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.
