Women's Health, What?

So I've had an entire month now in which to post interesting stories about my life so it's high time I begin! I've really enjoyed reading all of your posts just now. What a great summer we're all having... apart! I was kind of delaying until I had some pictures; however, in a typical Christy move I've made it to Dallas without a camera and in a recent post posted at our blog (forlackofpaperandapen.blogspot.com) Jared revealed to our entire readership that we actually haven't taken ANY pictures in 2010. It's a good thing our temple work's done otherwise our posterity would have their hands tied proven we'd existed.

If you check out our blog you can read my executive summary of our between school and internship activities. We went camping and hiking in Zion, Jared graduated and we went to San Diego to hang with my family. We had to get our whole summer of fun together in!

I've been at my internship since May 23. To be honest, I think it's taken a month for me to a) understand what the Office on Women's Health is supposed to do and b) gain an appreciation for the importance of that. Most of the time I've felt like I was just doing a long list of assignments. But it's beginning to come together and I really love where I work. Most of what we do is increasing community knowledge about women's health issues and administering grants to various community groups on the ground. My fourth day on the job I was sent to Fort Worth to man an exhibit recruiting people for our grant application list and explaining about what the Office on Women's Health does. No one was more curious than that about me, but I learned pretty quick!

I never know what I'll be doing day to day. I got to review a grant application the other day and decide whether to fund them. What power (okay, just $1500 worth)! It's fun to be seeing the coordination of federal, state and community health groups working together with at least a little efficiency :-) My boss suggested a great project idea out of the blue... so crossing my fingers I hope it can pan out!

In my spare time I haven't watched a lot of TV, but I have watched A LOT of library movies--like coming up on one a day. The Dallas public library has a sweet selection. I'm living with my Aunt and Uncle... and so's my Grandma. So I spend most nights watching a movie (or FIFA or the NBA FINALS!!) with her. Also a lot of news watching and looking at old pictures. Between NPR on the way to and from work and a nightly hour of national and local news I am so caught up on current events (and so depressed about the LA oil spill).

My aunt and uncle have been so generous and it's great and HOT (I have about a five minute walk from my building to my parking lot downtown and I'm dripping sweat, think Gatorade, by the time I get there) to live here with them. Jared's been out once and we'll see each other at my sister's wedding this weekend. The only hickup has been the fact that my computer won't connect to Texas wireless. So I'm at the mercy of my two teenage cousins for computer access. So if posts or email replies are few and far between... I'm usually checking my email about twice a week. Dalls, it's like the third world country that isn't!

I've been to a barbeque place! (Alex, that's for you) But I haven't gotten much of Texas culture yet, other than I discovered that I can't understand Patricia (the cafeteria worker downstairs) at all. Not a word because of her intense Southern/inner city drawl. Yikes! It's reminding me of communicating with people in Thailand with my limited Thai. Today, though I actually answered the question she asked and managed to get bacon on my baked potato. We're friends. :-) People in Dallas are so friendly, though. The ward here is really nice and the people I work with are so funny and kind as well. There's a lot of women in my summer. My aunt, my cousin, my grandma, all the statistics I read, everyone I work with except for our office director, all of the people I talk to on the phone, Relief Society, the ward exercise group, all of the other Regional Directors on conference call. Women's. Health. What. Watch out! If I'm not careful I'm coming home a raving womencentrist!

I've missed you! I'm excited to see you again in the Fall!