Sunday - Home via 4 flights.

We had a 6 AM wake-up call, has a last cup of coffee with a few leftovers, checked-out early and off we went at 730 AM to pack the car, return the car, and take the two minute shuttle ride  to the small, pretty airport.  Security line was minimal, we had an easy security check and check-in for our flight and, finally, a real Starbucks wake-up.  We spent a relaxing 1/2 hour sipping coffee, listening to CARIBBEAN music (what's with that?) in the coffee shop, and then heading down the open air corridor to the door to our gate. It was freezing inside the closed waiting area with  air conditioning on high, so we enjoyed sitting on a bench in the tropical open air and admiring the flowers and a few birds who flew in.  Boarded our little plane on I Fly Go! airlines - really!! -  for a quick 1/2 hour flight to Honolulu.   In Honolulu there was no one to give us directions - we picked up our luggage and walked to the Hawaiian Airlines check-in (for Art and me) and after standing in line were told to go back outside to put our luggage through the agricultural inspection (which we should have known from previous flights here - but, come on, we got up at 6 AM and were not happy to be leaving anyway :))  After we checked in (including checking all of our luggage all the way through to Charlotte except for back-packs), we took the long walk with Gayle to Delta where, in short order, she checked her luggage through as well.  Then she walked with us to our gate until it was time for us to board...we said our good-byes. Felt strange to say - see you in Atlanta TOMORROW.  But, it was true...despite taking different paths home, we were regrouping in Atlanta, flying together to Charlotte, picking up Gayle's car and driving home together.  Convenient (thanks, Gayle) and nice to be together again.

It was a wonderful 2 weeks for us (one for Gayle) - probably the best trip to Hawaii, we've ever had and reaffirmed that we do love our youngest state and wish that it wasn't so far from home.  Until the next time, Aloha!  and Mahalo for following the notes on our 2010 trip to Paradise.

Saturday - last day in Paradise

Today was supposed to be another relaxing day by the beach.  But the weather gods are not listening very well. After breakfast we decided to drive to the little bakery in Lihue to find some Malasadas for Gayle to try (described with a picture in the North Shore, Oahu post).  When we got there - they had a few small, cold Malasadas with sugar on them...nothing like the hot from the fryer with filling of choice that we had on Oahu.  Sorry, Gayle.  She and Art managed to eat one anyway...I'm a purist and was holding out for the real thing (which we never found - my waistline said 'thank you'.

Then we drove to the Kauai Coffee Company to take their self guided tour.  None of us had seen coffee beans on the bushes before so it was a new adventure.  It turned out to be a lot of fun including tasting a variety of coffees (none of which met our 'Starbucks' bold taste but several of which were good).  A few minor purchases and we decided lunch was calling...after checking out a new place nearby, we headed back to our home away from home and decided to eat lunch at the beach bar.  By the time we'd finished, the weather was clearing and we were able to relax in the sun and even get in a last snorkel.  The fish were really abundant today and left a lasting impression of the South Shore of Kauai.

We returned to Pomadoro - the Italian restaurant we enjoyed at the beginning of the week.  The 2nd meal was almost as good as the first!  We said our good-byes to Gerry and met her husband the Chef and made our way back to Waiohai to finish packing, print boarding passes, clean out the refrigerator and, in general, prepare to go home. :(

Friday - R and R

So we got up this AM to enjoy a sunny day at the beach and found instead a cool and dreary cloudy day.  No complaints here - we're had amazing luck with the weather for two weeks, so a mild disappointment is easy to take.

We walked over to the shopping area across the road and found a wonderful gift shop called Sand People with some fun and beautiful things...we did some shopping (of course), walked around a bit and came back to our place.  A bit boring to report today - some laundry, lunch of leftovers, a glass of wine, and a bit of computer work for me.  Art and Gayle went to the hot tub and did some snorkeling (I was too cold natured to do that) and finally late in the afternoon the sun came out and we visited with a fun couple from Connecticut that we met a few days ago and exchanged addresses with today.

We had made reservations for an early dinner at Roy's when we were at the shopping center.  Just as it was time to shower and dress for dinner, a rather large group gathered at the end of the beach and we walked down to see the Monk Seal who had decided to beach himself there.  Beautiful.

