Having entered the new year with all ten fingers and both eyes safe, I've started to turn my attention back to learning more about SQL and the tools provided by MS SQL server. I'm currently most interested in SQL, although I also am reading about .NET (mostly VB.NET) and other such things. 

I've started reading a number of books, blogs and other resources and the ultimate goal is that I improve my abilities within SQL and MS SQL Server to the degree where I feel comfortable enough in most of its aspects. Along the way I plan to try out for MCTS in SQL Server 2005 as I go along, however - unfortunately it is very much about administrate the server as well, which I'm not terrible interested in. My interests lies within the SQL, Query optimizing, indexes and all that - or at least, that is what I really would like to get good at. As good as all the "guru's" out there (well, not completely of course :))

So one step - outside reading - is that I want to try messing about understanding the tools. And my first tool I want to get into is the "Estimated Execution Plans". A good deal of optimizing in my experience starts here as it is a method to identify the issues with a query once it has been build. 

So that is my goal, and I'll try to dedicate a "series" of blog entries to this as I move along - so there is little to see in this entry about this yet. I do however hope as I find the time to mess about with this tool, that I'll gain the insight and ability to read it properly - cause at the moment it is very confusing, even if I have attempted to use it a couple of times.

So this will be mainly for my own benefit, but I'll try to document my way through here,  both so I have it for easy access for myself , but also in case I find something of interest.