How about a trip to Rome?

Planning your next R&R?  Check out Yahoo's article about the top five holiday destinations.

Or, maybe Paris?

Check out these hooches...

These hooches have a had a facelift.  Check out these creative contructions here. 

Take ten minutes...

...to watch this video.  We received an email from a UT daughter who wanted to share the video with fellow UT family members, and said, "for all the families out there who aren't physically together -we still share the same sky, the same earth".  

A nice thought for Thanksgiving...

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. 

One thing leads to another...click-click...

...and that is what makes the internet so entertaining.


I'm always interested in staying current with vast collection of Foreign Service blogs, so I make an effort to check out the official State blogroll.  After a few clicks here and few scrolls there, I landed on the well-known Life After Jerusalem blog.  This blog includes the longest list of Foreign Service blogs I've seen so far.  The list just keeps going...and I keep clicking...


What I found: 


A blog I'd never seen before- all about life in Kabul as a Cultural Affairs Officer.  It has some interesting pictures.  Click here.


Another find:  A NY Times article about biometric data collection in Afghanistan.  If you are an EFM, and have worked in a consular section before capturing fingerprints, you will appreciate this article.  Click here.  

Wing Tips On The Ground, one of our favorites, includes a packing list and tips (including some great pictures) before heading to Iraq.  Click here.  

                      

Happy Monday!

Quick Tuesday tip!

Getting ready for the holidays?  Click here for a well organized checklist to help you manage your time. 

4 days remaining...

...Until the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) which will take place at 2:00 PM EST on Wednesday, November 9, 2011.  The test should last about 30 seconds and will transmit via TV and radio.  For more information, click here.  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and thank you to everyone who RSVPed to this year's Holiday Party.

Tricking and treating...

                                                              ...Outside the box...

To show our support, we are collecting leftover candy from our colleagues in DC to send to our colleagues serving unaccompanied tours around the world to celebrate a belated Halloween - because a chocolate bar tastes good anytime of year...

                                              
                                             ...Inside the box... it is filling up quickly!