A few changes…

It’s been an interesting month. Today I’ve just come home from hospital having had an inflamed appendix removed. I’m not talking about the back of the book that I set on fire – rather it’s was the reason for a large amount of gut-ache on Monday. I went to the doctor on Tuesday morning, and he sent me to the hospital, where they found the earliest opportunity to remove it (which was Wednesday – at least it hadn’t burst yet). They did this by going through my belly-button, blowing a bunch of air in to inflate my abdomen, and then using a camera and telescopic tools to remove it. They made two other holes to help, but the keyhole approach meant I could come home today (Thursday). I’m still feeling rather lousy, and having trouble concentrating, but I’m essentially fine, and will be fit to catch flights again by the weekend. Annoyingly, I didn’t get to keep the appendix (in a jar, to give to trick-or-treaters tomorrow night), because it’s been sent off for tests. They’ll let me know if the inflammation was caused by anything more sinister. Chances are minimal though, and I’m sure God will make sure everything’s fine.

It still ruined my week though – I had things I was planning to get done.

So that’s one change…

The other major one is that my employment situation has changed. I’m still very much a mentor at SQLskills Australia (previously known as Solid Quality Learning Pty Ltd), but I’m no longer an employee there. I have set up my own company, called LobsterPot Solutions, and will be operating through that. I will continue to teach through SQLskills, and do not expect to be in competition with them in any way. I hope that I can help them achieve as much success under this arrangement as I could as an employee.

Through LobsterPot Solutions I will be available for consulting and mentoring assignments, primarily in the SQL Server space – but will probably expand the range of offerings to include web (including Silverlight), SharePoint, Dynamics CRM, and others – areas that I’ve worked in over the years and wouldn’t mind getting back to. In time I will bring on staff, so that I can broaden my capabilities, and you’ll probably see my kids doing work experience in a few years.

I’m sure SQL Server will always be where I spend most of time, and continue to maintain my expertise. I don’t plan let my interest in other areas dampen my SQL passion at all, but rather to enhance that ‘usefulness of data’ aspect which I have always enjoyed.

As for those things I was planning to get done this week… I need to finish off the website, finish organising business cards, chase down some charities, write up some more of my T-SQL Tips, work on some book chapters, and a few other things besides. But I guess a hospital stay is a reasonable excuse.