30Aug 2017 by Grant Fritchey 2 Comments

Ich werde Deutschland beriesen

Misc
Guten Tag! OK, switching back to English for the rest of this. I'm going to be spending a few weeks in Germany on a private tour, no work. That means that, no, I'm very sorry, I can't speak at your user group, even though I'd love to. Next time. However, I wanted to let you know when and where I'll be over there. I'd love the chance to meet with friends. I know I owe several of you a beverage. This is a chance to pay it back. Here's where I'll be and when: 9/12: Frankfurt Airport (we'll be in late, glad to meet for a drink at the hotel) 9/13 - 9/15: Amsterdam (yeah, not Germany, Mrs. Scary requested this) 9/15 - 9/16: Off the radar, visiting my German…
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28Mar 2017 by Grant Fritchey 1 Comment

Sharing With You In All Fifty States

Misc
I made a mistake the other day. For some reason I got it into my head that I was flying to Albuquerque when I was actually flying to Phoenix. I've no idea how or why that occurred, but I sent a tweet out on how excited I was to finally be visiting and presenting in New Mexico for the first time. Yeah, oops. But here's the deal. It got me thinking. I've been presenting professionally for quite a while. I've visited a lot of places around the world because of this. I want to visit a lot more. I've decided to work closer to home as well as elsewhere. I Want to Speak in All Fifty States I've presented live sessions to user group meetings, SQLSaturdays, Code Camps, and large events all…
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02Mar 2017 by Grant Fritchey 14 Comments

Random Blog Post Challenge

Misc
OK, for no particular reason at all or maybe because I had too much food at lunch or just because Jason Hall gave me the idea, here's a blog post challenge for anyone who wants to take it up. Write a technical blog post that incorporates this image: Link back to here and I'll put together an aggregation and assessment of all the posts. Why this image? It's Tom Baker as Dr. Who. That's reason enough. This is just having a little fun. No ulterior motives, requirements, etc. Let's play!
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05Oct 2016 by Grant Fritchey 20 Comments

Where Do We Go To Share?

Misc
No one reads blogs any more. Twitter is dying. Facebook is broken. LinkedIn? Please. G+. Is that even on any more? Where do we go to share? I'm seeing it here on this blog. Traffic is down. Not just day-to-day traffic, but the search hits. That could just be that I'm producing crap content or stuff that no one is interested in. However, Twitter isn't growing like it once was and there are many reports that it's shrinking. Facebook is running into problems. So... Where the heck are people going? How do we continue to share without a relatively common communication tool? I know there's some push for Yammer. However, lots of people hate it. Slack and slack channels get a little traction, but to a degree this is just another type of…
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25May 2016 by Grant Fritchey 8 Comments

A Moment For Reflection…

Misc
While this is a personal blog, I try to keep it focused on either technical topics or personal development and leadership related to technical topics. This post is a complete deviation from all of the above. Please, read it anyway. I went to Auschwitz and Birkenau. Words are failing me here. Before I went, I was terribly conflicted about the trip. I had the opportunity to visit another Nazi concentration camp, Dachau, and I deferred. I know horror was committed there. Why should I voluntarily subject myself to it? As part of a trip to Poland, Aaron Bertrand suggested we should take a couple of extra days to see the sights, including visiting Auschwitz. I didn't want to go. Then I started thinking. Obligation. Honor. Remembrance. Humility. Respect. I truly…
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17Mar 2016 by Grant Fritchey 2 Comments

Opportunities To Talk

Misc, PASS
It's weird being an introvert who likes to talk to people, but what can I do. I like talking to people. I have a number of upcoming trips, quite literally all over the world, that provide us with the opportunities to get together and have a chat. First, I'll be at SQL Saturday Boston (the 500th SQL Saturday event, HUZZAH!), this weekend, March 19th 2016. I'll be talking about the Query Store and I'll be doing a presentation for PASS since this is a milestone event. The first SQL Saturday event in Boston was #34, six years ago, which I helped organize. It's been quite the journey. I'm going to SQL Saturday Madison on April 9th. I'll be talking about the Query Store and how to automate your database deployments.…
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12Oct 2015 by Grant Fritchey 2 Comments

Argenis Without Borders: Fun For a Good Cause

Misc
This is the second year of Argenis Without Borders and the second year that I'm taking part. Last year we hit the fund-raising goal and I wore the rainbow fuzzy leggings at the PASS Summit. This year, it feels like we're a little behind the goal. We need you to get your wallet and fork over a little cash to help out this worthy charity, Doctors Without Borders. This year, the goal will be to get me into a funny hat. But, well, I already wear funny hats all the time: So I'm a little at a loss as to what to do: I mean seriously, where do I go from here? Any suggestions for a good funny hat? Only make them after you've donated though.
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09Jun 2015 by Grant Fritchey 2 Comments

Speaker of the Month: May 2015

Misc
When I attend sessions at events, I try to mix it up. I'll go to a session that, really, I probably will never use the information, just to expand my knowledge level a little. I also go to sessions by the masters so that I can try to expand my skill set. I go to sessions on topics that I feel like I know well just to reinforce my own learning and understanding. That's where I got the Speaker of the Month for May 2015, Denis McDowell (t). I went to his session titled DevOps for the DBA at SQL Saturday #380 in New York City. I present pretty regularly on this topic and I've helped build multi-day training courses on it. Seriously, I feel like I probably know it.…
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