How can we ever repay Melissa and Greg? They met us at the Honolulu Airport at 12:30 am with orchid leis and big smiles, then brought us back to the hotel and served us mai tais and chocolate covered macadamia nuts on the lanai off their hotel room, overlooking the pool and the Pacific. This morning, we ate papaya as the sun rose over Kailua beach. Paradise.

It pays to know people in high places - even though the White House is closed to the public, we got in for a Christmas tour.

My husband not only did all the food shopping and made me a yummy dinner of chicken stir fry with lots of veggies on Monday night, he also got out of bed early on Tuesday to make me bacon and eggs for breakfast before I went off to work. I'd make a snarky comment about body snatchers, but I just don't want to jinx my string of luck!