The 2015 Happiness Project

In 2014, I was happy, and I’m committed to being happy in 2015 too.

So in an effort to demonstrate that every day has at least one thing to smile about (even the so-called bad days), I’ve decided to steal an idea from my friend Christoph Trappe, who spent the entire year last year posting happy thoughts, memories, or moments in one running blog post that he updated daily. It was a great way to show gratitude and remember what made each day so special for him.

That idea, like so many other good ideas, came from Twitter — specifically, a fellow tweeter named Krista, who did a similar thing in 2013. So you might say I’m now continuing the chain. Maybe next year somebody else will follow my lead.

Here’s the plan: For the next year, at the end of every day, I’m going to write down something that made me happy, whether that’s something I did, something I ate, something somebody said, a music lyric or line of movie dialogue that resonated with me, a tweet, or something else. It’s just that simple. Doesn’t have to be a big thing, just something that made me smile.

With apologies (and all due respect) to Gretchen Rubin, I’m calling this blog post my “2015 Happiness Project.” Think of it as a digital “rememberlutions jar,” a way to make sure I’m doing everything on my 2015 to-do list, or, in a way, an abbreviated version of the journals I used to keep when I was in high school. And please, check back here often to see what’s making me smile all year long.

Here we go.

December 31
People seem to like the blog post I published today. I kinda stressed about some of the wording, so that makes me feel good, and that it was worth it. Happy new year!

December 30
Clyde, the guy who cuts my hair, told me tonight he thinks I have just as much hair on my head now as I did when he first started cutting it 10 or more years ago. “It hasn’t thinned at all!” he said. Chalk another one up for not aging!

December 29
Another small win at work today: One of the VPs gave me his Twitter login information so I can tweet for him. Which is a good thing, because maybe now I’ll be able to get stuff done on his behalf, and maybe others will see him being more active and will follow his lead. Maybe. I’m optimistic.

December 28
Finally made it to the Pixar exhibit at the Museum of Science. Like the bonus section of a Blu-ray disc come to life, it was a fun look behind the scenes of some of my favorite movies — complete with life-size statues of characters that I enjoyed taking pictures with.

December 27
SO happy I decided to start watching Aziz Ansari’s Master of None. Such a good show. I laughed so hard at the “Nashville” episode tonight.

December 26
Had dinner at Farrah and Barry’s tonight. It’s nice to have friends like them who look after me like they do.

December 25
Worked on my year-in-review video today, and found it a fun (but frustrating) challenge winnowing down a year’s worth of memories (and, more specifically, photos) to three minutes and nine seconds. While I may still try and think of a longer song to use before I share the video next week, I’m happy with the “finished” product. It’s been a good year.

December 24
Pretty cool to see The Hateful Eight on opening night, in its 70mm roadshow version, complete with a longer running time, overture, intermission, and souvenir program. And that 70mm picture looked great.

December 23
Rewatched the movie 10 Years tonight. Such a little gem of a film.

December 22
I love how Pret a Manger leaves their baked goods on a hot plate so they’re warm when you buy them. The bagel I had this morning? Yum.

December 21
Went to a movie screening at the Kendall Square theater after work tonight, and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get there via T, and by how many decent dinner options there were in the area … and by how much time I had to enjoy them.

December 20
Finally saw the new Star Wars movie today, and was happy that I completely missed the supposed “spoilers” I was so annoyed about the past couple days. Clearly, they were just little secrets/Easter eggs but not significant plot points. Suffice it so say, I’m gonna have to see the movie again so I can look out for them, now that I know where/when to look. Thankfully, it’s a good movie.

December 19
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on Saturday Night Live tonight. Awesome. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” with Paul McCartney to close out the episode. So cool.

December 18
Colleges are clearing out, people are leaving town, the T is moving a little bit faster, things are quieting down downtown … The next two weeks in Boston are gonna be nice.

December 17
Someone brought chocolate mint bark in to work today. Oh, man. Was that good!

December 16
I’m glad people are receiving and appreciating the holiday cards I sent out this year. Definitely worth it.

December 15
Republished/reshared my Ultimate Very Marty Xmas Spotify playlist on my blog today and apparently, made a bunch of people happy. Which made me happy.

December 14
Decided to bail on a movie screening, which ended up being a smart move because I came home and had a productive evening.

December 13
The Patriots won! After losing the last two weeks, it was nice to get a win. And a comfortable one at that.

December 12
Temperature in Boston today hit 60 degrees. It’s December 12.

December 11
Had a good time at the Meteorix Boston office’s holiday party tonight — especially the part where I learned one of my coworkers is the brother of an actor on the TV show Nashville and I got some inside scoop. That was pretty cool.

December 10
Kane’s calls it a “whoopie pie” donut. I called it delicious.

December 9
Discovered today that Stephen Colbert’s Christmas album (and, specifically, his Hanukkah song duet with Jon Stewart) is on Spotify — and has been on it for some time now, apparently. So now I can add it to my Ultimate Very Marty Xmas Spotify playlist!

December 8
Fun times with former coworkers who are now just friends, at our annual holiday meetup.

December 7
Learned today that there’s a Roots Canada store in New York City, the only one on the East Coast, and that it’s been there for six months already! Not sure how I missed that fact, but it’s good to know there’s a Roots location closer to home than, say, Utah.

December 6
Found it very easy to locate people’s mailing addresses today so I could surprise them with a holiday card. (God bless the interwebs!) In fact, it was so easy that I added more people to my list, then ran out of cards and now have to buy more.

December 5
Spent too much time at the post office (stupid long line), but when I got out, even though the meter had expired, I did not have a ticket on my car. FTW.

December 4
Bruce Springsteen officially announced his winter tour this morning. He’ll be in Boston on February 4. Woo hoo!!!

December 3
Tonight was NBC’s live production of The Wiz, and as always, Mary J. Bilge brought it. Girl can sang!

December 2
You’re the Worst is coming back for a third season next summer. That’s great news.

December 1
It is so nice to be home again. Can’t wait to go to sleep, and to do so in my own bed.

November 30
I don’t care how old you are: Few things are as good as a home cooked meal made by your mom.

November 29
The Chicken Francese at Vigneto’s is so good. No clue why I can’t find anywhere in Boston that makes it as good as they do.

November 28
Delicious steak dinner, as always, at Abe & Louie’s. Mmmmm …

November 27
Thank God for Claritin-D, which is keeping my runny nose and sneezing (which, oddly, only started once I landed in Florida) in check.

November 26
Turkey. Sweet potatoes. Thanksgiving. Yum.

November 25
My flight to Florida took off 30 minutes late, but it still landed 10 minutes early.

November 24
I like being able to watch good/anticipated movies earlier than other people. Tonight I saw The Big Short, which doesn’t open (in Boston) till Christmas week. I enjoyed it.

November 23
It was a bit more work than it probably should have been, but I’m kinda proud of the Thanksgiving blog post I pulled together for work (going live tomorrow).

