Voice of the DBA

Category: Blog

  • Measuring Well Being

    I need to write something more on this, but it struck me that this is something I wish previous employers had done, anonymously, and reported results back to others. I also with I had some data on how I look at things over time.

    Here is my Thymometrics dashboard.

    2020-06-15 07_39_08-Thymometrics _ Contribute

    Today I got the reminder to fill this out and decided to reset the sliders. The left is my rating of this in my job and the right is how I feel. I often glance at these and adjust them, but periodically I reset them.

    I look at this as a chance to take five minutes and take stock of where I am in my current employment.

  • Daily Coping 29 Jun 2020

    I’ve 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.

    Today’s tip is to appreciate the joy of nature and the beauty in the world around you.

    An easy one for me, with land and animals all around. I appreciate nature constantly by taking the time to notice how the world flows around me and how much I love where I live.

    I also get regular reminders on the hard side of nature with dead animals that my cat will catch and bring in.

    Nature is amazing and wonderful, and can help you enjoy life. Take a minute sometime, inhale a deep breath and just look around.

  • Bringing Redgate Streamed Down Under

    Next week is the Redgate Streamed APAC Edition, on July 2. At least, July 2 in Australia. I’m still not sure what time it will be for me, and I am double checking all the schedules since Australia and New Zealand make me feel more disconnected from everywhere else in the world. I loved my trip last year, but crossing the dateline was a weird experience.

    You can register for the event and attend. It’s 0800-1430 in AEST, but I’m not going to try and figure out where that is anywhere else. You’re on your own for that one.

    This time I’ll be presenting and hosting the event from Colorado in the US. I also get to do a short interview with Troy Hunt, who is in incredible expert in his field. I follow his blog, have watched his presentations, and am somewhat disappointed I don’t get to meet him in person. Maybe next year.

    We also have some other amazing speakers:

    • Damian Brady, Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft
    • Steve Jones, Microsoft Data Platform MVP & SQLServerCentral Editor
    • Greg Low, Microsoft Data Platform MVP and founder of SQL Down Under
    • Hamish Watson, Microsoft Data Platform MVP and founder of SQL Down Under

    I’ve been blessed to be on the stage with each of these experts, and I am looking forward to learning more from them next week. We’ll be talking security, DevOps, compliance, and more. Register today and join me next week for some learning, inspiration, and excitement.

    As a  plus, Redgate is donating to the Australian Red Cross and the WHO for each person that attends, so be sure to tune in.

  • Taking a Break

    A week’s holiday. Something I took for granted in 2019, and something I wasn’t sure would happen a month ago. However, some places have reopened, and we’re going camping.

    I’m spending a week in the Keystone, SD area, not likely near people, but enjoying the outdoors with family.

    See you next week.