Newly minted MVP Jen McCown (blog|twitter) of MidnightDBA fame is this months T-SQL Tuesday host. Jen wants us to talk about resolutions. My personal laptop is a 1600 x 900. Oh wait, that’s a lousy play on words.

I don’t actually do the whole resolution thing. Sure the day ticks over and the year changes from one to the next but it’s just another day. I know a lot of people have strong feelings about the New Year and potential for new beginnings, I’m just not one of those people.

That being said I do have some goals that I aim to accomplish within the next few months.

Certification

I completed my MCITP: Database Administrator 2008 (exams 70-432 and 70-450) last year and have been figuring that I should look at taking the MCITP: Database Development 2008 (exams 70-433 and 70-451). After all I’ve been doing this stuff for a few years now so it shouldn’t be too bad, right? Anyhow, thanks to Microsoft offering their Second Shot program I decided to just go ahead and do so. My first exam is scheduled for next month. Depending on how that one works out I’ll try for the other in July.

Presenting

I spoke at my first SQLSaturday in Salt Lake City last year. I really enjoyed it and want to present to at least four more events this year. I’ve already submitted a Powershell session for SQL Saturday #67 in Chicago, and hope to get chosen (there are a lot of submitted sessions already with some amazing speakers so if I don’t get picked there won’t be any disappointment on my part). Unfortunately I’ll be on vacation for the local event in Olympia so will be looking to see what other travel excursions I can take.

I also made the decision that I would submit a session to the PASS Summit this year. I think the odds on my getting selected to present there are even less than they are at SQL Saturday #67 however I won’t be letting that deter me.

Blogging

I’ve certainly picked this up more in the last few months after a very wayward start. My posts usually take at least a couple of hours to put together, mainly because I am trying to do some knowledge imparting. Rather than just provide a script I try to explain the methodology behind it in the hopes that it will help you, the reader, to take that and expand upon what I’ve done.

After reading Paul Randal’s (blog|twitter) post the other day “So you want to blog about SQL Server?” I’ve decided I’m going to intersperse some shorter posts alongside my rambling ones just so that I get some regular content out there.

Personal

I really have one key personal goal to achieve in the next few months. I’ve been living in the US for about 12 years now. I’m not going to be moving back to England, I have far too many ties here, as such I need to knuckle down and get my citizenship sorted out. That is really my number one thing and takes priority over all the others. Fortunately there’s not much more to do than fill in a few forms, pay a bunch of money and wait to take the Naturalization Test (link goes to a self test on the USCIS site, take it and see how well you do). The test really should be easy to pass but I am going to be studying the heck out of it just to be doubly sure that I do. Not something I want to mess up. 

Once all these things are over and done with I think I’ll just go ahead and take the MCM exam. You know, just to pass the time…