We slept like it was out of style. Robin, who is usually up and moving at 3:00 am, was called at 10:00 am, and she was still asleep. This traveling takes a lot out of you!! So Mary and I went downstairs to the dining room and had a wonderful breakfast!
We enjoyed breakfast while watching the boats go back and forth. Perhaps they are getting ready for the big storm coming our way!
Mary dove into her breakfast like there was no tomorrow and even took some of my bagel!
After breakfast, Mary headed to school while the old man (me) got ready to go out with Robin (the sleephead). We walked down the street a spell and ran into a very nice restaurant. It looked like a hole in the wall from the street, but the inside was huge and quite modern.
While Robin was munching on fish, I decided to have a nice salad… in fact, I ordered two vertical salads!
After my salads, I had crab-and-lobster-stuffed mushroom caps! Delicious! Robin and I took off for a four-hour walk through “town”. Robin visited every store and kept the economy running. She looked like she was shopping for Christmas. During our long walk, I stopped at a pharmacy and picked up some additional allergy medication.
I kept track of the incoming storm, and now it is scheduled to hit tomorrow evening around dinner time.
A nor’easter gets its name from the strong winds that blow from the northeast over the coastal area. These storms happen most often and are most violent between September and April.
At 4:00 pm, we headed back to the hotel and meeting hall to pick up Mary for dinner, eager to hear all about what she learned in school today—because apparently we were now the proud parents of a fully grown conference attendee.
Silly me, I misread my watch and got us to the conference center an entire hour early. Nothing says “seasoned traveler” like arriving with the confidence of a Swiss train and the accuracy of a broken sundial.
Since the conference center was approximately the size of a regional airport, Robin decided to walk the premises and get her steps in. Meanwhile, I took up residence in the lobby, where I sat politely looking at and listening to presentations I was not technically attending. Within minutes, I had the facial expression of someone deeply engaged, while understanding just enough to nod at the appropriate moments and pretend I belonged there.
Since Mary skipped out without us, we went back to the hotel, just two “doors” down the way, and met up with Mary for a drink before dinner!
On my way to the bar, I met “Bark, TheWonderr Dog”. He is a Pyrenees, and he was so friendly I had to sit and talk to him for a few minutes!
The Great Pyrenees is a large, fluffy livestock guardian dog originally bred in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain.
Key facts:
- Size: Very large; males often weigh 100+ lb / 45+ kg.
- Coat: Thick white double coat, sometimes with gray, tan, or badger markings.
- Temperament: Calm, loyal, gentle, protective, and independent.
- Original job: Guarding sheep from wolves, bears, and other predators.
- Family life: Usually affectionate and patient, often good with children.
- Training: Needs early socialization and consistent training because they can be stubborn.
- Exercise: Moderate daily exercise, not usually hyperactive.
- Barking: They often bark a lot, especially at night, because guarding is their instinct.
- Grooming: Heavy shedding; regular brushing is needed.
- Best for: Homes with space, secure fencing, and owners who understand guardian breeds.
In short: the Great Pyrenees is a gentle giant—sweet with family, but naturally protective and independent.
We went to the bar and had a bottle of Chardonnay between the three of us. We also struck up a conversation with the barkeep and the pizza maker! We sent them the AI results; everyone got a giggle or two from the photos.
We drank our wine slowly before making our way back to the conference center for the lobster bake!
Off to the clam bake! They had excellent corn, pots loaded with veggies, and three or four LARGE pots with whole lobsters waiting for us!
Lobsters are marine crustaceans known for their hard shells, large claws, and long antennae.
- Habitat: They live on the ocean floor, often hiding in rocks, reefs, or burrows.
- Diet: Lobsters are omnivores; they eat fish, mollusks, worms, algae, and sometimes dead animals.
- Body: They have a hard exoskeleton, which they must shed as they grow.
- Molting: When a lobster molts, its new shell is soft, making it vulnerable until it hardens.
- Claws: Many lobsters have two different claws: one for crushing and one for cutting.
- Lifespan: Some lobsters can live for several decades.
- Color: Live lobsters are usually dark greenish-brown, blue, or reddish; they turn bright red when cooked.
- Defense: They use claws, antennae, and quick tail flips to escape predators.
- Reproduction: Female lobsters carry eggs under their tails until they hatch.
- Human use: Lobsters are considered a valuable seafood in many parts of the world.
In short: lobsters are tough, bottom-dwelling sea animals with strong claws, long lives, and a unique growth process through molting.
Using my culinary skills, I prepared three lobsters, one for each of us. A waiter came by and offered to show us how to do it without using a knife and fork. Robin and I enjoyed a second lobster, and I even had a third one for good measure.
The girls really go all in on this lobster bake idea!
I was full to the brim.
We walked back to the hotel and decided we were a) full and b) tired, so we hit the hay! It was a long but interesting day!
