Nomad Life - Day 6

It was easy to wake up early this morning because I'd slept well - by 0545, I was already teleworking at the dining room table.  I took a short break for breakfast (cereal, fruit, etc.) and then, after Dad and Beth departed for their morning coffee run, moved all of my items upstairs to Dad's office.  Some folks I've been coordinating with for visits during my Nomad Life contacted me during the early morning hours and we set up some plans for later in August.  I worked straight through (with lots of meetings) until about 1130.  Since I'd made plans with my dad's cousins (Dick and Judy), I left Sandwich, drove (via US-6) to Dennis (finishing up with a work meeting on Teams while I was in the car) and was in Brewster (where they lived) by 1205.  After arriving, I visited with Dick and Judy, along with Amy (their daughter), for about 30 minutes - it was great to catch up!  Judy and I eventually left for the Scargo Cafe in Dennis, where we ate lunch (between 1245 and 1330.  The food was good and the nostalgia was palpable in the town where I spent most of my young life.  We had a great conversation and caught up on a lot of family news.  Next, we headed back to Brewster and I spent another 30 minutes talking with Amy before I departed.  It was about 1430 by the time I was able to set up my work computer in a Brewster park (using my phone as a hot spot) and log about 45 minutes online for my job.  Later, I stopped to pay my respects to my mother in the Brewster Cemetery before heading (via MA-6A) towards Sandwich.  I did take one detour towards my family's old home on Setucket Road in Dennis and even stopped at the Flax Pond Conservation Area (on the border of Dennis and Yarmouth) for an outdoor break.  There were some good birding opportunities (I encountered some vireos for the first time), a pleasant trail to Flax Pond and a nice stroll on the Setucket Road Bike Trail, where I'd logged running miles in high school.  All of these activities were a trip down memory lane - I'd probably not spent real time in this specific area since the late 1990s...  Between 1545 and 1615, I walked about 5K steps in great weather (70s, breezy, sunny) - I've been VERY lucky this week!  Since I'd made plans to meet my high school friends in Yarmouthport at 1700, I drove west to MA-6A and continued towards the Barnstable line.  For some reason, there was a LOT of traffic during this time and it was tough to find the restaurant (Golden Jalapeno) where we were supposed to meet.  Fortunately (after some misdirection), I located the place by 1630 and was able to do some more teleworking for the next 30 minutes.  My friends were running late (traffic) so I had some time in the restaurant before their arrival; I tried some new Cape Cod Beer Company beers and was feeling good by the time everyone else arrived.  In the end, we were a party of five: Nancy, Rick, Ben (their son, who I'd last seen in Auckland) and Mary (coordinator of a local teacher conference).  The food was excellent and we had fun talking about life on Cape Cod since our High School Days.  At about 1830, everyone expressed an interest in heading home (I also felt a bit tired) and we said goodbye.  From there, I drove to Sandwich (via MA-6A) and was at my dad's house just before 1900.  I spent some time online (checking to make sure there were no loose ends from my work day) and then outside (in comfy chairs) with my dad.  We discussed local news and some current events for almost an hour.  The evening was very pleasant and I decided to finish my daily steps in Sandwich while there was still some daylight.  I wrapped them up by about 2100 and then sat in one of the chairs to do some reading - it was a classic Cape Cod evening!  My dad and Beth went to bed during this time and I made my way out to the guest cottage a bit later.  Before bed, I did a bit of organizing and was asleep by 2230.  It's been a great week!