We had a wonderful dinner - ate too much but enjoyed every bite - at least we walked to and from the restaurant so felt better about all that we had eaten.  Clear sky with lots of stars tonight in hopes of a clear, sunny day tomorrow.

Thursday - off to the North Shore

Cloudy, cool day with hope for snorkeling at Ke'e Beach at the end of the road to the north shore.  Good day to travel but not to beach it.  We drove through Kapa'a along the coast and past the mouth of the Wailea River (near where we stayed on our first visit to Kaua'i 20 years ago.  The hotel is under a different name and lots of road work along the way.  First stop was at the Kailuea Lighthouse - one of our favorite spots on the island.  We bought a new senior National Park pass since ours has seemed to disappear (a good investment) and the $10 fee covered the 3 of us.  We saw red footed Boobies, Laysan Albatross Red tailed and white tailed Tropicbirds, Frigates and the national bird of Hawaii the NeeNee.  The scenery is spectacular, lighthouse museum interesting and the sun came out for a bit enhancing the views  There were several Nee Nees both inside and outside of the fences. Albatrosses were both flying above and landing on a grassy field nearby.

Laysan Albatross

Nee Nee

Left the Lighthouse and made a brief stop to see the new St. Regis Hotel...which was the Sheraton Princeville.  Saw very little differences and were unimpressed.  Despite the cloudy weather, we drove to Hanelei (didn't see Puff the Magic Dragon) and walked out on the pier.  Unfortunately there had been some heavy run off from a rain several days before and the water was still a bit brown and uninviting...but it is a lovely bay.  We drove through the town along a narrow road with many one care bridges (signs suggested that local custom allowed 5-7 cars to pass in one direction then alternated same in the other).  We took a lot of pictures and continued to the Dry and Wet caves (stopped to eat our picnic lunch at Tunnels beach).  Then on to Ke'e beach where it was cloudy and cool...so we again took some good pictures and decided to make our way back to Waiohai with a stop at the only Starbucks store to get today's free coffee promotion.

We got back in time for an hour in the sun and another lovely sunset, a light supper and another day closer to leaving this beautiful island.




The drive home was sunny and bright...a nice change for the day.

Wednesday - Art's Birthday - Waterfalls, Shopping, KiloHana Plantation

Today was Art's day - we started out with breakfast  at the Beach Hut, a funky self serve placewhere we've had breakfast before - French toast for us and an omelet for Gayle.  Art was proudly wearing his new tee shirt which seemed perfect for this special birthday!  After breakfast we headed towards the North Shore with a first stop at Wailea Falls. then we continued on to 'Opeaka'a Falls  After taking lots of pictures, we decided to take a shopping break followed by a stop at the KiaHuna Plantation where we enjoyed a Rum Tasting (choice of 2 - white, gold, or dark - mixed with their own Mai Tai mix...very good.  We all enjoyed the dark best and were a bit sorry that we couldn't take some home.  After wandering through some jewelry stores and an art gallery, we decided to head back to Waiohai (our home away from home).  Art had a much deserved nap;  Gayle and I spent some time at the beach - she snorkeled, I read and relaxed.  Then it was showers and dress-up for our birthday boy's dinner at the Beach House - our favorite restaurant on the South Shore.  

We took pictures near our pool and then went to dinner at the best sunset watching spot on the island.  By making an early reservation (which I did before we left NC), we were guaranteed a beachside table from which we could watch the sunset, take pictures and walk out onto the grassy area between the restaurant and the water to take more pictures..


Art and I by the pool


Gayle near our patio

Art's Birthday cake was delicious :)












The perfect end to a lovely day

Tuesday - Waimea Canyon

One of the girls who sets up timeshare appointments chatted with us on the beach yesterday and suggested that we go to the canyon early in the day when the visibility was best.  So...good learners that we are, we headed out early with walking shoes on, cold water, cameras and sunscreen in hand.  We did forget our sweaters - and were so sorry when we got to the windy higher elevations.  We were well on our way by 7:45 AM - our GPS had a problem locating the road to the canyon but our guide book and Gayle got us on the right road in a few minutes.  Gayle has now taken over as official navigator.

We stopped at every lookout - some hazy, some clear and all amazing views.

We stopped at the little Museum and learned a bit about the native birds and trees, enjoyed the ubiquitous chickens that run free all over the island,  had a cup of coffee and headed to the uppermost lookout only to find that the clouds got there ahead of us.  Thanks to our friend on the beach yesterday who said to be patient  - we waited and were rewarded by the clouds lifting or moving several times and allowing us a view of Polihale beach and the Na Poli coast.

