Looking back at 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, it's time for me to write my final blog post for the year.

It's been a bit of a mixed bag of a year. COVID restrictions in South Australia have eased, and yet COVID is still an ever-present threat. As far as I know, I've avoided it, but just this week two families I know have lost family members. Such a terrible tragedy. Can I ask that you continue to take precautions to reduce the risk to both yourself and your loved ones. Too often it is those already doing it tough who are impacted the most by this pandemic.

My involvement with video streaming at my local church continues. I enjoy being a camera operator, but I've also taken on a 'producer' role, keeping an eye on the whole service, filling in and troubleshooting as necessary. To contrast those 'behind the scenes' roles, on Christmas Day I took on something new by singing up front!

SevenFold (my band) did a few gigs this year. I do love making music with my friends. I'm looking forward to continuing that in the new year.

On the health front, there have been some challenges for my family. Not to be left out, I had my own face vs. bike path effort. Some minor broken bones in my face, but fortunately no surgery was necessary. It did take quite a few months to start feeling normal again and get back on the bike. A useful reminder that a) I'm getting older and b) I'm not bulletproof.

When not falling off my bike, I've managed to get a few local rides in, as well as the occasional ride with my Dad and the folks from Mud, Sweat and Gears down to McLaren Vale. More frequently I've been taking a walk around the neighbourhood most mornings before starting work. It's good to get some fresh air, stretch my legs, and keep up with my podcasts.

Work at SixPivot is going well. I continue to be impressed by the thoughtful leadership and am feeling quite at home. It was so great to finally meet almost all my colleagues in person at the SixPivot Summit. Our Adelaide team has grown from 2 to 5, and it was great to gather together for a Christmas celebration a few weeks ago.

From a technical perspective, I've been spending a bit more time lately on the 'DevOps' side of things. Improving build and deployment automation, and digging deeper into infrastructure with Azure.

I was renewed as a Microsoft MVP. Something I don't take for granted, and try to leverage to the advantage of our local .NET user group. I'm keenly anticipating news of the next Microsoft MVP Summit. Will it be virtual? Will it be back in person? Hopefully they announce their plans soon.

Speaking of our local .NET User Group, the Adelaide .NET User Group resumed meeting in person for most of the year, though we did have some online-only meetings when necessary. DDD Adelaide is still on hiatus, but I'm hopeful that we might be able to build a new organising team to run a conference later in 2023. It has been encouraging to see both Perth and Brisbane resume their conferences. Maybe in 2023 I might get to visit some of the interstate events. (I was hoping to get to Brisbane this year, but it ended up being the same weekend as a friend's wedding). There's always next time.

Weather-wise, it felt like a very wet Winter and Spring. The garden had been so green, but now we've had a few hot days so it does seem like Summer is finally here. It's funny how quickly you go from waiting for the rain to go away, to now hoping for a bit of rain to water the garden!

It is nice to have some time off over the Christmas break. I did have plans to go cycling almost every day and do lots of jobs around the house. That hasn't quite eventuated, but it is good to just pause and take a breath. I'll have another week off later in January to spend time with visiting family.

I pray 2022 finishes well for you, and that whatever situations we find ourselves in 2023, there are moments of hope and joy for us all.