P. Larry Nelson

Pictures I took of the June 10, 2002 partial annular solar eclipse taken from atop Yankee Ridge just south of Urbana, IL at sunset.

• (CURRENT - as of Aug. 01, 2005) The University of Illinois, High Energy Physics Group (HEPG), doing linux, network, and security administration, consulting, and end user support. (80% appointment)

• (May 31, 2005) Retired! (but only officially)

• (June 1996 - May 2005) The University of Illinois, Campus Information Technologies and Services Office (CITES) (formerly known as CCSO), Departmental Services (DS) Group doing linux, network, and security administration, consulting, and end user support full time under contract to the High Energy Physics Group (HEPG) in Loomis Laboratory of Physics at 1110 W. Green St., Urbana, IL.

  I was also the CITES/DS Coordinator for the folowing CITES/DS client units:

  Physics Department
  High Energy Physics Group
  Nuclear Physics Lab 
  School of Music
  

• (OLD) The University of Illinois, Computing and Communications Services Office (CCSO), as a Systems Programmer II through an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) contract with the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Labs (USA CERL) to do Unix systems and network administration for them for 4 years, from July 1992 to June 1996. Mostly Sun servers and workstations.

• (OLDER) The University of Illinois, Computing Services Office (back when it was just CSO) as a Systems Programmer II - contracted out to the Center for Supercomputing Research and Development (CSRD), the "other" supercomputer center on campus (now defunct), to do Unix systems and network administration for them for 4 years, from June 1988 to July 1992. Mostly Suns, Alliant supercomputers (also defunct), a DEC VAX 11/780 running BSD Unix, and a home grown supercomputer named Cedar.

• (ANCIENT HISTORY) The University of Illinois, School of Chemical Sciences as a programmer and consultant in the School's Computer Center for 16 years, starting in March of 1972. Systems included an EAI 580 Analog/Hybrid computer, various DEC LSI/11s, TI 980s, DEC PDP-11s, an IBM 1800, replaced by a DEC VAX 11/780 VMS system. Later, a Floating Point Systems Array Processor (as big as the VAX itself) was purchased as an attachment to the VAX. This was also the time when the desktop workstation started appearing - known as Micro-VAXes.

• (PLEISTOCENE EPOCH) U.S. Air Force, Chanute AFB (It too, is now defunct, but they made it into a really nice museum), Rantoul, IL for 4 years (1967 - 1971), programming a Burroughs B263 computer, saluting, debugging and troubleshooting programs, saluting, computer systems analysis, saluting, marching in parades on the base flightline in the middle of winter and summer, saluting, painting perfectly normal rocks white, saluting, and other duties as assigned, like saluting. The coolest part of being at Chanute, however, was being picked to be on the Base Ceremonial Unit, which doubled as a Security Police Augmentee force. There were about a dozen of us. It was arguably one of the highest honors they could convey on the lower ranking enlisted personnel. We got to do cool things like travel all over a 3 state region as honor guards at events like military funerals and other special events. Other times, we'd do rather silly things like guarding the base golf course at night against vandals. I guess somebody high up REALLY liked golf because we were given M1 Carbines and live ammo. Almost shot a vandal once. Or was it a visigoth - don't remember.

• (CRETACEOUS PERIOD) Bowling Green State University, Ohio.

• (PRE-CAMBRIAN) Miamisburg High School, Ohio.

• Hang with my honey, Pam.
• Enjoy our new farm between Broadlands and Newman, IL, the Blue Rose Horse Farm, Vineyard, and Artist Retreat. Actually, there's no vineyard yet, and we're not quite setup for artists to retreat there - yet. Here's a link to some pictures of the property just before we bought the place in June, 2007. And here are some more recent pictures since we've moved the horses there (Cherokee's Paris, a half Quarter Horse, half Paint filly, and Sonny, a wild Mustang gelding, both of which Pam got thru Crosswinds Equine Rescue), put up a new round pen, got a couple of farm/barn cats (Raphael and Archangelo), and brought down most of our furniture and stuph and did some decorating. However, it's a constant WIP (work in progress), so many things are likely to change over time. Sitting high on a ridge with a million dollar view (highest point in Douglas County) on nearly 11 acres, we have 7 pastures, 12 horse stalls between two barns, a pole barn with attached office and an 1853 house remodeled in the 1970's. A great 60" deck ZTR Grasshopper mower and a Case/IH tractor with a frontloader and a bush hog came with the place! Oh yeah, it also came with a Knabe Baby Grand piano!!
• Dabble a bit in photography.
• Cook (Here's my infamous clam sauce recipe, and my fettuccine alfredo and gazpacho recipes).
• Wine (you know, drink, horde, educate others, drink some more). [Current favorites]
• Collect art - the collection is sort of difficult to describe. Let's just call it a somewhat eclectic mishmash of styles and media - original paintings, photos, sculpture, pottery, etc, including pieces from this amazing woman: Kathi Anderson.
• Music - We mostly listen to classical on WILL-FM. There's also the few thousand vinyl LP's, 1/3 of which is *real* rock 'n roll from the 60's and 70's, 1/3 folk/jazz/blues, and 1/3 classical/opera. And, there's the ever growing CD collection, now nearing a thousand in count, I think.
• Support and [now former] member and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the classical music group: The Prairie Ensemble, voted Best Local Classical Ensemble in the 2002 CU Cityview's "Best of CU".
• In 2002, I commissioned the transcription for organ of Robert Schumann's Symphony Nr.1, Opus 38 (Spring), which was performed in a world premiere recital on the Opus 7 organ of John-Paul Buzard at The Chapel of Saint John the Divine on the campus of the U of I by this amazing young man, Csaba Kiraly. It was an anniversary present for Pam, my wife. Csaba and I are currently collaborating on another major organ transcription and its subsequent world premiere, again at the Chapel of St. John's - T.B.A. [If you are interested in helping sponsor this, please email me.]
• Ride my 1997 Harley-Davidson FXSTC Softail Custom - or at least as often as I can (central Illinois weather permitting). NOTE: THIS HARLEY IS FOR SALE! LOOK HERE.
• Cruise around in our Jeep, a '98 Wrangler SE
• Travel around the country with our '05 Lance 820 truck camper, which sits in the back of our '01 Ford F-250. Also, a charter member of NATCOA, the North American Truck Camper Owners Association. NOTE: THIS CAMPER IS FOR SALE! LOOK HERE.

contact: lnelson at uiuc.edu