Many questions; need lots of answers, please

[Swanson]

Thanks. My immediate supervisors are actually OK, IMHO, and seem to be helpful. The one on the “out” side of the belt is always helping his guys. Mine disappears, but arrives to help when I get slammed. It’s a small place. My understanding is that the hubs are run like military operations and people get yelled at. Now, the lady over the operation, at night, is strictly business. I didn’t realize it, because she was on vacation last week, but, the whole atmosphere changed when she came back, this week. The supervisors don’t seem to like her.

I still haven’t received a paycheck. I didn’t say anything. If I don’t get one before my 30 days, I will file a grievance the day that they let me join the union.

BTW, I talked to a driver who just got back from medical leave. He was out two months from a dog bite. He showed me the pictures. You could see the muscle and ligaments and sinew where the dog tore his legs up. I hope he wins his lawsuit against the homeowner. That’s something that scares me because I got bit the other day on a bicycle ride, and I get chased a lot.

Jam them up about your check it is probably sitting in the managers office

 

[Brownsocks]

6)Everyone says the drivers are “pissy,”

Give it time, you'll get there.

 

[meritocracy]

You're supposed to get your first check on your second week if I remember correctly. You should probably go to the payroll/HR person in case your direct deposit info is screwed up.

 

[AikenRooster]

Still haven’t been paid, but I found out who my union rep was and she said that she would get it fixed and to come see her with any further problems! I hope she keeps her word. Thanks to whomever made the suggestion.

 

[boxerdan]

I think you should get at least one paycheck tomorrow and if you don't I'd make a fuss about it. If you have the login info for UPSERS.com I'd go there and see if you can "view your paycheck." You should also be able to view your timecard and see exactly when you're getting paid for. I think drivers timecards get updated on upsers daily, but im a M-friend package handler and it gets updated saturday night for the previous week. I'd also really recommend signing up for direct deposit, accidents seem to happen all the time with new hires' paychecks in my building.

 

[AikenRooster]

I did this and it shows “the stub,” for last week, and I got a direct deposit, but I got screwed out of at least 8 hours. Since I can’t see the time card, because it was all put in manually, I have no idea which day I got screws out of. I haven’t been paid for the first week.

I don’t need the money, as everything I have is paid for, but it’s the principle that matters.

 

[AikenRooster]

I see what you guys mean by UPS purposely working “one man down.” We were “balls to the wall” for 6.5 hours last night, as in I didn’t even have time to get a gulp of water for the first 3 hours, two people didn’t show up, and they still sent two trainees home. The only reason I got a pee break was because the last truck(air freight) was 10 minutes late! I like it that we don’t have to take a lunch, though, because we get the overtime pay after 5 hours. However, I feel like a kid, again, making like 1/4 of what I did in trucking.

 

[burrheadd]

I did this and it shows “the stub,” for last week, and I got a direct deposit, but I got screwed out of at least 8 hours. Since I can’t see the time card, because it was all put in manually, I have no idea which day I got screws out of. I haven’t been paid for the first week.

I don’t need the money, as everything I have is paid for, but it’s the principle that matters.

SNAFU

 

[burrheadd]

I see what you guys mean by UPS purposely working “one man down.” We were “balls to the wall” for 6.5 hours last night, as in I didn’t even have time to get a gulp of water for the first 3 hours, two people didn’t show up, and they still sent two trainees home. The only reason I got a pee break was because the last truck(air freight) was 10 minutes late! I like it that we don’t have to take a lunch, though, because we get the overtime pay after 5 hours. However, I feel like a kid, again, making like 1/4 of what I did in trucking.

If you need to pee go pee the boxes will still be there when you get back

 

[Fido]

An sc brother. Welcome.

 

[boxerdan]

I did this and it shows “the stub,” for last week, and I got a direct deposit, but I got screwed out of at least 8 hours. Since I can’t see the time card, because it was all put in manually, I have no idea which day I got screws out of. I haven’t been paid for the first week.

I don’t need the money, as everything I have is paid for, but it’s the principle that matters.

in upsers there should be "time card viewer" right below where you found "view paycheck." You should be able to see last week and previous weeks.

 

[PPH_over_9000]

Warning: long thread. Any and all answers would be appreciated. Thanks.

