As is appropriate to a year ending in 13, this was quite simply the worst year of my life. The. Worst.
The entire first half was dedicated to learning how to walk and function again. Now, at the end of the year, at least I’m walking again although my legs are weaker. And my right arm is fully functional.
Anything good that happened this year had to do with my daughters. Shana’s theater is succeeding; Ariel graduated college; and Gwen got married. So from a family POV, it’s all been good.
Here’s praying 2014 is more decent to me personally.
PAD
• 
We fans love you Peter and I know that this fan is sending many hopes & prayers out for you to have the best 2014 possible. Keep Hope Alive!
It was a great year for me. My daughter was born! Trying times bring family and friends together. We realize who and what is important. I can’t imagine how horrible the beginning of the year was for you. It was no surprise to me though that many,many fans voiced their support for you. You demonstrated that even in the most trying of times, your wit, good humor and general kickassness would prevail. I wish you the very best 2014 and who knows, with modern medicine, a real life Dr. McCoy, Crusher, Selar, Bashir, computer doc or Phlox might be able to fix you up with stem cells or some wonder medicine. Qapla in the new year!
I suffered a minor stroke back in February myself. Let’s form a Facebook group.
Peter,
I had an awful 2012 followed by a great 2013. We, your readers, and friends, hope YOU have a great 2014. Best of luck.
Adam Schneider
Actually, it was the end of 2012 that sucked out loud! 2013 was about rebuilding and flurishing… Just sayin…
Glad you are still among us big bro!
May the mazel be tov and plentiful for all in need! Amen!
Peter: All of your fans around the world are grateful that you made it through a more than obnoxious 2013 and we look forward to a peaceful and rewarding year for you, Kathleen and the girls in 2014. I hope to finally meet you at SDCC this year!
A sentiment echoed by all too many people, I’m almost at the point of wondering if the loons who dread 13 might not be on to something after all.
Year started off great, wrapping up fiancee’s latest visit from her native Brasil and serving as a sort of unofficial honeymoon (wedding and official one will have to wait until Immigration gets its act together, if ever) but then deteriorated sharply.
– watched remaining parent pass away after a year-and-a-half of her body and fine mind slipping away into uselessness from Parkinson’s and other causes.
– a week-and-a-half later, her younger brother went.
– a week after that, her older (99) sister went leaving me relative-less. There are the in-laws whom I get along well with but, being in Brasil, it isn’t as though one side can just drive across town to get together for Thanksgiving dinner or a weekly game of Bridge. There’s this feeling of emptiness.
– A few months later, broke shoulder, requiring two operations and a couple of weeks in hospital. Undergoing ongoing physio to try to restore at least 60% of former range of motion. I can hope the soreness will eventually finish going away, maybe.
– Something not helped by my subsequently winding up in two bus accidents within a span of only a week.
– Relatively trivial, yes, but highly annoying anyway: of the computers I own, there’s one I’s especially fond of. It is my main writing machine. I recently spent $350 upgrading it such that I then spent four days fighting with Dragon Speech Recognition to get it to run on that system (Dragon’s ‘activation’ system sucks. Big time.) Now that it’s running fine … last night it turned into a paperweight, doesn’t even power up. Not the power supply/adapter, nor the battery, so I’m looking at something inside which will probably be expensive and certainly time consuming to repair.
I’m counting down the minutes to New Year because, at this point, I’m half expecting a meteorite to come crashing down through the ceiling. Given everything else that’s gone wrong, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Sad part? I’ve got three friends and an acquaintance who are doing worse than I am. 2013 can’t go away soon enough to suit.
I like Beth’s take on it above — it was the end of 2012 that really, really sucked. 2013 was about climbing out of the abyss, not falling into it.
Regardless, though, I can certainly see why you’re happy to leave this year behind. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2014 for all of us!
I’m with you PAD. In March 2013, I was diagnosed with Stage 2A Rectal Cancer. The chemo, radiation therapy, the surgery, and more post-op chemo… ack! Goodbye 2013 and good riddance, you totally sucked! Hello, 2014… Treat us all gently and sweetly, babe!
Your stroke happened on your grandfather’s birthday. I know he came down from heaven to check on his first grandson. And when he saw your problem he helped you beat the situation
I hope your 2014 is much, MUCH better, Sir.
I am glad to hear that you’re continuing to improve, Peter. I’m sorry I didn’t respond more over the past year. I lost my father last January, and my wife lost her mother in August, so it’s been something of a messed up 2013 for us as well.
Here’s to 2014 being an “up” year!
I hope you have a great 2014, PAD. We need some new bowling stories around here, so keep working and improving!
Gwen got married? Ariel is a college graduate now? Geez, where did the years go?
Congratulations to both of them!
And congrats to Shana and her husband on their theater!
Hope you have a far better year, Peter. My best to the entire family.
Quiet lurker here, who began praying for your recovery as soon as I heard, and who continues to send good wishes your way, for you and your family.