November 22
This afternoon I rewatched While We’re Young (it’s “free” via Amazon Prime!) and was reminded of why it’s my favorite movie this year. Then I very easily found the screenplay (a close-to-final version of it, anyway) online. God, I love the internet.

November 21
They’re finally widening the Hammond St. entrance/exit for the Street in Chestnut Hill. Finally. It’s about time.

November 20
TGIF

November 19
Today was the one-month anniversary of the night “cookie girl” knocked on my door. It’s been fun getting to know her.

November 18
The new Rocky movie, Creed, is actually really good!

November 17
Today was our “welcome to IBM” event, and it was nice to meet people offline for the first time and have the entire company (Meteorix, anyway) all together in one place. That never happens (it hasn’t since January 2014).

November 16
Didn’t think it was possible, but my new comforter may actually be more comfortable than my old one was. Ahhhhh …

November 15
An amazing drive by Tom Brady and the Patriots during the last 1:45 of the game, and the Pats came away with a 27-26 win. Woo hoo!!

November 14
Abby finally sat through an entire movie at the movie theater today. The Peanuts Movie. Hooray!

November 13
We had Kane’s Donuts in the office for breakfast today. Mmmmm …

November 12
Got some good, surprising news about my long-term employment status today. Job security FTW!

November 11
AWESOME show by the Lone Bellow tonight. Better than I ever expected it’d be. And Liz really enjoyed it, so that was good too.

November 10
Today it was announced that IBM’s acquisition of my employer had officially closed. So, that made for some fun celebrations and a bit of other hubbub.

November 9
(Finally) Paid my November bills tonight and realized that after this month, I only have two more payments left on my car. Woo hoo!

November 8
Got myself up and going early enough to make it to an 11:20 a.m. movie in Kendall Square. And it was worth it; All Things Must Pass was really good.

November 7
It’s relative, but my apartment is definitely cleaner now than it was a day ago.

November 6
City Sports is closing all its stores, and the going-out-of-business sale started today. I only had to go to two stores before I found a City Sports logo tshirt in my size. Apparently, they were apparently going very quickly — clearly, everybody else had the same idea I did. (Collector’s item!)

November 5
Temperatures today topped 70 degrees. In Boston. On November 5. Wow. Nice.

November 4
Today was kind of an annoying day, so I was pretty happy when it ended and I could go home.

November 3
Apparently, CVS changed its policy about its coupons never expiring (a year ago? really?), but the cashier tonight, in lieu of my 30% off one item coupon, actually gave me $5 off my entire $14 purchase. Not bad.

November 2
Two quotes from two very different people. The first: “You are doing a great job and making an impact. I have learned to trust your writing and I am comfortable with your ‘voice’ … This is a big deal for me and I mean it all as a compliment and a big thank you.” And the second: “My coworker just told me to stop smiling so much. It might have something to do with you.”

November 1
Extra hour of sleep. Nothing bad about that!

October 31
God bless the interwebs: Even though James Morrison’s new album dropped yesterday, it was only available in the U.K. and Europe — not in the U.S. So this morning I went looking for it and easily found it on (and downloaded it from) various sharing sites. Illegal, yes. But I’ll pay for it later when it’s officially available here. Music companies need to know that these days, they can’t limit album availability by geography.

October 30
Fun night out with Liz.

October 29
Somebody ordered lunch for a meeting today from Sam Lagrassa’s, and my mouth started to water. (Really.) So I decided to take myself for a walk at lunch and get myself a delicious sandwich. Yum!

October 28
Macaroni and cheese at the Trident Café on Newbury Street. Good comfort food on a rainy night.

October 27
May have solved my Halloween costume conundrum: Thankfully, I’m a pack rat and I save too much, so after going through a box in my storage unit, I think I’ve decided to just repurpose some stuff from Halloweens past and create a newish version of an old costume. Phew! Problem solved.

October 26
On the way home, the T went express from Harvard to Washington, and then again from Washington to BC. I can’t remember the last time it went express at night. #FTW

October 25
Had my first warm, fresh cider donut of the season. Now it’s fall!

October 24
Woke up to a text message from Abby: “I miss you. Can you FaceTime?” So we did.

October 23
I seem to have broken my Chicken & Rice Guys addiction. Now I go other places for lunch on Fridays.

October 22
Being a FOA (Friend of Ann) has its privileges: Even though I couldn’t go to the MarketingProfs B2B conference this week, I still got in to the evening event at the House of Blues tonight. Good times seeing some friends who were in from out of town, and meeting a couple folks I knew from Twitter who I’d never seen IRL before. (Damn. I sound like a broken record, don’t I?)

October 21
Today was the day Marty McFly arrived in “the future” in Back to the Future II. There were a lot of fun tweets and jokes being made, and Jimmy Kimmel had Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in character, plus Huey Lewis and Biff (Henderson), on his show. Awesome.

October 20
Always nice to get out of work and have the weather be nicer/warmer than it was when you got there in the morning. I mean, that sky! Wow!

October 19
That thing where you loan your upstairs neighbor’s mother your step ladder so she can help her daughter change a lightbulb or two, and you think nothing of it. Then, the next night, the upstairs neighbor’s cute friend knocks on your door and wants to know if you have any allergies or flavor preferences because the mother and your neighbor are baking you cookies to say thank you. (You say it’s not necessary, but they insist on doing it anyway.) And then the friend comes back to deliver the warm, fresh-from-the-oven, delicious chocolate chip cookies and you strike up a nice, fun conversation with her and learn she’s pretty cool too. And then, when you go upstairs to say thank you for the cookies, the mother tries to encourage you to go out with the friend. (Which you’re definitely interested in doing.) And then you can’t stop smiling and laughing the whole rest of the evening because of how random and funny it all was. Yeah, that.

October 18
It was closer than we all expected, but the Patriots beat the Colts — thus, hopefully shutting them up for good now about the inflation of the footballs. Or, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted …

So we can all finally agree that #DeflateGate was a waste of everyone’s time. #MovingAlong

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) October 19, 2015

October 17
Larry David playing Bernie Sanders AND a 30 Rock reunion on Saturday Night Live? Awesome.

October 16
Steve Jobs. So good.

October 15
Six years ago today was the infamous Munchkin Eating Contest at CTCT, and for some reason, the video taken during the contest had been taken down. But I got someone to send it to me today, so now it’s live again. Good times.

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October 14
Two nice reminders of good times at a bad job: Judy posted on Facebook that the silly little Post-it note I left on her monitor her last day at work “remains, to this day, the best send off of my career. It’s the little things that stick with you.” And then I had dinner and drinks with Mary and Doug, laughing about fun things we did and how times had (and had not) changed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You make the best friends at the worst jobs.

October 13
Cubs win! Cubs win! Fly the W! On to the NLCS!

