I'm off today, traveling down to The Big Easy, New Orleans for a beignet. Well, not just a beignet, but also because I'll be speaking at SQL Saturday #628 in Baton Rouge tomorrow. It's easier, and more fun, to fly into New Orleans, so I'll do that, have a quick snack at Cafe Dumonde and then drive up to Baton Rouge. It's an easy, relaxing drive, and a nice (albeit warm) part of the country.  Hopefully I'll arrive in time for a quick jog around University Lake.

This is the 9th SQL Saturday for Baton Rouge, one of the oldest (they started with #17) and this is my fifth time going. I always enjoy the people and crowds down there and this is one of the largest SQL Saturday events in the country. The schedule has 12 tracks, and with over 500 people coming, they need that many to keep from having every room overcrowded. I have two sessions, and I'm looking forward to seeing quite a few others from other speakers, learning a bit more about SQL Server. 

I think it's great that this event includes lots of developers from the area and covers a huge variety of topics. People come from all over the area, from Texas to West Florida, and sometimes from Arkansas and Tennesee. There is a wide variety of data related, and a few developer, sessions, as well as a nice career track. There is a huge thirst for knowledge, and for some reason SQL Saturday Baton Rouge on the campus of LSU attracts many people from all over.

It's great that we have people in our community that will put together a large event to help others improve their careers and get excited about databases and software. Holding an event like this takes a lot of work, and my hat is off to the organizers. They do a fantastic job and really put on a great event for everyone. I'm glad we have large events like this, and I also am glad we have people putting on smaller events all over the world. We have a fantastic SQL Server community, and it's always a treat to get accepted to present. I hope to see some of you tomorrow and many more in the future.