Typically Vue offers discount certification exams at TechEd so this year I decided to complete my MCSD.  I had been very lazy putting off the final 70-300 exam on solution architectures.  Now that I have taken it I know I had nothing to worry about.  Someone described it as a reading comprehension test and I concur.  There are a few questions you need to make technology decisions on.  You also need to understand what kinds of things would be on different types of design docs.  I had 3 scenerios and 30 questions.  I am glad to be finished with it.  Perhaps my next certification will be the Architecture route.  They are announcing that certification here at TechEd.

For anyone else considering certification I have great news.  First if you are at TechEd you can probably still take an exam for half price.  Second, if you fail you can retake an exam for free.  That offer comes from Microsoft and has been extended through the summer.  You do not have to be at TechEd for that one.

So, I have a new plan for Tech Ed this year.  I find that attending like 75 different session over the course of a week is more than I can even begin to absorb.  This year I will focus on Smart Client technology since it is not something I have spent much time looking at in the past.  ASP.NET is great, but I am tired of state management issues.  I want to do smart client applications.  I want to fully exploit serialization.  I want to cache a lot of data on the users machine, not the web server.  Expect to find me hanging around sessions with Tim Huckaby and Rocky Lhotka this year.

Oh, so the point of this post.  I was reading up on some blogs to prepare for the week.  I discovered a brilliant plan by the Microsoft RD's.  Instead of full 1 hour plus sessions they are doing something called Grok Talk.  These 10 minutes gigs are more like technology drive bys.  I look forward to catching a few of these between the fights over the good ice cream bars.  Don't worry Rory and Scott, I am saving the baby carrots for you.

You just can't have too many free food and drink events at these conferences.

Expo Hall Reception
Monday, June 6 6:00pm – 9:00pm Hall A/B

Microsoft Tech·Ed 2005 Attendee Party
Thursday, June 9 7:30pm – 11:00pm Universal Studios Orlando

I am sure some more open events will happen to fill in the gaps for Tuesday and Wednesday.  There are several private parties going on.  If you have not been invited to any then you need to become better friends with the people who hold the invitations.  I will let you figure out how it works on your own.

The first Tech Ed Party / Nerd Dinner is tomorrow night:  Join the Party with Palermo at the Pebody.

4PM - Arrival begins.  meet and greet.  Discuss conference sessions, etc.  Networking.
6PM - Geek Dinner.  I have reserved for 20, so I will need actual names for people to expect.
7:30PM - Drinks and conversation at the hotel bar.
Depart whenever.

After a long day on airplanes I have arrived in Orlando.  For those who have not left for Tech Ed yet here are a couple tips:

Pack an extra bag for hauling home all your shirts and other swag. 
Its rainy here.  Pack a rain jacket.
Look for me in then INETA community lounge.  I will be there Monday and Wednesday mornings as well as other times throughout the week.  Say hello!