First, a little about myself, so you know where I am coming from: I’m 44 years old and drove a truck for 20 years. I lost my wife and parents in the span of 2 years and got sick of the b.s. on the road and quit(lack of parking, people shooting me the bird, trying to wreck me, being woke up at night by prostitutes). I got up to 477 pounds, but spent the last 1.5 years losing 225 pounds and I took a job at our local UPS on the preload shift ....

It’s a small place and we work from approximately 2am to 9:45am, but we sometimes get off early, and they’ve got me loading 3 trucks and a small trailer off of a belt. The physical work is definitely hard, but I prepared for that losing weight, but mentally it’s a little tough for me, because I’m a Virgo and I want to do it perfect ....

1) I just got an ID today and can log in. I’ve noticed that the computer is showing a start time of 2am. Does that mean that I don’t start getting paid until 2am, even though I come in early? Also, I’ve noticed that the start times are staggered on a chart, and some of the kids are telling me that your pay doesn’t start until THAT time. However, they want us all there at 2:00am for the “cover our butts, safety talk.”

2) When will I get paid? I started on April 14. Do they pay weekly or every two weeks? If weekly, shouldn’t I have received a check, already?

3)Are you allowed to work multiple jobs within the same facility? I’m used to making more money than this and 30-35 hours, per week, @ $14.50/hour ain’t my kind of money. Or, do I need a side job?

4)The lady who runs the entire night shift is adamant about writing numbers on boxes. I only see the need to write the number if I can’t peel the tag and face it out. When I asked her, the response was,”It makes the load look good.” The drivers say they’d rather have the PAL sticker out, if possible.

5)Should I put small boxes and tee shirts, with the same PAL in front of or behind the bigger boxes? My supervisor says in front, but that makes no sense, since it seems like they’re gonna just fall off. I talked to one driver and he said he was okay with them being put in the back.

6)Everyone says the drivers are “pissy,” but they’ve all been nice to me. Is that because I’m wearing the blue vest, or because I’m doing a good job? Two of them said, “this is loaded better than it has been in a long time.”

7)Why doesn’t everyone work as a team? I notice that I walk down to get “blow byes” and take them back up to the next section, but no one does this for me. Also, I try to help others out when I can, to take items off the belt and place it by their car, but only one other person(another trainee) has done this for me. Also, I seem to be the last person leaving everyday.

8)What’s up with some of the drivers coming in early? Aren’t they Union drivers? I know they’re not working off the clock?! If so, why? We’re in SC, which isn’t exactly the bastion of Unions. Why would anyone work for free?

9)How long does it take to become a driver and do I really want to do this? I notice some of these guys are still running after dark andome of the cars are packed to the gills in the morning. How do I go about “bidding” for this opportunity, once my 30 days are up?

10)Would a better alternative be to try and drive the feeder trucks, since I have a CDL? Does it pay good? If so, how would I go about going in that direction?

11)What do you guys mean by a “runner?”

12)What is the “9.5” that y’all are talking about on here, all the time.

13)Should I join the union as a package handler, or wait until I become a driver? As dumpy as our facility is(that’s an honest assessment, as it is nasty, dusty, and very leaky), I don’t see what they’re doing for our small place.

14)Any tips to load more efficiently would be appreciated. I try to at least get everything off the belt, but sometimes I get huge piles in front of my door or have “blow byes.” Last night, I, literally, had about 50 boxes in a row for one car. The supervisor had to help me out, which was embarrassing. I’m trying my best to play “Tetris” and pack the cars more efficiently to leave room down the middle. Do I really need EVERY single box in exact sequential order?

15)Thanks again for any and all tips/answers.

1. You don't start getting paid until your start time. Even if you punch in at the computer an hour early, you're not "on the clock" until your scheduled start time.

2. We get paid weekly. You should see your first paycheck at the end of your second week of work. If you've past that already and haven't been paid, you need to talk with... your supe's, I guess, I would say HR but they've recently gotten rid of most of that department.

3. Double-shifting is possible. It's normally not offered to people low on the seniority list, but it's always worth asking about if you're interested. Worst thing they can do is say no.

4. Honestly? It doesn't matter. We're gonna sort on-road anyways. Peeling the PAL is my preferred method, though. It's almost guaranteed that I'm going to ignore any and everything handwritten on cardboard. 9 times out of 10 the loader doesn't do anything other than throw the box near the right shelf, though.