October 12
As great as this weekend was — and it was truly awesome — I’m happy to be home tonight and to end what has been just about two months of nonstop travel (Albany, Colorado, Cleveland, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago). It’ll be nice to be in Boston for the next few weeks.

October 11
I love being in Chicago for the Marathon.

October 10
One of the best things about this trip has been hanging out with people (for the first or second time) that I’d never have met or gotten to know were it not for Twitter. Today I got to see Monina, yesterday it was Adam and Sarah, tomorrow it’s Alissa and Lucy … So much fun to hang out with all of them IRL.

October 9
I’m so happy that today was my first time going to Ann Sather, because if I had had those cinnamon rolls before today, I suspect I’d have diabetes or weigh double what I do. Or both. But they are soooo good.

October 8
Arrived in Chicago (!!) and my bag was the first one to come off the belt at baggage claim. I can’t remember another time when that happened. Score!

October 7
Hit snooze two extra times this morning and still made it to work at the same time I usually do. Nice!

October 6
Found the office’s (hidden) stash of hot chocolate Keurig cups today. Used two of them.

October 5
Nice to be back in the office today. Feels like forever since I was there.

October 4
Bills paid, laundry done, TV shows watched, clothes hung and put away, cleaning picked up, dinner cooked, a little house cleaning done … Today was a productive day.

October 3
The Martian. So good. And I loved the song Ridley Scott chose for the end credits. Perfect.

October 2
Saw The Walk at the IMAX theater at Jordan’s in Natick. It’s always so nice to see a movie in a place with optimal picture and sound quality. (And in 3D too.)

October 1
Nice as it is to travel, it’s even nicer to get home and relax.

September 30
Another fun night: Wandered down the Strip to New York New York, where I ended another stint at the blackjack table up $10, then played tourist while watching the fountains at Bellagio, then headed back for the Rising Customer Appreciation party, where Train was performing. Didn’t think I’d get in (being a vendor/partner and all), but I did. And it all ended with an impressive fireworks show.

September 29
Fun night: We had our customer appreciation party at Omnia, where there was a gorgeous Denise Richards–lookalike (but better) waitress, then we went to another vendor’s party to see Foreigner perform, then (not entirely sober) I sat down to play some blackjack and somehow managed to end the night even.

September 28
After a bit of a frantic morning, the news became official at 1 p.m. PST: IBM is acquiring my employer. Glad the cat’s finally out of the bag.

September 27
On my flight out to Las Vegas for the Workday Rising conference, American Airlines was showing the pilot episodes for both Grandfathered and The Grinder … two (very funny) shows I now no longer have to catch up on when I get back home.

September 26
Finally made it through the entire Hamilton cast album. Holy cow. So good. I particularly dig the final song, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” and how it sums up the theme of if we remember a person and what it is we remember about them. “I put myself back in the narrative” is a line that really resonated with me. Anyway, I need to see this show. Soon. If possible.

September 25
Christina, the manager at Comella’s in Chestnut Hill, is back after an extended absence, which makes me happy because she knows me and knows what/how I always tend to order. While she was away, the folks messed up my order a few times, and I was going to stop going there until she returned. Glad I don’t have to do that now.

September 24
A small thing, but it’s so nice — and so rare — when you can actually ride the elevator at work “express” up to the 11th floor without stopping. That happened to me today.

September 23
With the possible exception of Thanksgiving, there is no better meal all year long than break fast after Yom Kippur.

September 22
It was nice for a change to not have to rush to eat dinner and then get to Kol Nidre services (at least) a half hour early so you can get front-row seats. That’ll happen when you spend the holiday solo and go to services at a less crowded synagogue 10 minutes from where you live, and don’t mind sitting further back.

September 21
Oh, how I love the chicken parm sandwich at Casa Razdora.

September 20
Apparently, I missed the announcement a week and a half ago that James Morrison’s new album, Higher Than Here, is coming out on October 30. So suffice it to say, when I saw him tweeting about it this morning, I got very excited.

September 19
Really digging the old school sound of Darlene Love’s new album. Steve Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen’s influences (and songwriting) are all over it. And that version of “River Deep Mountain High” … awesome.

September 18
I love when a Friday I’m anticipating to not be terribly productive ends up being the opposite, lightening my load for the weekend.

September 17
Got out of work early enough to head over to the Regal Fenway and see a 7pm showing of Black Mass (which doesn’t officially open till tomorrow but was showing tonight). Last night, I saw a sneak screening of Everest. Which means now I can spend my weekend doing other things and not plan everything around seeing those two movies.

September 16
You’re the Worst is back. Oh, how I’d missed that show.

September 15
May have found my new go-to gas station in Connecticut, at exit 63 on route 84. Price was cheaper than nearly every other station I’ve ever been to in the state, and cheaper than the rest areas on the Mass Pike today too. Gotta remember that for the next time I drive down and back.

September 14
Nice to celebrate Rosh Hashannah with most of my cousins, my aunts and uncle, and Jason’s side of the family too. I can’t remember the last time we all got together like that.

September 13
Walking into my sister’s house and seeing the reaction of my niece and nephews is always fun. A little unpredictable, but fun.

September 12
Used the ParkBoston app today for the first time, and loved how easy it was to use — and cheap (only a 15 cents service charge) — especially when it came to re-upping my parking meter from across town so I wouldn’t get a ticket.

September 11
Nice as it is to travel, and great as this week was, it was awesome to have a quiet night at home to catch up on TV (including the season premiere of You’re the Worst!!) and my sleep.

September 10
Football is back, and even better, the Patriots won their first game! Woo hoo!

September 9
24-year-old me was so excited to have front-row, center seats for the Barenaked Ladies concert tonight. It was so much fun!

September 8
Opening night of Content Marketing World at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So much fun seeing old friends and connecting offline with folks I’d only known from Twitter. This is going to be a great conference.

September 7
Amanda was back in town (from North Carolina), so we met up for JP Licks (with Ken, who lives in Newton). So fun to have friends you meet on Twitter who become IRL friends too.

September 6
Rewatched Almost Famous tonight for the first time in a very long time. Still a great movie. Kate Hudson … Wow. She’s never been as good, or as endearing, as she is in that movie. And Cameron Crowe hasn’t made a film as good since then either.

September 5
Found out today I won two front-row seats to Nick Offerman’s keynote at CMWorld this Thursday. Woo hoo!

@martinlieberman congrats! You have won a pair of front row seats for Nick Offerman’s keynote Thursday at #CMWorld!

— Content Marketing (@CMIContent) September 5, 2015

September 4
Last day of work before Labor Day weekend, and there was a bit of a celebration going on in Dewey Square. Food trucks, live music, giveaways (from Primark and Dunkin’ Donuts) … good times.

September 3
Tom Brady’s suspension was overtuned! Deflategate is (hopefully) over! Take that, Roger Goodell! Woo hoo!!