We drove down from the canyon on a different road with views of Ni Hau (the island owned by the Robinson family which is inhabited by 200 Hawaiians).  This island can't be visited without special permission.

We had lunch at the Shrimp Station - very good coconut shrimp for me and garlic sweet chili shrimp for Art and Gayle.  Dessert was an introduction to Shave Ice for Gayle.  A stop to find Art the tee shirt he had been craving - a Red Dirt shirt that says Old as Dirt!! and home to relax on the beach, wait for the sunset and find a place for dinner.

Monday - a day at the beach with snorkeling

Up early and after breakfast we took a walk along the beach to the Sheraton hotel.  Along the way we walked through a condo property to the Koloa Heritage Trail - a beautiful garden next to the Plantation Garden Restaurant (where we plan to eat dinner later this week).  The garden was full of lovely Orchids and other tropical flowers.  A few of them are pictured below.  We explored the Sheraton, took some pictures on the lava rocks and then walked over to the lovely shopping center across the road.  Drooled over Tahitian pearls and other jewels, found some great tee shirts, walked through an art gallery and decided to have lunch in the villa and head to the beach.


Great beach day with wonderful snorkeling right off of the beach.  About the best assortment of tropical fish we had ever seen so close to the beach - butterfly fish 
 unicorn fish   
parrot fish  and lots of zebra fish and other varieties.  What fun to see them with so little effort - will plan to try taking pictures next time since these were found on the Web.


We met a very nice couple from Conn. and a man from England who suggested restaurants that they had enjoyed - since they all recommended Pomodoro's for Italian food and my favorite guide book gave them an ONO meaning very good, that was our choice for tonight.  


On the way to dinner, we stopped at the Spouting Horn to see the natural ocean geysers 

It was great fun - we took tons of pictures and also saw some green turtles in the water (in the distance.


Pomodoro's was a wonderful decision for dinner - we all loved our food, the bread, the wine choice, the hostess, Gerry - the wife of the chef (a former nurse from NY ) and our waiter, Tim.  It was a stellar evening!  Drove the dark and winding tunnel road back 'home'.  A thoroughly enjoyable day!

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Sunday - off to Kaua'i

Up early, had breakfast of leftovers :), finished packing and off for a last walk on the beach path for Art and me and a first walk for Gayle.  Another lovely morning - sad to say goodbye to this beautiful place and so happy to be looking forward to Kaua'i.  Since we did our checkout last night, it was a simple phone call to say our unit is ready to be prepared for the next guests, pack up the  car and off we went.

Dropped off the rental car and took the van to the inter-island terminal with plenty of time to spare for our 11 AM, 37 minute flight on Go! airline.  Chatted with a couple from Delaware (via NJ) who had been visiting their daughter, climbed (literally) aboard our small plane and quickly approached Lihue airport. Saw the Marriott Hotel as we descended and felt like we were coming home.  Quickly, efficiently and with friendly employees found our rental car and headed to the nearest grocery store to stock up (beer, wine, breakfast and lunch foods) for the week.  A quick phone call to the Marriott Waiohai informed us that our first floor unit near the beach was ready! Fifteen minute drive (with one unintentional detour) and we had arrived.  We checked out the unit (an accessible one) to be sure it would suit us, said yes, quickly unpacked and we were at the beach bar (of course) for lunch.

Walked along the beach towards the Sheraton but didn't see any monk seals that usually hang out there.  Then just enjoyed reading while  lounging by the water and watching the surfers.  Dinner at Keoki's Paradise. None of us were very hungry.  Gayle and I had wonderful appetizers (crab cake, shrimp stack and scallops.  Art had a Fish taco - all of the food was excellent and then we crowned it off with a shared portion of Hula pie (on the house since we had a Maholo card from the Marriott. Thank goodness we shared - it was an enormous serving (Art and I remembered it from our last visit there with Phyl and Bernie several years ago.  Off to bed early again...these sunny days seem to lend themselves to early bedtimes.  No sunset views tonight

