T-SQL Tuesday? Is that some kind of holiday for geeks? Well, sorta. T-SQL Tuesday was started by Adam Machanic in 2009, and this one (#14) is being hosted by Jen McCown, who was newly awarded a SQL Server MVP. The topic for this one is Resolutions.

Over the years I’m sure many of us have made resolutions going into  the new year we’ve never kept, so I’ve stopped coming up with them. Luckily I don’t have to lie to myself with things like “I’m going to lose 50 pounds” (I’d look like a skeleton!). So what  are some realistic goals for myself this year? I’ve got six here, and could probably come up with more, but this will do.

1. Denali, Denali Denali
This may seem obvious, but if there was ever a time for me to hunker down and pay attention to a new SQL Server release, it’s Denali. With the push for mission critical, talk about dropping an opportunity in my lap! I’m already planning my new Denali book which I am planning to have out within about 6 or so months of its release. Ironically, I was going to call the book “Mission Critical” before Microsoft started using it a lot as of late. The book should be on Apress again, and like the 2008 failover clustering book, it should be in the Alpha program which means you can pay to get the chapters are they are written in raw unedited (and unreviewed) forms, as well as the final copy when it’s done. Stay tuned for more info.

2. Overhaul SQLHA.com
The website is starting to get a little long in the tooth. I finally stabilized my blog, now I need to do something with the rest of the site. A big driving factor is that a lot of what I offer is not really up there at the moment, such as full agendas for my training.

3. Offer at least one new training course
Ben DeBow (of Counterlogic) and I are working on a class we’ve talked about putting together for at least two or three years and I’m looking forward to completing it. It’ll be a mixture of practical and technology, and teach you things that are based on our years of experience consulting for customers. Ben has worked on some pretty impressive things over the years, and brings a lot to the table.

4. Finish my !)*(&@$ album
I needed at least one personal one, right? I started recording my new jazz album in 2009. It’s a mini-big band album of originals and my own arrangements of some rock classics. I’ve got a few more arrangements to finish and get on proverbial tape. I’m working with some great musicians, and if all goes well, it should be done by summertime.

5. Travel less …. NOT
It’s January 11th, and by the end of April, I will have visited Seattle (twice), Vancouver, Stuttgart, London, Brighton, and Amsterdam. Most of that is work. If this is an indication of the rest of the year, it’s going to be crazy busy.

I must admit I’m very excited about going to Amsterdam, as I will finally get to go to the biggest record fair in the world, something my friend Dave and I have been talking about for a long, long time.

6. Keep giving back
I didn’t earn my Clustering MVP based on my good looks alone 😉 I really work hard to make sure I give back to the community, and this year will be no different.