5. It doesn't need to be perfect, no. Just generally low to high. Low HIN/PAL#'s in front of and on top of the high ones. It's best to think 3 dimensionally instead of just left to right or right to left. EG: the start of the 2000 shelf. You got a 2056 front and foremost. On top of it is a 2000. Next to it could be a 2022, a 2081, and a 2045, in that order. Behind those boxes should be anything 2100 or higher. Repeat that process over and over again, and try to make it so that the walls are painted sequentially-- try not to have a 2900 behind 2000, and for God's sake don't have a 2000 at the end of the shelf behind a 2900. Again, though, we'll be sorting throughout the day.

6. A lot of us are. There's a lot the preload could do to make our jobs a little easier, but all I ever hear supe's telling their workers is "LOAD AND GO." If you make an effort, we'll respond accordingly. If you don't, we'll still respond accordingly. This applies whether it's your first day on the job or you're going on 10 years.

7. There's no teamwork because people don't see the job that way. They're assigned a pull, you're assigned a pull. Why should they help you in their downtime? Why should you help them in your downtime? It's not like some routes and pulls are heavier than others or anything, it's not your fault if Jim can't crush his 4 cars the way Tom kills his 2.... /s

8. A lot of loaders are god awful at their job. Some drivers would like to get home before 10pm, and in order to do that they need to be able to find packages quickly from their first stop to their last. Other drivers couldn't care less. Load it however you like, they'll fix it throughout the day and get paid for doing what preload couldn't.

9. Could take a few weeks, could take a few years. Ask around your center and find out where the bid sheets are posted. Then keep an eye on that spot and read over every piece of paper that put up on that wall. Sign them if you're interested. They're awarded based on seniority.

10. Feeder would be so much better than package, but much more difficult to get into. Most places have some pretty long waiting lists for those positions.

11. Someone who breaks rules/traffic laws and doesn't follow the methods in order to burn up a route and get off the clock early.

12. 9.5 list adjusts your dispatches to have you on the clock for no more than 9.5hrs. If you work more than that, you can grieve it for.... triple pay? I think it's triple pay. I'm a 22.4 though so I needn't worry myself with the whole 9.5 thing

13. It's... really up to you. Personally, I'd say join it now.

14. There's really not much to it. You're building a number line for each shelf. When things get hectic, like with those 50 boxes in a row, that's when you grab those 50 off the belt and stack them in front of the truck. Keep working the belt. Once you get the slightest bit of downtime you work on putting that bulk away. Everything's easier if you scan the boxes when you pull them from the belt, set them inside the right pkg car, scan the cars barcode and then keep it moving. Put it away when you get the chance, just don't get into the habit of throwing stuff in the trucks without a scan, because that's when you're gonna start to misload.

15. You're welcome, bud, and thanks for actually caring!

 

[meritocracy]

I see what you guys mean by UPS purposely working “one man down.” We were “balls to the wall” for 6.5 hours last night, as in I didn’t even have time to get a gulp of water for the first 3 hours, two people didn’t show up, and they still sent two trainees home. The only reason I got a pee break was because the last truck(air freight) was 10 minutes late! I like it that we don’t have to take a lunch, though, because we get the overtime pay after 5 hours. However, I feel like a kid, again, making like 1/4 of what I did in trucking.

They'll work you hard but you need to be sure to work safe and follow every recommended safety procedure. That includes drinking lots of water. You always have time. If it gets backed up for a sec because you need to drink some water that's okay. You're allowed to do that. Worst case scenario the supervisor has to do some work for a sec or have someone else help you or cover for you. No big deal. As long as you're following the recommended methods, you're not complaining, and you're clearly working hard you're going to be fine. So be sure to take care of yourself in the process. You don't get paid extra for hurting yourself and you definitely don't want to get canned for injuring yourself early on.

 

[AikenRooster]

in upsers there should be "time card viewer" right below where you found "view paycheck." You should be able to see last week and previous weeks.

Apparently, that’s not available when it is keyed in manually. Thanks to you guys, I found the union steward, a very nice lady, who jumped on the problem, and directed me on what to do. I found out which day they didn’t pay me for, and it said I called out, which made me upset. Hopefully, that gets corrected. I’ve only called out 4 times in my life ... when my mom died, when my dad died, when my wife died, and when I went to the hospital once. Supposedly, they’re gonna correct all of this. The union lady also said I was doing a good job, when I asked if I was gonna make it past the 30 days. She said,”they like me, because I’m not screwing up.” Again, not sure if she’s nice or just blowing smoke.
Also, just like y’all said, she told me to come find her if there was EVER a problem in the future.

