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It's only taken a couple years to get this site up and going, sorry about the delay. I'm still learning this computer stuff. Speaking of computers, I'm still plugging away at Microsoft on a product called SQL Server. It's a database product used by customers to manage information/data. People often ask what I do at Microsoft so I'll give it a try. The easiest way is probably through an example. Barnes and Noble (which is a large retailer of books) keeps track of all their book inventory and book sales in a SQL Server database. Our product allows them to quickly retrieve information about all the books they have in stock (author, title, publisher, etc.) as well as books they have been selling. They often use the database to generate reports looking for customer buying patterns allowing them to stock up on books that are hot and deplete inventory of books that are not. The software we provide allows customers to record and track this information easily (basically a filing cabinet on a computer). My part in this product is writing the computer code that keeps track off all the information/data. If you want to learn more, let me know, I can bore you with the details. Microsoft has been a great company to work for over the last 10+ years. The company has grown significantly during this period and especially the area I am associated with. The SQL Server group was around 16 people when I joined with 3 developers (including myself). It's grown to over 800 employees today which has it's challenges but continues to be a very exciting place to work. We are currently busy working on our next release which we'll be shipping hopefully the end of this year. This usually translates into some pretty long days/nights but I still find work very rewarding at the end of the day. Both boys are very active in sports so most of our free time is scheduled around their events. I have a flat butt from sitting on so many bleachers but these times continue to be very special. We have had many memorable experiences through these outings (check out the photos links above) and look forward to following/supporting them in the future. When we do find some free time, Lisa and I try to sneak out to the golf course for a quick round. Unfortunately my game is still about the same with Lisa giving me free lessons most of the time. I get out for some early morning water skiing with friends in hopes of regaining my youthfulness (not sure if it's working but I continue trying). I also try my luck at snow skiing in the Winter months to show the boys the old man isn't dead yet. They often laugh as they scream by saying "we'll meet you at the bottom". We have a new member in the household, her name is Emma. Emma came all the way from Iowa (Cari and Bob's dog) and pretty much has the run of the place. I often refer to her as Lisa's shadow (where you find Lisa, you'll find Emma). She is a great dog and loves the attention and even has her own web page (check out the link above). The boys pointed out the other day that we had more pictures of the dog to which I responded, "If you behaved as well as Emma, I would take your picture too." On a sad note, we lost some close family friends the beginning of this year. Coach Jim Hershberger who was my college football coach passed away the end of January. Coach Hersh had a big influence on my life and touched many people, he will be missed. I headed back to Iowa for the funeral and had the opportunity to catch up with some old college friends and professors. Also got to visit with family members I hadn't seen in awhile which was long overdue (Dad actually put me to work unloading hogs on a balmy 20 degree day). Zach also lost a very close friend in a snowboarding accident over the same period dramatically affecting our family and the local community. Like Coach, Josh touched many lives in his short 16 years here on earth and continues to inspire many kids as well as adults. Zach and Josh attended the same middle/high school and were teammates on several sport teams. They grew to be close friends and developed a special bond over the years. You never expect these things to happen but when they do you definitely take a step back and adjust your priorities. I know I did. Well enough about me, let me know how everyone else is doing. You can send email directly to me at mike@habben.com.
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