Well, Christmas came and went... we had a good day!

There was me, my parents and our cousin from London, as it has been for the last few years.
We had a few presents in the morning with breakfast - then it was off to the Christmas church service.
Our minister made a pretty interesting observation during the Address, regarding the Nativity story. In the original Greek, the story was that Mary laid baby Jesus in a manager because there was "no room at the inn" - the Greek word being "kataluma". Actually, this was a word to describe the guestroom of a Jewish home. There was the living quarters where the family lived, a raised area which was the guestroom or kataluma, and then there was the lower level where the livestock was kept. The concept of a stable may not necessarily be Bibical after all! It's possible that Mary and Joseph managed to stay at a house with a "guestroom", but since it was occupied, they had to stay in the lower area with the livestock. It would usually be unheard in those days to turn people away when they came as guests to a Jewish household.

Anyway, after the service, we had our Christmas dinner - and then opening the main presents by Bingo-number calls, as we usually do!
Seems I made a pretty decent haul this year. I got:
Some new trousers and jeans, which I really needed. _{All I had were three or four pairs of worn out blue jeans.}
A green teeshirt
A few books ---
Kenneth Williams Unseen - I get the idea this is a book about the late comedian-actor, giving some insight into his complex personality.
Morecambe & Wise Special - a book of comedy revolving around one of our best-ever comedy-duos.
A classic comic-book, Oor Wullie and The Broons - what is perhaps Scotland's Glory Years in terms of good comic-cartoon characters.
Some chocolate, of course...
The best for last? G-Force on DVD!! (The 2009 Disney movie, that is!)

It was great to see that movie again later on during the holidays...
(Though, of course, you do have to have some understanding of computers to "get it"! If you've seen G-Force yourself, you'll know it's pretty involved and addresses the subject of cybertechnology a great deal too!)

Well, there goes yet another year. Pretty good year in all, too.
For once, I've had some work - in any case, running taps at the local hospital (Legionaire's Disease prevention... by running stagnant water out of the pipes - go figure )
It was good for us to get a family holiday to Scotland for two weeks, too!

Mind you, I thought I'd left that taps job for good in December, though, when I took up casual Christmas work at the Royal Mail sorting-office in Canterbury. And certainly, the change of scene was a welcome alternative to just running taps.
Now, though, the casual work draws to a close - except for some extra call-outs I've had during the past few days... however, the Royal Mail work ends tomorrow on New Year's Eve - at least, for this year, because I'll no longer be available to work for them for a while, anyway...

Mum kind of sprang this on me - I'd contacted the agency that fixed me up with the hospital job previously, to see if anything new was available. They called back, and Mum, in my absence (being at the Post Office) landed me back with the tap-flushing job!
Ah well, by now, I'm kinda resigned to that. As far as I know, the job runs to the end of January 2010 - there has been a delay restarting that job, due to the extra call-outs from the Post Office, but I start for certain in the New Year January 4^th
If only there was a promotion in a position like this...

Well, that job at the hospital may appear to be a certainly for the future now - until something else comes up, or until the contract eventually ends for real (instead of yet another extention). Personally, I wonder what is the point of continuing to run taps just to flush water through the system - without even taking samples to be actually tested. We certainly haven't found Legionaire's Disease at the QEQM now. Still, I guess a job's a job. Just so long as I can keep myself occupied somehow, in any way that doesn't involve satisfying a collegue's constant demands for jokes (which I'm never able to provide just spontaneously on request)

With what free-time I can get, though, I still want to get Hydrex Adventure finished! At least progress has been positive lately, even if it is still slow.
Agh... so many things to slow down practical progress on personal projects - I'm not just talking about employment or household chores, though. I still try to maintain my deviantART Messages box - this gets difficult when it comes to getting several journals that I'm never gonna read... or deviations that I'm never gonna comment on! (The latter being an even bigger problem since some of the dA clubs I'm in became groups, and suddenly more active than before)
Still, if I can get the Flash finished, there may be a slim possibility that it could get shown at Summer of Sonic - at least, =EUAN-THE-ECHIDHOG suggested that idea. I'd need to think about that... but I'd need to get the Flash finished in time, too!

As we move into the new year, I ought to point one thing out. I seem to be getting steadily closer to 60'000 Pageviews fairly soon! I'd better look out for that... while Retsy prepares something...!
Or if someone could catch that screenshot, that might be nice too!

The only other certainty I know of for the next year now is the fact that my birthday is coming up on January 18^th!
Blimey... nearly 26 years I walk this earth... where does it all go...?

* * * * * * * UPDATE!! * * * * * * *
Something I forgot to put in when I wrote this journal the other day. I had mentioned about Christmas greetings in other languages to Mum, how out of common courtesy it is good to try and address someone else in their own language if you have some vague linguistic knowledge.
(Personally, I only know the odd snatches of words and phrases in languages like French, German, Elvish, Latin, Gibberish and Rubbish!)

Anyway, Mum managed to get this list of Christmas greeting in several languages. Looks pretty interesting, but I can only guess at the languages of a few of them with which I'm already familiar. I thought I'd post the list here and see if any of you guys can help me fill in the blanks... or correct me if I'm wrong!

