INFORMation

So far, giving up playing video games in a solitary setting has been fun. Yes, I've been able to fill that time with chores and the like, but I've also had time for various endeavors that I always find myself thinking about but never actually doing.

For instance, I've started to rediscover programming text adventures in the Inform language. I first learned about Inform in a computer game design class that I took while in graduate school, now a seemingly distant four years prior. When I took the course, I enjoyed immersing myself in the language, which I would describe as object-oriented with a generous dash of syntactical verbosity a la BASIC, but due to the ugly fact that I had a deadline for a project, I couldn't spend time learning how to elegantly implement some of the interesting ideas that I had.

Now that I have no pressure to complete an assignment, I have been able to spend more time learning the basics of the language using the Inform Beginner's Guide. This guide did not exist in its current state when I took the game design course and if I had had the opportunity (or the time) to read through it before starting my project, I could have saved myself from a few headaches. I've already learned more about Inform by reading the Beginner's Guide than I did in three weeks of sporadic coding and begging classmates in the class newsgroup for tips and advice.

Also, the pleasantly warm weather on Saturday gave me the opportunity to get the bikes out of the shed so that Amy and I could go on a ride. It made me excited to be able to ride my bike to and from work again, but Amy did not hesitate to offer a reminder of my excitement in August when I'm sick to death of it and want nothing more than to take the bus. Viva la difference, I say!

On the job front, there is no further news to report. I sent them answers to their written, pre-interview questions, which they have probably reviewed by now. I expect to hear from them in the next couple of days if they are indeed interested.