Blog Archives
Personal Development Plan…Midway Status
Six months for 2012 are now in the books and I thought it would be a good time to revisit my original goals for the year and see what needs to still be done. My updates will be highlighted in bold.
- I will post daily to this blog in order to give back to the SQL community that has helped me so much over the years. So far so good here!
- I will spend time daily helping people on twitter, SQL blogs, and various SQL-related websites such as SQL Server Central. So far I have only been able to help on twitter and blogs.
- I am setting a goal of 300 followers on Twitter which would double my existing followers for 2011. I now have 315 followers, that is awesome, thank you everyone!
- I will attend at least ten of the twelve Tampa Bay SQL Server User Group meetings. So far I have not missed a monthly meeting.
- I will attend three to five other SQL User group meetings, such as the Tampa BI group or Orlando’s MagicPASS. I need to get going on this one as I have not made one of these yet, bad boy.
- I will attend every Tampa VMWare User Group meetings which occur quarterly. This is spot on, since the Tampa VMUG has not had a meeting since Dec 2011, I have not missed one yet.
- I will attend other events that interface with SQL Server or VMWare such as the Orlando IT Pro Camp scheduled for January 21, 2012. Missed the Pro Camp, will look for others.
- I will attend one Microsoft SQL training course this year, but I cannot say at this time what that course will be as that will depend upon my employer ;-). I would like to attend Course 2778a (Writing Queries Using Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Transact-SQL) and Course 6234 (Implementing and Maintaining Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services. Even better, I got to attend a SQLskills.com training!
- I will attend every SQL Saturday offered in the Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville areas. I would also like to attend some others, if possible, within driving distance. I am already registered for SQL Saturday #110 in Tampa on March 10, 2012. Had to miss Jacksonville because of a final in one of my college courses, but made up for it by going to Pensacola.
- I will volunteer to help with at least one SQL Saturday this year. Volunteered at Tampa, will do others later in the year as well.
- I would like to attend SQL Rally in Dallas this year and I would definitely like to attend the SQL PASS Summit, but with one child in college this year and two more entering over the next two years, I may have to pass on this one for a couple of years until they are situated and my bank account returns to normal. Rally was a no go, still hopeful for Summit.
- I will continue to take at least one to two classes a semester online in order to complete my degree in Business Administration. All those Engineering and Computer Science classes I took 20 years ago are not relevant today and I would like to possibly return to consulting in five or ten years and that degree would be more beneficial in that long term goal. Still attending classes regularly.
- I will continue SQLAndy’s recommendation to meet at least three people at every SQL event. This is a great recommendation for networking. It is hard sometimes to break out of our introverted ways. So far so good.
- I will attain my VMWare Certified Professional 4 certificate this year for VMWare. Not going to happen as VMWare retired the exam before my one year was completed, and I have not focused on VMWare as much as SQL Server.
- I would like to speak somewhere this year, my local SSUG, VMUG, or even a training session at work. I need to get over my fear of public speaking. 2012 is the year to step it up and take it to another level. Presented at Pensacola SQL Saturday and now will do my local user group.
Wow, I am well on track this year!
PASS Summit 2012…Last Week to Save $700
Have you registered for PASS Summit? This week is the last week to register at the second stage early bird rate.
Do I have a financial interest in the Summit? No.
Do I want to see you there? Heck yeah!
Am I sure that I am going? Not yet, still waiting on approval by my employer. It is a weird tight rope I am walking at this stage, do I pay my own way and save the $700 or do I wait in hopes that they will fund it?
Have I been before? No, not yet.
Have I wanted to? Heck yeah!
What will I do if my employer says no? Stand on the street corner with a sign that signs will administer your databases for a trip to the Summit. Am I serious? You bet. Ok, maybe this winter when it is not 100 degrees outside. Seriously if they say no, I will pay the $999 early bird and pay my own way and drive to Charlotte. Let’s hope I can meet you there, but only if you register for PASS Summit 2012. Enjoy!
Saturday SQL Schoolhouse, MS TechEd
SQL Schoolhouse!
