!   

As I feared,  this is swaying into a story about me,  so I will try to get back on track.   I would wish Dave the happiest of futures.   Enough struggle to keep life a challenge, And enough reward to make it all worth it.  He is quite different from me in many ways, but I do hope that if ever the time arises where I can help out another person, I will not hesitate.   And that is a HUGE, scary commitment for me since I am a terribly introverted person.   Dave made it look easy, inviting a "stranger" into his home and allowing him to stay for three years.   I'm not sure I could have ever done such a thing...

So farewell to Dave.   May he find Happiness in the Frozen tundra of Canada. ( I think it is nearly the same latitude as Kenosha Wisconsin... So not that huge of a change)   And he finds someone there to help him in his next chapter of Life.  With a little luck, he will keep up a facebook page so I can check in on him from time to time.  

And perhaps,   someday,  in the not so distant future,  we will meet again.   And reminisce about "That time in Kenosha"  when the  music played; and we moved those people; and we toured all of those breweries; and we fished that lake;  and that time the  house burned down...  

Um...  Yeah...

And we laugh.   

Over a beer and a Brat.   On a warm summer afternoon....  While playing a game of Cribbage.

That would be "Just like Old Times...."