Saturday - Time for All Good Things to Come to an End

Up at 4:15 AM to say good-bye to Ellen, Mike and the boys....they were so quiet getting ready to leave, no complaining - just a few yawns.  We can't believe that the week at Ko Olina is almost over.  We will miss sharing the rest of our Hawaiian adventure with them.
Art went back to sleep - I did laundry, cleaned up a bit and read until it was time for breakfast and our walk.  We suddenly remembered that we hadn't taken the boys to see the stingrays in the pond at the JW Marriott so, of course, we had to walk over there.  The construction around the hotel made it difficult to find, but we did!  Fun to see the fish and rays and walk around the hotel pool.  Guess the boys will have to visit on another trip to Oahu :)

We packed almost all of our clothes, used up some leftovers for lunch and did some shopping on the way to the airport to pick up Gayle.  Her plane was just a few minutes late but luggage took forever to get to the Baggage Claim area.  Luggage retrieved and off we went (with a travelogue for Gayle from the airport to Ko Olina).

After Gayle got a bit settled, off we went to Chuck's for the requisite Happy Hour Mai Tais. Yummy!  We begged off a second round so that we could grab a beachside table at Keole's Beach restaurant for sunset viewing.  Of course, we were not disappointed - the sunsets here have been lovely for the past few days. What a nice way to begin a week's vacation in Hawaii.  We all went to bed early so that we could walk along the beach in the AM before leaving for Kaua'i.

Friday - Pearl Harbor and the Missouri

Art and I did our usual morning walk along the water, returned to the villa for breakfast and then everyone except me left for a visit to Pearl Harbor and the Missouri.  I choose to have a quiet morning catching up on email and working on my current project (plus an hour of reading on the balcony).

The gang returned from their outing with stories of touring the Missouri and we had lunch in the villa.

As the clouds began to drift over Ko O Lina, we decided it was time for a last afternoon at the pool and beach,  Turned out to be another beautiful day...very lazy and a bit sad the the family is heading home in the morning.  We all had a Shave Ice by the pool (Hawaiian Shave Ice - sometimes spelled with a d, most times not) is made of finely shaved ice with choices of multiple flavors of syrup on top and sometimes ice cream underneath).  The ice is much finer than the snow cones we get on the mainland and fun to eat.  Then the boys played basketball in the pool while the adults lounged by the pool - Mike did join the boys for awhile.

We had dinner at the pool restaurant and experienced the best Sunset of the week.  Pictures just do not adequately describe the amazing colors of the sky tonight...from yellow to orange to pink to shocking pink with various tones of gray and blue...really remarkable.  Of course, the  battery died on my camera in the midst of trying to record the event.  Hopefully, Ellen will send me some of hers to update this post soon.

Thursday - Just Hanging at Ko O Lina

Awoke to a perfect beach day - sunny, clear skies, warm.  It didn't take much discussion to decide to spend the day at 'home' veggin'.  And so we did.  Long walk along the coast in the AM; lounging by or in the pool near our building (there are 3 pools and all have been visited, but our favorite is the one near our building which is like a river with a slide for the kids and several awesome hot tubs complete with water falls.  We found lounges in the shade and spent most of the day there.  Ellen made sandwiches for lunch and we brought them to the pool area. Spent time on the beach and lagoon.  Art and I did some snorkeling - fair with a few fish near the rocks - but it was nice to get in the clear water and snorkel again.  We had fun playing in the water.  A lovely day in Hawaii.

After we showered and changed, we went to Chuck's (in the main building) for Happy Hour followed by a great dinner in honor of Art's approaching 75th birthday.  Very nice with amazing views from the outdoor patio area including the best sunset of the week.

Then back to the villa and early to bed after a full day of fun and relaxation in the sun.

Wednesday - North Shore

Our big outing for the day was to drive from Ko O Lina to the North Shore of Oahu.  We drove on H1 to H2 and then the Kamehameha Highway....so now we have driven on all of the Interstates in HI :)  The folks who live in Honolulu say that they are going to 'the country' when they go to the North Shore.

We passed the Dole Pineapple Plantation and through an agricultural area  with beautiful mountain views on the western side of the road (the back side of the mountains behind Ko O Lina that we see every day (but there is no road from one side to the other).  Once we hit the north shore the road followed the coast.  We stopped at Waimea Bay Beach Park which is one of most dangerous surf beaches in the winter.  Today it was calm and quiet with a line of teenagers who climbed to the top of the rocks and jumped off (at least those with courage did that.  We watched one boy take several tentative steps and back off - then he actually did a back flip off of the rocks!

