A Short Week And 4th Of July Weekend

So last week was only a four day week since we got Friday off for the holiday. We spent most of the week doing returns since we will be starting new stories this week and getting new accessories and clothes in so we need the closet clean.

At the beginning of the week they put me in charge of the accessories. They like to have one intern who is always on accessories so that they know who to go to with questions and to check in jewelry, since that is some of our most expensive pieces. So now it's my turn and I'll be doing it for 3 or 4 weeks. So I spent the week doing purse, shoe, and jewelry returns with one other intern.

Thursday we had our evaluations. Hearst makes the supervisors do written evaluations at the end of the internship, so our boss thought it would be nice to have a one-on-one talk with us when it was the half-way point to give us some feedback and tell us what we need to work on. The end-of-the-term evaluations go to Hearst's HR and will be what they reference if we ever apply for a real job with one of their magazines.

So when it was my turn, I was so nervous. But I really wanted to hear what she had to say to make sure I finish this summer strong and increase my chances of getting a real job with them next year. My boss told me that I was really strong and that they could tell I was a hard-worker and very detail-oriented, which is really important when we're dealing with returning samples correctly so the magazine doesn't have to pay for anything. They want me to take a leadership role among the interns, which I definitely think I am capable of doing. And it's so good to know that as exhausted as I get, and sometimes frustrated, at least my work is being recognized and I definitely like the direction this summer is going in.

We got out of work at 3:00 on Thursday, so I spent some time in the Borders above Penn Station before catching a train home. I got home around 6 and relaxed and packed for the weekend. Friday morning I drove into the city with Libby at 7 in the morning (rather early for a holiday weekend), but she still had to go to work and the trains were running on a different schedule for the holidays. So she dropped me off at Grand Central to catch the subway to her sister's apartment. Grand Central was eerily quiet and empty, but it was kind of nice not to have to make myway through a mob of rushed New Yorkers.

So I made it to the apartment at about 8:15. Ellen was still there but only for about 5 minutes before she left for work and then away for the weekend. It was a beautiful weekend in the city and finally sunny for more than a couple of hours. Most of Friday afternoon and Saturday morning I went out shopping and walking around the city. I took a little bit of a walk on Saturday around Central Park. I even got some of my school work done that I have to do to get course credit for the internship.

Then I met some friends Saturday night for the fireworks, which were set off on boats on the Hudson. They were really great and lasted for about 25 minutes.

Today I slept in and relaxed before I had to head home. I found Ellen's stash of Audrey Hepburn movies, who I LOVE. So I watched Sabrina and Roman Holiday, which I strongly recommend. Then I caught a bus home in the early afternoon so I could be out of there before Ellen came back from her trip.

I am trying to prepare myself for what I anticipate being an extremely hectic weekend. But I have come to expect that this is the norm, not an exception. And I only have to wait 5 more days until I get to see my family and show them the city that I have truly come to love.