Multics > People > Stories
28 Feb 2003

Installing USL

Ron Riedesel

Paul Schramm, John Waclawski, and yours truly all traveled to USL in Lafayette, LA in May, 1975 to do the installation of their Multics system and to deliver 2 weeks of systems training. John taught the operator's course. Paul and I split user training duties and Systems Analysis training, while John and I did and a "Dump Reading" class, which title we were later told inspired numerous scatological jokes among USL's grad students.

As an aside, I recall that Connie Rozier from Federal Systems Operations came to Lafayette to take the training, and mother-henned the 3 of us out of numerous opportunities to get into trouble on our evenings out on the town.

Schramm, Waclawski, Riedesel, crayfish This picture was taken outside Martin Hall, at the going away crawfish boil; the crawfish we're holding were live, ready to pop in the boiler; note the necktie I'm wearing is the same garish one that I loaned to Pin Pin Ruiz to wear to (and which he had chopped off at) Rawhide in the 1976 pictures of the PRHA sales story.
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The same group visited New Orleans, on the weekend between our two week training courses. We drove up to N.O. and stayed at some little hotel in the Quarter for 2 days, stopping at Pat O'Brien's twice. On the first visit, Waclawski agreed (for reasons yet unclear) to sing "When Irish Eyes are Smiling", in the Piano bar, and was such a hit that he got a free Hurricane. (I believe he proclaimed to the entire establishment that he was Irish, on his Mother's side.) That success precipitated our second visit.

Riedesel, Waclawski, Schramm, hurricanes This pic is from the second visit, on Sunday evening, just before traveling back to USL. As always, I'm having ice tea, while John and Paul are drinking their fourth Hurricanes. I drove them both home, with Waclawski and Schramm carrying on an argument, which started in O'Brien's, over what was the best restaurant within 10 miles of Billerica. I don't recall who fell asleep first, but the 3 hours back to Lafayette was mostly made to the dulcet tones of twin buzz saws.
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A fine time was had by all, even though I do believe that my two comrades slept in for the first three hours of "Multics Systems Analysis" the next morning.