Merry Christmas = English
Feliz Navidad = Spanish
Joyeux Noël = French
Vrolijk Kerstfeest = Dutch
Buon Natale = Italian
Frohe Weihnachten = German
Nadolig Llawen = Welsh
Beannachtai na nollag =
Geseënde Kersfees =
Veselé vánoce =
Glædelig jul =
God jul =
Feliz Natal = Portuguese
Krisimasi Njema =
Mutlu Noeller =
Hyvää joulua = Finnish
Wesołych Świąt = Polish
Boldog Karácsonyt = Hungarian
СРождеством = Russian
عيد ميلاد مجيد = Arabic
maligayang pasko =
καλά Χριστούγεννα = Greek
क्रिसमसकी शुभकामनाएँ = Hindi
לעבעדיק ניטל = Hebrew
Hilaris Sarcalogos = Latin

Thanks!

* * * * * * * END UPDATE!! * * * * * * *

And, I don't think I have anything further to add - so in the words of Marquila... Pax vobiscum! Salutae!! (Peace be with you!)

Time for another update in the run-up to Christmas.

Not much to report, really (as always)... the tap-flushing job at the hospital finished at the end of November, because I was already "booked" in December. I'm doing some more Christmas Casual work for Royal Mail, like I did last year.
From November 30^th to December 23^rd, I am sitting around at their Canterbury sorting office, helping out with a batch of what's called "rejects" - basically the stuff that their big sorting-machine failed to sort and has to be handled manually... I one of the team that has to split up all the 1^st and 2^nd Class, sorting what's "mechable" (can go through an automatic sorter), "manual" (anything too bulky or awkward, and has to be hand-sorted), or too small or long.
It's very basic work, but still... the days vary, depending on mood, it seems. Mondays always seem depressing, but otherwise I do seem to become more fully-occupied by it than when I was just running hospital-taps and standing around for two minutes doing nothing else... also, I'm on the evening shift, so I have more time to wake up of a morning...

Anyway, it's Christmas once again, as all the shops, medias, families and friends keep reminding us - so soon we'll be giving and receiving presents and singing "Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus"

Ah well, I can see the appeal in the Christmas-part, anyway... it's the winter-season I can't stand! It's so cold around here - especially when you have to cut down on the heating costs, too!

Still, here's hoping for a Happy Christmas and a somewhat less-fraught 2010!!

After the current spell of employment is over, I'll probably be back on the dole - all I can hope for there is that something will turn up that's... rather more ideal for me than running taps, anyway!

Still, I guess being unemployed, despite the annoyance of the Job Centre and always getting turn-downs from applications, will grant back a little free-time for a while. "Hydrex Adventure" has been coming along slowly, as usual.
I'm glad to say progress has been made between shifts, of course... at long last, even Krakatoa is animated in the Flash - and he really seems to lend an equal share of the "aww" and "scare" factors!

Apart from that, there may be the occassional artwork going up - possibly sketches for now, if I don't get to colour them right away?
And also, I seem to be on my way to reaching 60'000 Pageviews in a couple of thousands! I'd better look out for that... and Retsy had better brush up the ol' moves!

Oh... one last thing! Just to remind you, my birthday will also be hard-approaching after Christmas - January 18^th

And, I don't think I have anything further to add - so in the words of Marquila... Pax vobiscum! Salutae!! (Peace be with you!)
Oh, and Hilaris Sarcalogos!! (Merry Christmas)

I really need to try and keep up-to-date more!

Well, I guess that hospital job still takes up a lot of my day.
Going around the hospital wards, running the taps for two minutes each to flush the system through sounds easy enough - actually, the job is easy! Perhaps a little too easy for an intellectual like me who likes to be able to use his brain a bit...
Still, it's a job. I just didn't expect it to extend from three weeks to three months!

I'm still booked with Royal Mail to sort mail during December, though - I'm sure I'll be glad of a change of scene, at that. I quite enjoyed mail-sorting last year when I did it. There's a bit of challenge to it, I guess.

I really hope that things will look better on the job-front in the future. Running taps for a living isn't really ideal for a digital artist-animator.


Talking of that, I am trying to make progress with various projects.
"Hydrex Adventure" is still coming along - slowly, but surely.
I've got a number of MSN doodles and pencil-drawings that I'd like to colour in Photoshop... or retrace in Flash.
And I've also been experimenting with a program called MuseScore in order to try and make some "original" (or in any case, "inspired-by") theme-tunes for some of my prominant cast members - like, for example, in "Hydrex Adventure", there needs to be a theme for Hydrex & Pearl and for Krakatoa the Kraken!
Well, we'll see what happens...

And now for something completely different!

A long list of questions that posed to my cast... this is liable to take a while, being Drew!

