Acknowledgments

Successes are never the result of a single person’s actions; many seen, and unseen, individuals contribute in many ways to ensure completion of a project. With that thought in mind, I express my heartfelt gratitude to those who helped me start and finish this book. First and foremost, I thank my loving wife, Shari, for giving me confidence, feedback, and several severe kicks in the pants to keep me on schedule. I wasn’t the most pleasant person to deal with when deadlines loomed and the words sometimes wouldn’t flow; she stuck with me and kept me going like no one else possibly could. Next are our two wonderful children, Gabi and Zachary, who understood that Daddy had more work to do long after the normal workday was over. I know it was hard on them to muster the patience they so bravely displayed, especially since they were 11 and 8, respectively, when this whole project started. They are truly awesome. My coconspirator, Mary, was also a trouper, providing not only insight but a much-needed second opinion, which helped tremendously when something that made perfect sense to me didn’t quite turn the light on with her. This made me step back and seek a different perspective on my work. I think it has made for a more focused text, clearing up any ambiguities my tunnel vision might have created. Then there’s Kellyn Pot’Vin, who hauled me on to the Board of Directors of the Rocky Mountain Oracle Users Group (RMOUG) and sentenced me to be the Social Media Director for a year, an honor which caused my wife to laugh. (“You?!? You’re not very social.” “Remember, these are Oracle nerds.” “Oh, then you actually stand a chance.”) Kellyn’s insistence and persistence paid off handsomely; I have met wonderful members of the Oracle community who have been so supportive of this effort, including Amy Caldwell, Sarah Cleaver, Rebecca Mitchell, Jeff Smith, and Leighton Nelson. To these people, I am deeply and profoundly indebted.

—David Fitzjarrell