Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Home, Sweet Depot

Apologies for not having any scintillating  campground reviews for the last few weeks posted.  The main reason is I haven't been to any campgrounds other than Stephen Austin State Park which I've already reviewed here:  Stephen F Austin State Park Review or Fort Anahuac Park that I reviewed here:  Fort Anahuac Park Review .  Houston sits between these two parks and that's where I've been for the last three months.....wait for it....working!  Even though the Tank's insurance only had a $500 deductible, other costs associated with the accident (like $1000 in car rental) quickly added up to me not wanting my savings to take such a direct hit so I went and found a job.

Taken from the outside Garden Department where I work.
Much like Amazon does before Christmas, every Spring Home Depots everywhere hire lots of temporary workers to get them through their busiest season (management calls Spring their Christmas).  The people hired are made aware that the position is temporary and that, come Memorial Day, there is no guarantee of employment.  So I got hired March 1 with the intent of working the three months until Memorial Day and then escaping Houston's unbearable summer heat by heading northwest.  I was given the choice of working in the Garden Department or the Lumber Department.  The lady who interviewed me steered me towards Garden due to a lot of the work being outside and Spring weather in Houston is actually pretty bearable so I took her advice and went Garden.

You walk a lot in Garden,  Check out my pedometer after a shift.

Experts say 10,000 daily steps is an "active" day!
I've been mainly "urban camping" at my Home Depot after my shifts.  It's officially not allowed but people have gotten used to seeing the Tank parked on the far side of the store during my shifts and I think that, if they notice it at all, that they think I'm one of the dozens of "Homers" that work the overnight restocking shift.  On my days off I stay at a Walmart down I-10 a ways or, when the Tank's black and gray tanks need dumping I go pay the $22 at Stephen F Austin State Park and dump them there.  There is an obvious endpoint to my urban camping and that is when the nights get so warm I won't be able to stay in the Tank without electrical hookups to run AC, but I think I can just squeak by until Memorial Day.

A plus from now having "retail experience" is that if I get to a part of the country that I think I want to stay at for a few months I can go find a Home Depot (where the Now Hiring sign stays up year around) and see if they need any help locally in their Garden Department ;D

Thanks for reading!