Now onto the questions:
~~~~First the Dan-Clan, including Jenny~~~~

*Danbuster, Frederick and Spencer, and his girlfriend Jenny the rat-nurse, are surprised to find themselves confronted by a camera-crew headed by a fat raccoon in glasses. This is Alex Raccoon, and it appears that he wants to interview them!*

1) Hey how are you doing?
Danbuster: About 120 over 80, blood pressure!
Frederick: He didn't mean like that, but aye... health comes into the question...
Spencer: Yeah, an' I reckon it's "good" for all of us...
Jenny: Yes, we are well. And for me, life is busy. At least I've got a day off from pharmacy today!

2) Have you all had any cool adventures lately?
Danbuster: Well, we went shopping on Monday...
Frederick: Oh yeah, and we were working on a cartoon over the weekend!
Spencer: Well, it's not like we have adventures everyday... the epic sort. But I did have this morning out with Jenny.
Jenny: And before you make any perverted slanders, it was completely innocent. We went out to the local countryside to enjoy nature.

3) Just a re-cap, what kind of weapons/skills do you use?
Danbuster: Well, I have a fencing sabre that I'm an expert in the use of... I'm also a great shot with a rifle, a longbow or a handgun. Also, I can manipulate cartoon physics with my sporran! Let's see, I also make puns a lot and enjoy creating cartoons.
Frederick: Me, I use natural defences - as you know, I'm very strong and I have teeth and claws! Also, I'm ambidextrous and can wield twin flick-knives. I'm also th' artist be'ind Danbuster's crazy ideas!
Spencer: I'm not really a fighter at all. I have a Swiss Army Knife for defence and utility purposes, but I would also use my tail as a whip if I felt really threatened - or I'd run away, if it wasn't for the fact that I can't leave my friends... guess loyalty is one of my strengths - or curses. I'm also a computer whizz-kid and enjoy the animating and programming side of things...
Jenny: And my only skill is being a healer - a qualified nurse in the pharmacy department. Though lately I am widening my horizons too, working in other areas.

4) Whats the worse opponent you'd have to face?
Danbuster: Probably Retsubnad... and I don't say that because he really is a terrible villain - of late, my influence has turned him too "nice" to be truly evil - it's the fact that he's my brother that makes it so painful for me that we have to sometime fight each other.
Frederick: That's true enough, I guess... but then we don't usually face any big opponants every day. Nothing that we can't handle, anyway.
Spencer: Mind you, there are those Mujina characters of yours, Alex... because our artist seems to like villains that have some "endearing quality" like something to make them funny or admirable in some way, we don't usually face anyone like the Mujina - and them only in his crazy RPs on MSN. They guys are rotten, though... can't think of anything our artist likes about them! They always seem to pick unnecessarily petty quarrels with us, which makes them our most hated enemies yet...
Jenny: The only opponants I've faced are the microscopic sort - illnesses.

5) Would you participate in the Olympic games for the winter? (Yes Mario and Sonic for the Winter games came to mind)
Danbuster: Not in person, that's for sure... don't like cold weather!
Spencer: Me neither...
Frederick: Though I'm sure we'd be more than happy to get "Mario & Sonic Winter Olympics", once our artist gets a Nintendo Wii... though that'll probably have to wait until he can also work something out for upgrading his old clunker for a nice new laptop-PC, with Windows 7...
Jenny: I wouldn't mind playing with you guys - on days off, of course.

6) Isnt it getting quite cold up there?
Danbuster: Naturally... it's winter!
Frederick: Ah, British climate... it varies - sometimes it's warm...
Spencer: Or not so warm...
Jenny: But at least the hospital is central-heated.

7) I hope you and your friends have a nice day and a long life (I know not exactly a question but oh well )
Danbuster: Why, thank you!
Frederick: Much appreciated, matey!
Spencer: Thanks a lot!
Jenny: Ta, ever so!


~~~~To the RocBeaks~~~~

*The scene shifts. We are now at the eyrie of the RocBeak eagles - and Marquila, Galeforce and their daughter Strongtal are fortunately all at home!
They seem pleased to welcome the camera crew as guests, as they stand on the cliff opposite where their nest is. Marquila is still wearing his leather flying-helmet and scarf; Galeforce, her orange shawl; and Strongtal, her violet bonnet*

1) Hello, how is everyone doing?
Marquila: Ach, we're a' in the best o' health, laddie!

2) How did you get your names?
Marquila: Well, I'm a warrior eagle, so my name means pretty much the same... Mar-quila!
Galeforce: My common name is Galeforce, but that's based on my true name of Procella - as in "gale" or "tempest"
Strongtal: Hi! I'm Strongtal - is short for "strong talon", 'cos Pater called me "Durungula". I has strong feet!

3) Have you had any adventures or missions?
Marquila: It's a' part o' the job, laddie! A' part o' the job!
Galeforce: And Ah help oot when he wants me!
Strongtal: Me too!

4) Does Durungula go off often without thinking?
Strongtal: Wossat?
Marquila: Not as often as she used to!
Galeforce: Ach, she's a good girl really!

5) How does Eagle to Opponent Air combat go? What are the rules of that?
Marquila: Whit?
Galeforce: Are ye sayin' rules o' combat in the skies or somethin'...?
Strongtal: Didn't know combat had rules...

6) What kind of songs do you like to listen to?
Marquila: Och, anything strong an' powerful, laddie!
Galeforce: Something soaring and uplifting...
Strongtal: I like what Mater and Pater like!

7) Any fears or mission going bad?
Marquila: Ach, awa' wi' ye! Ye worry too much!
Galeforce: Jus' dinnae get reckless, Marquie! Ah'd hate fer anythin' to happen to ye...
Strongtal: Hah hah! Mah Pater's strong! He'll always win!
Marquila: Spoken like a true child o' the Lightnin'-RocBeaks! No' a whit o' fear!

8) Aside from eagles, who else is there as far as flying animals?
Marquila: In the RAF? Weel, the noo... careless talk costs lives, y'ken!
Galeforce: Aye, but we can safely say that there's birds of a' sorts in the RAF - as for Hawkcrag, that community is home to a' kinds o' hawkbird, from kestrels an' falcons to eagles an' buzzards!
Strongtal: Do gryphons exist these days?

9) What do you all like to do on your spare time?
Marquila: Och, fly aroon'... see the world... hang oot together...
Galeforce: Aye, family pursuits!
Strongtal: I love Mater an' Pater!

