Last week, our HCI cohort decided to throw a surprise birthday party for one of our professors. We arranged for a surprise dance number, cake, presents, and the fun that would ensue for the night. Here are some pictures to bring this event to life again. Everyone had cake and was merry. Have fun with these pics.
A New Fast Food Experience
On the way back home, before I went to the airport, a good friend and I went to a fast food restaurant I haven’t been to in awhile – Hardees. I have been getting their coupons lately, and have been wanting to go, but this was one of the opportunities I have gotten to come close to going.
So when we first walked in, I was quite surprised at how big and open the place was. Even though it was 11 in the morning, there were still some people around. We even got to see the employees change the menu over from breakfast to lunch – it is something you should try to see. Unfortunately, the menu is just a simple turnstyle, and not a digital menu. Anyways, we were able to sit down after ordering our food, and while we waited, we were able to watch some television on a large HDTV. This was quite interesting, as it especially brings home the fact of how more affordable technology is and how, for some, television can enhance the food experience.
After watching the television for a little bit of time, we decided to get something to drink from the vending machine in the store, and were quite surprised at the many different choices available to us. Not only were there the traditional choices, but there were a couple of nozzles that allowed us to choice from 3 drinks at the nozzle. If this were to continue in the future, not only will it be great to have so many choices, but it will also be confusing to find which drink to pick from. Hopefully, this will remain simple for the future, as this is an interaction I would like to keep simple.
In terms of the food, the food at Hardees was surprisingly good. It came in a basket akin to that from Friendly’s, and the cheeseburger and fries were better than most of the fast food restaurants I have been to. It was just something about how they cooked their burgers that just made the experience special for me. If you get the option to, try giving this place a try – order the little thickburger combo – it’s the one in the picture.
Happy eating!
Getting to Go Home
I also took almost 2 weeks off from blogging and work to go back home and enjoy Independence Day with my family. The experience was overwhelming. Not only was I welcomed home and missed terribly, but everyone was interested in what I was doing out here in Indiana. I was able to talk with much of my family, and also get a chance to play Bocce with people I haven’t seen in years. The trip was also quite relaxing, as I was able to sit back and play some games, but also just spend time with my family. I also got to watch the new Transformers movie, and also became interested in the series True Blood, which I’ll try and find the time to watch while I am back researching at Indiana. Above all, the most important takeaway from this trip was a deeper notion of what it is to be missed, as I saw members of family become overwhelmed that my plane was delayed and that I could stay with them for another night. That, above all (and seeing a good friend from high school) was the best part of being on vacation.
Road Trip
When I went back home in early July, I was fortunate enough to be able to go on a road trip to play Dance Dance Revolution. We took a 45 minute drive up to Simsbury, Connecticut, to Blue Fox Rock and Bowl. It was a small place, and the machine was located in the back storage room. The machine was in superb condition, and I was able to have a lot of fun on it. What was also interesting was that this machine had all of the original Japanese marquees on them, while still being quite responsive to one’s feet. The other interesting part of this trip was the suspicious feeling that we shouldn’t be playing on the machine, as the bowling alley was completely empty and the back room was kind of sketchy. Not to mention all of the thunderstorms that happened on the way up to the bowling alley. Have fun with the pictures, and feel free to comment.