Today’s installment of the Saturday SQL Schoolhouse is brought to you by the fine folks over at Microsoft TechEd which was held last week in Orlando. Didn’t get to go to TechEd this year, me either. But that’s fine because we have the next best thing though, all of the sessions online! Top Rated Sessions at TechEd North America 2012.
Enjoy!
We Survived SQL Saturday #132, Pensacola
Relaxing in a Tallahassee Spring Hill Suites, I am reflecting on this weekend’s trip to Pensacola. Why Tallahassee? This SQL Learning trip was turned into a long weekend with my wife. We decided to split our long ride home in half and enjoy an extra day unwinding, relaxing in the pool in sunny Tallahassee especially since we did not get to enjoy the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. We are already planning to return to Pensacola for next year’s SQL Saturday.
After yesterday’s flooding with the declaration of the state of emergency and driving around a flash flood only to find myself in an intersection that was about 18 inches deep, I can easily say that we survived SQL Saturday #132. However, I wouldn’t trade the experience as I arrived back at the venue in time to give my first ever presentation (I left because I was soaked from head to toe in order to put some fresh dry clothes on). I also got to spend some time with a couple of great MCMs and meet a handful of new people to add to my #SQLFamily.
Next week, after I return home from this trip, I will blog some of the things I learned in some of the sessions and the pre-con. Until, then relax and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Leaving Today for SQL Saturday #132, Pensacola
The day has finally arrived: travel day! I am leaving today after work for the six-hour drive to Pensacola for SQL Saturday #132. We have a new John Grisham audiobook, Calico Joe, ready for the ride. This one sounds like a great book: “A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of Major League Baseball…”
Having experienced heavy rains all week in central Florida, I am a little concerned that we may not have a beautifully sunny weekend at the beach. However, the hotel does have an indoor pool so my wife is not too worried because we do live in Florida after all and this is a common summer time event.
Last night I was invited to the speaker’s dinner, thanks to the coordinator Mark Holmes (twitter|blog) for including me. In the past I have attended these speaker dinners as a volunteer, so I am moving up in the world. Thanks again Mark, I really do appreciate it and the event sounds amazing. I also want to thank Karla Kay (twitter|blog) for convincing me to take the leap and present as well as everything she does for the SQL community. She really is wonder woman as represented in her avatar.
Tomorrow is also my first pre-con training: “Demystifying Database Administration Best Practices” presented by Microsoft Certified Masters Robert Davis (twitter|blog) and Argenis Fernandez (twitter|blog). Some of my coworkers think that I am crazy for paying for this training and attending SQL Saturday’s out of my own pocket. They have obviously never been and met the #SQLFamily. Do yourself a favor and attend one of these event, you will not regret it. Enjoy!
SQL Saturday #132, Pensacola
Wow, another SQL Saturday is coming up and I am über excited! For this one I will travel up the panhandle to beautiful Pensacola with my lovely bride who will enjoy the sun and fun with me as we turn this into a four-day getaway. After our daughter’s graduation a couple of weeks ago, we could use a break.
This SQL Saturday is different for me in a few ways. First of all, I am going to the Pre-Con! This will be my first ever pre-con training as I never could get the schedule right in coordination with my work schedule. The stars aligned just right for this one, though. This pre-con will be “Demystifying Database Administration Best Practices” presented by Microsoft Certified Masters Robert Davis (twitter|blog) and Argenis Fernandez (twitter|blog). Being passionate about best practices, I am excited about this session as well as meeting two fellow tweeps.
The second difference is that I will be presenting for the first time ever! Going old school MTV style: This Saturday live at 1 pm come see the world-premiere video (er, I mean) presentation from SQLGator. It is a lightning talk presentation which will be great for my first time to help me get over my stage fright and conquer my goal of speaking. I am still considering submitting for SQL Saturday #151 Orlando and this will be a good test of whether or not I can do this. I am confident I can do this, but I am having some serious nervousness.