10) Whats your fav food to eat really?
Marquila: Well, any meat tha's guid... Ah'm no' fussy!
Galeforce: Marquila speaks fer us a'...
Strongtal: Me too!


~~~~Rudderbucks~~~~

*Now we join a young Sonic-inspired otter-couple, relaxing outside their riverside cabin in the forest of the Mystic Ruins. The male is a tough-looking fellow in red swimshorts and fingerless gloves, and he has his arm around his wife, who wears a white bathing-suit - in addition, her pearl engagement ring and both their wedding rings are very much in evidence on their left paws*

1) Heya, hows your day? I bet the water is nice and cool!
Hydrex: Hi there, matey!
Pearl: Hello! Oh yeah, the water's cool alright...
Hydrex: At this time of year, it's really cool!
Pearl: Winter's settin' in...

2) What kind of fish do you enjoy hunting?
Hydrex: Anything that's edible!
Pearl: But big enough to feed us, of course...
Hydrex: We do like lobster salad, though.

3) Is it tricky to navigate through the water?
Hydrex: What? Navigation tricky? For otters?!
Pearl: You dare to question our natural abilities?!
Hydrex: I think we'll treat that question with the contempt it deserves!

4) How did you own the Roaring Rapid?
Hydrex: At last, a sensible question! Well, actually, after I passed my driving test...
Pearl: After several attempts!
Hydrex: Yeah, alright... me Dad helped me towards buyin' a boat o' me own. That was his "graduation present" for me, y'might say.

5) Any plans of upgrading it?
Hydrex: Ah, well... Tails already did that!
Pearl: Yeah, speed boosters and... one or two other things that we can't reveal here - otherwise we'd spoil the surprise for our upcoming Flash cartoon!

6) Did you ever had a customer who gotten sea-sick on that ship?
Hydrex: Haharr, all the time! These landlubbers - they got no sea-legs!
Pearl: Could also be your frivilous driving, o' course, even if you are "safe" in the operative sense o' the word!

7) I bet you two keep your fur clean huh?
Hydrex: Well, we do swim a lot, yeah...
Pearl: And showering in the morning and evening - naturally, we keep ourselves clean!

8) I heard that Pearl doesnt use that fancy-smancy cosmetics and makeup, but does she dress up for those special moments?
Pearl: Ah, I don't believe in makeup and stuff - no need to put on airs-an'-graces to look like something yer not...
Hydrex: Like a dog's dinner!
Pearl: Exactly - but yeah, I do have a decent wardrobe of nice clothes, anyway!

9) What about weapons for self defence?
Hydrex: Teeths, fists, natural strength, tail... what else could a strapping young otter-lad want - although the Roaring Rapid has things like torpedoes and such, just for self-defence.
Pearl: Yeah, and I do pack a punch with me handbag!

10) Hows Krakatoa been doing? I havent seen him in awhile..
Hydrex: Well, he does live under the sea, matey... but if you want to see him... *he whacks the water of the nearby river with his tail, causing a shock-wave across the surface* KRAAAAAAKATOAAAAA!!
*after some pause, the young Kraken breaks the surface in an explosion of tentacles and sea-spray - he blinks at Hydrex and looks around in surprise at the interview camera-crew, who back away nervously*
Pearl: How are ye doin', matey?
*Krakatoa grunts and nods his head several times, smiling with his large orange eyes and making a "thumbs-up" sign with one of his feelers*

11) Does Krakatoa do anything else special?
Hydrex: Well, for a Kraken, I consider it special that he's so obedient and - generally - well-behaved... granted, he damages the odd ship now and then when I'm not around to correct him, but he's only being playful! He always makes sure that any crew-member he knocks overboard is put back in one piece!
Pearl: Now if a gentle (if mischievous) personality isn't special in a Kraken... what is?
*Krakatoa interjects with a deep-throated bark like a walrus and pantomimes a sentence with his many arms - pointing to himself, drawing wavy lines in the air, pointing downwards, mimicking the opening and closing of a mouth, waving a tentacle in denial*
Hydrex: Oh, yeah - sign-language! That's one thing he does... as he was just saying, he lives underwater so he can't talk. He communicates with sign-language!

12) Just how smart is Krakatoa?
Pearl: I reckon he just answered that question for us already!
Hydrex: I'll also point out that he's smart enough to remember friend from foe - got a brain like an octopus, this fellow!


~~~~Retsy and Wally~~~~

*We now cautiously enter the forbidding doorway of a secluded mountaintop castle of ominous, but sumptuous, appearance. It is the residence of Retsubnad Leadboot, Danbuster's dark wizard twin-brother. We find the green-robed hare in his private bed-chamber, being served his early morning tea by his faithful sycophantic sidekick, Wally Babbleton, a weedy little weasel in a brown jacket. The first he is aware of the interviewing crew's presence is when Alex Raccoon speaks...*

1) Hello, hows your day?
Retsubnad: Hmm? How'd you get in here?! Is nothing sacred... even a wizard's private chambers?
Wally: Quite right, quite right!
Retsubnad: Well, if you must know - same as ever.
Wally: Yes, we're in general good health, indeed...
Retsubnad: Oh, shut it!
Wally: Sorry, Master.

2) Since you're a master of magic (and mischief) whats your favourite spell to use?
Retsubnad: Probably... incendia spiculum! *casts Flame-Spear, blasting a column of flame through the air that narrowly misses the crew*
Wally: Very good, Master!
Retsubnad: Well, that's just a sample - I don't know if I have any favourites but it is fun to throw Flame-Spears about!

