Voice of the DBA

Tag: work

  • Learn about Database Deployment in DC

    SQL in the City is coming to the DC area in a few weeks with a seminar on the Stairway to Database Deployment. Both Grant Fritchey and I are traveling to the Washington DC area to deliver a half day, free seminar event on Friday, December 6, 2013. We are likely going to be in the Chevy Chase, MD side of DC that afternoon, but I don’t have a location right now.

    If you are in the area, and want to see our vision of how to streamline your database development and deployment and make it run smoother, register today. It’s free, it’s a half day, and afterwards Grant and I will be chatting with you at a happy hour to talk shop, deployment, anything you want.

    The seminar is three sessions. I have been presenting the first 2, and Grant the third. The sessions build on each other and are the following:

    • Team-based Development with Version Control
    • Automated Database Build and Test
    • Best Practices for Database Deployment

    I’ll also be at SQL Saturday #233 – Washington, DC on Saturday, December 7, 2013. I think I have one session, and I may leave early as I have family in the area, but I’ll be there all morning and happy to chat with you, shake hands, or even just say hi.

    If you can attend, please register for SQL in the City or SQL Saturday #233. Both events are free, but we’d like to know who’s coming so we can plan.

  • One day in the office

    I got back from SQL Intersection on Wednesday afternoon. I did work a bit, but not too much after traveling and speaking this week. Today I’m in the office, but only today.

    Tomorrow I’m outside.

    I have more vacation scheduled tomorrow, along with Monday and Tuesday. Given the nature of my job, that means I need to ensure things are prepped and scheduled for the next few days until I return next Wednesday.

    It’s been a busy day. Some of my prep was done last week, but with three days in Las Vegas this week at SQL Intersection, I wasn’t completely prepared. I’ve been editing content, scheduling things, recording podcasts and more.

    I’m almost done, which means I should get a good vacation. I should have the chance to start work on another project tomorrow: building a horse shelter.

  • Three Trips

    I’m down to three trips, with most of my busy month behind me. It’s been a hard year at times, easy at others. This month I was in Vegas, LA, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Charleston, with one more trip to Vegas next week. The travel is hard, and in addition to wearing on me mentally, it compresses the rest of my time at work. That adds some stress, which bleeds over into family life for me. Some people separate well; I don’t.

    That’s OK, Despite the hard travel, I’ve enjoyed seeing so many people I know and meeting new ones. Across the 11 talks I gave this month, I enjoyed them all. I met at least one new person at each, if not more, and had some great conversations.

    Three trips left.

    The next one is SQL Intersection in Las Vegas, which will be a fun trip as my wife is coming along. Then it’s Portland for a SQL in the City seminar and a SQL Saturday in November, and a repeat in Washington D.C. in December.

    Plus vacation. I desperately need to take time off. Both for mental health, and because I’ve accumulated too much that needs to be used before the end of the year. After searching out a bit of balance last year, I didn’t do a good job this year, and need to pay more attention to things. I love my job, and I enjoy going to work, but the last month+ has been hard.

    I’m just making a note here, partly to remind you to take your own time off from work, but also to warn you I might be gone in Nov/Dec a bit from work.

     

     

  • The SQL in the City Tour is Almost Here

    Five days. That’s how long I’m in Denver after my last trip before I head back to the airport for the 2013 US SQL in the City tour! Once again the crew from Red Gate is traveling around the country, putting on our one day, free, educational SQL in the City events. We are traveling to three cities in the next two weeks, and I’m looking forward to helping teach you about a variety of SQL Server topics.

    Did I mention the events are free? Completely free to you. We want you to register, but if you’re in one of these cities, and can come, click one of the register links below and I’ll see you there.

    Wed, Fri, Mon, a week long trip for me before I can return to Denver, and hopefully, some time off. I’ll need it, with a variety of talks on Version Control, Backups, and Encryption. I’m also helping with the keynotes, which makes for a busy day, repeated three times, for me. However it’s a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to meeting lots of new SQL Server professionals as I’ve never been to two of these cities.

    You should register today if you can come, it’s free, did I mention that?, and you can tell your boss we’ll teach you how to better work with SQL Server. We’ve divided the content into a mix of administrative and development based topics, so there’s something for everyone.