Then we drove to the turnoff to the Bonzai Pipeline to watch the surfers.  This is a gorgeous beach with strong surf and currents.  Lots of surfers to watch and medium size waves.  Carson and Nick had fun playing on the beach and chasing some waves.

We really enjoyed being there and could have stayed much longer but had places to go and things to see :)  So we continued down the highway (one line each way ) to the turn off to the Turtle Bay Resort.  I had been told how luxurious it was and that they had public parking and a public access beach where green turtles could often be seen.

We had lunch in a beach side outdoor restaurant where the views were lovely but the service poor.  The burgers and beer worked for us since we were hungry!  Then we walked down to the beach (lots of rocks, very clear water with what looked like good snorkeling on the right side of the beach.  No turtles to be seen.  Ellen and I walked around the property and decided that we were really glad that we were staying at Ko O Lina.

We decided to pick up shrimp for dinner at Romy's Shrimp Hut (we had been there on our last trip and loved the large, farmed shrimp that this area is known for)

We headed for the H3 to go home so that the Fioris could experience the magnificent mountain views.  On the way we passed a Leonard Junior's truck and had to detour to pick up Malasadas (portugese filled doughnuts) as a requisite treat.  They cook them while you wait and fill with your choice of fillings.  We had been introduced to Malasadas by my friend and classmate Clementina on a previous trip and have to have our 'fix' whenever  we're on Oahu.  Everyone enjoyed them - the Fioris had chocolate; Art and I had cinnamon - Mike thinks they are a cross between hot jelly donuts and funnel cakes....yummy!  

It started to rain shortly thereafter and rained all the way down the east coast but cleared in time for us to enjoy the beauty of the H3.  Then we ran into Honolulu typical traffic on the H1 and had a slow drive home where it had obviously rained hard in our absence.  Dinner in tonight and an early to bed evening after a fun and tiring day.

Tuesday

Up early and walked along the golf course this morning.  Passed some lovely condos and dreamed about how nice it would be to have a place here (if only the airfare wasn't so high).  Guess we'll have to settle for every other year weeks at our timeshare.

The rest of the gang packed up and headed to hike Diamond Head and then walk around Waikiki .  Art managed to get out of the hike despite Nick's negotiation skills :)  I had done the hike on our last trip and knew he would hate it (just like he hates hiking in general).  They all had a wonderful time - especially the views from the top of the crater.

We called Art's cousin Bob and arranged to meet them for lunch.  Drove to Kailua Beach around the area then parked at the K. Beach Park.  Spent an hour or so enjoying the views and watching the kayakers.  Had great salmon salads at a great beach restaurant - Buzz.  Then we visited with Bob and Agnes at their house with a magnificent view from their deck.  They gave us a lovely Hawaiian pillow cover that is perfect for our new couch!

We drove home on the H3 scenic highway in pouring rain and got back to Ko O Lina to a beautiful evening and wonderful Luau and show on site.  Stay tuned for some great pictures.
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Monday - R and R

Art and I were awake at 5 AM - once again.  So...we took a long (1 1/2 hour) walk around the marina and on the path along the shore that follows the four lagoons and ends past the JW Marriott Hotel.  A lot of new building since we were here 3 years ago including a new Disney timeshare complex with a water park that will open in 2011.  Somehow they've managed to expand without crowding and while maintaining the beauty of the area.  This really is one of the most beautiful locations we've ever been.

When we returned from our walk...the rest of the family was just getting up...after breakfast, we were off to the pool.  It's been quite windy and sunny but cooler that we expected (and the pool water is cold).  The boys enjoyed the pool and the hot tub and we spent most of today just vegging.  Lunch in the villa after Ellen and Mike went grocery shopping.  Basketball in the pool in the afternoon.  We watched the NCAA final game at the pool bar where most of the crowd were Butler fans along with us.  Sad about the ending but we all thought it was a good game.

We enjoyed a traditional Hawaiian torch lighting ceremony with dancing and then had dinner back in the pool bar restaurant (a growing favorite).  Planning sight seeing for tomorrow now that jet lag has been conquered.

The boys ended the day with another trip to the hot tub.  An uneventful, pleasant and relaxing day - just what we all needed and enjoyed by all.

