Hurray for conferences

I get to go to the MySQL Conference happening next month in San Jose. I went 3 years ago but after that I worked somewhere where they wouldn’t pay for me to go, and then last year I was too broke from lack of full-time employment. But yay, I get to go now! I’d be more excited but conferences are only so exciting!

One workmate has already called dibs on any t-shirts I get, since they’ll all be L/XL and therefore wouldn’t show off my excellent rack at all (that’s not why he wants them; it’s just that free t-shirts from IT companies are all he wears). The only time I got a tech swag t-shirt that fit me was from Youtube. Because presumably Youtube cares about racks.

One thing I’m realizing is that this time, as opposed to 3 years ago, I feel I know nothing about MySQL and database administration. In 2007 I’d been working as a DBA for over a year and had my 4.1 certifications and therefore thought I was an expert. Several jobs and lots of databases later, I just keep finding out new stuff I don’t know and it really kicks me in the softest part of my ego. The other thing is that I seem incapable of retaining any new information, possibly due to brain damage from repeatedly hitting the keyboard with my forehead. Perhaps my brain has a limit and I’ve wasted too much of it on Monty Python trivia. Or I’m just dumb. Don’t tell anyone though.