Week one: Fireworks and Funerals

I've been here at internship for a week now, and have learned many things. I can tell just in this short, busy, exhausting, lengthy week that I'm going to love internship. Sure, bad days happen, and even just yesterday I was sick and not having the best time. But, at least so far, I'm enjoying what I'm doing, even if I am tired.

I posted on FB that I wanted to be adjusted to internship so I could have energy in the evenings to do stuff. (Read: I'm not done unpacking and I want to have energy to make dinner.) Comments poured in from those who have finished internship, and the advice uniformly read, "give yourself time, be gentle to yourself, internship is exhausting." It's good to know that it's not just me. I am giving myself time, and my supervisor is great about comp days and "hey, you worked 13 hours on Sunday with a half hour break, and 13 on Monday with a 4 hour, and 9 on Tuesday... don't come in until 10 on Wednesday, and take some extra on Thursday, too." Or, "Hey, there's a funeral on Friday. You are welcome to come, but then take an extra day off next week." ('Cause Fridays are my day off.)

This morning we did a graveside service for a gentleman who passed away. There was an honor guard. So PS (my supervisor) and I did our part: prayers, readings, blessing, etc, and move to the side. The funeral director says, "Please stand for the playing of 'Taps.'" And they stand. And we're standing. And we're standing. There are two guards standing at attention (the whole time, actually. Wow.) and one off away with the "trumpet." So he puts it up, and nothing happens. He reaches around and fiddles with the "mute." Nothing. A few times, "trumpet" up, down, fiddle with "mute," and back, all in snappy motions, 'cause of being at attention. Eventually, he tucks it under his arm, salutes, and the guard by us, seeing this, goes on to the flag part. Apparently, they use a recording, and that's what he was fiddling with, not a mute. PS guessed the batteries were dead, and that someone's head would be rolling. I'm thinking, give me the trumpet and I'll play taps.

Yesterday, I had just sat down to my lunch when a meeting came in the door, which lasted at least an hour and a half, then I finished lunch over a meeting with PS, then the 3'oClk came in at 2:30 (while we were in the middle of prepping/eating lunch/catching up) and went for.ever. Then we went and visited a guy at the hospital. So today, knowing we had a funeral at 11, I had a chicken Caesar salad at 9:30 before going in to the office, just in case. Rule of ministry: eat when you can, because there might be a crisis between you and your next meal. It turned out okay; PS and I went to Wawa and had lunch together. Only the Wa was out of meatballs and I was all on the spot to pick something different and all I could think was, "No chicken. Please. Just... no chicken." So we met and got semi-caught up and then went back to the funeral home to meet the relative for Friday's funeral.

Also, I'm out of pasta. Which means I can't have chicken parm for the third night in a row. (Meaning, I had it the last two nights, and can't have it a third.) I froze the ground beef, so I can't make hamburgers. Plus I don't know how to make hamburgers. I'm in a place where EVERYTHING tastes too salty, so there goes soup. There's frozen stir-fry mix, but I have no rice. There's tuna helper, but the milk is bad. There's the last box of 3cheese macacheese, but, again, the milk is wrong. ("Last" because I brought it from home, and the local Giant doesn't sell 3cheese. Lame.) I'mma take a nap and then figure out dinner.