I remember going into Andy Leonard's session at PASS Summit in Denver. I'm not going to lie, it was kind of sparsely attended, so I got to sit up front and ask questions. Andy answered 'em like the pro that he is and then we got to talking afterwards. I'm honored to say we became friends. Thank you Andy! Andy is one of those people who is quick to try stuff out and then share it with others. He introduced me to Google Hangouts and both of us experimented with them quite a lot, sometimes being the only person in each other's Hangout. Which means we got to talk quite a bit. Thanks Andy. Go read Andy's blog sometime. Yeah, you're going to learn some technical content. However, you're also…
Ah, Tim Ford. I remember the time we were sitting at Ruth Kriss Steakhouse trying to figure out which of the two of us was the dumbest person in the room. Just so we're clear, it was me. Anyway, we've been friends for a long time. Thanks Tim! Thanks for being insane enough to think that teaching tech on a cruise was a good idea. Then, being so utterly 'round the bend that you actually did it. Multiple times. Successfully. And I got to take part in it. Thank you Tim! Like with Wendy, there are no words to express how I feel about our time on the PASS board. Thank you. We've spent so much time together, honestly, it's hard to pick out all the ways you've been kind…
I honestly don't know when or how I met Wendy Pastrick, but I'm so happy I did. Wendy and I have been friends for a very long time. Thank you Wendy! I think the biggest thing I can say about Wendy is that she builds communities. I suspect no one knows just how much she has done, behind the scenes at her local events in Chicago, at the national and international level, all to get people together to share & learn from one another. Wendy has been one of the guiding lights and foundational persons, and I know, not enough people are aware. For almost literally toiling in darkness, thank you Wendy. Wendy and I have not shared a technical track the way I have with others. Her specialties &…
I know I can say that I'm a friend of Allen White without getting into trouble. Allen and I have a shared a lot of things over the years and I'm inordinately pleased that I know the man. Thanks Allen. Allen was the very first person, ever, to say to me "Say, aren't you Grant Fritchey? You wrote that book on Execution Plans." To say I was blown away that anyone, anywhere, would recognize me, well, there's simply no way to understate this. Thank you, Allen, for the recognition. Allen has always been one of the clever ones. He was up and using Powershell almost before it was released, or so it seemed. When I was just barely starting to figure out the kind of automation I live by now,…
I don't think I'm going too far out on a limb to call Kevin Kline a friend. I'm extremely humbled and honored that I can say that. Kevin is just a good person. Thanks, Kevin. Years ago, on a guess, about 12-13, I was talking with Tom LaRock, another great guy, and we both said, "Damn, I wish I had Kevin's job". Kevin has been an evangelist/advocate for a few different organizations over the years. Within a year, Tom did. About another year after that, so did I. However, Kevin lead the way. He showed us what a good advocate looked like. Thanks Kevin. I wouldn't have my outstanding job if it weren't for you showing me how. Kevin was also one of the founding members of what was the…
The results are in and it seems that I've been elected to a place on the PASS Board. Thank you. I will strive to be worthy of the position you've placed in my hands. I will do my best to make a difference on the board. Watch this space for regular updates on what I'm doing as your representative. If you don't see updates here, feel free to call for them. It's the one promise I made during the election and I think you should hold me to it. Worth noting, I'll be speaking for myself, as a member of the board, not as an official spokesman for the PASS organization. It might be a distinction without a difference, but it's worth noting. Thank you to Sri Sridharan for your…
I was approached by a man at SQL Bits who only wanted to thank me for blogging. He said, "I know you probably never hear from anyone, but you should. Thanks for what you do." I'm not mentioning his name because he promised me he'd write an editorial for publication, so I'm going to wait on him to get that done so he gets full credit then, not on my silly blog post. But, the idea stuck with me. I realized, that I don't do it. Oh yeah, I have an "Interesting Reading" set of links that I post to Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. Sharing is "thanking" in our modern vernacular, right? No, of course not. It's not the same. I really do appreciate the help that I get on…
I am humbled and honored (and more than a little horrified) to be on this list of the Best of PASS Summit 2013. I mean look at those names. Every single one is a person I look up to and respect and learn from constantly. How I made a list like this... well, thanks. I appreciate the support and kindness that was shown at the PASS Summit when you filled out your evals. Oh, and while I realize intellectually and SQL skill-wise he totally kicks my behind... Neener, neener Conor. You're in the DBA track and I'm the only one in the top 10 in the Cloud track. By the gods, I'm going to pay for that, but it'll be worth it.
I somehow made the Top 10 Community Choice Bloggers in the SQL Server Magazine 2011 awards (keep scrolling to the bottom). This was evidently a write-in list and some of you who read my rambling attempts to understand this SQL Server stuff thought enough to actually write down this blog. I’m completely and utterly gobsmacked, humbled, surprised… and yeah, happy. #6 …. Wow! Thank you. Gotta go get some posts written now.
Very excited to take part in my third #PGSQLPhriday blogging event, even more so because it's a topic that's quite near and dear to my heart, community. To say that I'm new to the PostgreSQL community isn't simply an understatement. Other than some online stuff, I haven't been anywhere near the PostgreSQL community. That's not for a lack of trying (multiple sessions submitted to multiple events), but so far, still just doing the online thing. So, I don't know that I'm fully qualified to discuss what, specifically, the PostgreSQL community means to me. Instead, let's talk about why you want a vibrant and strong community. I'm going to start with my qualifications to discuss community (not that anyone, anywhere, needs qualifications to take part in community, man, I dislike gatekeeping).…