Perhaps there’s no SysAdminDay Dinner for 2020, but there are still activities for SysAdmins in Waterloo Region!

Join the members of NetSquared Kitchener/Waterloo (AKA KWNPSA) in a SysAdmin Day Challenge to find the best five-word phrase that describes, in a positive way, the life of a SysAdmin or the the state of System Administration.

Join the Meetup.com event for the System Admin Appreciation Day Challenge, and leave your pithy five-word description in the comments.

As an organizer for KWNPSA I’m not eligible, but if I was, my phrase would be “System Administrators Are The Awesomest!”

Contest closes Friday, 31 July 2020 at Midnight (EDT), which is when SysAdminDay ends in our timezone.

And, although SysAdmins toil underappreciated for most of the year, there’s a prize for the best phrase!

–Bob.

Enter Contest

SysAdminDay

Of course, with the Covid pandemic still raging world-wide, and Waterloo Region still in the process of restoring access to things like meeting halls and restaurants, we wouldn’t be meeting in-person for a SysAdmin Day Dinner anyway. And while a virtual, on-line meeting isn’t quite as much fun, my lack of thinking ahead has scuttled even that for this year.

System Administrator Appreciation Day is this Friday, 31 July 2020. For all SysAdmins, please know that you’re appreciated, even if we’re not going out to dinner this year.

–Bob.

It’s settled! See you all at Star Wok in Bridgeport Plaza, Waterloo (Ontario). Map

I’ve got to blog more. In person I’ll talk your ear off about coffee, tech, or politics, but try to get me to write just a couple of paragraphs a year, and what you get is this blog. So, here’s this year’s paragraphs:

System Administrator Appreciation Day is Friday, 26 July 2019

On the last Friday of July people around the world appreciate their System Administrators. SysAdmins get chocolate, or cake, or ice cream, and sometimes chocolate cake with ice cream!

But in some localities, people haven’t figured out SysAdmin Appreciation Day yet, so we SysAdmins have to show them how it’s done. And since they didn’t figure it out in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, we’ll have to show them again in 2019!

Inviting all SysAdmins, SysAdmin Spouses, Significant Others, Partners, Friends, Family, and even complete strangers!

We’ve been to Abe Erb a few times for SysAdminDay Dinner, but perhaps we’d like to find a new spot? Make your choice, and feel free to leave comments.

Sorry, no pictures from this year’s SysAdminDay Dinner. But you can enjoy some from the previous years’ collection in the gallery.

SysAdminDay

System Administrators manage the networks, configure the servers, and make backups for their users. On System Administrator Appreciation Day those users have the opportunity to appreciate their System Administrators by gifting them with chocolate cake and ice cream. But just in case that doesn’t happen, the SysAdmins in Waterloo Region take themselves and their spouses, friends and relations to dinner. Remember how SysAdmins make backups?

Join us at the Abe Erb Brew Pub and Restaurant again this year on Friday, 27 July 2018 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm, meet with other SysAdmins, share funny PEBKAC stories, and have some dinner and a beverage.

You don’t have to be a SysAdmin to come to the SysAdminDay Dinner — Everybody’s welcome! SysAdmins-In-Training, Retired SysAdmins, even people just curious to know what an array of SysAdmins looks like.

See you at the SysAdminDay Dinner!

What: System Administrator Appreciation Day Dinner
When: Friday, 27 July 2018 starting at 6:00pm iCal
Where: Abe Erb Restaurant at The Tannery
Location: 151 Charles Street West, Kitchener, Ontario Map

Leave a comment to let me know if you’re coming, so I can make a reservation at Abe Erb.

–Bob.

The Whole Gang (almost) — SysAdminDay Dinner, 28 July 2017

The last Friday in July is System Administrator Appreciation Day, and SysAdmins from Kitchener-Waterloo went to the Abe Erb Restaurant and Brewery for dinner.

Abe Erb Brewing Company

The Whole Gang (almost)

Infinite Beer

Having a laugh

Beer Valves

Jean and Laurel

Beer Console

Beer Admin

More SysAdmins

Beer Vat

Empties

Ooh, The Shiny!

Something is funny

Acidulated Malt

A beer thing

Tech Talk

Wild Goose

Such shiny things!

Having dinner

In The Brewery

Twilight

SysAdminDay

There are more pictures in the SysAdminDay gallery.

Pictures taken at the System Administrator Appreciation Day Dinner at the Abe Erb Restaurant and Brewery on Friday, 28 July 2017.

Pictures by Laurel L. Russwurm, used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

For the fourth year, System Administrator Appreciation Day is celebrated by the SysAdmins of Kitchener-Waterloo going out for dinner, once again at the Egg Roll King Restaurant.

System Administrators at the Egg Roll King Restaurant, 29 July 2016

An Array of System Administrators: Bob Jonkman, Laurel Russwurm, Kiwi Ssennyonjo, Jean Smith, Jeff Smith, Brian Bentley, Leo Pepitas, Barbara Izma, Steve Izma, Sean Howard, and Marc Paré at the Egg Roll King Restaurant for System Administrator Appreciation Day Dinner on 29 July 2016.

