I rolled out ealry Sunday morning (3:00 AM EST, after 3 hours of sleep) to catch a flight from Richmond to Atlanta, then to Seattle. I was up late polishing my Applied SSIS Design Patterns presentation scheduled for Wednesday. I'm happier with the flow and intensity of this presentation.
I dropped off the grid upon arrival in Seattle to spend a few hours catching up with a relative. We ate way too much and had a great time. After that, the networking started!
If you're never been to a PASS Summit, it's hard to describe the value proposition of networking with other database professionals. Most of us work in relative isolation. Spending a day with a group of like-minded individuals is refreshing all by itself; spending the better part of a week with hundreds is incredible.
For example, no one looks at you weird if you describe an issue and mention Venn diagrams - even if it's over a beer. Ok, Tom LaRock (Blog/Twitter) looks at me weird a lot, but I think it's because he's still shocked I have most of my teeth. But I digress...
I met up with Andy Warren and a slew of SQL Server folks at the Pike Place Bar and Grill for some lively conversation and (even more) food. There were many conversations around the tables - one highligt was warning Jason Massie about the dangers of being a dad of daughters when they start dating.
A group of two dozen or more database pros descended on Zig Zag Cafe around 9:00 PM. Great conversations and a good time was had by all. I got to meet and talk to Tim Mitchell (Web/Blog/Twitter) and Mike Walsh (Web/Blog/Twitter). I also met @Wendy_Dance, @BenchmarkIT, and a bunch of other people (sorry, I'm to old to remember everyone!).
After staying nearly 24 hours, I collapsed.
:{> Andy