 

[AikenRooster]

1. You don't start getting paid until your start time. Even if you punch in at the computer an hour early, you're not "on the clock" until your scheduled start time.

2. We get paid weekly. You should see your first paycheck at the end of your second week of work. If you've past that already and haven't been paid, you need to talk with... your supe's, I guess, I would say HR but they've recently gotten rid of most of that department.

3. Double-shifting is possible. It's normally not offered to people low on the seniority list, but it's always worth asking about if you're interested. Worst thing they can do is say no.

4. Honestly? It doesn't matter. We're gonna sort on-road anyways. Peeling the PAL is my preferred method, though. It's almost guaranteed that I'm going to ignore any and everything handwritten on cardboard. 9 times out of 10 the loader doesn't do anything other than throw the box near the right shelf, though.

5. It doesn't need to be perfect, no. Just generally low to high. Low HIN/PAL#'s in front of and on top of the high ones. It's best to think 3 dimensionally instead of just left to right or right to left. EG: the start of the 2000 shelf. You got a 2056 front and foremost. On top of it is a 2000. Next to it could be a 2022, a 2081, and a 2045, in that order. Behind those boxes should be anything 2100 or higher. Repeat that process over and over again, and try to make it so that the walls are painted sequentially-- try not to have a 2900 behind 2000, and for God's sake don't have a 2000 at the end of the shelf behind a 2900. Again, though, we'll be sorting throughout the day.

6. A lot of us are. There's a lot the preload could do to make our jobs a little easier, but all I ever hear supe's telling their workers is "LOAD AND GO." If you make an effort, we'll respond accordingly. If you don't, we'll still respond accordingly. This applies whether it's your first day on the job or you're going on 10 years.

7. There's no teamwork because people don't see the job that way. They're assigned a pull, you're assigned a pull. Why should they help you in their downtime? Why should you help them in your downtime? It's not like some routes and pulls are heavier than others or anything, it's not your fault if Jim can't crush his 4 cars the way Tom kills his 2.... /s

8. A lot of loaders are god awful at their job. Some drivers would like to get home before 10pm, and in order to do that they need to be able to find packages quickly from their first stop to their last. Other drivers couldn't care less. Load it however you like, they'll fix it throughout the day and get paid for doing what preload couldn't.

9. Could take a few weeks, could take a few years. Ask around your center and find out where the bid sheets are posted. Then keep an eye on that spot and read over every piece of paper that put up on that wall. Sign them if you're interested. They're awarded based on seniority.

10. Feeder would be so much better than package, but much more difficult to get into. Most places have some pretty long waiting lists for those positions.

11. Someone who breaks rules/traffic laws and doesn't follow the methods in order to burn up a route and get off the clock early.

12. 9.5 list adjusts your dispatches to have you on the clock for no more than 9.5hrs. If you work more than that, you can grieve it for.... triple pay? I think it's triple pay. I'm a 22.4 though so I needn't worry myself with the whole 9.5 thing

13. It's... really up to you. Personally, I'd say join it now.

14. There's really not much to it. You're building a number line for each shelf. When things get hectic, like with those 50 boxes in a row, that's when you grab those 50 off the belt and stack them in front of the truck. Keep working the belt. Once you get the slightest bit of downtime you work on putting that bulk away. Everything's easier if you scan the boxes when you pull them from the belt, set them inside the right pkg car, scan the cars barcode and then keep it moving. Put it away when you get the chance, just don't get into the habit of throwing stuff in the trucks without a scan, because that's when you're gonna start to misload.

