GIlmore Girls in Fremont, CA

At the beginning of the summer Carmen asked me about the work I was going to do in California. By the questions she was asking and the persistence with which she inquired I could tell she was trying to picture what it was going to be like for me when I went to work everyday. Finally she said, "Is it going to be like Rory and her internship at the newspaper with Mitchum?" [Now, anyone who knows me, any of my sisters, or my mom knows that a comment referencing Gilmore Girls like it's part of real life is not an uncommon occurrence in our conversation-- mostly because it IS real.] "Yes!" I told her, "That's exactly what it will be like, only instead of learning about newspapers like Rorie did, I'll be learning about taxes." She was satisfied.

Then a week or two later, when I was in California, and the first day of work was here Robyn sent me a text saying good luck and that she hoped I looked cute and to, "remember Rory on her first day of her internship." Gilmore Girls again!

Well, after this week, I really do feel like Rory on her internship. [I tried to find the clip to insert here, but couldn't seem to find the right one on YouTube. It's a shame because I felt like I was living it for an entire day. I'll just have to try to describe it.] I didn't feel like her until Thursday. Thursday was significant because it was my first opportunity to go out to a client site to do work. Usually tax professionals do their work at the office while auditors are more commonly know for being "out at the client." It's just the nature of our respective work. However, every once in a while it becomes necessary for tax professionals to go out to the client. So... this was my first time. [Side note: Let me tell you, it may sound glamorous, but it's overrated. Doing work at a client's office is the exact same as doing work at my own office- it's not any more exciting.]

The day began with me arriving ten minutes earlier than the rest of the team and waiting awkwardly in the lobby for my host/boss to show up. I couldn't enter the building past the lobby without a security badge, and I needed him there to get it for me. Helpless. He finally showed up, I got my badge, and we proceeded through the building together-- well, more like him rushing through and me running behind (imagine Rory following Mitchum here with her paper and pencil in hand, hopping on one foot because she can't walk fast enough in her heals. Luckily, I'd thought of this scene as I'd gotten dressed in the morning and chose to wore flats for that very reason). My boss (Chris is him name) would stop every once in a while and introduce me to people in the office as "the new intern." Finally we got to where the rest of the PwC team was sitting and I met all of them. Introductions were pointless however because I was referred to as simply "the intern" the entire day. I may have taken it personally except that I thought it was so funny! I was living my very own Gilmore Girls episode. The day was full of comments like, "What's the intern working on?" (as I'm sitting right there at the table) and "Have the intern do it." Unbelievable and hysterical all at the same time.

After spending the morning tying out spreadsheet after spreadsheet, some of which I think they gave to me just so I'd have something to do, I was assigned what Chris deemed the "most important task of the day" ... getting everyone lunch. I almost couldn't keep from laughing out loud at the predictability of it all. Have the intern get lunch for us. At least it was just lunch and my fears of not knowing how to prepare coffee didn't have to be realized.

Sunday Shout-Out

Work this week has been amazing. It's been absolutely horrifically busy. The good news is, however, that I was approved to work overtime, which is virtually unheard of for summer interns these days. Considering I'm paid hourly, working overtime is a wonderful thing. There's a joke (well, somewhat of a hard truth) that during busy season, often the interns working overtime make more than the full time first-year associates!

On Tuesday Masha (my senior associate buddy- the person who gives me most of my work and then reviews everything I do) told me that we were going to be expected to work this weekend. The client we're working on has a September 15th year end, meaning that rather than April 15th, their taxes are due on September 15th. This makes for a super busy summer- it's basically the busy season peak right now for the team I work with. She told me she absolutely couldn't come in on Saturday, but would be here Sunday and looked at me like it was no big deal (as her subordinate, it's just expected that I would be there at the same time she is. This trial of faith came somewhat unexpectedly, but luckily I'd prepared before the moment of decision. Nope, I told her. I can't come in on Sunday- I have plans to be at church and as a part of my faith I choose not to work on Sunday. I then promised to have everything in her inbox ready for her to look at it by Saturday night. It did the tirck. Luckily I had built up enough respect with her that she honored my choice and not another word was said about this issue.

Institution

So I attended institute this week at a different location than I did last week- just to switch things up. Originally I thought this institute class was going to be closer than my house, but it really wasn't. Anyway, here's the story.

