![\"Wore](\"https:\/\/www.debslunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/loepradspot-212x300.jpg\")
Wore the leopard spot cardigan Rach gave me to the first day of the conference.<\/p><\/div>\n
The keynotes were in a music venue\/theater – so you walked into a long hallway, and the breakfast was spread out on what would normally be the bar or concessions stand, in a darkish lobby. There were really uncomfortable metal chairs set up on the slanted wood floor, in the main hall of the venue, even darker. Although it seemed oddly unusable for a UX conference, the sound and projection were all top notch. In addition to the 2-stall women’s bathroom on the fist floor, there was also a huge, clean although reeking of disinfectant, bathroom on the first floor that you’d only find if you noticed the tiny sign in the 2-stall bathroom that said “more bathrooms downstairs”. Made me think that for a travelling musician, Charlottesville is a better gig than Madison – even though it’s rural, it’s near a much larger market. Short drive to the next show.<\/p>\n
I learned some good stuff on UX and usability, and collecting user feedback.<\/p>\n
They had the opening reception at a Mexican restaurant\/bar. All the food was good, taquitos and empanadas and little tacos – but the guacamole was outstanding. It had a sweet, not overpowering onion flavor, that I think was from white onions, maybe soaked in cold water to leech out the bitterness – but not cooked.<\/p>\n
![\"Bebedero](\"https:\/\/www.debslunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/bbderoempanadas-225x300.jpg\")
Bebedero<\/a> empanadas<\/p><\/div>\n On the last night of the conference, instead of doing one if their “adventures” – I was signed up for something called drink & draw, but I probably should’ve done the Charlottesville ghost walk – I went and had a pulled pork sandwich and a beer for an early-ish dinner. There was 6-plex theater right across from the hotel, so my plan was to go see a movie. I hoped to do a walk myself to the UVa campus, it was about 30 minutes to the Rotunda<\/a>. But after consulting with Mark about which of the movies playing he’d most like to go to together, I ended up at Denial<\/a>\u00a0and it started too soon to fit in the walk. Way to blame not exercising on somebody else.<\/p>\n It was the kind of conference where they gave us a lot of food – breakfasts provided from local restaurants & bakeries, lunch coupons, and heavy appetizer reception, as above. The first day there were croissant bites and mini muffins and quiche and coffee and juice. I tried the spinach and almond croissant bites – they were pleasant but the fillings were pretty well imperceptible. I also picked up a mixed berry muffin and even though it was only 3 bites after one it was too seedy to interest me in finishing it. I selected the lunch coupon for a place called Rapture<\/a> – a hipster bar with vegetarian & southern food – and had a mixed plate of curried lentils, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and collard greens for lunch with not-sweet tea. Breakfast on Tuesday was stratas and more baked goods. The stratas looked a little scary – cooked really dark on top – so I stuck to bakery – a couple of slices of nice pumpkin bread. They had sheet of brown paper taped up where you were supposed to write:<\/p>\n Secret vice – mine was the peanut butter taffies that only come at Halloween – he come to think of it, now that it’s after Halloween – I didn’t get any of them this year;<\/p>\n![\"peanutbuttertaffy\"](\"https:\/\/www.debslunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/peanutbuttertaffy.jpg\")
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