15. You're welcome, bud, and thanks for actually caring!

Thanks. I’ve really been working on thinking about “cubing out” the shelves more. I kind of put an “anchor box” of, let’s say 6060 as a marker, and then putting smaller boxes and tee shirts and envelopes behind it and on top.
But, I didn’t realize I could sort of surround it with other 60xx, as you said.
Sometimes, they don’t put the load charts out immediately, and I get burned, because it’s a bulk stop, and I have to go to the floor, but I can’t help that.
Another thing I’ve been trying to work on is irregulars and big boxes .... just really trying to use every square inch(millimeter) available, and mark the box. I feel bad for the driver who has to deal with it, but I had a truck today with 300 pieces, and 88 of them were for one bulk stop and 38 for another, rdl, and, rdr, respectively. A lot of these boxes were HUGE, and I packed it all as best that I could, and you still couldn’t walk down the middle at the end. We just had to put the stuff on the back end. Apparently, this driver is used to it, and wasn’t angry.
You’re right about scanning and stacking out. I hate to do it, but clearing the belt, first and foremost, seems to save more work than chasing blow byes.


BTW, somebody down the line got 50 consecutive boxes of 5 ream typing paper @ 30 lbs/box. That truck was probably leaning sideways this morning. Lol

 

[PPH_over_9000]

Thanks. I’ve really been working on thinking about “cubing out” the shelves more. I kind of put an “anchor box” of, let’s say 6060 as a marker, and then putting smaller boxes and tee shirts and envelopes behind it and on top.
But, I didn’t realize I could sort of surround it with other 60xx, as you said.
Sometimes, they don’t put the load charts out immediately, and I get burned, because it’s a bulk stop, and I have to go to the floor, but I can’t help that.
Another thing I’ve been trying to work on is irregulars and big boxes .... just really trying to use every square inch(millimeter) available, and mark the box. I feel bad for the driver who has to deal with it, but I had a truck today with 300 pieces, and 88 of them were for one bulk stop and 38 for another, rdl, and, rdr, respectively. A lot of these boxes were HUGE, and I packed it all as best that I could, and you still couldn’t walk down the middle at the end. We just had to put the stuff on the back end. Apparently, this driver is used to it, and wasn’t angry.
You’re right about scanning and stacking out. I hate to do it, but clearing the belt, first and foremost, seems to save more work than chasing blow byes.


BTW, somebody down the line got 50 consecutive boxes of 5 ream typing paper @ 30 lbs/box. That truck was probably leaning sideways this morning. Lol

So one thing to help with those blow-out bulk stops-- it doesn't really matter where you put them in the truck, so long as they're all together and you let the driver know you changed up the gameplan. Say you get 60 pieces for one stop going to your 6000 shelf. Don't try to get them all on the shelf. Stack out that stop, and as the shift winds down you should be able to eye somewhere in the truck that you can make room and fit them.

Worse comes to worst, leave them stacked out. Let the driver know what the deal is, and load the bulk stops up last if you really don't have much room to work with. That way they're all together and the driver can hit that stop early on and clear out some room to move around and work in.

Some routes are used to not having a walkway at the start of the day. Bricked out front to back and floor to ceiling sucks, but the day is made so much easier if you just leave about 3-4sq.ft. of space right by the bulkhead door. Build a damn wall if you have to, but the driver needs to be able to get in the back. There's nothing worse than getting to your first stop and being unable to open the bulkhead because everything collapsed into the door.... well, there are worse things, but that's a ty way to start the day.

 

[boxerdan]

Apparently, that’s not available when it is keyed in manually. Thanks to you guys, I found the union steward, a very nice lady, who jumped on the problem, and directed me on what to do. I found out which day they didn’t pay me for, and it said I called out, which made me upset. Hopefully, that gets corrected. I’ve only called out 4 times in my life ... when my mom died, when my dad died, when my wife died, and when I went to the hospital once. Supposedly, they’re gonna correct all of this. The union lady also said I was doing a good job, when I asked if I was gonna make it past the 30 days. She said,”they like me, because I’m not screwing up.” Again, not sure if she’s nice or just blowing smoke.
Also, just like y’all said, she told me to come find her if there was EVER a problem in the future.

Huh, I don't think my building has a single working punch clock and my supervisor has always manually entered my time, and I can see it on upsers, but one thing you'll learn if you stick around here is that a lot of stuff at UPS varies region to region, building to building, center to center for no reason at all.

 

[AikenRooster]

Huh, I don't think my building has a single working punch clock and my supervisor has always manually entered my time, and I can see it on upsers, but one thing you'll learn if you stick around here is that a lot of stuff at UPS varies region to region, building to building, center to center for no reason at all.

I can punch in and out, now, so I should be able to start seeing everything online.

 

[Red Devil]

I think you have put more thought into preloading in this one thread than some loaders do in their entire career.