September 2
Went home and cooked dinner for myself tonight. I don’t do that nearly enough.

September 1
Celebrated the 10th birthday of this blog today. Never thought it would last this long. But on its birthday, I published one post and I have two more on deck for the next week. Go me!

August 31
In advance of Content Marketing World, I’ve been listening to a lot of old Barenaked Ladies music lately. I really loved those guys and their music back in the day.

August 30
Seeing all these U-Haul trucks around the Brighton/Brookline/Allston area still makes me so happy I don’t have to move on September 1 anymore. (And haven’t since 1998.)

August 29
Went, with Annaliza, to two new (to me) places today: Putterham Grille and Jamaica Pond. Kind of amazing how I’ve lived in this area for so long and never been to either place. I’d go back — especially for a walk around Jamaica Pond.

August 28
This probably shouldn’t make me as happy as it does my employer, but … So I’m going to Vegas for work next month and finding flights was stressing me out because they were so expensive and/or had me leaving at really early hours. Finally, today I found flights that didn’t require me to leave before 8am and didn’t have a 30-minute layover, AND that didn’t cost more than $800 (total). Sure, neither leg is direct, but I can live with that.

August 27
Today I did what I think was my very first webinar, for another company. Taught some folks how to use Hootsuite. And it went well. Go me!

August 26
Spur of the moment today, I decided to do a Facebook post for work for National Dog Day. Even though it was last minute and I didn’t give people much time to respond, I got just under 40 submissions for inclusion. That was a lot. Some days it’s the small wins that matter.

August 25
Leaving Colorado with fun memories, a rested body, a clear mind, a full stomach, plenty of great pictures, a few too many mosquito bites, three magazines read, and even a little bit of a tan. Excellent vacation. Mission accomplished.

August 24
There were bluer skies than when we went on Friday, so I spent some more time at Garden of the Gods today, retaking some pictures or grabbing some new ones, and browsing the Trading Post. God, this place is awesome. It definitely earned a spot in the top three of my favorite places of all time list.

August 23
Holy cow, Pikes Peak. Blue skies, beautiful views, fun cog ride up and down … and hot cider donuts!

August 22
Finally made it to Red Rocks. It was worth the wait. Also: Cantaloupe sorbet from Sweet Cow. Yum.

August 21
Garden of the Gods: beautiful. Wow. 

August 20
Finally made it to Colorado, after years of wanting to visit. Should be a great long weekend.

August 19
Learned today that Grey Season, a local band I saw performing on Newbury Street on July 4 and really liked, has released an album of covers — including Father John Misty’s “I’m Writing a Novel,” one of my favorite songs from that day. And even better: It’s free!

August 18
What do John Cleese, Nick Offerman, Barenaked Ladies, a bunch of my friends and I have in common? We’re all going to be at Content Marketing World next month! After a couple months of waiting, I finally got the answer today, and I can go. Woo hoo!!

August 17
Woke up this morning to find an email reply from someone I’d been waiting about a year (or more) to hear back from. It’s funny how timing works out sometimes.

August 16
I’m very lucky to have the relationship with my sister that I do. It wasn’t always that way, but she has become a great friend right at the time in our lives when I needed her to the most.

August 15
Went to Saratoga Race Course, and came home a winner! Alright, fine. It was only $16. But still … Winner!

August 14
Nice drive out to Albany to meet Lisa’s family.

August 13
Today I finally had one of the s’mores donuts from Kanes. It was as good as it looked.

August 12
So proud that Meteorix made the Inc. 500 list this year. Never worked at a company that was on this list. It’s very exciting!

August 11
Apparently, Brownie Batter Oreos exist, and they’re really good. I need to try them. Soon.

August 10
Alicia Vikander in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Adorbs.

August 9
First double date.

August 8
Such a good show by Zac Brown Band tonight at Fenway Park. Better than I even expected. Also noteworthy today? Lisa got me into a gym for the first time in, like, 15 years — and had me work out with a personal trainer. And, she let me make things Facebook official tonight too. Another very good day.

August 7
Woke up this morning to find my covers barely ruffled. I must have slept really, really well last night.

August 6
I know I’m supposed to pick one thing every day, but today it’s a tough call: I got a really nice bonus at work for all I did in Q2. More than I ever expected to receive. Lisa and I totally spur of the moment decided to go to the James Taylor/Bonnie Raitt concert at Fenway, and somehow, last minute, were able to get decent field seats for less than face value. It was beautiful night and a great show. And to close out the final Daily Show (booo), Bruce Springsteen performed with the E Street Band. Awesome day.

August 5
After a pretty bad movie screening (Fantastic Four), Lisa and I walked through the Common and Gardens, and down Comm Ave for a bit. It had been way too long since I’d done that summer nighttime walk in Boston. Oh, how I love it.

August 4
I love a good storm, and oh boy, did we have a doozy today. Rain, thunder, hail … It came on quickly and was over in about 10 minutes. So cool.

August 3
Got to bed at a decent time tonight (before The Daily Show, even). Man, was I tired.

August 2
After many years on my summer bucket list, I finally made it back up to New Hampshire to visit my old summer camp (we were showing it to Abby). Though a lot of things had changed, it was very cool to see my name still on plaques in different places, and to feel the same sense of community that made it such a special place all those years ago.

August 1
I love my nephews, but my niece and I just have a special bond, and we always have such a good time when she visits me in Boston.

July 31
Caught up on the week’s episodes of The Daily Show tonight. I’ve loved Jon Stewart’s attitude lately. He’s having a great, carefree time. I’m gonna miss him and his show after Thursday’s finale.

July 30
The season-two trailer for You’re the Worst premiered today. I can’t wait for September 9. Can. Not. Wait.

July 29
Today, our blog at work received its first comment from someone not affiliated with the company. An actual industry person. Huzzah!

July 28
One month with Lisa. She baked me a delicious chocolate cake to mark the occasion. This girl is a keeper.

July 27
A minor happiness, for sure, but I’m glad to see Google is putting another nail in the Google+ coffin.

July 26
Today is Aunt and Uncle’s Day, which gives me another opportunity to say how thankful I am for Abby, Marc, and Ian.

July 25
Had 10th row seats in field box 51 for the Red Sox game today. Oh, and they were free. Awesome time. (Even if the Sox lost.)

July 24
Got some nice shoutouts from Maureen and Sam during the company all-hands quarterly meeting re: the work I’ve done (and am doing). Go, me!

July 23
Lisa’s birthday, and she was happy: “Nobody touches you when it comes to birthdays.” I really enjoyed celebrating her.

July 22
“I know you haven’t made your mind up yet,
But I will never do you wrong.
I’ve known it from the moment that we met,
No doubt in my mind where you belong.”

July 21
Told Mom and Dad tonight.

July 20
Met up with Twitter pals (and now IRL ones) Joel and Hakan for steak at Abe & Louie’s, then with Susan for after-dinner chat. I love turning my online friends into offline ones.

