Voice of the DBA

Category: Blog

  • Daily Coping 2 Dec 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

    Today’s tip is to discover your artistic side. Design a holiday card.

    I used to write an annual letter for the household that I’d send out to friends and family. At some point we stopped sending cards and the letter ended. I miss those days, but with this tip, I’m going to try and do a fun card instead.

    My daughter has been gone for the entire semester. No trips back for fall break or Thanksgiving. So I decided to build a holiday card to welcome her back, using pictures I’ve taken of her horse for the last few months. Here’s an image of my attempt.

    2021-11-29 15_21_21-KJCard_2021.docx - Word

  • Goal Progress for November 2021

    I set goals at the beginning of the year, and I’m tracking my progress in these updates during 2021.

    I missed writing this in October. It was a stressful time with lots of deadlines, presentations, and travel.

    I slacked off a bit in November, coming out of a busy work time and needing time away from my technical work. At least, outside of work. I also started coaching, and that required more personal time, so less career time.

    Current Grade: C+

    Given where I am, I think I’m middle of the road. I’ve done well on reading. I’ve made some project progress. A little technical skill work, but not enough.

    Reading

    I’ve been working through a couple books. I like the feedback one, but I find myself stopping and thinking often. The PoSh book is a bit of a project, but I’m enjoying it.

    Here’s the current progress:

    Technical Skills

    No coding here on the Advent of Code. I realized, however, that I’m not a great programmer. Some of these problems stump me and slow down my enthusiasm. I also don’t love the process of problem solving on the computer just for fun. I have too many other hobbies for this to be a priority.

    I have, however, started studying for a certification. I’ve been going through the DP-900 modules, trying to learn a bit every day or two. I went through 3 modules in November after the Data Community Summit. I’ll keep going here.

    Projects

    No real changes here. Minor updates, but not enough time spent on these items. I have started to get organized for volleyball statistics for the new season and I need to document the process a bit to explain it to myself, as well as do some better data analysis.

  • Daily Coping 1 Dec 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

    Today’s tip is to try a different radio station or TV show.

    I don’t listen to a lot of radio these days, outside of Spotify radio, but I do listen to some. I also don’t watch a lot of TV, actually I’ve cut the cord, so I only see streamed things on Prime or Netflix.

    My tastes would run to sci-fi and thrillers, something silly, stupid, and very unrealistic. My wife tends towards more dramatic items. I don’t typically do documentaries, but after reading Eat a Peach, I decided to try David Chang’s series, Ugly Delicious. I downloaded a few episodes before a recent plane trip and started watching.

    I like to cook, and while I don’t consider myself a foodie, I like simple, fun food. This series looks at different cuisines each episode talking about how they are prepared in different countries, but different chefs. Some fancy, some not.

    My wife didn’t enjoy it, but I really liked the different ways people go about preparing simple foods. It certainly makes me rethink how I might experiment as I get back to traveling, and enjoying what people make in different places more than searching out something specific I expect or want.

  • Daily Coping 30 Nov 2021

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

    Today’s tip is to set aside a regular time for a month to pursue something you enjoy.

    I do a lot, and I like routine, but I haven’t always been good about setting aside time. This month I’m going to try something. I’m setting aside 30 minutes 3 times a week.

    2021-11-19 11_03_57-Guitar - Appointment Series

    We’ll see if I can do it, and if it helps me learn a few new songs.