HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

It's almost Christmas and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season. The new year is approaching as well and hopefully it will be a Great New Year for everyone. Continued Good Health and Luck for everyone.
Carnival Cruise Lines is hiring!

So last week, I was on one of my many cruises and I met a woman from a small town in Kentucky. She works for Carnival Cruise Lines as a Reservation/Travel Planner. I was curious about her job, since she is working from her home. She still has to do 40 hours a week, but the days and times she chooses to work are her choice. And then about the money. They are not given an hourly wage, but rather paid on the bookings they make and if they sell travel insurance and other options. She told me her last 2-week pay check was for $4800. That's a hunk of change. I went further with this and looked up this career opportunity on Carnival Careers-Remote Travel Planners. They said the average income is $55-65k per year, but top producers make $90k per year. Plus, you get all the health benefits and 401k's. Plus, cruise discounts for yourself and your family. This certainly sounds interesting.
Speaking of travel-I have now done 2 tours (Egypt & Poland) and 4 cruises since August and let me tell you I'm tired. Between work and travel, I need a vacation! It's a tough life though and I'm glad it's mine.
My last 4 day cruise was again from Los Angeles to Catalina & Ensenada. This time in Catalina, we just wandered around town for awhile. In Ensenada, I wasn't planning on going into town, but ended up there anyway and had a wonderful $40 hour-long massage. There were 6 of this time and we filled in our spare time with Hand and Foot card games. It was a wonderful trip and fun to do with friends.
My next cruise will be January 9, 2022, sailing from Miami to various parts of the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.
VAL'S UNIQUE GIFTS

If you get a chance, log onto my Facebook Account-Val's Unique Gifts or on my Instagram account-@valsuniquegifts. This is a new business opportunity for me. A concierge gift service, looking for unusual, wierd, unique and quirky gifts all over the internet. I'm still in the starting stage, but I'm having fun, finding new gift ideas for year round gift giving. When I find a gift, I include a link that you can click onto. If you purchase it, I will receive a small commission from the sale (very small). With my retirement coming in the near future, I wanted to find something to do that wouldn't take too much time and something that would add a little extra income. Keep checking back or follow me, because I add new gift ideas every week.
MY LIFE IN KAUAI

I had a recent 24-hour layover and I wanted to share a view from my room of this beautiful resort in Kauai!
FOUR LETTERS YOU NEVER WANT TO SEE ON YOUR BOARDING PASS!

Navigating through airports can already be a lengthy process, but there’s one code you’ll want to keep an eye out for.
If you see the letters SSSS printed on your boarding pass, getting through the airport could become a much lengthier process.
The four letters stand for "Secondary Security Screening Selection" and mean that the Transport Security Administration (TSA) has selected you for an enhanced security screening.
Along with a full search, passengers in this situation can expect to get screened through portable metal detectors, in addition to potentially receiving a full-body pat-down inspection and having their carry-on baggage opened and examined.
A HISTORIC GEM IN WASHINGTON DC-THE RIGGS WASHINGTON DC

Riggs Washington DC is housed in an historic building, formerly known as the Riggs Bank. The original structure was built in 1891 and was known as "The Bank of the Presidents", since it handled the financial affairs of many United States Presidents over the years, including Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The original banking hall with its high ceilings and Corinthian columns now houses Café Riggs. The former board room, where no doubt many presidents had private meetings, is now home to the Riggs Suite. The original vault door can be found in the basement – while you can sip cocktails within the original vault space in Silver Lyan.
This looks like an interesting place to stay in for my next visit to Washington DC!
That's all for today. Stay well!

VALERIE BROWN