July 19
Sixth date was definitely the best one yet. Happy three-week anniversary to us!

July 18
When I woke up this morning, I’d slept for almost 13.5 hours. Holy crap!

July 17
This was me, this morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ySNaIZqucc

July 16
The Ghostbusters remake has been filming in the area around my office all week. So fun every morning to see the equipment still out on the street and wonder what scenes they shot overnight, and to see things like a fake NYC subway station entrance outside COSI, where I go to lunch all the time.

July 15
FINALLY rode on the Codzilla tonight, as part of our company summer outing. This was on my annual/summer to-do list for many years.

July 14
Having a 10-year-old kid in the office all week just makes everyone smile more.

July 13
Rebecca gave birth to her (and Ron’s) son today. So happy for them.

July 12
Despite a late start, it was a very productive day: Did a load of laundry, cleaned my apartment (including vacuuming, Swiffering/mopping, dusting, hanging up clothes, taking out two bags of trash, putting a lot of stuff in the recycling bins, and bringing some clothes to my storage unit), paid all my monthly bills (finally), and booked two trips to Florida. Phew!

July 11
Didn’t plan on using a movie two days in a row, but Batkid Begins warmed my heart so much. I remember following along on Twitter the day this event happened, and to watch it all unfolding brought me right back and had me tearing up from first frame to last. Such a special day, and now a truly wonderful film.

July 10
Amy finally hit theaters in Boston today. Heartbreaking film, but I’m happy because through the movie, I gained an even greater appreciation for Amy Winehouse, and I hope lots of other people will too. May she always rest in peace and may her music live on.

July 9
Met up with a former co-op from 2010 who wanted my advice as he started a new job. Was great to catch up. Nice to know that years later I’m still worth hitting up for words of wisdom. Ha!

July 8
Perspective. I’m glad I have it.

July 7
You know what? For all my mishegas about Johnny’s Luncheonette not being the same since it was sold a year ago, I’m really happy it still exists.

July 6
When you wake up in the morning, and instead of three days off, you feel like you had three weeks off. And it’s a good thing.

July 5
Flirting via text message after two good dates. Things are looking good.

July 4
Boston Pops. Fireworks. Fried dough. Friends. Temps in the low 70s. No rain. GREAT 4th of July.

July 3
Sat out in the sun today and started reading a great book: Modern Romance, by Aziz Ansari.

July 2
After much cajoling, finally helped the president/COO at work set up his Twitter account AND post his first two tweets. And I wrote a 980-word blog post, saving myself from having to do it over the weekend. Definitely feeling like I’ve earned three days off.

July 1
When it stops raining midday and turns into a beautiful evening.

June 30
Opted to come home and make dinner, instead of eating out.

June 29
I never get tired of hearing that people at work are happy with the job I’ve been doing.

June 28
Went on a blind date, and you know what? It was actually really good.

June 27
Went to my first baby shower. (At least, I’m pretty sure it was my first baby shower.) Always nice to celebrate good milestones with friends.

June 26
Today, the Supreme Court legalized marriage for gay people in all 50 states, and it was so cool seeing the love and supportive messages people gay and straight on social media and elsewhere.

June 25
It’s nice to know I can sleep in an extra 10 minutes, take a later train, and still make it to the office at the same time I was getting there when I took an earlier train.

June 24
It was so cool to be named to the #CMWorld Twitter Community Top 100 today. Always nice to be recognized by people you like for making a real contribution. Or, at the very least, for being an active tweeter/member of the community.

June 23
Despite the predictions of a downpour, thunderstorm, and tornado, it never rained this evening when I was leaving work and killing time before my movie screening.

June 22
It’s nice when the president/COO of your company uses the word “awesome” to describe your work.

June 21
FX has started to rerun You’re the Worst, in advance of its season two premiere this fall. I missed last week’s airing of the first two episodes, but I’m looking forward to re-watching all the rest.

June 20
Booked my trips to Denver (finally) and Chicago today. Woo hoo!!

June 19
Developing closer relationships with friends from and on Twitter, connecting with them on other channels, and planning offline meetups. That’s how social media is supposed to work.

June 18
When you walk outside after work and the weather is warm and sunny.

June 17
OMG, the #SpoofChat crowd made me laugh pretty hard tonight.

June 16
After the awful commute I had last night, just getting home in a normal amount of time tonight made me happy.

June 15
Inspired by my 2015 To-Do List, Andrew decided to have Peapod deliver me a bunch of fruits and vegetables, as well as 10 gallons of water. (Number 15 on the list was to eat better.) I have some pretty funny friends.

June 14
Free birthday sundae at JP Licks. Mmmmmmm …

June 13
That moment when Ian runs to the door and answers it by saying, “Hello, Uncle Momo!”

June 12
Took a good, long after-work walk from my office to Blandford St. Gorgeous night. Great exercise.

June 11
J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge was tonight. I walked more than I wanted to, which is why my time was 50:58, but I can still say I did it. And I have the “Finisher” t-shirt to prove it! More importantly, it was a fun time. And that’s all that really mattered.

June 10
Stayed at work a little too late, so I was happy to realize that my movie screening tonight in Coolidge Corner was at 7:30, not the usual 7pm. Phew!

June 9
We launched the Meteorix blog today. Woo hoo!

June 8
Got to work and found my desk decorated, as well as cards, four bags of Pretzel Crisps, and some homemade cupcakes waiting for me. Fun!

June 7
Birthday #41. “Ran” with Kevin Hart at Chestnut Hill Reservoir, good brunch at Deluxe Station Diner, decent movie (Spy), and an evening with Farrah and Barry checking out a new cider taproom and dinner. Good day. Happy birthday to me.

June 6
A run/walk around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir provided motivation, encouragement, much-needed exercise, and a blog post idea. Woo hoo!

June 5
National Doughnut (or Donut) Day! Woo hoo!

June 4
As good as the sandwiches at Al’s are, it’s all about the bread.

June 3
Inside Out, the new Disney-Pixar movie, made me smile from start to near-finish. Except for that scene that had me in tears. I think that’s because this movie reminded me so much of my niece.

June 2
Great time with my work peeps at the Red Sox game. It was Mike Napoli bobblehead night. And the Sox won for a change too!

June 1
Spoke with my friend Rebecca today to wish her happy birthday. We met when we were 16. It’s nice to have friends who’ve been in your life for such a long time.

May 31
Saw a great documentary today, Sunshine Superman, that reminded me of why I went skydiving 11 years ago. Maybe I’ll do it again someday.

May 30
Lunch outside at Pizzi Farm. I miss(ed) this place.

May 29
Roast beef sandwich from Sam Lagrassa’s for lunch today. Mmmmm …

May 28
From now on, we’re calling Thursdays #almostfriday.

May 27
When you decide to send the hour-long, overly dense recording of a webinar to a transcription service instead of doing it yourself.

