It actually was a lot of fun.  But, I just had to share some of the things I overheard while riding in the back of a van with four 2nd graders on the way there and back and walking around the zoo with them.

Act I: 

First 2nd Grader:  “My Pawpaw used to drive a log truck.  I wouldn’t ever want that job!”

Second 2nd Grader:  “What would be so bad about that?”

First 2nd Grader:  “Splinters!”

Second 2nd Grader:  “Oooh yeah, that would be bad!”

Act II:

Random 2nd Grader:  “Look at those two turtles, they’re riding piggy back!”

Act III:

Random 2nd Grader hands me a cheese stick.

Me:  “Thanks!”

2nd Grader:  “You’re welcome, that’ll be one dollar, sir!”

Me:  “Okay, put it on my bill.”

2nd Grader:  “Okay, but every day you don’t pay its another $100!”

Act IV:

First 2nd Grader:  ”My little sisters belly button looks like a face!  It has two eyes, a nose, and a mouth!”

Second 2nd Grader:  “Is it a smiley face or a sad face?”

First 2nd Grader:  “Its a smiley face.”

Second 2nd Grader:  “Oh, that’s good.”

Needless to say, we had a blast.  Hope you enjoy these quotes as much as I did. 

A few nights ago Punky came into our room all freaked out about something.  I’m not sure if it was the threatening shape in the middle of her floor that was out of place and looking very ominous in the shadows of her darkened room, that turned out to be a pair of shoes, or the erratic ebb and flow of the sounds of waves coming from the Sleep Machine app, or both.  But, I’m not ashamed to admit my heart smiled when I put her back in bed and she replied with an exhaled, “Yes” to the question, “Do you want me to put your bedtime music on?”  

Lullaby Classics is the single thread that I have left to hold on to baby Punky.  There’s no more paci.  There’s no more crib.  There’s no more rocking to sleep.  There’s no more baby monitor.  There’s no more Foot Book.  We read Chronicles of Narnia now.  I have fought every change along the way.  My wife and Punky have both pulled me along begrudgingly through every milestone. 

I know she’ll always be “my baby” as everyone says.  But the truth is, she’s not a baby.  And, even though I love, and will continue to love, every stage of her life, it is sad. 

So, I continue reading about Aslan, and Shasta, and Peter, and Susan, and the rest, even though I’ve read them over and over, until her eyes close and her breathing automates to a peaceful rhythm, and I slowly get up like a thief in the night, and turn on lullaby versions of Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi, stealing one more moment with baby Punky.      

Sandhill Review is a book of poetry, prose, and some graphic arts that is published annually by some faculty and students of Saint Leo University. It includes works from the Saint Leo “community” and from the Tampa area.

This years book included some great work by much better poets, than myself, such as Peter Meinke and Gianna Russo. It was pretty cool to have my name and poem listed alongside some really good poets.

Anyway, I thought I would share this here.

On a Blanket in the Grass
by Michael Picot

I wonder if we’ll ever get back there.
on a blanket in the grass,
without a single care.

Money was not an issue,
and time wasn’t when or where.
I only knew that I was with you.

I knew it with every sense of me.
With all the energy and feeling,
And, every expense of me.

Everything was wide and open.
I will always remember,
The smell of the humid air,
through your hair.
And the taste of raindrops,
against your skin.

I don’t know if we’ll ever get back there.
On a blanket, in the grass,
Without a single care.

But, I am willing to try.
I have a blanket,
And clouds are forming in the sky.

Copyright © 2007 Michael Picot

It’s about inspiring people to adopt new processes or technology. It is written from a sales perspective, but it really has great points that can be used from a software project management perspective, also.

If your organization struggles with end user adoption for new processes and technologies then this post will help. The practical insights provided below have been proven to work whether deploying a new CRM system or a new process within existing technology.

The seeds of end user adoption are planted long before implementation. The secret is to create a sense of ownership and positive anticipation leading up to deployment.

The full article can be found here on SalesOpsSolutions.com.

The following SQL code will convert a Datetime value to String. This particular query is converting the current date as an example. The number ’112′ is a style code that SQL server uses. This will return the date in YYYYMMDD format. There is also a table of the various Style Codes and the date format that they will return below that. Just insert the particular style code you want into the sql query to get the desired result.


select CONVERT(CHAR(8), getdate(), 112) as 'Date Format'


At any rate, I do work in IT, and I work with MS SQL Server a lot. So I have some “recipes” that I thought I would post here. This way I would be sure they “go with me” wherever I go.

Hopefully they can help someone else out, too. Let me know in the comments if anyone finds any of these useful or not.

Here is the first one:

Find Field Value in a Database

The following is a SQL Script that can be run in a database to return all tables and columns where a particular value is present. This can be used for strings or values with a small modification. Just place the value you’re looking for where it says ‘valuehere.’ No need to put wildcards, the SQL does that for you. This script is for MS SQL Server 2005.


DECLARE @value VARCHAR(64)
DECLARE @sql VARCHAR(1024)
DECLARE @table VARCHAR(64)
DECLARE @column VARCHAR(64)

DROP TABLE #t


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