Started off meh, got really awesome over summer, then was crap again recently until the past few weeks where its just got awesome again, happy right now 🙂

A very stressful year here..

We opened new premises with our busiest year yet for our small family business.. absolutely ridiculous hours and very costly..
A new baby too, who up until the last couple of months has been extremely challenging to deal with..
Frustratingly little riding, time and a persistent and painful injury have conspired against me..

Still we’ve stayed (mostly) positive and are now through the worst of it.. we will have more time in 2013.. We’ve all got our health, our devastating good looks and cheerful outlook so it’s going to be onwards and upwards next year

😀

Summed up as, damm wet and fiscally tough.

Work wise I think it was better than last year, still pretty tough but still here! I wish it was not the case but I reckon next year might be the toughest yet – I hope I am proved wrong. This recession has accelerated any change and there a bit too much of it. Seems to me there is a major contrast now between those organisations that have and those that don’t. Our little one is a barely has…

Riding wise, worse year ever, injuries, desperately working more (did not seem to make much difference), dogs too old to come out with the bikes (but still need a couple of hours out), and way too much rain.

Family wise kids are now late teenagers. Everyone is healthy. Daughter still at home, not sure what to do. Working with James on his 60s Beetle has been fun and riding motorbikes with him has been great. Wife and I are trying to grow older gracefully. Looking forwards to making the most of next year.

Merry Crimbo every one and here’s wishing you the very best new year!

On the plus side:

Moved house and my commute now takes 25 minutes as opposed to the 90 minute average previously.
Got promoted
Son started school and settled into Harrogate amazingly fast.
Daughter has come out of her shell and is a really lively preschooler now.
Looks like I may end the year thinner than I started it.
Now live 10 minutes away from lifelong friends

On the down side
Grandmother died and it’s knocked my Mum for 6
Continuing unresolved marital issues (i.e. not had any jiggyjiggy for 2 years and she’s not interested)
I’m skint

Which is piffling compared to that which others contend with.

Not much to seriously grumble about I guess, although Ive no bike at the moment and for the foreseeable thanks to some thieving scum.
Left my job for some strange reason and now travel 3 times the distance to a place full of w….ers and a boss Im likely to lump next year. Only real issue is the same as the last 10 years but getting gradually worse….NO MONEY AND HUGE DEBT and I cant see that changing any time soon.

Best year ever here.
Cancer has stayed in remission, even came off medication for the year.
Fitter than ever before. Sold our business and are now voluntarily retired/unemployed, so went off to do 3 months touring France.
I know I should feel guilty with the massive problems that some here are going through, but we went through some very dark days to get here, and you have to grab the light when you can.

I don’t post much on here but I love you guys, hope 2013 brings you all that you want.

All the best Pete

Great year and next year looks to be even better!, work life balence is best its been, kids are doing well, money security better than its been in a looong time and the mrs is great. Everything has kind of fallen in to place so I’m a happy fella!

Finally got together with the girl who caught my eye some 36 years ago, currently making me a very happy dicky 🙂

Mixed year. Was pretty good to start with, then got a bit topsy turvy. Mate died in a car crash in June, spent 3 fantastic weeks in South Devon with the family, then went to the Alps with my closest to riding mates for a week. My gran died whilst I was out there, only found out when I got back though. My dad’s best mate and a close family friend died whilst fell running in October at the age of 42, which shook us all up a bit. I’ve not been for a proper ride since the Alps, for several reasons. Been very busy since then due to selling both grandparents houses, that has calmed down now though. Hoping for a better 2013 for several reasons:
I finish 6th format in June and have a 12 week summer holiday, during which I’ll be in Salcombe, and hopefully somewhere hot+sunny, this weather’s got me down a bit.
I’ll hopefully be starting uni at Bangor in september, which I’m bloody exited about.
I’ll pass my driving test in the not too distant future, so I can ride wherever I like.

Here’s to a better 2013.

Edit: got a job too, which has been tough, but brilliant fun.

Great year and next year looks to be even better!, work life balance is best its been, money security better than its been in a looong time and the mrs is great. Everything has kind of fallen in to place so I’m a happy fella!

If the question had come up two months ago I would have given a similar answer to the above but it’s ended up a bad year.

Mrs mW found out that she has a brain tumour and although treatment has begun she is currently in hospital after having had three seizures during the latter half of last week. I realised that up until this month I’d never truly seen her frightened, the look on her face as she slipped into the first seizure is something that will live with me for a very long time.

Also having spent most of our savings on long term house repairs just a couple of months ago assuming we could build the money back up over the next couple of years we’ve suddenly found ourselves in a situation where one person is unable to work at all and the other only able to work part time there is a very real possibility that even if the treatment goes as well as we hope next year is still going to be difficult.