Previously on thenewnumber2.com….

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Wow, it has been a crazy last 18 months…  I haven’t updated this blog in months, in fact, this is my first post for 2021 which kind of defeats the purpose in having a blog in some ways.  So, it’s well overdue (and will most likely be very disjointed) so here we go. What has made me write this blog today? – well, reflection. Last night, I attended the Trans-Tasman Super Rugby Grand Final at Eden Park in Auckland – and for a someone who has been a rugby fan for decades (although that passion for the game has waned…

Stuck in a rut…

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CONTEXT: I wrote this about four weeks ago – I was in a bit of a rut, but after putting these words into OneNote, I felt a lot better.  Today I got a call about something that happened in February (not hard to guess what that event was if you look back in this blog).  It knocked me a bit today so it feels right to not just re-read this, but also to publish it. I’ve been feeling a little bit down recently – its been a tough first half of a year and quite frankly, I’m exhausted. The culmination…

Reflecting, two months on…

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Her death certificate came in the post today.  Exactly two months to the day from when I got home from Sydney and had to do the toughest thing a parent could ever do. It’s been a crazy crazy two months, and the world has changed in such a short time. Looking back, the first month actually went very slowly.  There were days where I was just in a haze, wondering how the hell this would get better and I cannot begin to describe the worry I had (and still have) for my kids. Each one had taken the loss of…

TheUptake Podcast

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OK, somethings very cool happened to me yesterday…  Well, at least I think it’s pretty cool. A wee while ago, Anna Chu reached out to me and my good friend Chris Gill about appearing on her podcast – The Uptake with Anna Chu.  The topic being something very personal to me – Neurodiversity. I’ll be honest, being on an actual podcast terrified me!!  Sure, I can easily listen to podcasts, but being on one, well it’s not something I ever thought I’d do. My good (bad) friend Impostor Syndrome decided to hitch a ride with me throughout the experience, but…

That night at Tool…

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It’s been a pretty crappy February….  There is no doubt about that.  The extreme highs of an awesome conference and seeing friends from overseas was quickly replaced by the tragic events I detailed in my last blog. But this Friday just gone, I allowed myself a moment away from all of this to catch up with two very special friends and attend the Tool concert in Auckland. This was a gig planed months ago (the tickets for this show sold out within minutes of the pre-sale opening) and I was thinking that given what’s happened recently, I shouldn’t attend this…

The worst day of my Life!

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I’ve been struggling with how I wanted to express myself about a tragic event that has recently happened to me and my family. I am a very private person, but the last two years with encouragement from some very special people at Microsoft and the Humans of IT community, I have started to tell some of my story.  It has been a story of struggle, sadness, hope and happiness.  Things have really gone from a very dark and gloomy place to a future with endless possibilities. But what has happened two weeks ago – that has shaken me, affected my…

Introducing thenewnumber2.com

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Wow, A lot has happened since my last post on this site… Winter has come and gone, as has most of 2019, and what a year it’s been! I’ve moved to a new job, I was awarded the Windows Insider MVP award and I was SUPER fortunate to have been selected to speak at Microsoft Ignite 2019 in Orlando not once, but FOUR times.  There’s a neat write up on my work’s website here, and I’ll be doing my own recap soon. So yes, a lot of change. I finally got myself organized this past weekend and purchased my very…

Reflecting on 2018

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Well, 2018 has been consigned to the history books and as I sit here recovering from another Christmas/New Years in the New Zealand summer with the Cricket on the radio, I find myself thinking of the year that has past. On the last working day of 2018, I walked past my first desk (I’ve had three this year for anyone counting). On the windows was a 2018 ‘to do’ list, a list that to be honest, I’d forgotten about (I have moved desks three times as well as two floors). The list had several tasks that I wanted to achieve…

That’s a Wrap!!

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I’m sitting in Orlando airport awaiting the first of three two flights on my long journey back to New Zealand. It has been an incredible six days and I have so many memories that will be with me forever. UPDATE – It’s now two as my original flight broke down and I’m on the miracle flight – Orlando to LA to Auckland.  The Orlando flight is scheduled to land four minutes after the flight to Auckland begins boarding. First and foremost – there are two people who I want to thank. The first person is Dona Sarkar. Dona began scheming…

The Road to Microsoft Ignite

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It’s Sunday evening… Normally I would be preparing for the week ahead, contemplating challenging tasks that lie ahead and making sure I have everything I need to be “the best I can be”.  Starting the week on the right foot for me is something I take pride in. I find tonight my mind drifting to the near future… 13 sleeps into the future to be precise. In 13 days, I depart these shores of Aotearoa on the journey of a lifetime. My destination – The Microsoft Ignite conference in Orlando, Florida. Not just an attendee, but a speaker! I still…