3) What was the hardest spell to learn?
Retsubnad: Ah, that's a good one... probably the higher-end Light-spells, like Healing and some of those spells for taking malignant curses off of people... never know when things like that come in handy. Also, I'm still trying to perfect deus ex machina, which is like an amalgamation of all elements in one spell to cause several "natural disasters" to strike in a certain place - like the location of an enemy army or something. At the moment, I can only get light rain showers, galeforce winds and minor fire-hail storms out of it...
Wally: *pokes Retsy enthusiastically* Don't worry, Master! You'll get it in the end!
Retsubnad: *rubbing his backside* Not that end, I hope...

4) What is your first spell you'd learn?
Retsubnad: Oh, I don't remember that! It would have been something basic, though - like leviatating a pencil or making a small flame appear at my thumb-tip... *flicks thumb - like a lighter, a flame pops up*

5) Doesn't Wally ever try to cast a spell himself? Like a simple healing spell?
Wally: Master doesn't let me practice magic - he says I'm too impulsive.
Retsubnad: Not that I don't trust my most faithful servent, but he's right. He also doesn't have the natural gift.

6) Do you sometimes feel alone in your abode?
Retsubnad: I prefer my own company. After previous experience with the world in general, I'm the only person I can trust - well, apart from Danbuster and his friends, of course... at least they're all right. I sometimes even let them visit - just friendly visits, of course! If it's one of those "stop me from conquering the world" things, I have to repel all borders - that's all part of the game, of course!

7) How much do you pay per rent? I bet it's expensive to live in your castle huh?
Retsubnad: I own the castle! I just found it abandoned... and it had everything I needed - living space, security, solitude, storage space for books and things - all I had to do was devote a few weeks hard spellcasting to renovating the place! I like things tidy, you know.
Wally: Believe it, readers! Master is speaking the truth!

8) Do you have monsters in your castle?
Retsubnad: Only if they've moved in without my knowledge!

9) Whats your thoughts on Rita the vampire?
Retsubnad: That character of yours? A vampire bat? Well, she's an interesting character. Why should that be any concern to me though?

10) Would it be cool if you had a "familiar" creature to aid you in your spells?
Retsubnad: A what?
Wally: I think that's something to do with a wizard's "pet", Master?
Retsubnad: Is it? Well, I suspected it was something occult... well, no - I don't do anything occult like raising spirits or zombies or whatever. Pure elemental magic for me - it's more practical for my purposes.
Wally: Quite right, Master, quite right!


~~~~Vladimir~~~~

*The scene shifts. We see a Russian vampire-bat solicitor in a dark suit with huge blue-rimmed blood-red eyes, sitting at his desk in his darkened office, scrutinising a client's personal files. His expression never changes from anything other than an inscrutable impassive stare*

1) Hello, hows your day?
Vladimir: Hmm? Look, I am a terribly busy bat. I don't haff a lot of time for d'e talkingk.

2) Can I ask why you became a lawyer/solicitor?
Vladimir: I vos interested in law.

3) Was there any cases that went by like a breeze?
Vladimir: Vot iss d'is "vent by like a breeze"?

4) What was the hardest case you dealt with?
Vladimir: I never divulge the private information of my clients.

5) Do you feel like people judge you by your apperance?
Vladimir: It happens all d'e time, but I learn to live vid it.

6) If you're not in the courtroom, where would you be?
Vladimir: Hanging around my office, most likely.

7) Do you have any other pasttimes?
Vladimir: Reading.

8) Do you have any casual clothes?
Vladimir: No.

9) Is it true you drink blood? Or are you more of a tomato juice drinker?
Vladimir: Yez, iss true - I am indeed vegetarian.

10) Since Halloween is coming up, what are your plans?
Vladimir: I haff no plans.


~~~and finally Winstanuki~~~~

*The scene changes one last time, and we enter the office of Mr Winstanuki Typhoo葉 (yè, leaf) Esq - a fat tea-coloured naturalised-British tanuki in a smart navy-blue jacket, wearing a monacle and spats*

1) Heya, how's your day?
Winstanuki: You came to ask... aoh, I see. It's an interview. Well, you were let in without an appointment, but Ay'll let you orf, wot? And yes, Ay'm fayne!

2) After reviewing your bio, you seem to come from a wealthy family, right?
Winstanuki: That's true. The business in Britain was founded bay may grandfather, doncha know - it's been successful ever since. Even survaved the recent recession - but only because we don't take out huge loans of money!

3) Any particular favourite blend of tea?
Winstanuki: Personally, Ay favour the Earl Grey!

4) Do you know any self defense?
Winstanuki: Ay'm handy with me umbrella, anyway... in may business, a chap doesn't need to be going around fayting all the tame!

5) I take it you like playing Monopoly right?
Winstanuki: Sometames.

6) What do you like eating?
Winstanuki: Ay say, bit of a parsonal question, wot?

7) Can you shapeshift?
Winstanuki: Why, of course! Ay'm a tanuki, after all... and with all the tea, leaves are readily in supply to aid transformations.

8) How did you get that bowler hat anyway? Looks nice on you
Winstanuki: Got it from the hat shop, lake anyone would! No special stories behaynd that!

9) How do you travel to place to place?
Winstanuki: Sometames, on business.

10) Where can I get some of your finest teas? Preferably anti-stress types please?
Winstanuki: Oh, they're available in any respectable shop.


And thats about it, if your chars have any questions, feel free to ask! ^^
~Drew

Danbuster: Whew - that's a lot of questions! Why so many questions?
Retsubnad: Why so many personal ones at that?
Hydrex: He worries about us a lot! Does he ever worry about his own characters? He's got about enough of them...
Marquila: Ach, he's a good fellow - still, it's draining to have tae answer so many questions that ye'd ne'er even think aboot answers to!

And, I don't think I have anything further to add - so in the words of Marquila... Pax vobiscum! Salutae!! (Peace be with you!)

Well, actually, I've been back for a few days now - but if you know what the devWATCH is like... after all, deviantART doesn't stop just because someone isn't here!
That is to say, I've returned to a backlog of nearly 400 deviations and over 200 messages (half of them journals, which are the bane of my dA-life, since I never have time to read most of them)
It's taken all of Sunday and what was left of Monday (since there's an extension on that temporary hospital job of ours) to blast through them - but at least having this Premium subscription means I'm able to scan submissions by thumbnail, which made things a good deal faster!
Anyway, it's official now - it's Tuesday afternoon, and I'm back!

Saturday, Sept 5^th - this is going to sound crazy, but we actually woke up at 2:00am this morning for last-minute packing and leaving the house at 3:15am!
In this manner, we made a good head-start for our long drive to Scotland. Dad and me shared the driving - it's about 13-14 hours at best, all the way.
We reached Gretna Green at about 12:30pm, when we stopped for lunch and had a wander round the old Blacksmith Shop and suchlike - unfortanetly, everything is very expensive...
Going by way of Greenock (for shopping), we finally got to the farm where we were staying for the next two weeks - at 6:30pm

Sunday, Sept 6^th - being Sunday, we went to church. We found the nearby baptist church in Greenock quite a friendly and welcoming community and the sermon we heard was actually very encouraging to Mum, who had been worried about one or two personal things in recent weeks.
Since it rained for much of the day, we stayed home for the rest of the day, watching a disc of the new DVD-set we'd bought of "The Army Game" (A b/w sitcom that goes waaaay back) which was very funny. It starred Bill Frazer and Alfie Bass for much of the existing series.
(Yes, we had brought along a small collection of our DVDs to choose from so that we'd have something to watch - I know they have a TV, but to be honest all we ever watched on it was the 6 o'clock news)
Meanwhile, I also had my pocket blank-paper notebook that I use for sketching in, so I was also doodling a bit with my new harvest mouse character ([link])
Other general recreation during our time at home included reading a book I'd brought along - "Greek Heroes" by Geraldine McCaughrean, which includes retellings of the stories of Hercules, Theseus, Odysseus and Perseus.

Monday, Sept 7^th - well, one event regarding my art today... I was discussing ideas for my harvest mouse's name with Mum - after dropping other commonplace ideas like Harvey or Percy, we agreed that Boaz suited him. Named after a Biblical character who was a landowner and farmer. [link] [link]
The weather improved a little today, so we went down to Greenock for a wander round the shopping mall and a quick visit to the library for me and Dad to sift our webmail. During a visit to a games-shop there, I also bought a "collector's item" Tails plushie.
(I had a choice between him or Knuckles, and much as I would probably have liked to buy both, I decided to just settle on my favourite character at least)
Later, we also took a walk near Loch Thom, a local reservoir, following a path beside a main spillway (which was very swollen from recent wet weather)
This evening, I also helped with dinner a bit - but it was still edible, at least!

Tuesday, Sept 8^th - wet and windy... we stayed in all day. I spent time sketching, and was also writing a few ideas for Dr Seuss-style verses about "Sonic Adventure" - like how Eggman's "tum was two sizes too big" (after the Grinch a heart two sizes too small)

Wednesday, Sept 9^th - the weather turned sunny, so we took a liesurely drive past Gourock (where we saw the Dunoon-Gourock ferry across the Clyde coming in) and across country, before returning to Greenock.
Whilst there, I got a new shirt, some postcards and also managed to pick up some colouring pencils cheap. I later spent time during the remainder of the holiday colouring some of my pencil sketches of Boaz - so I'll probably be submitting those on here in the near future!

Thursday, Sept 10^th - went to Stirling today. A very interesting day. We saw the Bannockburn memorial and a statue of ol' Robert the Bruce on his horse. Then we went to Stirling Castle, where we went on one of the tours around the place, learning some of its history, and looked at the musuem and suchlike. There was also a part where some very patient weavers were recreating old tapestries on a large loom as part of the restoration projects ongoing at the castle.

Friday, Sept 11^th - went to Paisley, where we spent some of the morning wandering around the shopping malls. This got a bit boring when Mum would keep popping into the clothes shops, but on the other hand I did get some postcards sent off at the Post Office (including one for Silvia/)
I think it was here that I also managed to find a book on drawing caricatures at a bargain book-shop, which made interesting reading later...
Also, Dad and I had another skim through our emails at the library to eliminate spam and keep up with our latest messages (though I didn't personally touch deviantART at all, in my online capacity)
Later in the day, we went over to see a family-friend of ours and had a long evening out chatting with her. It was dark by the time we got home, and seeing the clear night sky out over the farm, it was quite something to see a blanket of stars unspoiled by all those garish dirty-yellow streetlights that don't illuminate anything!
Also, it struck me that it was 's birthday! I hope he had a good day of it!

