H Upmann is a brand of Cuban cigar, Catman.

Though it may speed Jaws' demise, at least he will die happy.

(i.e. it is to Jaws43 what a big box of Swiss chocolates is to Catman/baobab)

Hey, me too! A good Cuban cigar is to me what Monica is to....well, maybe that's a bad analogy.

I'm in real trouble. I love swiss chocolates and cuban cigars...

Back on topic -- my newly betrothed is well aware of my recent addiction with FlyerTalk. She has been secretly reading the boards and asks about the different relationships she sees. I've told her to get a handle, register and start posting herself... We'll see...

As far as Paradise goes, it's an easy one for us -- we're out west so it's not a big deal to jump on the plane for a weekend in HNL (tho we'll skip UA and SFO)...

And we're counting the days!!!!

WAAAYYY off topic:

"antepenultimate", or 'just before next to last' wasn't invented by arturo or roberto (or PF or MF, whom I believe to be their alter egos). I first ran into it in a beautifully written (by Noel Coward?) ditty entitled, "Madeira, M'dear", a wonderful Edwardian ballad about an elderly gent's attempt to seduce a "young, pure, new, nice" girl of 17 by plying her with red wine. One line:

"And then she remembered
what her mother had said,
with her antepenultimate breath:
'My child, should you gaze
on the wine when tis red,
Be prepared for a fate
worse than death!'"

They just don't write 'em like that anymore!

Ummmmm OMNI alert -- Upmanns. I had the good fortune of enjoying both an Upmann and a Montecristo (both Cuban) over the Thanksgiving weekend (thanks to my brother, or should I say his roommate). The roommate is a pilot .... go figure how the "illegals" are acquired. My wife asked me what is so special about such goodies ... my answer was that after smoking a GOOD cigar, there is a almost creamy ad delightful taste in my mouth, as opposed to a bad cigar which makes my mouth dry and horrible tasting.

Ok, hotel is set. I was a little perturbed to learn that Hilton has designated the Hawaiian Villiage as at their new "premier" level for awards, costing an extra 15,000 points for 3 free nights. Good thing I still have a 10,000 point discount to use! I guess its still better than the $249/night bounceback rate they were quoting...

Now to see if I can find a deal on an airfare that I can upgrade. The lowest I've found so far is $972. But I ain't done tryin'!

Will arrive 11/4 and depart very late on 11/7!!!! SEE YOU THERE!!!!!

Matt, here's something to hope for. November is traditionally a very slow occupancy month in Waikiki and last year the Hilton Hawaiian Village was a Point Strecher property during that month. They've only announced their Point Strecher dates thru June, but you might want to check into Hilton's web site occasionally to see if they add it sometime during the year. Good luck and look forward to seeing you there!