Like a Fresh Cup of Coffee

It’s a new year and a fresh start. While I drink my latte, Seattle's Best Organic I might add (and recommend), I spill my thoughts for the year. As I’m writing, I’m finishing a site, a portal if you will, for the community my family and I now reside in. Just a few months back I relocated to Colorado Springs, CO., you might of read about my career move. It has been an interesting move, one that I took the tech community into consideration. Colorado Springs is very active in their .Net and SQL Server user groups, my forte. In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve met some interesting professional in the SQL and .Net arena, and inspired me to participate alongside with them.
This year, I have started new, like a fresh cup of coffee. January will be very intense for me, with the first ever Colorado Springs GiveCamp taking place, an event I been working hard over the last few months with help from other tech volunteers. This year, our give camp will develop a solution for a charity in need, at no cost, and over one weekend. So far, we have about 10 volunteers helping us make this happen. I'm very glad I was able to help organize this and has allowed me to meet some new people that are very similar to me. From these professionals that volunteer their technology skills, I been inspired to share my knowledge as well.

February will also be an interesting month this year and a first for me. Not only is the Colorado Springs SQL Server User Group putting on a SQL Saturday, but I have submitted two sessions to speak at the event. This year will debut my skills as a presenter. Not only that, I was asked to present in this month's User Group meeting, so my debut will come even earlier. As of right now, I know I will have one speaking engagement this month, the other will be confirmed I believe by the end of this week. Regardless, attending a SQL Saturday will be a great way for me to learn new skills I might not know, or polish some other skills.

On the same wave for events for the beginning of this year, Denver is holding it's 3rd Rocky Mountain Tech Trifecta in March. At this event, I intend to increase my .Net skills. Going back to Windows development from ASP, I lack the skills in WPF and want to also do more in LINQ. I also gave it a shot by submitting my SQL sessions there as well, since it will be a good experience to speak to larger audiences.

Somewhere along the way, I intend to organize what I call, EP Tech Lunches, via my new site www.eptech.info. El Paso County in Colorado consist or Colorado Springs and surrounding areas as in the 2nd most populated county in Colorado next to Denver. This new project is more of an information portal, a meta network, where individuals or groups can share their contact info, (IM, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) and post tech announcements. Those participating member will also be invited to attend a monthly Tech Luncheon to meet in person. The reason behind lunches is that many professionals might be interested in attending User Group meetings but might be conflicted with personal obligations after work. Having a lunch meeting would resolve this since you intend to take a lunch anyways during your workday, might as well have it with people interested in networking and talking shop.

I invite you all look into the CodeCamp, SQL Saturday, EP Tech Info and Trifecta. I am looking forward to seeing you participate in these tech events.