Most people have heard of the Rock of Gibraltar — but if you’re like me, you have no idea what it really is or where it’s located. I got to tour Gibraltar, located off the coast of Spain — and see the Rock — on a shore excursion from a Norwegian cruise to North Africa and Spain, and loved it. It’s a really interesting place to visit! Continue reading
Never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d be riding camels in Tangier, Africa, on a Norwegian Mediterranean cruise that included stops in Morocco at Casablanca and Tangier — but that’s just what I did! Continue reading
Norwegian seems to be the only mainstream cruise line with a port of call in Casablanca, Morocco, in northern Africa on a Mediterranean cruise, which is why we picked that cruise for our 2018 travel adventure. Who wouldn’t want to go on a Casablanca shore excursion to see sights you’ve only read about and seen on TV — and never dreamed you’d see in person?! Continue reading
My friend and travel buddy Merry Ellen and I found a cruise itinerary of a lifetime — a 10-night cruise to Spain and Africa. The trip went along the coast of Spain, stopped at the Canary Islands and visited Morocco, Africa, too. Continue reading
If you work for a government agency or high-tech business that uses a badge ID or CAC (common access card) for admittance to the premises/military base, and/or for building access and computer access, you understand how important it is to remember to take it with you everywhere. And you need a foolproof way to remember CAC or ID badge.
If you forget… there aren’t too many things worse than not being able to enter the property on Monday morning when you’re headed to work! Or being locked out of the room where you working on a big project because you jumped up and ran to the restroom quickly, forgetting your ID.
Some things I’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to avoid situations like these are:
1) Posting notes and signs around my cubicle
2) Posting signs across the hall from the doorway of the cubicle
The bad thing about signs is that, after a while, you ignore them. (Plus, it’s visual clutter — and your coworkers tend to tease you about your bad memory.)
After years of experimentation, I finally came across the winning combination.
1) Cut a piece of bright red or orange paper and put it in the plastic CAC holder underneath the CAC. (I carry a second badge, so it sits on top of that.) That way, when the CAC is missing and you glance down, you immediately see the wrong color (orange — not white) — and a color that signifies emergency, at that — and you know immediately something isn’t right.
2) Also, clip a big sign that says “CAC” on your purse. When you leave work at night and pick up your purse to take it home with you, don’t let yourself remove the clip until you’ve actually removed the CAC from your computer and inserted it into the holder. (Don’t trust yourself if you think, “It’s only going to be a few seconds; how can I forget it?” Believe me — you’ll get distracted and forget it! I’ve done it numerous times…)
If you’re required to wear and use an ID badge or CAC at work and have an idea that helps you remember it, please share it!
If you have a desk job and work for an organization — like I do — that keeps indoor temperatures hovering in the frigid zone (68 degrees or less) in the winter, while prohibiting space heaters, here are some tips for how to stay warm at work. Continue reading
Did you know that passengers can bid on room upgrades on Norwegian cruise line? I got the opportunity to bid for a room upgrade on an upcoming trip and “won” a balcony cabin for a crazy low price. Continue reading
Caring for elderly parents is not for the faint of heart because you’re a novice in uncharted territory. But when things get tough, you definitely have to be grateful you have your parents (!!!) and remember that many other people would give everything they have to have just one more day with their mom and dad.
Growing up in a small town, I was fascinated by lots of things and wanted the opportunity to experience them all; one of them was sleeping overnight in an airport.
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Many people choose a personal word of the year to focus on for 365 days instead of making New Years resolutions. I’ve been doing that for the past few years and think it’s a winning idea. This year, though, one word isn’t quite enough. My one word for 2018 is **Family** paired with three related words …
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