When I was a younger person and less informed, I was walking by the White House one evening and saw a steady stream of cars pulling in. I asked the guard at the gate what was going on and he replied, "state dinner."

What my ears heard was "steak dinner," which I thought was an odd detail for him to provide and which prompted to ask, "Are they serving potatoes?" The guard did not answer, but thankfully he also did not have me arrested.

Now I find out that my odd potato question is nothing compared to what some people will do when they find out there is a state dinner going on. To wit:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Secret Service may pursue a criminal investigation of the Virginia couple who crashed a White House dinner, but events at the security checkpoint may determine whether the security breach is a crime or just an embarrassment.

- Terri Hallenbeck