The first thing you need to know is that there were two people in the class when I got there 10 minutes late (my drive there included a couple of U-turns which are, as you know, quite time consuming). Ok, yes I'm exaggerating. Sorry, there were three, including the teacher! The institute teacher. That's a good place to go next. A very large older man, with the tiniest knot in his tie I've ever seen who is one of those types of teachers who goes off on tangents all the time. Whenever he'd think of a story that related to anything he said or someone else said, did, or probably even thought, he'd tell it. Also, it didn't help that rather than have a lesson plan he seemed to just be rambling on and on about angels.

Surprisingly the time went by fairly quickly and the end of class approached. By then another girl had shown up, making for a grand total of five people at institute that night. The lesson ended with, "Well, that's all I know about angels, so what do you want to talk about next week?" Really? That's how he's running his institute class? No wonder no one comes! I really just had to keep from laughing inside during the whole class- the whole thing was so sad it was comical.

Biking the Golden Gate Bridge

On our day off we decided to take a trip to San Francisco (again), this time to bike over the Golden Gate Bridge.

{Lauren, Ben, Ryker, Brigham}

This was by far the chilliest day I'd spent in the city this weekend, but it ended up being perfect for the bike ride- any sunnier and it would have been too hot! It was perfect timing, however, when the fog cleared on our ferry ride back from Saulsolito, making for a beautiful view of the city. (Side note: next addition to my bucket list: sailing on the Bay- there were sail boats everywhere!)

Happy Fourth of July!

Fireworks in San Francisco are just about the silliest thing ever. The city is almost always covered in a thick fog, especially at night. Although there's always a huge display of fireworks over the Bay, the fog is only ever clear enough to see them every one in ten years! Oh well. We decided to go anyway.

{Lauren, Ben, Jeff, David, TJ}

I figure the fog is just part of the experience.

Redwoods

Before the Fourth of July BBQ celebrations began, we took a trip south to the Henry Cal Redwoods.

Above is a picture of two of my new favorite people: Michael (5) and Anna (7). Along with their parents, Trisha (the Bowman's daughter) and Geoff, little sister Sarah, and Papa, Brother Bowman, I toured this beautiful forest. The tallest tree we saw was 270 feet tall-- almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty!

"The interns can wait"

Lesson of the day: "The interns can wait," thanks to Brent (the associate who sits in the cubicle next to my office). I'll explain.

This afternoon I had a meeting scheduled with my "relationship partner," who is assigned to guide and direct me during my internship this summer. He sent me the invitation for the meeting a week ago, scheduled for 5:00 to 5:30 (right up until the time I am supposed to leave the office). Well, when I arrived at his office (three minutes early, of course) I could hear through the closed door that he was on a conference call, but knocked lightly to let him know I was there. Expecting him to tell me to wait for a couple of minutes while he wrapped up the call, I instead offered to do so before he had to ask. Sure enough, he accepted, but told me to wait not for 3 minutes, but for 20 minutes! Really? That means I'd have to stay at the office later than planned, which wouldn't be such a big deal, except that it was unapproved, and thus unpaid, overtime. Not to mention, I had institute to get to after work!

Once he shut the door I debated internally for about 30 seconds, walked over to see if my senior buddy was at her desk to debate with her, and then decided to reschedule the appointment. I approached his executive assistant, Sue, and asked her if it was a possibility. Three clicks later she'd sent out the reschedule invitation to myself and Rich (my partner). Perfect!

Not quite. On my way back to my desk I continued to debate... and I don't have a very long walk from his desk to mine, mind you. Short as it may be, however, it does involve passing Brent's desk. So I stopped to talk to Brent, asking for his advice in the place of my assigned mentor. I explain the situation and when I was done he looked at me with a look I won't soon forget and said, "The interns can wait. The partners time is a lot more valuable than yours. You can wait. They are busy." Really, he just confirmed what I already feared was true. I hung my head and with my tail between my legs I walked back to Sue's desk and told her I'd wait. She smiled and assured me Rich would be out shortly.

Well, the meeting went well. Sure enough he finished his call twenty mintes from the time he said he would, and I left the office twenty minutes late. I missed institute, but instead had a quite enjoyable conversation about funerals with Kristin over dinner (well, I had dinner, she had ice cream). It was a lesson well learned, and one I surely will remember. What a blow to the ego to realize I am at the very bottom of the totem pole around the office. It doesn't get much lower than my position. I guess good news is it can only get better from here!