OK, I confess. I was intimidated as could be to know that I was meeting Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft. The previous day, I'd delivered the kickoff address to 2500 people without a flinch. But meeting Ballmer had me quite unnerved. I mean, this is a guy who speaks to kings and presidents of countries all the time. But, when the moment finally came, I found him to be both really nice and really down to earth.Ballmer wowed the socks of our audience and, I think, made a very positive impression on the attendees. He's also got a lot of guts. After his address, he actually took questions from … [Read more...]

One of the few benefits I get as the president of PASS is a great suite at the hotel where we host our conference. Since we bring in a couple million dollars worth of business, you'd think it was the least they could do, right? In case you were wondering what the Presidential Suite looks like at a major hotel, just think of a very nicely furnished full size apartment. This one happened to have a baby grand piano and huge entertainment system along with really nice Broyhill furniture. The suite had a full dining room, a small kitchenette (no appliances besides a small fridge), and a full … [Read more...]

The PASS Board, hard at work - from left to right, Randy Dyess, Christoph Stotz, Joe Webb, Rushabh Mehta, Wayne Snyder, and Neil Buchwalter. It's been my honor to serve on the board of directors for the Professional Association for SQL Server (www.sqlpass.org) since its inception in 1999. Back then, I was a mid-level technology manager at Deloitte focusing on database administration for SQL Server databases. Try to explain that one to your grandma. Trust me, you'll only get a blank stare.Me and John Stoiber, PASS Executive DirectorOver the years, I rose through the ranks of PASS starting with … [Read more...]

So here I am in Seattle for the annual PASS Conference. It's cold and rainy. And there are a lot of panhandlers everywhere. But Seattle's brand of panhandler is unique - they are, indeed, very creative. The panhandler in the photo above held a sign that read:My father was Killed by NINJASNeed moneyFor Karate Lessons! When I passed that guy on the street, I figured "Heck, that's funny enough to be worth a buck." and gave it to him. Vive la poet!-Kev … [Read more...]

It's official. I'm now over the hill. Or, using the new nomenclature, I'm the "new 30". Either way, it ain't too bad. I feel as healthy as I've ever been and a lot healthier than at certain times in my life like when my back was at its worst in my late twenties to mid-thirties.The kids and I had a low-key evening out on the town. We enjoyed a dinner together at Longhorn and hung out for a while afterwards. They got me some fantastic and fun gifts. I also want to say thanks to my friends and family who sent cards and gifts.I also want to send a special thank you to Dr Pineapple and his … [Read more...]

Yes, I can finally park the minivan in the garage. And there's still room to maneuver. Heck, I could probably fit another car, albiet a Mini Cooper, in there to boot. It may not seem like much. But it was a chore that took me the better part of the weekend to complete. The good news is that now I can park the car in the garage. And the even better news is that we can get off to school in the morning without having to scrape ice off of the windows or sit in a chilly car. Yippee!-Kev … [Read more...]

What can I say? They take my breath away. I bought these dresses for them when I was in Munich in May of 2005. They look prettier than the edelweiss. … [Read more...]

For those of you not in the know, the "Brickyard" is a nickname for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy500.I had the pleasure of "representin' for my peeps", Quest Software, in Nashville, Tulsa, and Indy over the past couple weeks. I spoke at big user group seminars in each city and was pleased to see big crowds there. I also had the pleasure of meeting in person a number of Quest people who I'd only ever spoken to on the phone.This is a picture of me and Danielle Mann ===>. Danielle is Quests manager for field marketing. I've worked with Danielle since at least late spring of … [Read more...]

Anna Lynn does not have the good fortune to have naturally straight teeth like her mom and I. It's a painful and expensive process to get those pearly whites to come in straight. Since she's young, our orthodontist recommended that we install an "appliance" before going into braces. It's been uncomfortable for Anna, but she's finally gotten used to it - except for the really cute lisp. :^)You can see her bottom appliance in the picture. She has something very similar in the roof of her mouth. You can also see a little of the crookedness of her teeth. The teeth between her incisors and … [Read more...]

We've had a lot of health issues this week. BothKatie Jo and Anna Lynn had strep. This is tough in and of itself. But to make matters worse, we were expecting guests.When Grandma Shirley and Grandpa Chuck finally made it off of the airplane on October 5th, it turns out that Grandpa Chuck was really sick with a terrible stomach flu. On top of that, I was showing Grandma Shirley around the property over the weekend when I stepped on a big, ol' rusty nail that pierced my right foot about 1/2". Yeouch! Then I got the obligatory tetanus shot. Double yeouch!We did manage to get out and have some … [Read more...]