Jochen my friend and once my groomsman is some really fix and reliable anchor within my life. We did know us already out of early teenager times but finally hooked up at an age of eighteen. Since that day we passed a lot of highs … but also deeps …  and friendship was always deep and close.

Whenever necessary we nearly understand each other without words and being called or needed we are both there for each other.

Yesterday evening were committed for dinner and had planned to catch up early before. Unfortunately yesterday morning my wife found our laundry system died suddenly. Now with Jochen running his own business selling and repairing these things I gave him a call and he and Anke appeared somewhat earlier. Shortly ten minutes later everything was fixed and we headed out for dinner.

While eating we laughed and chatted a lot and it turned out he is having some trouble with his DSL. Surely it wasn’t a question for me offering to help.

Within out friendship there is no need to think nor ask … it is a pleasure for both of us to be there when needed. At least this is the way I feel about!

Guess you will never read because of being to busy with your band, but thanks Jochen for being my friend.

This evening coming home I’ve found a very lovely surprise in front of my front door shipped from the USA. In fact it was not a letter and not even the postman had brought it along. Despite of this it was brought by a courier service and at the end a really nice parcel containing something which is now very valuable for me.

Now I have to confess that I did already know about it will come. But knowing about something will happen and finally seeing it in real are two very different things for sure.

A few days ago I had found some email offering me the free shipping of a book to me and asking for my address to use. The email was already spammed out by my Spamfilter and I just found it because I was quickly checking through all Spam.

Usually I would have finally thrown it away, but it looked serious and the title of the book was holding me back.
Using the web to "google" the author was getting a hit at Amazon and opening it was finally running into some other surprise …. I know the author! Some guy I’m in a loose contact since years after I got familiar with him on some internet list.

Finally answering the email was again was about receiving surprised no.3 as for I got told that the "author" in person did plan to send me a free copy of his book. What a lovely thought is that?

Thanks a lot! I will make all effort now to quickly get an impression about the book, to then send my feedback about the book back to him!

Whatever others to tell me three days of conference is tiring. Travelling to such an event is not to compare with some vacation trip anyway and the first or two night sleeping in a hotel is anyway somewhat less relaxing for me.

This years DOAG was even a conference of a style I personally think about as some intermediate one as for there is no real new major release announced as coming soon. So I personally think about most of the speeches I’ve heard as another "remake" of companies which do now think they’ve got the glue about.

But for me it as a good feedback about which new feature … announce a year ago as "brand new" … has really set and is accepted by the market.

And another big point for me is that I’m able to renew and as often possible and very appreciated – extend – my contacts to Oracle folks. You know each other, exchange again a few idea and information and in case there is a needs, you have a contact or number to call and ask.

This year the social aspect of the conference was big and I really had the feeling to meet a lot of interesting folks besides all the official and scheduled program.

But now …. yes, and I’m not feeling ashamed to share …. it’s about time to head home again.

This year I managed to attend to the DOAG again after missing it last year. It’s the yearly congress of the German Oracle Users Group and it is a great feeling diving into community again. Seeing a lot of folks again and renewing old relations is quiet a good and important thing for sure.

Even the speaches I’ve followed so far seems to deal and contain not really a lot of new and exciting stuff learing about how other people do their job is always interesting at the end.

As for the conference is at Nürnberg it is even possible to visit the famous Christmas Market here and I guess it was a really good thing to directly convince my presentation partner about heading there together this evening.

Thanks good my personal speech is on wednesday first and therefore I can’t get in trouble in case it get late as I assume ….