Hanging out with #SQLFamily will be amazing and I am looking forward to meeting some new people especially some of the bigger names in the SQL Server community. Come on out and enjoy the free learning. See you there!
Saturday SQL Schoolhouse
SQL Schoolhouse!
Today’s installment of the Saturday SQL Schoolhouse is brought to you by the fine folks over at PASS, the Professional Association for SQL Server. I discovered this gem yesterday while poking around on their website and was quite amazed that I had never noticed it before. Drumroll please! It is a comprehensive SQL Blog Directory that even has an OPML file to load all of the listed blogs into your RSS feeder automagically.
Curiously, my blog was not listed, which is ok because since I did not know about it then how could I submit my site. My site was submitted via e-mail last night, so hopefully it is there when you read this blog. Enjoy!
PASS Summit 2012, Join Me!
With only a week before SQL Rally in Dallas, there has been quite a bit of excitement and commentary in the twitterverse and blogosphere. However, I cannot attend due to other commitments. With all the excitement in the air, I cannot contain my excitement for the PASS Summit in November. I have never been able to attend the Summit in the past and I am not 100% sure that I will be able to attend this year, but the planets are lining up and there is a glimmer of hope for my first Summit conference. Sitting by last year and watching all of the action from the sidelines just about drove me nuts. Here it is six months away and I have already scoped out the hotels in the area, looked around via Google’s man on the street, and my wife is even thinking about tagging along (I think just so she can see those flying fish at the market, no wait that is just me).
I have been to Seattle once before in my youth for the National Mu Alpha Theta math competition. It was there that my skills in advanced math were not as worldly as I thought, even though I placed (no I can’t remember but I think third place) in the state of Florida. But, many schools from Florida and Alabama dominated the competition awards, interesting as I am sure most of the world does not think of Alabama and Florida as math powerhouses but in the late 80s when those respective states were battling neck and neck for last place in education those two states were advanced math geniuses, but I digress.
I know I won’t be able to take another tour of the King Dome and I wonder what else has changed since grunge and coffee took over that beautiful and friendly city some 25 years ago. I wonder if I should ask someone at the hotel if I could walk to Mt. Ranier and have them laugh at me just for old times sake. I am also excited about riding the monorail on the awesome two block journey. Do they still have the theme park at the needle? Maybe I can cross another item off my bucket list: touring Forks and seeing all of the Twilight scenery in person (really just kidding on that one LOL).
Don’t get me wrong, I want to see SQLChicken do his gorilla impression and participate in SQLKaraoke. I want to soak up all that is SQLAwesomeness and bask in the MCM and MVP glory that is PASS Summit 2012. Won’t you join me?
I Am Passionate About Best Practices
After writing for the Tribal SQL project, I think I’ve realized just how passionate I am about best practices. For example, the other day I asked my wife if she could change our bed sheets to which she replied that they had only been on there two weeks. My retort was that best practices dictated changing the sheets weekly for optimum comfort in sleeping performance. Yes, I’m coocoo for Cocoa Puffs over best practices!
In the shower this morning, as that is where most of my brilliance comes from, I decided to start preparing myself to do a presentation. That has been a long time coming with my left side usually talking my right side out of it. Or was it the other way around? I can’t recall, moving on. Part of the stumbling block for doing a presentation was finding a niche in the SQL Server community and now I think I have resolved myself to that niche so I am slowly chiseling away at my excuses for not presenting at a SQL Saturday or my local user group. There are only a couple of excuses left now and those are slowly fading away, so now I must harness the power of the SQL Force! Next stop SQL Saturday, then possibly a SQL Rally and then SQL PASS; whereby my plan for global domination will be complete.
Enjoy!
Saturday SQL Schoolhouse
SQL Schoolhouse!
In our final installment of the Saturday SQL Schoolhouse for February and in anticipation of the 24 Hours of PASS for Spring 2012, I wanted to share the Fall 2011 Recordings for the 24 Hours of PASS. This is an excellent and comprehensive training resource on 24 different one-hour long topics. Check it out and don’t forget to sign up for the Spring version.
Enjoy!
SQL Swampland 