NLIT 2009….

Ok, this post is way overdue but I didn’t want to let that stop me from blogging about a great trip I had to Knoxville, Tennessee for the 2009 National Laboratories IT Summit (we can’t call it a conference for expense purposes apparently).  =)

This was my 4th NLIT Summit and as always I learned a lot, met some very cool people and also had a great time enjoying the social events that had been planned for the attendees.  The first event was a 5K race that was scheduled to start at 3pm (the same time we got off our flight) that my friend Jean Shuler and I somehow managed to make by racing to the hotel in a taxi, checking in real quick and then doing what can only be described as “speed-changing” in order to get back downstairs to the lobby where we met up with the race coordinators who waited until 3:45 so we could join them.  =)

Still feeling good after about jogging about 1.25 miles in the sun.

Almost there, and third overall. Not bad. =)

Enjoying some good conversation and a place in the shade after the 5K run.

I was super tired after getting up at 2 in the morning to catch my flight only to sit on a plane for half the day but that did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for a little afternoon exercise along the river.  Great idea guys!  I had a blast.  =)

I really loved the scenery in Tennessee especially along the river. Here you see train tracks that continue on under the Gay St. bridge (I walked across it on Wednesday before my flight home).

After settling in and getting to check out the vendors who helped sponsor the event (thanks for the free drinks guys) it was time to get to bed.  I had a full day of presentations to look forward to and wanted to be well rested in order to be able to take it all in.  =)

Listening to a presenation on CFEngine use at Brookhaven National Lab.

The first day of presentations were excellent.  After the last presentation ended there was a quick happy hour and then it was on to the Sunsphere for dinner and cocktails.  So awesome…  =)

The Sunsphere, constructed for the 1982 World's Fair and recently re-opened as a restaurant that offers a birds eye view of Knoxville, TN.

Tuesday morning I woke up a bit tired but ready to take on another day of presentations.  Unfortunately even though I had been responsible with my drinking I quickly realized that my lip which had gotten super sunburned at the NIF dedication the Friday before had totally exploded and was oozing nastiness which made it difficult for me to find the courage to leave my hotel room.  =(

Fortunately I didn’t let myself wallow in self-pity too long so I only missed one presenation before heading downstairs to join the others.

Good lab buddies Mark Dietrich (pretending to be asleep), Jean Shuler and always funny, Lee Neely.

After this round of presentations it was off to the Womens’ Basketball Hall of Fame for more food, drinks and a friendly game of H-O-R-S-E.  😉

Admitedly one of my favorite parts of the summit is the social networking and evening entertainment. Keep those drink tickets coming. 😉

A very nice guy named Ron Crotzer from Los Alamos National Laboratory who hung out with me at the Womens' Basketball Hall of Fame and made sure I didn't get in over my head. Very cool. =)

After things closed down around 10pm a couple of us (Pete – guy who beat me multiple times at HORSE and David – guy from Brookhaven Lab who has done some awesome stuff implementing high availability for BIND servers) went down to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse to enjoy the evening air and hang out a bit longer.  I was good and had water instead of a cranberry vodka (I guess I’m getting old) so I was still wide awake when midnight rolled around.  At that point David and I walked back to the hotel to continue our conversation about using Heartbeat to do load-balancing using IPtables.  Ah, that’s what I love about these conferences, uh, I mean summits.  😉

The next morning was the last day of the summit.  Instead of a having a typical CIO panel the ORNL hosts had planned a game of CIO Survivor where CIOs from 5 of the national laboratories competed for applause based on their ideas of how to “go green” at their laboratories.  I liked the CIO from Jefferson Lab who provided a compelling case for considering nuclear power to solve our energy problems.  Unfortunately the CIO from the National Renewable Energy Laborartory thought it appropriate to interrupt his speeches with rude comments and props that played to people’s fear of anything nuclear.  Too bad.  I think the crowd still liked him a lot better.  =)

The CIO from Jefferson Lab made a compelling case for nuclear power as a truly "green" solution to our energy problems.

So apparently it's either happy homes with solar power, OR....

A nuclear holocaust if we consider using nuclear power.. I hate fear mongering.

The last presentation I went to was quite interesting and aside from the great technical information that was provided it made me appreciate how much people like Barry Finkel have to offer even if their outward appearance suggests something else.  =)

This guy was so cute! He gave a presentation on the GNU mailman implementation he planned for Argonne National Lab. He used an old school pointer and everything. =)

After the last presentation I had a couple hours to kill before having to leave to catch my flight.  I spent that time exploring downtown Knoxville including a trip across the Gay St. bridge and into a slightly sketchy area, swimming in the hotel pool with some guys from Idaho National Laboratory, and reflecting on everything I had learned and experienced on this trip.  All in all it was pretty awesome.  I can’t wait for next year’s (Brookhaven National Lab in New York!).  Also a big thank you to whoever took and posted these pictures.  I didn’t bring my camera and was very appreciative to have pictures to remember my trip.  =)