May 26
San Andreas is exactly the kind of overly dramatic, CGI-filled, dumb dialogue laden, plot hole–ridden movie I expected it to be — and I loved nearly every minute of it.

May 25
The first cheeseburger and corn on the cob dinner of the summer season always tastes so good.

May 24
Second annual “Surprise Abby, Marc, and Ian in Mystic, CT” trip was a success, and a very good time.

May 23
On the fifth anniversary of its original airing, I re-watched the series finale of Lost. Damn, that still holds up. And Kate in that black dress … Wow. Still wow.

May 22
Finally tried the fried Oreos at Panelli’s in Brookline. Damn, were those good!

May 21
The TV season is now over, which is a good thing because it frees up a lot of time in my schedule. Hellllooooo, summer!

May 20
Bumped into a former coworker tonight at, of all places, the Gap Outlet in Downtown Crossing. Yesterday was his last day at Staples, and apparently two other people in his department are leaving this week as well. I was happy for them to be getting out. [Note: Tonight was David Letterman’s last show. Nothing about that made me happy. I’m gonna miss you, Dave.]

May 19
It was a rainy, yucky day, but just before the evening commute, things cleared up and by the time I got home, the sun was shining and things had warmed up. So nice.

May 18
Random, unexpected compliments always make me happy, like the one I got today from a VP who said he really likes the social posts I’m publishing for the company.

May 17
Good afternoon catching up with Stephani while wandering the SOWA Open Market.

May 16
Went to see Mad Max again because the sound quality Wednesday night was bad, and the film wasn’t being shown in 3D. Big difference. Or at least, a significant enough one.

May 15
Presented my content and social media plan to the President/COO today. He seemed impressed. Reviewed some one-month-in social stats and got some good learnings. Productive day.

May 14
Have I mentioned recently how much I enjoy working in the city? After work, went on another good walk and, among other things, stopped to buy stuff to decorate Maureen’s office tomorrow for her birthday.

May 13
Damn, that Mad Max: Fury Road was a cool movie.

May 12
Met and sat next to Meredith Goldstein, of the Boston Globe, tonight at an advance screening for Pitch Perfect 2.

May 11
I’ve done it: Found somewhere that sells New York–style crumb cake in Boston. It’s COSI, specifically the one on Milk Street. Mmmmm …

May 10
Did some much needed purging today, and got rid of a bunch of pants and sweatshirts.

May 9
When you take the T to work every day, you live for days like today, where the weather is gorgeous and you can go on a long-ish drive with the radio up and the windows down.

May 8
Kinda lame, I know, but tonight I actually stayed up past 11 p.m., through the end of Real Time with Bill Maher. Those kinds of Friday nights are increasingly rare these days.

May 7
When you leave work at 5:30 and the sun is shining so brightly that you feel compelled to wear your (stylish, new) sunglasses all the way home, even while the T is underground. (No, the sun wasn’t shining underground. I just really like my sunglasses.)

May 6
Have I mentioned lately how much I like working downtown, where I can easily meet up with friends after work, like I did tonight?

May 5
I’ve been creating a social media training presentation for the team at work. May be the most fun I’ve had at work in a long time. I love being able to teach some newbies how to use social media the right way.

May 4
It wasn’t long enough, but damn, was the 90-minute tribute to David Letterman tonight good.

May 3
Gorgeous weather and a TON of people made for a fun time at Opening Day at SOWA Open Market.

May 2
It was the first Saturday of the month, which meant free admission to the MFA. Always fun to wander around there for a little while. Finally got to see the Herb Ritts and Gordon Parks exhibits.

May 1
Went out with Norma and Kaitlin to celebrate Kaitlin’s new job. Woo hoo! So happy for her.

April 30
Met up with some CTCT friends for lunch at the brand-new Roche Bros. supermarket in Downtown Crossing today. It’s so much fun to work downtown and so close to some good friends.

April 29
Ate dinner at home tonight for a change. I need to do this more often.

April 28
Picked up my new specs from Warby Parker. Kinda digging my new look!

April 27
The Avengers: Age of Ultron is pretty much exactly what you want in a summer movie. And in 3D on an IMAX screen? So cool!

April 26
Abby got right on the phone when I called today and talked for a couple minutes. You never know what kind of mood she’ll be in when I call, so I’m glad I caught her on a good day.

April 25
Open house at Fenway Park. Got to wander around, go into the clubhouse and see other areas I’ve never seen before, take some good pictures, etc. Fun times.

April 24
Finally installed Spotify on my work computer. Makes life so much easier now.

April 23
Damn, did I get a good haircut last night. Looking good today.

April 22
Randomly met Billy Costa, Rich and Jim from the Matty in the Morning show on my way to the T tonight. (They were doing an appearance at the Planet Fitness in Downtown Crossing.)

April 21
Saw a two-hour movie tonight about how Blake Lively (or her character, at least) can’t get any older than 29 years old. What could possibly have been bad about that?

April 20
Had lunch today with Alissa and Susan, two Twitter friends. Always so much fun to make online relationships real.

April 19
Finally — finally — folded and put away what must have been a month or two’s worth of clean laundry that I kept moving between my couch and chair, depending on where I wanted to sit.

April 18
So many things made me happy today, but I think the one that stands out the most was meeting Carlos Arredondo at the Boston Marathon runners expo. #hero

April 17
Had a roast beef sandwich from Sam LaGrassa’s for lunch today for the first time in I don’t know how long. Still the best sandwich ever.

April 16
I really dig how many lunch places near my office accept payment via the LevelUp app.

April 15
Thank you to the IRS for the generous refund this year.

April 14
Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s! I may or may not have waited in line for about an hour — twice — for a scoop.

April 13
Today my old friends at Staples used a photo of me in a social media post. Look, ma — I’m a stock photo!

 

April 12
Today was the kind of day you wait all winter for. And after the kind of winter we had this year, it was awesome.

April 11
Saw While We’re Young today. Such a good movie. So much truth in it.

April 10
Today my interview with Lori Greiner went live on the Staples website.

April 9
Annoying though it might be, the nice thing about Passover is that it forces me to eat healthier for a week.  Salads for lunch, no pasta with dinner, etc. I needed a week like this after the way I ate the last couple weeks.

April 8
I love that I can use my commuting time now for more productive things — like catching up on Facebook — so I can sleep a little bit later in the morning and don’t have to do them when I get home at night either.

April 7
I forgot how great it is when the T goes express — like it did this morning from Harvard St. to BU Central.

April 6
First day at Meteorix.

April 5
Baseball is back! (Officially.) Woo hoo!

April 4
Sometimes you just have to let your parents be your parents. Today I let mine buy me some new clothes for my new job.

April 3
Good bonding day with my nephew, Ian. Probably because I told him I loved Thomas the Tank Engine too.

April 2
Last day at Staples. It was a good run, but it feels right to be leaving when I am.

