Sometimes, I just can’t help it. Random questions pop into my head and I start wondering about things that make no sense at all. My parents used to say my brother and I would lie in bed at night pondering the universe - I guess nothing’s changed.

A few examples (the majority of these are my own, the rest I’ve heard over the past week or so from others):

- Why is it that Superman’s chest can stop bullets, yet he always ducks when a chair is thrown at him?

- Why is it a pair of underwear, but a single bra?

- What was the thought process when the first person decided to try and milk a cow (or a goat, or whatever) and then drink the milk - and what made them think it would be safe for them to drink?

- What rank do you have to be above before you can be considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

- Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard?

- If someone asks you, “Does a chicken have lips?” instead of answering your question, how do you know what they mean - can its beak be considered its lips-equivalent?

- If you drive at the speed of sound, can you still hear your radio/CD/ipod?

- Would a fireman ever use the phrase, “fight fire with fire?”

- What was the best thing before sliced bread?

- Why is it that small babies, looking up at the person holding/feeding them, have the power to instantly melt the heart of even the gruffest of adults - and when exactly do we lose that power?

- Why does the sun make hair lighter and skin darker?

- Why is it that the system sends you an email message to tell you that your email inbox is over its size limit?

- What would happen if two black holes were to meet?

Anybody care to contribute some answers? Or some other questions that have been on your mind?

Every now and then, in random wanderings around the internet (or on the recommendation of friends), I come across something cool and maybe actually worthwhile.  Today, in the spirit of the upcoming season, it’s shopping sites (yes, I know, I’m such a girl).

First up: a site that points people to random cool things to buy, including some out-of-the-ordinary stocking stuffer suggestions. So cool!

Also: a place to find things handmade (they even have a function wherein you can pick a color and find something that matches it - you’ll be surprised at what pops up). For my Peace Corps compatriots out there: this might be a great platform for some of the organizations you work with to sell their wares…

It’s officially winter.

Yes, I know what you’re about to say: that it’s not officially winter until December 20th. But I beg to differ - it’s definitely winter according to the weather gods, and what better authority could one ask for to make it official?

How do I know it’s officially winter? I had to scrape the frost off my car windows before I could go anywhere this morning. And tonight when I came home after three hours of standing in a poorly-warmed tent helping with a mock evacuation exercise, I couldn’t get inside and away from the cold wind quickly enough.

I have to admit, I have not been looking forward to this winter. Everyone has been saying for the better part of a year now that this winter is supposed to be a particularly bitter one. Cold is alright, (as someone who likes skiing, I can’t dislike it entirely), but unfortunately, I’m not really all that fond of the truly bitter cold that everyone says is coming my way for the next few months.

On the up-side, there’s nothing better than dealing with bitter cold outside to make coming inside to a warm house one of the most welcoming feelings.

Do you ever have one of those weeks that just seems to crawl by at an excruciatingly slow pace, in spite of everything? This is definitely one of those.

A lot has happened over the past week, and it’s been a real roller-coaster.

Work has gotten significantly more busy again since we’re supposedly all accustomed to our new 10-print system by now (other FSOs have blogged about this, so I’ll save you the extensive explanation and discussion). I’m not sure we are accustomed to it, but I guess we’re supposed to be.

My future location and job are (I think) up in the air again since the State Department has now decided to start looking for places to send my husband within the next several months, with me hopefully to join shortly thereafter - maybe. And they’ve ruled out Kingston for him entirely, which may or may not mean they’ve ruled it out for me. I’ll have more on that when and if something concrete happens.

Our anxiously-awaited wedding photos have appeared on the online site where we and guests who attended can view them, and select some for hanging on walls and placing on desks at work. They’re beautiful. April, our ball-of-fire photographer, really outdid herself (incidentally, if you’re looking for a wedding photographer, I highly recommend her). A few sample pages of the album design are below: