Mike Maney

Another year, another…well, another something. Right? Without further ado, highlights from these past 365 days navigating a global pandemic.

Let’s see, where to start. Well, there were a couple of bucket list-level things that happened in 2021. For starters, a portrait I created during an on-site assignment in Basel, Switzerland, flashed on one of the big electronic billboards in Times Freaking Square!

I interviewed Vint Cerf, the father of the Internet, and Christopher Aker, one of cloud computing’s pioneers, about the history of cloud computing and where it’s headed.

Work my team and I did created a new category in the technology industry, the holy grail for those who do what I do for a living.

I recorded 7 new episodes as the host of the Craft of Code podcast.

I did what I could to help good people get elected to our school board.

I had my third biggest year riding my bike in terms of mileage and number of days I got out, which also saw me cracking 100,000 feet of climbing for the second year in a row.

I had the pleasure of watching Olympians and world champions race bikes at The Velodrome. And witnessed the spectacle of friends racing custom-built high wheel bikes around the oval.

Had some stickers printed.

Introduced the neighbors kids to Spaceballs!, covid-style.

Speaking of, they also put in a new pool, but were less than thrilled with the new bathing suit I picked out to celebrate.

My youngest daughter turned 18 and my oldest turned 21. I continue to defy aging (okay, defy growing up).

I saw a few good movies:. Don’t Look Up, In the Heights, Westside Story, Tick! Tick…Boom!, Palmer, 14 Peaks, The River Runner, War Dogs, Bo Burnham: Inside, and Pele.

Despite the limitations of the pandemic, the boob tube created some really good shows this year: Ted Lasso, Schmigadoon!, The White Lotus, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, Mare of Easttown, Ghosts, The Great, The Least Expected Day, The Lost Pirate Kingdom, Cobra Kai, Dickinson, The Handmaid’s Tale, Kevin Can F**K Himself, and Yellowjackets.

I finally got around to reading Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” and Peter Sagan’s “Sagan: My World.”

I listened to a hilarious podcast called “Smartless” with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. I highly recommend the George Clooney episode.

And I created a few photographs. These are some of my favorites from 2021.