2008 Calender

[scratch]

Well, the company has done it again. Today, I got to see the new calender. Its got a title: "UPS2008-The story of a big idea". But the "big idea" isn't like the old company magazine of the same name. The theme is to how to market a designer laptop bag. www.francesandgrace.com. I started to get excited when I looked at the first month, but was soon disappointed. My idea of a nice calender has nice color pictures of beautiful outdoor scenes, for a UPS calender that would mean UPS people and vehicles at work in scenic places. Well, here goes:

January: My favorite picture. A P800 driving by a house covered in snow in Crested Butte, where ever that is. I don't know how you folks up North work in conditions like that.

February: Some corporate guy in front of his PC using UPS Delivery Intercept to get back something he screwed up.

March: UPS boat going down the canal in Venice, Italy. I like that one too.

April: Corporate types looking at a slide show.

May: Asian guy using a pallet jack to move rolls of fabric around.

June: The final product, a laptop bag. I'm not kidding.

July: Photo shoot with model posing with laptop bag.

August: UPS Freight truck on the interstate somewhere.

September: Woman looking at laptop bag on her laptop PC.

October: Picture of UPS plane tail.

November: Picture of laptop bag in the front window of a store next door to a UPS Store.

December: I like this picture. Its a Package Driver walking up to the front door of a house where the snow is piled up about five feet. Of course it is night, its probably Christmas Eve. IE decided to cut out some routes, so this poor guy is out late instead of being home with his family. Reminds me of the impending doom that is Peak Season. Number 33 for me, somehow we always are able to dig ourselves out and get the job done.

[Big Babooba]

I'm Mr. October. My turn had come up to fly the plane which coincided with the photo shoot.

[LKLND3380]

Originally Posted by scratch

May: Asian guy using a pallet jack to move rolls of fabric around.

How about a mid May insert - a pallet of fabric going down a slide and preloaders running for their lives...

[browned out]

It used to be almost all UPS employees;(loaders, sorters, pilots,drivers feeder drivers) but UPS is trying to eliminate the personal contact that drivers have with the public. Customers are not crazy about this new callender either.

How about a calendar with the UPS girl in the avitar?

Her uniform is not allowable anymore. old logo

[upsgrunt]

I wish they would use realistic photos- you know the ones with filthy package cars, drivers with dirty hands just soaked with sweat, and the sleeve of their shirt with a rip in it. I'd also like to see the December driver with dark circles under his eyes and a look of desperation on his face.

[Fnix]

we dont use pallet jacks

[DS]

Originally Posted by scratch

Well, the company has done it again. Today, I got to see the new calender. Its got a title: "UPS2008-The story of a big idea". But the "big idea" isn't like the old company magazine of the same name. The theme is to how to market a designer laptop bag. www.francesandgrace.com. I started to get excited when I looked at the first month, but was soon disappointed. My idea of a nice calender has nice color pictures of beautiful outdoor scenes, for a UPS calender that would mean UPS people and vehicles at work in scenic places. Well, here goes:

January: My favorite picture. A P800 driving by a house covered in snow in Crested Butte, where ever that is. I don't know how you folks up North work in conditions like that.Its in Colorado...

February: Some corporate guy in front of his PC using UPS Delivery Intercept to get back something he screwed up.Why else would we need such a service?

March: UPS boat going down the canal in Venice, Italy. I like that one too.Those 150 lbers must be a bitch

April: Corporate types looking at a slide show.
of laptop bags I presume

May: Asian guy using a pallet jack to move rolls of fabric around.
to make the bags

June: The final product, a laptop bag. I'm not kidding.

July: Photo shoot with model posing with laptop bag.

August: UPS Freight truck on the interstate somewhere.

September: Woman looking at laptop bag on her laptop PC.

October: Picture of UPS plane tail.

November: Picture of laptop bag in the front window of a store next door to a UPS Store.

December: I like this picture. Its a Package Driver walking up to the front door of a house where the snow is piled up about five feet. Of course it is night, its probably Christmas Eve. IE decided to cut out some routes, so this poor guy is out late instead of being home with his family. Reminds me of the impending doom that is Peak Season. Number 33 for me, somehow we always are able to dig ourselves out and get the job done.

thanks for the warning scratch....sychronizing the w.....no hey wait....a laptop in every pot....good post scratch...

[DiadDude]

Last year I bought a few of my close friends a calendar more appropriate for the UPS working environment. I got it from here:

http://www.despair.com

[Dirty Savage]

Originally Posted by upsgrunt

I wish they would use realistic photos- you know the ones with filthy package cars, drivers with dirty hands just soaked with sweat, and the sleeve of their shirt with a rip in it. I'd also like to see the December driver with dark circles under his eyes and a look of desperation on his face.

Indeed.

Like the 2007 calender wasn't bad enough, with all those pictures of happy-go-lucky people who probably don't even work for UPS. Damn, that made me so ill I had to throw it out halfway through January.

