Voice of the DBA

Tag: syndicated

  • Daily Coping 3 May 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 go outside and spend a few minutes appreciating the weather.

    It’s spring here, though I know the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for winter. In either case, I suspect most of us don’t have extreme weather on some of these days, so getting outside should be possible. I had a 25C day and a –10C day in the same week not long ago, and I took advantage of the 25C day to get out, do a few things outside, and enjoy the day.

    I also walked around in the –10C day, bundled up, but enjoying the snow coming down. It’s a beautiful sight when the ground gets covered, especially without much wind. Wind makes things much worse.

    However, the weather is one of those things that helps me appreciate how big and amazing the world is, and taking a moment to enjoy it, no matter what is happening, is a part of life I’ve learned to appreciate.

    Update: Today I drop to 3 newsletters a week at SQLServerCentral, as a way of coping a bit. I’ll still do daily coping tips here.

  • Remote Work

    This is going to be the first time I’m working remotely today in over a year. I’m in Omaha, and while I’ve gone to a few cities, I haven’t actually worked remotely on a trip in over a year. I did broadcast from my condo in the mountains last summer, but that was because there was too much noise at home from some construction.

    However, this time I had a few meetings I can’t avoid and didn’t want to move. I have to coach later today, but I had time this morning, so I decided to not take holiday and work. I’ll have to do a little other work this weekend to make up time, but that’s fine.

    It’s interesting working in a hotel again, and carrying all the things I need to work. Laptop, cords, headphones, mouse. Actually, I forgot my mouse since I dropped the laptop in my coaches bag, so I’m dealing with a trackpad.

    It’s a pain, but I am looking forward to being able to get to an office again. It looks like that might be possible later this year, and my fingers are crossed.

  • Daily Coping 30 Apr 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 meet a friend outside for a chat, and hopefully a walk.

    A couple weeks ago I actually met someone in my local area that I hadn’t seen in over a year. We had been on a few video calls, but nothing in person. We met outside and went for a walk for an hour, chatting about life and the local area.

    It was a great way to spend part of my afternoon.

    Today, I’ll do more of that, but with my wife and potentially a few others. I’m in Omaha today, coaching kids this afternoon in a tournament. However, before that I’m hoping to take a short walk, with some kids and parents. There’s a nice bridge by the convention center, the Bob Kerrey bridge where you can stand on the Nebraska/Iowa line.

    At the very least, I’ll get the chance to walk around quite a bit from the hotel to the convention center and be outside with others.

  • Daily Coping 29 Apr 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 focus on check up on a friend and see if you can help them cope.

    One of the things I did early in the pandemic was to check up on friends. I’ve fallen away a bit, but I am still trying to remember to touch base. Recently I reached out to someone whose named I saw on Twitter, but I hadn’t seen them very active. Not many posts, not many blogs, just a bit quiet.

    I will usually send a short message like this one:

    Hi. I hope you’re doing well and coping with life. I hadn’t chatted with you in awhile, so I wanted to check in and make sure you are doing OK.

    I usually change this a bit, depending on who it is, or how I’m reaching out. Texts are usually shorter, emails maybe longer, but often just trying to make a connection with someone I haven’t seen in quite some time.