Happy New Year 
Iām back, did you know Iād left? - Think of me like a legacy feature that nobody knows how to turn off - Iām still here, and Iām Not Done Yet!
Happy New Year, Carl! Iām looking forward to more walk-and-talks.
Thanks Ian of @KnackPros - I hope youāre keeping safe and well 
That was a very nice video, actually.
Thanks @PeterG - I appreciate the feedback.
I appreciate this is the āKnack Forumā, so please accept my apologies for posting another āwalk and talkā. The feedback has been pretty positive and this video was a hard one to record. I may be a computer nerd, but hopefully this personal insight shows the human side of the āhuman in the loopā.
The digital world is increasingly flooded with AI āslopā: generic, soul-less content created by algorithms. While AI has its place, and Iām a big user of it; I believe itās the raw, human stories that actually resonate and connect us. This is just me, rambling on a golf course at -5Ā°C, trying to make sense of lifeās recent punches.
If youāre just here for the tech, there is a link in the description to a great walkthrough of the new Knack Finder tool with Stephen Chapman. Otherwise, thanks for joining me on the journey.
Love your ramblings and openness @CarlHolmes. Keep well!
Enjoyed the videos and honesty thanks Carl.
Thanks for the positive feedback @Craig_Anderson
PS
I forgot to say sorry about your mum 
Craig Anderson
M 029 8904910
W www.gonogo.co.nz
W www.youtube.com/@kiwitales
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I appreciate your thoughts on my motherās passing. A few days before she died, I asked her if she had any regrets. She mentioned that sheād always liked the idea of Australia but her lifelong hatred of spiders meant it probably wasnāt meant to be.
Then, after a long, thoughtful silence, she looked at me and said, āNo. I have no regrets. I did everything I wanted to do.ā
In my mind, I saw her reach out and put a final, bold tick in the box of life.
Life: Checked 
Done 
She lived a life true to herself, and I owe her so much for that example. I intend to continue my own journey in exactly the same vein.
What a great thing to be able to say that on your death bed.
Canāt ask for more than that. A lesson to us all for sure!
That is beautiful Carl. Best
Very nice video, Carl. Itās grounding to hear you talk about these things; itās easy to get caught up in our work and forget that our relationships are most important. Sorry to hear about your mum, but happy to hear she had a long fulfilling life. Looking forward to seeing more Knack tutorials as well, Iāve had to reference your videos on several occasions when Iām looking to do something. Take care.
This week has been about the reality of āred tapeā and legacy. Iāve spent time navigating the UK death certification process (which has been far more protracted and stressful than I ever anticipated) and preparing for my late motherās funeral on 20th January 2026.
I talk about the handwritten life story my mum left behind. Despite my love for tech, my attempt to use AI to help write her eulogy was a failure. It turns out that some things simply require a human heart.
The big personal shift is that, as of this week, I have officially retired from commercial Knack client work. After 41Ā½ years in the workforce and almost a decade in this community, Iāve finally passed the financial finish line. I have handed my clients over to the capable hands of Craig Winnall, Amanda Mower, and Hugo Cox to ensure they are well looked after while I focus on whatās next.
I appreciate that my journey is not unique, but it has helped me straighten some things out in my mind while I navigate these new waters.
If youāre just here for the tech, Iāve posted a separate tutorial on reloading previous values in forms using KTL to help speed up your data entry.
Otherwise, thanks for joining me on the journey. Iām not done yet.
Hi everyone,
Iāve posted a tutorial on Auto-Focusing fields using jQuery here, but for those following my āNot done yetā journey, Iāve just uploaded a more personal update.
Itās been a strange, heavy week. Between starting my first āofficialā week of retirement and preparing for my mumās funeral on Tuesday 20th Janaury 2026, Iāve found myself in a bit of a no-manās land.
In this update:
-
Retirement āTime Warpā: Experiencing that āwhat day is it?ā feeling much sooner than I expected.
-
The Chapel of Rest: Sharing a very personal (and somewhat harrowing) experience of saying a final goodbye to my mum yesterday.
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The Eulogy: The challenge of writing and rehearsing a tribute to a parent while navigating the mourning process.
Life goes on, and Iām definitely not done yet.
