The Mrs and I woke up extra-early, gathered up all our beach/scuba/hiking gear into our suitcases here at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, checked out of our lovely room at 9AM, and paid for an airport shuttle van to take us to HNL for our return flight HNL-LAX-IND. I had burned a couple GUCs for the A330 service HNL-LAX so we could get some sleep and a meal before the LAX-IND red-eye, the only one-stop route to get home. We were 1&2 for 3 lay-flat seats.

Then I got a text...our noon-ish departure had been delayed until 2PM.
Then 4PM.
We went back to the hotel pool, changed clothes and sat by the pool waiting for an update.
I made a couple calls to the DM line and was assured that we were now 1&2 for 8 biz seats, since many passengers opted to take the earlier 737 flight. But the A330 was still sitting in LAX.
The delay notice then went to 7PM.
Then 10 PM.
Then Midnight.
I called the DM line again and asked if Delta would be providing overnight accommodations, since the delay had pushed into the following day. She said no, because the flight is only delayed, not cancelled. I should remain at the airport and await updates, because sometimes delays get reduced, and if I miss my flight, that's on me. (I told her we were waiting at the hotel but she said I should be waiting at the airport. )
Then I asked how long a flight can be delayed before it is considered cancelled, and her answer left me scratching my head...she said there is no limit.
I asked if this flight could be delayed three days, without ever being canceled, leaving us in perpetual rolling-delay-limbo.
She said she could only say that there is no cutoff point where a delay becomes a cancellation, and as long as a flight is listed as delayed, I was expected to be at the airport, ready to board, or risk being a no-show.

The delay notification then went to 2AM the following day.

Rebooked on two-stop narrowbody service through SEA and DTW, coach.
Paid another $475 for a lovely room in the Rainbow Tower.
Chuckled when 10k pesos showed up in my account.