 

[AikenRooster]

1. You don't start getting paid until your start time. Even if you punch in at the computer an hour early, you're not "on the clock" until your scheduled start time.

2. We get paid weekly. You should see your first paycheck at the end of your second week of work. If you've past that already and haven't been paid, you need to talk with... your supe's, I guess, I would say HR but they've recently gotten rid of most of that department.

3. Double-shifting is possible. It's normally not offered to people low on the seniority list, but it's always worth asking about if you're interested. Worst thing they can do is say no.

4. Honestly? It doesn't matter. We're gonna sort on-road anyways. Peeling the PAL is my preferred method, though. It's almost guaranteed that I'm going to ignore any and everything handwritten on cardboard. 9 times out of 10 the loader doesn't do anything other than throw the box near the right shelf, though.

5. It doesn't need to be perfect, no. Just generally low to high. Low HIN/PAL#'s in front of and on top of the high ones. It's best to think 3 dimensionally instead of just left to right or right to left. EG: the start of the 2000 shelf. You got a 2056 front and foremost. On top of it is a 2000. Next to it could be a 2022, a 2081, and a 2045, in that order. Behind those boxes should be anything 2100 or higher. Repeat that process over and over again, and try to make it so that the walls are painted sequentially-- try not to have a 2900 behind 2000, and for God's sake don't have a 2000 at the end of the shelf behind a 2900. Again, though, we'll be sorting throughout the day.

6. A lot of us are. There's a lot the preload could do to make our jobs a little easier, but all I ever hear supe's telling their workers is "LOAD AND GO." If you make an effort, we'll respond accordingly. If you don't, we'll still respond accordingly. This applies whether it's your first day on the job or you're going on 10 years.

7. There's no teamwork because people don't see the job that way. They're assigned a pull, you're assigned a pull. Why should they help you in their downtime? Why should you help them in your downtime? It's not like some routes and pulls are heavier than others or anything, it's not your fault if Jim can't crush his 4 cars the way Tom kills his 2.... /s

8. A lot of loaders are god awful at their job. Some drivers would like to get home before 10pm, and in order to do that they need to be able to find packages quickly from their first stop to their last. Other drivers couldn't care less. Load it however you like, they'll fix it throughout the day and get paid for doing what preload couldn't.

9. Could take a few weeks, could take a few years. Ask around your center and find out where the bid sheets are posted. Then keep an eye on that spot and read over every piece of paper that put up on that wall. Sign them if you're interested. They're awarded based on seniority.

10. Feeder would be so much better than package, but much more difficult to get into. Most places have some pretty long waiting lists for those positions.

11. Someone who breaks rules/traffic laws and doesn't follow the methods in order to burn up a route and get off the clock early.

12. 9.5 list adjusts your dispatches to have you on the clock for no more than 9.5hrs. If you work more than that, you can grieve it for.... triple pay? I think it's triple pay. I'm a 22.4 though so I needn't worry myself with the whole 9.5 thing

13. It's... really up to you. Personally, I'd say join it now.

14. There's really not much to it. You're building a number line for each shelf. When things get hectic, like with those 50 boxes in a row, that's when you grab those 50 off the belt and stack them in front of the truck. Keep working the belt. Once you get the slightest bit of downtime you work on putting that bulk away. Everything's easier if you scan the boxes when you pull them from the belt, set them inside the right pkg car, scan the cars barcode and then keep it moving. Put it away when you get the chance, just don't get into the habit of throwing stuff in the trucks without a scan, because that's when you're gonna start to misload.

15. You're welcome, bud, and thanks for actually caring!

I tried it the way you suggested and it seemed to work much better as far as room being left over at the completion of the load. Two trucks were very clean and another was bricked out, but you could still squeeze down the middle. Thanks for the thought experiment. Not sure if the drivers are actually happy or not. I’d rather them tell me instead of going behind my back to management, if they don’t like it.
Also, got some overtime today bundling up the bags, so I hope they keep shoveling extra work my way. Solid 8 hours with no break. It was a great workout. I was pretty tired, because I had hiked 11 miles Sunday afternoon. Also, I’m starting to lose weight, again, which is awesome, because I had been stuck at 250 most of the year, after losing 227 pounds. I’d love to get below 200 one day and be normal. I’m still smaller than middle school, so, except for the excess flab, I’m happy about that.