cape cod weekend bookends

Kristie and I were up at Cape Cod this weekend, but alas, we are now back in New Haven while my family remains there.  Because we each just recently took three weeks off from work for our wedding and honeymoon, we felt it was too soon to take another full week of vacation.  Instead, we are bookending the first week of the trip by going up just for the consecutive weekends.

Saturday was check-in day at the Anchorage for the whole group.  Kristie and I left New Haven in the morning and arrived at the tip of the Cape at 2 pm.  Check-in wasn’t until 3, so first we went to Provincetown and enjoyed a nice lunch at the Lobster Pot.  We got window seats in the patio area, so we had a nice view of the beach and the bay.  Since we were already in town, we strolled along Commercial Street before driving back to North Truro.  We got to the Anchorage at 4, and we were surprised to be the first ones to arrive!  Maybe because the rest of the family had the whole week ahead of them, they weren’t as eager as we were.  But for us, every moment was precious, so we dropped our bags in our cottage and immediately headed down to the beach.  Gradually, each party filtered in, and eventually everyone was there together (with the exception of katie, who was at a wedding, and anna, who lives in san francisco).  Whereas typically we would occupy a string of the smaller cottages along the back boardwalk at the Anchorage, this year, my parents were able to book one of the nicer, bigger front cottages with an unobstructed view of the dune, bay, and P-town skyline.  It was pretty sweet.  We all ate dinner out on the expansive deck, taking in the fantastic view, then while everyone else was unwinding with their drinks afterwards, PJ and I provided the entertainment by throwing the disc back and forth in the sandy clearing between the cottage and the dune until the sun set behind the far end of the beach.  At night, we made use of the ample living quarters by playing a big game of Settlers of Catan on the dining room table.  Even after everyone else had retired for the night, PJ and I played a few rounds of a game called Zip-It until 1 am.  Only in the sleeping arrangements did the new cottage reveal its downside.  Despite its roomy living area, it still had only 2 bedrooms with correspondingly limited bed surfaces.  Thus, Kristie and I had to spend the night on an air mattress, which, as usual, became completely deflated by the morning.

Sunday was PJ’s birthday.  I got the day started at 10 am with a hot, humid, and sunny run on my classic Beach Point route along 6A.  When I finished, I indulged in donuts that Dad had brought from Days.  Then it was beach time!  While laying in the sun, I read my current book, a chemistry-themed murder mystery called The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.  Additionally, of course, I went in the water and played frisbee with PJ.  The afternoon also featured the women’s World Cup final between USA and Japan (aka everyone vs. kristie).  I was in and out of the cottage during the first half, and everytime someone returned to the beach they offered an update, but by the end of regulation and for all of overtime and ultimately the PK shootout, I was glued to the set.  Sadly, Kristie triumphed over all, and Japan scored the upset victory that RUINED THE WHOLE VACATION!  We were all shellshocked that the United States twice surrendered late tying goals to Japan (once in regulation, and again in overtime) to allow it to reach the shootout.  It’s really disappointing and disenchanting how frequently major soccer championships are decided on penalty kicks.  It may be high drama, but it’s no way to determine a champion.  Anyway, when the beach day was over, we had another big family dinner, then we honored the birthday boy with cake, ice cream, and presents.  After all that celebrating, it was 9:30 pm before Kristie and I said our farewells and departed, and another 4 hours later before we arrived at home in New Haven, ready to face the work week.  Of course, beacon at the end of that tunnel is a second straight weekend at Cape Cod.