Sunday - Ko O Lina

Got up earlier than we wanted to ...this time change thing is really taking a tole on our bedtimes and awakenings...  Had breakfast at IHOP across from our hotel...it was raining and windy so we aborted our plans to walk on Waikiki Beach looking for a place to have an oceanview breakfast.  Packed up and headed towards Ko O Lina on the southwestern coast of Oahu.  Art's new GPS worked wonders getting us out of Waikiki - there is no rhyme or reason for the layout of the streets, most street names are unpronounceable, and the Ala Wai Canal which transects this part of the island means looking for streets that cross over it.

Took the H1 interstate west.  Interesting question: how can Hawaii have an Interstate Highway?  The last we heard, there was no driving route to California...seems that when the Interstate highway system was created, states got funding for highways called interstates OR had to pay for the road.  So...Hawaii called 3 roads on Oahu Interstates (H1, H2, and H3).  Reminds us of the Long Island Expressway - no one could possibly get a speeding ticket since it's mostly bumper to bumper traffic.

We stopped to pick up some groceries on the way and arrived at beautiful Ko O Lina around noon.  Our villa wasn't ready until 4 PM but we could check our luggage (they even put the beer in a frig.), got us all registered, parked the car and enjoying sitting in the sun on lounge chairs while we waited for Ellen, Mike and the boys to arrive.  After welcoming them to Hawaii, we had lunch at the poolside restaurant and enjoyed showing them around.  When we got to our assigned villa, we found that we were in the newest building on the 6th floor with a marina view.


This is our favorite of all of the timeshares we've visited - comfortable 2 bedrooms with full kitchen with washer/dryer,  dining area and living room.  Everyone was tired from the trip so we made it an early night and looked forward to a relaxing day on the property on Monday.

And we're there!

Art's ready to leave! Our travel to LAX was uneventful after a late start out of ATL. Stay at the Marriott LAX was pleasant including a $40 discount due to some minor issues with the room...lovely. We had a wonderful dinner with Host Walt (Cruise Critic) and his wife, Barbara...although Walt's idea of a welcome was to immediately spill a glad of red wine all over my travel jacket and pants :( I quickly changed clothes and the rest of the evening went smoothly. Art and Walt quickly found common ground in multiple sports discussions (made even more fun since Walt is a Tar Heel). Barbara and I had fun talking about Marriott timeshares (both of us are owners) among other topics. We look forward to our next meeting where Art says the wine is on Walt - figuratively and literally.

Walt and Sheila meeting for the first time Face to Face after a long virtual friendship!

Up early to make our flight to HNL. Had fun in the airport chatting with a family heading to HNL to take a Hawaiian cruise. Their 5th grader was flying for the first time and was very nervous...we checked on the plane and he was having a ball. Flight was a good one - and a purchased sushi lunch was amazingly good. Typical Honolulu traffic jam heading to our Waikiki hotel but Art's new GPS (an early birthday present) worked well and we made the trip in good time. What a good deal at the Courtyard Waikiki beach - excellent rate, upgraded room, great lobby bar with charming bartender and valet parking.

The best part of the day was Art's reunion with his cousin Robert, whom he hadn't seen since they were young boys, and his wife Agnes. We thoroughly enjoyed hearing stories of family history and of their many years in Hawaii...lots of pictures - they were nice enough to give us some copies. We hope to see them again during our week here.

Nice to sleep well without an early wake-up to catch a plane. Leisurely Sunday morning drinking coffee, reading the paper and getting ready to head to the grocery store prior to checking in at the Ko O' Lina Beach Club. We are so looking forward to Ellen, Mike, Carson and Nick joining us this afternoon.

Off in the morning!

Seems like this easy trip to pack for (since we'll have Washer/Dryer both places) has taken more time and caused more angst than usual. Could be because I've got a lot on my proverbial plate this month - so what else is new?).

We're all packed now but the last few items that will be added in the AM. Gayle, the always good neighbor and friend, volunteered to drive us to the airport at the crack of dawn - we'll be sure to have wine waiting for her when she joins us for the 2nd week :). I'm actually looking forward to being captive on a plane for two long flights - can't do anything but read, watch movies and veg out. Note that I didn't say eat - they don't give you much that's edible any longer AND it's still Passover so I can't eat those wonderful Delta cookies that they still give out in the AM.

Almost there.....