Saturday, Sept 12^th - today, we managed to do a trip we'd been planning earlier. We drove around the mainland, across country and over a set of hills called the "Rest and Be Thankful" until we reached Dunoon - from where we took a ferry, car and all, across the Clyde and back to Gourock!
We had planned this sooner, only a landslide at the Rest and Be Thankful had closed the road for a couple of days, so the idea was kind of in the air for a time.
Anyway, the river-trip was quite fun.

Sunday, Sept 13^th - Sunday once again, and we returned to Greenock Baptist Church since we liked it so much there last Sunday.
Then we stayed home for the rest of the day, watched our DVD of "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" and had a game of Upwords

Monday, Sept 14^th - since the weather turned out so nice, we drove up around Loch Lomond. In particular, we went to the sleepy little village of Luss. Nice little place.

Tuesday, Sept 15^th - our long-planned trip to Glasgow. Here, we visited the Kelvin Grove Museum, which is a very varied kind of place with sections ranging from art galleries to ancient history (such as Egypt) and wildlife. Of course, Egypt and wildlife are at least two sections that appealed to me!
There's also a Doctor Who exhibition on the Lower Ground Floor (which I know would probably interest ), this year, but unfortunately you'd have to pay through the nose to get into that part!
With the hour's worth of parking we had left, we also had another little look around the old Glasgow Transport Musuem next door.
Later, when we got home, we watched "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" - that was my own choice. It is a good film, but there is rather too much fighting in it IMHO. Especially the "castle raid" scene, which isn't even in the book - that just gets overlong in the later half, when the raid turned into a rout and half the Narnians got trapped inside the courtyard and massacred.
I sure hope that when they finish "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", it sticks a good deal closer to the book. That story doesn't even have any real fighting in it - it's just long sea voyages, fascinating islands and exciting adventures beyond the known area of the world of Narnia!

Wednesday, Sept 16^th - today was Dad's birthday!
We spent the day at East Kilbride, where we wandered around the shopping mall there, and had a nice KFC lunch! We also went in a Waterstone's book-store where I bought a good book - Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot "Complete Short Stories" which features 51 short mysteries from murders to clever jewel robberies. And, in addition to Poirot's clever solving of the mysteries that I've read, I've been amused to see this side to his nature where he is a perfectionist about "order and method" (to the point, I suspect, of having an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
Anyway, after that, we went on to see Dad's aunt (my great-aunt) Margaret, who is getting on in years but still very cheerful and always enjoys having company. She certainly gave us a good tea, too!
We had a good time with her, though.

Thursday, Sept 17^th - returned to Glasgow today! We wanted another look at Kelvin Grove Museum, which is a pretty big place. There were some places we didn't get a chance to see on Tuesday. Turned out to be worthwhile, too. There was a woman giving an organ recital in the main hall, so there was a lot of classical organ music flying around the building for a while - including Highland Cathedral, which I'd kind of adopted as Marquila's theme!
Also, in the gift shop, we made a couple of purchases on soft-toys - Mum got a fluffy little ginger cat that she couldn't resist, and I bought a cute little otter who I've named Orlando! First time in years that I've become kind of attached to a soft-toy, I must admit!

Friday, Sept 18^th - a day for packing.
We spent the morning at Greenock, which included a last clean-up of mine and Dad's email boxes. We spent the afternoon packing, and we also took a long walk around Loch Thom.
We turned in fairly early, since we had to get up to go home tomorrow.

Saturday, Sept 19^th - we were up at 5:00am, but didn't manage to get going until nearly 7:00am
We made our way home by way of Moffat, where we had our breakfast and looked in the Moffat Woollen Mill shop... where I finally managed to get something I'd been looking out for - a scarf to match Danbuster!
It was a tassled scarf in the Elliot tartan ([link]), which has frankly been the closest match we found to the hare's blue scarf, barring the red stripe. So now, at least I'll have something to distinguish myself by when I make any intentional appearance (like the next Summer of Sonic event or something)
We made fairly good time once we were on our way again and had just about reached the skirting edge of Milton Keynes when we stopped for a KFC dinner at the service station.
We actually made it home at 9:00pm, so it was a bit late for doing anything else except first-stage unpacking and going to bed.

So, that was our holiday to Scotland, as briefly as I could give it!
On Sunday, after church, our cousin - who was looking after the pets while we were away - took us out to dinner at our local coffee-shop. Then during the afternoon we kind of broke our usual rule of "day of rest" by going on our computers to begin sorting our mail (and deviantART backlog, in my case)
I still wasn't done with that backlog until yesterday, but now that I've written this journal I guess I'm finally back on track.
I also found that there is still an extension on my hospital job - so at least I have work for the time being.
Hopefully, I'll be able to start getting back to my art projects tomorrow!

And, I don't think I have anything further to add - so in the words of Marquila... Ave atque vale! Salutae!! (Hail and farewell!)

Well, this was certainly a more eventful Saturday than most!
Summer of Sonic 2009 [link] - in London!
I actually managed to get along to that!

This was something planned in advance with some friends I've got to know through deviantART - and what a splendid oppurtunity to make a meeting with so many fine people!

Now, as you know, with my life tends to be pretty quiet and uneventful, so my journals tend to be pretty rare and dull affairs with little to report than the eternal search for permanent employment and the ongoing progress of my various art projects - at least, when it's not some fun journal-quiz I've decided to accept as a tag or something!
Anyway, such a special day as this deserves a little more attention than usual!