[FromBluetoBrown]

Originally Posted by LKLND3380

How about a mid May insert - a pallet of fabric going down a slide and preloaders running for their lives...

That's pretty funny, I can almost imagine it too

[ikoi62]

Originally Posted by Dirty Savage

Indeed.

Like the 2007 calender wasn't bad enough, with all those pictures of happy-go-lucky people who probably don't even work for UPS. Damn, that made me so ill I had to throw it out halfway through January.

i know some of the people in the 2007 calender they do work for us. well at least the drivers do.

[browned_out]

At least you have calenders, I haven't seen any in our center yet!

[browniehound]

Hey Scratch,
In regards to your statement about snow and "I don't know how you people up north work in those conditions", To say the least it sucks! It makes for a truly miserable day to work in a snowstorm. And then the next day is almost as bad because they usually call us off the road around 5 or 6. As you can imagine, if your route goes out with 130 stops you might be able to get 80 done if its snowing hard. So now you route has 180 the next day and you're working close to 12 hours.

What I hate the most though is the bitter cold. Because here is Boston we can have week stretches where the high is around 15.

So here is where I say: I don't know how you people in Minnesota, the Dakotas, etc, deal with that all winter long? At least here near the ocean it can get close to 40 some days in January and that is great working temps for me.

One last point and then I'll shut up, Scratch. Many drivers here complain about the heat and humidity during the summer. I absolutely love it! I feel like I really get a good system cleansing when its 95 and I lose about 10 lbs in a day!! Being in GA, you must deal with this weather 6 months of the year? Here in MA its only about 10 weeks. Does the heat and humidity take its toll on you down there??

The snows not so bad, unless you're running to Fargo, ND, Sioux Falls, SD, or Des Moines, IA when the wind is causing it to drift over the interstate and they decide to pull the plows and tell you your on your own, or they'll shut it down leaving you in a hotel. The ice is when things get interesting, nothing like pulling a set of empty doubles in high winds over ice cover roads. Those are the days you truly earn your pay. The way I see it, snow you can see, ice you can not. May everyone have a safe peak season, work and drive to the conditions.

[Sammie]

Originally Posted by scratch

Well, the company has done it again. Today, I got to see the new calender. Its got a title: "UPS2008-The story of a big idea". But the "big idea" isn't like the old company magazine of the same name. The theme is to how to market a designer laptop bag. www.francesandgrace.com. I started to get excited when I looked at the first month, but was soon disappointed.

Scratch, one of the kids I grew up with is Barbi Benton, a "friend" of Hugh Hefner from a while back. I'll see if I can get in touch with her and maybe she can get you on as an assistant of some sort at the Playboy Mansion. That way you could get a calendar every year that might not be so disappointing...

[scratch]

Originally Posted by browniehound

Hey Scratch, Does the heat and humidity take its toll on you down there??

We seldom see snow anymore. I think we had a light dusting last year, that's all. We might have a couple of days where theres ice in the road, thats it. As far as summer heat, it gets nasty June through August. I will start sweating just stepping out of my house in the morning. You will cook all day, you have to guzzle water to survive. I have also come to appreciate the streets and yards that have a lot of shade trees. I try to take a vacation week off every four to five weeks during the worst of it. Most of us do work in extreme outdoor conditions, no matter what part of the world we are in.

[browniehound]

Originally Posted by scratch

I will start sweating just stepping out of my house in the morning. You will cook all day, you have to guzzle water to survive. I have also come to appreciate the streets and yards that have a lot of shade trees. I try to take a vacation week off every four to five weeks during the worst of it. Most of us do work in extreme outdoor conditions, no matter what part of the world we are in.

Scratch,
We have about 10-15 of those days here in Boston each summer, which is why I enjoy them. I probably wouldn't enjoy them if I had to do it everyday June through August like yourself.

On those days, you can drink a gallon of water and not go to the bathroom all day. When you do finanlly go its the color of butterscotch. This can't be good for the system. If your urine isn't clear I guess that means you are dehydrated? But in order for you urine to be clear on these days I think you would have to drink at least 3 gallons of water over the 10 hour day. I couldn't do it.

[over9five]

"..one of the kids I grew up with is Barbi Benton.."

Gawd, I remember her very well! She was the best, but that was waaaayyyy back. Wonder what she's doing now???

Really, she must have been the playmate 30- 35 years ago.

[over9five]

Just looked it up. Tho Barbi was never a "playmate of the month", she made several Playboy appearances from 1969 - 1985.

Covers can be seen here http://www.barbibenton.nu/

[upsdude]

Originally Posted by over9five

Just looked it up. Tho Barbi was never a "playmate of the month", she made several Playboy appearances from 1969 - 1985.

I'm not sure about that information. Personally, I think we need to search every page from day one.