ok...so...the job!

Finally, a wrap-up of my first week at the new internship.

I work in Infant/Toddler Boys, and I work directly with a few people in the department, but pretty much do what's needed for whomever in IT Boys. The people I directly work with and almost everyone I have encountered seem like friendly, sane, intelligent folks.

There's a kitchen/lunchroom with four (?) tables, a big fridge, a coffee maker, vending machines, two microwaves and a sink. After spending the summer with a company that had none of the above (well, a sink), I really appreciate this! Also, the lunch room has been a nice place to meet people. Since I can take up to an hour (and at least 30 minutes) for lunch, if I want to be social, I can.

[There's one girl I've sat with twice - she's friends of this girl Jennifer who's from NC and is super friendly to me. Well, I'll see this one girl in the bathroom and such, and she never says a thing. So she's maybe the one "bitchy" encounter I've had so far. But whatever, I don't feel like I'm missing out on much by her not talking to me.]

So what do I do all day? Print photographs from trend research trips. I printed somewhere around ~400 pictures from the trend trip to LA Monday/Tuesday. I'm reprinting a good 200 back out because we cut a bunch up to make trend boards. And I do a *lot* of mounting and cutting. Basically, they make "life-size croquis" of shirts and pants when they can't get the sample back in time for a company so they print things out on those giant 40" fancy color printers. I have to use like 3" wide double stick tape, cover large cardstock boards with the tape, and smoothly apply the shirt to the board. Then I use scissors to cut the shirt out. Exacto it every once in a while to clean it up and reach where the scissors can't (particulary the arm hole).

I've also had to mount boards. Tuesday, this was not pretty. Basically, it's the same double stick tape and 20x30" foam board and paper. Completely cover the board (or paper) with tape, and attempt to smoothly attach it to the opposite item. And then trim it with the exacto (because it's not exactly 20x30"). Yeaaaah... So Tuesday, I had two to do. The first went fine. The second? I messed up FOUR times. And then it was 6pm.

BUT, by the end of the day, a coworker showed me what's now my favorite way to do it, and Wednesday/Thursday, I mounted two more boards problem-free! Also, the same coworker, who the board was for, stayed very nice the whole time I kept fucking up. I could tell she was frustrated by the end of Tuesday, but I was honestly surprised by how nice she was about it.

So...that's about it. Everyone got to leave early Friday (and it was a generally slow day). I'm listed as an "undefined" (time period) intern, which means there's a possibility they'll keep me on for the summer. While I'm very much searching otherwise, I am so thankful for this job! And who knows what might open up at Garan during this time... ;)