April 1
It’s warming up again. Is Spring here?

March 31
Went out to lunch with Norma, Kaitlin, and Aisra to “celebrate” my impending last day. Very happy I got to work with good people like them.

March 30
Learned one of my Twitter pals is coming to town in April, which is spurring a meetup for myself and some other folks. Looking forward to hanging out offline, and meeting a bunch of tweeps.

March 29
After going to three different stores, I finally found nearly every item of Kosher for Passover food I was looking for at the Butcherie in Brookline (natch). And for much better prices than I found at Wegman’s and Star Market. Next year, remind me to start my holiday shopping here, not end it.

March 28
Few things in life are as wonderful as a warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie.

March 27
Had dinner at Farrah and Barry’s tonight. Mmmm … Delicious maple dijon chicken. (I think that’s what it was. Regardless, it was yummy.)

March 26
A friend of mine who’s been largely MIA for the past month or two has launched a blog where she’s documenting her month of “me time.” Really enjoyed catching up with where she’s been and getting inside her headspace. So glad she’s been documenting the process.

March 25
Decided not to eat the turkey sandwich I’d made and brought for lunch today, and to instead buy my lunch. Maybe what I bought wasn’t the smartest choice (meatball and cheese calzone), but I’m glad I opted not to eat the boring sandwich.

March 24
Got a haircut tonight. Really needed it. And damn, I look pretty good now.

March 23
Sometimes, not going to a free movie screening is the right decision. Tonight I was happy I skipped the Get Hard screening.

March 22
At lunch today, I had some New York–style crumb cake. That’s the best. There has to be a place in the Boston area that sells it, right?

March 21
My niece made her theatrical debut today in a production of Annie. (She was one of the orphans.) Glad I could be there to see it. So was she.

March 20
Today I got to interview Lori Greiner, from Shark Tank. Pretty cool.

March 19
At the risk of sounding morbid, giving two weeks’ notice at your job is kind of like being invited to attend your own funeral: You hear a lot of nice things being said about you, and what it’ll be like when you’re gone. That’s what today and yesterday have felt like.

March 18
Glad I caught up on Empire before the season finale tonight.

March 17
Fun episode of the Why I Social podcast, featuring an interview with Ira Haberman. Really enjoyed his thoughts on storytelling and social media “gurus,” among other topics.

March 16
Job offer received. Very excited. And here’s what makes me happiest: It’s nice to work with people who become friends, and who think so highly of you that they want to work with you again. I’m very lucky in that respect.

March 15
Woo hoo! We passed the record and now 2014–15 is the snowiest winter on record in the city of Boston. What’s more, I’ve lived in Boston for four of the top-five snowiest winters. That’s pretty cool. Now, can it please stop? Ha!

March 14
The subject matter didn’t make me smile (far from it), but any time you see a good movie, it’s a good feeling. Today, that came from The Hunting Ground.

March 13
I love it when things work out as I want them to: Today I very easily scored field seats for one of the Zac Brown Band shows at Fenway this summer — which, I believe will help me accomplish another item on my 2015 to-do list. Woo hoo!

March 12
On Monday, I posted a random tweet about Daylight Saving Time. The good folks on the GE social media team saw it, and today, I received a 60w Reveal LED light bulb from them.

March 11
Had my first treats — yes, plural — from Crumbs since the stores re-opened last fall. Just as good as I remembered them.

March 10
This:

.@martinlieberman Nobody is dead the whole time — except on The Returned. #AskBatesCreators

— Carlton Cuse (@CarltonCuse) March 10, 2015

March 9
It’s so nice to have to wear my sunglasses on the drive home from work again. And it’s warm-ish (40s). Is this Spring? I think it is!

March 8
Lame as this might sound, what made me happy today was randomly going to a Stop & Shop and finding something I’d not seen for months in any other supermarket — Purdue Chicken Burgers — and missed, because it’s a good, easy, and most importantly, quick-to-make dinner option. Suffice it to say, I stocked up.

March 7
Fun to celebrate a good friend’s 40th birthday and to see a former coworker who now works at the place where we celebrated. Good times.

March 6
This felt like a productive week. The weekend was earned.

March 5
My 6.5 year old niece has started texting (via her iPad Mini). How fun to get one of her emoji-filled messages as my day in the office is starting to wind down.

March 4
Couldn’t resist the iced brownie sitting by the register when I bought lunch today. It was worth it. Mmmmm …

March 3
Kind of funny how some of the best friends you make are the result of having worked at some of the worst companies. Tonight I went out with one of those friends.

March 2
Is it Friday already? Despite a minor snow storm overnight (less than expected), no traffic on the way in to work today. It was like a Friday commute.

March 1
Made it through all 13 episodes of House of Cards season 3 this weekend. Really good show; glad I watched it all before anyone could spoil any twists for me.

February 28
This morning I met up with Ken Gordon, who I’ve been tweeting with a bit lately. Suffice it to say, it’s good to take online connections offline. I hope to do a bit more of that this year.

February 27
Thank God for goofy things on the interwebs, like this silly debate over what color a dress is.

February 26
Participated in a career night for aspiring marketers at Brandeis tonight. Was a lot of fun to share my experiences and insights with students, and give back.

February 25
I know this is kind of a repeat from another day, but I just thought I’d say how much I enjoy participating in Twitter chats. I’ve met some really great people, and always enjoy the conversation. And, apparently, I did really well in one today. Ha!

@martinlieberman Are you butter ’cause you are on a roll today. #bufferchat

— Glenda Vaquerano (@GlendaVee) February 25, 2015

February 24
Excellent Parks & Recreation series finale tonight. Just sorry I didn’t start watching this show sooner. Loved this line: “Go find your team and get to work.”

February 23
It’s nice to be busy at work, and have a lot going on.

February 22
Not my favorite Oscars show, but very happy that Grand Budapest Hotel won four awards, tying (with Best Picture winner Birdman) for most awards. And Whiplash won three! Very cool.

February 21
Celebrated Sam’s bar mitzvah with his father, Scott, my oldest childhood friend. Good times. I remember the night Sam was born. Where has the time gone?

February 20
Delicious sweet potato fries with lunch at Met Bar & Grill and yummy Whirlie (i.e.: cupcake + soft-serve ice cream) for dessert for dessert. (If only we weren’t going out for Norma’s last day at Staples.)

February 19
Had a craving for a burger and some sweet potato fries, so I went to dinner at the Deluxe Station Diner. They were out of sweet potato fries (bummer), but as a make-good, the waiter offered me a free dessert. Good customer service FTW!

February 18
Twitter has become so much more fun (and rewarding) to use ever since I decided to focus more on interacting with people (via Twitter chats and in general) and less on pushing out links to articles or trying to interact with people who hardly ever write back.

February 17
Very cool to be mentioned — featured? — in a bunch of conference slides by Michael Brenner today, and have people tweet at me when it happened.