Willem Jonkman	Willem Jonkman, photographer of SysAdmins
Sean Howard and Marc Paré discuss SysAdmin stuff	Sean Howard and Marc Paré

Jeff Smith, Brian Bentley, Leo Pepitas, Barbara Izma and Steve Izma watching a demonstration by Kiwi Ssennyonjo at the Egg Roll King Restaurant for System Administrator Appreciation Day Dinner on 29 July 2016.

Pictures of SysAdminDay Dinner 2014 are up!

Hi Everybodeee! Every year, the last Friday in July is System Administrator Appreciation Day. A SysAdmin is the person who keeps your servers serving, your network working, and your backups, um, backed up. Most people only deal with their SysAdmin when things go wrong, but on the last Friday in July they shower their SysAdmins with gifts, chocolate cake and ice cream.

If you’re a SysAdmin, aspire to be one, are friends with or married to one, or just want to see what SysAdmins look like, come to this special Ubuntu Hour and celebrate with us.

Sysadminus Windowservus

Sysadminus Emailservus

Sysadminus Databasus

Sysadminus Linuxservus

What SysAdmins look like

Usually, we celebrate SysAdminDay in Kitchener-Waterloo with Egg Rolls and Guy Ding at the Egg Roll King Restaurant, but this year Tony and his family will be on vacation so we have to find another venue. I’ve received some good suggestions already; let me know of any others in the comments.

CrankyOldBugger writes:

I know of a perfect place in St. Jacobs (Harvest Moon), seating-wise, but
no wi-fi.

What about the Williams at University Plaza? I’m just tossing out names
here…

This might be a bit out of the ordinary, but maybe we could use my house in
St. Jacobs. If it’s nice out, we could have a pool party. The pizza joint
around the corner is makes good stuff. Just a thought….

Tim Laurence suggests:

If Chinese food is in order I am a big fan of Lia Lia.

Otherwise we could grab some space at the Rum Runner. Their rooms are just
perfect for groups.

Nathan Fish offers:

Kam Yin is an excellent Chinese restaurant, family-run I believe. They don’t have a party room, though. How many are we expecting?

I don’t know, Nathan… So, Everybodeee, please register for the SysAdminDay Ubuntu Hour in Kitchener-Waterloo event on the Ubuntu LoCo Team Portal, or let me know you’re coming in the comments.

–Bob.

There’s no end to geeky computer operating system release parties, it seems.

Debian Wheezy Logo

What: Kitchener-Waterloo Debian Wheezy Release Party
When: Monday, 6 May 2013 at 9:00pm (after the regular meeting from 7:00pm to 9:00pm) iCal 4
Where: St. John’s Kitchen, 97 Victora Street North, Kitchener, Ontario Map 4
Bring: Party snack or beverage
Info: Follow the mailing list discussion (April, May)
Online: IRC channel #kwlug on Freenode Web Chat

Ubuntu Canada Circle Logo

What: Guelph Raring Ringtail Release Party
When: Friday, 10 May 2013 7:00pm to 10:00pm iCal 3
Where: Diyode Community Workshop, Unit B, 71 Wyndham St. S, Guelph, Ontario Map 3
Online: #ubuntu-ca on Freenode Web Chat
Registration: Guelph Raring Ringtail Release Party on Ubuntu Canada LoCo Events

Pictures!

Hello Everybodee! I’m happy to announce that we’ll be having the Kitchener-Waterloo Ubuntu Release Party for the version named Quantal Quetzal, v12.10 at St. John’s Kitchen this Saturday.

The best parties always happen in the kitchen. Although we won’t have access to the cooking facilities, bring along some snack food to share, maybe some blank DVDs, and your laptop or netbook.

St. John’s Kitchen, 97 Victoria St. N.

Saturday, 20 October 2012 from 4:00pm to 8:00pm iCal

St. John’s Kitchen Map
97 Victoria Street North
Kitchener, Ontario Canada

Automobile parking is available through Heit Lane in the Worth A Second Look parking lot; bicyles can be locked to railings at the entrance to St. John’s Kitchen.

Event link: http://loco.ubuntu.com/events/ubuntu-ca/2029/detail/
(Registration is optional, but appreciated)

They say on the Internet Pictures, or it didn’t happen. So I just want to give you my assurances that the System Administrator’s Appreciation Day Dinner did actually happen!

27 July 2012, Egg Roll King Restaurant

System Administrator Appreciation Day Dinner, 27 July 2012 at the Egg Roll King Restaurant. Clockwise from left: Willem Jonkman, Bob Jonkman, Becky Nguyen, Wael Khawaja, Hamin (sp?), Rodney Martin, Sergiane Nascimento, Tim Laurence, Henrique Nascimento, Gui Nascimento.

Willem and Bob

Bob and Becky

Wael and Hamin

Rodney and Tim

Henrique and Gui

System Administrators out for dinner. Clockwise from left: Sergiane Nascimento, Tim Laurence, Henrique Nascimento, Gui Nascimento, Laurel L. Russwurm, Willem Jonkman, Bob Jonkman, Becky Nguyen, Wael Khawaja.

Cheese Wontons for dessert!

Bob Jonkman, System Administrator

–Bob.

Visit the official System Administrator Appreciation Day web site.

All pictures courtesy of Laurel L. Russwurm and released under a CC-BY-SA license.