Having had some fairly pliable meeting-plans arranged with the friends from Holland - - I took a train from home that arrived in Victoria around about 11:20. I had a text to say they'd arrived early, so I hurried to the first exit of the station to meet them.
Then things went a little complicated. It turns out the Victoria Railway Station is bigger than I'd thought - in fact, I reckon it makes Dr Eggman's Egg Carrier look small!
Anyway, it took a little while to actually meet up with my friends - eventually, I was guided in by phone-contact with Ruben/HHog! And meeting in person, I actually found he was taller than me! Only knowing him previously by the tenor-voice with which he played Hhog and Sonic, this was a surprise, I'll admit. Still...
We soon rejoined with Roger, Silvia and Alex. They were all pretty cool and friendly people - this goes for Alex too, whom I'd never even really had contact with before, except perhaps indirectly through Roger, with whom she forms that infamously funny duo known as EvilDoc!

Still, once we were organised, it was a case of getting the Underground to Liverpool Street, from where we all went on to the hotel they were staying at to drop off their luggage - and from there, at last, to Summer of Sonic, where we met and
They were quite cool guys to meet in person, and all. And Euan had some great sketches for each of us - I had a cute and crazy little number where Danbuster was flying in on his umbrella (if you've seen my "Sonic & Danbuster Ep1" Flash, you'll know what I'm talking about...)
I really love the style he draws Danbuster in. I'd also add that the Eggman costume he was wearing was cool!
Frobman had done an amusing inked pic of Dan, too - which Dad (when he saw it later) said that it really summed me up... totally crackers!
Actually, I had prepared a few quick sketches for everyone myself - such as an EvilDoc "crazy experiment", Retsubnad comparing pyro-powers with Hhog, and Sylvia the Cat playing "Cat and Mouse" with Spencer. Unfortunately, since I sketched these on the train on the way up, I don't actually have the originals anymore, so I can't personally show them...

I also had a brief meeting with a friend of Frobby's,
(I also later learned that was present, but apparently we missed each other - ah well, maybe next time...)

Anyway, it was a fun day, and there was quite a lot of stuff to see, anyway: a display case full of memrobelia, a large Sonic statue, games consoles, cool fan-art and even a fellow in a plush Sonic-outfit (must have been hot in there!)
Managed to get a some good photos, despite having a fairly cheap little camera for the day, and had a go on some of the consoles. Unfortunately, being accustomed to keyboard control, since I only have a PC for a games platform, I didn't perform as well as I might for being a seasoned gamer. "Sonic and the Black Knight" looks pretty good, but it would take me some practice to figure out the handling of a WiiMote - and "Sonic 3 & Knuckles" may be a great old-school classic, but with the XBox control pad I was finding Sonic would run off in some direction I didn't want because the directional-control was less easy to handle than the cursor keys. Ah well, let's face it. It's been years since I "moved up" from my old Master System II - and now, sometimes, I do regret having agreed in a weak moment to give it away to a family-friend's autistic little boy. (And, in my personal opinion, probably didn't handle it with the care that I was taught to while I had it)
There were also some funny fan-made cartoons being shown by the organisers too, including the ever-famous "Sonic Shorts" and the latest cartoon from EvilDoc, discussing the "original" ideas the Sonic Team are coming out with these days...
Frobman also had a cartoon shown, but unfortunately I had to leave before they showed it - though I've since seen it on YouTube and it is funny.

Since I was going home for dinner, I had to leave at 4:30 - my tube-train had me back at Victoria within the hour, and I was just in time to catch a train home directly after alighting. Made it back at about 7:30 for a warm fish-pie dinner.
And all in all, yes - it was a fun and interesting day, and it was great meeting some online friends for the first time!

Well, yeah... I'm still looking out for a permanent job...
But since last week, I actually found a little temporary job through a local employment agency!

I know, I was pretty amazed at how suddenly it was arranged myself! It would have been a contract of about three weeks or something, working as a General Assistant for the local hospital, but unfortunately it coincided with our holiday, which was planned well in advance and couldn't really be gone back on at such short notice... so I'm just doing two weeks, but still I hope it's worth something on the CV and to getting my face known to the hospital (I mean, if all goes well, they might even decide I'm worth having back for a fulltime job in the future - who knows?)

Actually, the job I currently have is, to quote Sherlock Holmes, "Simplicity itself."
Basically, there's the three of us in a team, going around such wards and departments as we're directed via a list on a clipboard, counting up all the sinks and then running the taps of all sinks, showers and baths for a two-minute duration (those that you can get too, since some of them are obstructed or in side-rooms occupied by patients that prefer to be left alone)... and then turning them off again.
Sound trivial? Well, I guess it does... certainly, you can feel a right nana just running a tap and people around wondering what the heck you're at - actually, it's explained as checking for Legionairre's Disease, since there was apparently an outbreak of this nasty virus as the William Harvey a while back. All we have to do is make sure the water runs clear (not discoloured, or with any unusual discharge) - or if the taps prove to be broken, or the drainage is blocked, we have to let the staff since we can't check it properly.
Well, I must say it's been interesting to see some new areas of the hospital, anyway...

Did I mention going on holiday? Oh yes... if for some reason you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks as from Saturday, it's only because we've gone to Scotland for a little while. Hopefully, we'll have a good time, and a chance to forget our troubles for a while!
I've still got this second week of my job for the hospital, too, but at least I'll be active until then.

*Schwarzenegger pose* I'll be baaaack!!