February 16
In spite of — or more likely because of — the snow and frigid temperatures forcing me inside for most of the day, it was actually a productive day: My apartment is clean(er), I started writing another blog post, began making plans to co-write another one with a buddy from Twitter (and now Facebook), did two loads of laundry (folded and put away one of them), participated in a Twitter chat, and caught up on some TV shows. Not bad.

February 15
Very funny Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary special tonight.

February 14
I get why some people don’t like Valentine’s Day, but I think they’re looking at it all wrong: It’s a day when, even if you’re not in love, you can do things you love. Eat favorite foods, go to favorite places, listen to favorite music, etc.

February 13
Today was Friday. After a week filled with death (Bob Simon and David Carr), some transitioning going on at work, Jon Stewart’s retirement announcement, Brian Williams’ suspension, news that a friend lost his job and is getting a divorce, and even more snow and bitter cold, I was ready for the weekend. Thankfully, it’s three days long.

February 12
Queued up my second blog post in three days, for publication in the morning. Shouldn’t be a big deal, but for me, it is.

February 11
My dad finally passed his certification exam for work, after multiple attempts. So happy for him, and proud of him for persevering and not giving up.

February 10
It doesn’t make me happy that Jon Stewart announced he’s leaving The Daily Show and Brian Williams has been suspended for six months, but I am happy I got to watch both for as long as I did. Whoever replaces them has some big shoes to fill.

February 9
By 7 a.m. this morning, Boston had received 61.6 inches in the last 30 days, breaking the record of 58.8 inches in one 30-day period, which was achieved in February 1978. Um, hooray?

February 8
Welcome back, John Oliver and Last Week Tonight!

February 7
When the inspiration hits and you start writing not one but two blog posts.

February 6
Free cake in the cafeteria makes any day better (even if it’s left over from the day before).

February 5
Welcome back, Kelly Kapowski!

February 4
Staples is buying Office Depot. That’s a big deal.

February 3
Excellent show by Jamie Cullum tonight (as always), and seats in the fifth-row! So close. So cool.

February 2
Another foot of snow? Whoa!

February 1
Patriots won the Super Bowl — and I won $400 for having the right square in my office pool. Woo hoo!!!

January 31
Marc and Ian’s fourth birthday party, then date night with Abby (including a Slanket party). Fun day.

January 30
All caught up on the new Why I Social podcast. Good stuff.

January 29
I’m very lucky to have a strong personal and professional network. Today I was reminded of that fact.

January 28
This guy: Chris Laudani, who shoveled the Boston Marathon finish line during the snowstorm. #bostonstrong

January 27
Two feet of snow. Woo hoo!

January 26
Left the office at 4:15, as the snow was starting, and managed to get home in under an hour, before things got bad. Bring on the “Blizzard of 2015!”

January 25
Today, I took this picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 24
SNOW!! Sweet, plowable, white, fluffy snow!

January 23
Listening to “Uptown Funk” on the way in to work gets the whole day off to the right start.

January 22
“Deflategate” hasn’t been much fun for Patriots fans, so thank God for Barstool Sports, which made a truth-telling The Interview–quoting t-shirt. Call me a sucker, but I bought one.

January 21
Learned there’s a chance I may get to go to Los Angeles or Chicago on a work trip. Woo hoo!

January 20
This: “We all have a personal narrative that shapes our view of the world and ourselves. But sometimes our inner voice doesn’t get it completely right. Some researchers believe that by writing and then editing our own stories, we can change our perceptions of ourselves and identify obstacles that stand in the way of better health.”

January 19
Former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek’s wife called me “a random” on Twitter today, after she tweeted that Martin Luther King would be proud and I questioned her, asking, “Do you really think so?” She said she didn’t want to get into a “political shit storm” with someone she doesn’t know. Ha!

January 18
The Patriots dominated the Colts and won the AFC Championship game 45-7. Woo hoo! Super Bowl, here we come!

January 17
I’ve decided to leave my beef with Finagle a Bagel in 2014, and start eating there again — not every week, but I’m not going to go out of my way to avoid it anymore. It’s nice to have my regular Saturday lunch spot back.

January 16
My team at work started the day with a “block party,” where we all had to bring in a box of a favorite kids’ cereal. After eating bowls of Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Reese’s Puffs, I had a nice sugar high for a while.

January 15
Oscar nominations day! So happy that Selma and especially Whiplash made it onto the Best Picture shortlist, and that Grand Budapest Hotel got the most nominations of any film (nine; tied with Birdman).

January 14
The Wedding Ringer wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be. Not that it’s good or anything, but I didn’t feel like it was a total waste of my time.

January 13
I really dig it when people who have so many better things to do — such as L.A.-based film columnist David Poland — write back on Twitter. Today, for example, David tweeted that he had just seen a “lovely heartfelt comedy” that had a “profoundly sad ending.” So I replied with a joke and he replied to me with another. Ha!

January 12
Didn’t eat as much as I usually do today. Never had any kind of dessert or snack in the afternoon, for example. I need to keep doing that.

January 11
The Grand Budapest Hotel, my favorite movie of 2014, won the Golden Globe award for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. Hooray! (In related news, my friend Kevin Spacey won too, for Best Actor on a Drama TV series.)

January 10
Patriots won a close game, 35–31 (against Baltimore), to advance to the AFC Championship. Woo hoo!

January 9
There are a lot of people in Boston not happy that the city was chosen to be the U.S. bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, but I’m excited — not just because I think it’d be really cool to have the Olympics in my backyard (literally), but because I really like the idea of Boston dreaming big and finding a way to make it happen. It’s very Kennedy-esque.

January 8
A Facebook post for Throwback Thursday about USY on Wheels turned into a mini online reunion with some folks who were on my bus, and started talk of an offline reunion this summer to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our trip.

January 7
On a day in which there was sadness and horror when terrorists attacked a satirical magazine in Paris, killing 12 people, this hysterical editorial in the Frederick News-Post served as an almost perfect antidote/counterpoint: “Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter”

January 6
This Twitter handle:

Best Cavity of 2014: @martinlieberman!

— The Yearly Awards (@YearlyAwards) January 6, 2015

January 5
Despite it being the first Monday after New Year’s, there was no traffic on the way to work — allowing me to get to the office before 9 a.m. for a change.

January 4
Andre Braugher on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. ‘Nuff said.

January 3
Instead of going to the Fire & Ice Festival at Lawn on D by myself during the afternoon, I asked around and found some friends who were also interested, thus turning my solitary activity into a group one, and a fun evening.

January 2
Alec Baldwin’s Here’s the Thing podcast is back. His conversations with Julianne Moore and John McEnroe are great.

January 1
Picked up a calendar I made (at Staples, natch) using a bunch of my Instagram photos from 2014, so I could carry forward good memories into the new year.

What is making YOU happy this year? Leave a comment in the space below, or tweet this blog post, and let me know!