Everyone has goals or at least they should have goals. As a young professional out of college, I had plenty of goals, but none of them involved SQL Server. I really had no idea of where I wanted my career to go other than working in IT. Finally in 2000, I stumbled upon an opportunity that started me down the career path of a DBA. It didn’t take long to realize I enjoy this type of work. Over the next decade, I learned a lot from my coworkers, training classes, and especially my mistakes. Yes, I really did drop the...
Continue reading...Personal
Get Out There and Challenge Yourself
It’s been almost five months since I posted my last article, and so much has changed since then. I have a new job, a new house, a new address, and of course a new mortgage. I had been working as a DBA for Wells Fargo Securities for nearly 15 years when I decided that I could no longer grow in that role. I had a lot of good years at the bank, and I will definitely miss all of my friends. But in order for me to be happy, I really needed a change. My decision to move was more...
Continue reading...One Year Later
Wow! It’s been one year since I launched my blog, and my how things have changed. Accomplishments Over the Past Year I’ve had a chance to interact with a lot of people relating to many of the posts on my blog, and even run into a few people that said “Hey I know you through your blog”. I’ve gotten much more involved in the #sqlfamily through Twitter, Stackexchange, as well as through my local SQL Server user group. Although I’ve attended meetings at my local group off and on over the past several years, I am now making a specific...
Continue reading...Merging SQL Server and Softball Just for Fun
With opening day of Major League Baseball season finally here, I thought I’d take the time to cover two of my favorite topics…SQL Server and softball. Have you ever thought about how you can use SQL Server in conjunction with softball? Ok, so maybe you haven’t, but I have. I have been managing a slow-pitch softball team, the Sons of Pitches, for the past 5 years. Yes, I did say “slow-pitch”. My friends and I have already passed the peak of our physical ability, so we use it as an excuse to get together and have a little fun. As a DBA, I’m...
Continue reading...Exam 70-432 – SQL Server 2008 Implementation and Maintenance
For years, actually more like a decade, I’ve been saying that I’m going to get certified in SQL Server. Well finally after years of saying it, I finally did. I passed my first exam, 70-432, this past week. I have to say it was easier and at the same time harder than I thought it would be. Easier, as in the content that was covered in the test was already 2nd nature to me, because I had been doing this stuff for years. And it was harder, because of the way Microsoft asked the questions. Even if you know the...
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