Eat Bermuda lobster! It's different from our New England lobsters--more like a giant lobster tail with inedible legs. Really delicious. My in-laws used to live in Bermuda. I haven't been back in years, but my best memories include the beaches and the food. And bringing home duty-free liqueurs.

I gave myself a party for my 40th. The guests were given suggested comments, such as "My God, I thought you were 22!" Most of the gift were gags, and we had loads of fun. My friends gave me a surprise party for my 50th. My dad had just died that month, and I wasn't expecting any sort of celebration. But it was a great party. We all sang around the piano, and had a happy time. For my 60th, a friend threw me a jazz party with musicians, including a fabulous singer. Never had anyone sung "Happy Birthday" to me in quite that way! For my 70th last year, my kids gave me a surprise cocktail party at an old mansion. Somehow none of my friends leaked it, and once again I was completely surprised. They even brought in my BFF from Wisconsin. The evening was emotional and elegant, and I'll never forget it. I have so many wonderful memories of these events--for me, better than any "thing" I could have been given.

Sicily is wonderful because not only are there beautiful ruins, great architecture, the volcano and beautiful beaches, the food is fantastic. Some of the best loved Italian dishes are actually Sicilian. There is quite a bit of stunted development due to the long-standing history of poverty, but tourism is a major growth engine for them. I've been five or six times, and Palermo (to Trapani and further south to Agrigento) side is my favorite, I think, although the next trip will bring in Siracusa and Ragusa (or perhaps a trip back to head out to Lampedusa). Driving is super easy, with the exception of Catania. Like Greece, it's so affordable once you are staying there. We may yet buy a place there. @eld6161 -- I would definitely plan on staying a few days in Athens, at the very least, to see the major sites, at the front end or the back end. We've been 3 or 4 times to Greece, and the rest of the mainland often gets overlooked. The choice of islands really is up to you -- getting between them on ferries can be pretty convenient, and the character does change slightly depending on the mix of tourisms, the historical significance, and geography -- I love Santorini (stay in Oia) but it is pretty touristy and there is lots to see and do, and better remote beaches can be found on other islands.

On another flight the child behind me was almost constantly kicking the back of my seat. His mother did notice and several times and said "Don't kick the back of the seat, its not very nice" the kids response each time was to kick the back of my seat more violently and more frequently for a minute or two. And the mother's response was nothing. Then later at the end of the flight, the flight attendant came by a couple of times and asked the child "Are you done with that glass? I can take it." To which the child petulantly responded "No! I want it!" Which is fine. However the last time the attendant said "You have to give the glass to me now, so I can finish the final sweep of the cabin." Which is a command, not a request. Again the child petulantly responded, "No! I want it!", pulling away as the attendant reached for it. Which is not fine, and in fact refusal to comply with the directions of a flight attendant is a violation of federal law. The attendant explained she needed to finish the final sweep of the cabin before the pilot was allowed to land, the mother tried to talk and coax and wheedle and bargain with the child for about 30 seconds, the child's response was to kick the mother, kick my seat, scream some more, and squirm to prevent the glass from being taken. At that point I undid my seat belt, stood up, reach over the back of the seat, and plucked the glass from the child's hands, and handed it to the flight attendant. She thanked me, and finished the going through the last few rows of the cabin, reported in, and within 30 seconds the pilot started the final parts of the landing process. Meanwhile the mother is ranting at me about touching her kid, (I didn't touch him), defending her complete lack of parenting, and threatening to file a complaint with the airline about me or file assault charges against me. The worst of it though is a burly moron from the row behind her took up her cause, joined in with verbally attacking me, and then even proceeded to follow me through the terminal, asserting he was a lawyer, threatening to file charges on her behalf, and threatening to assault me to see how I liked it. So to answer the original posting, when I stop giving a child "a pass" for their bad behavior, is certainly when the child's behavior is breaking federal law, and (very slightly) endangering everyone around them.