So how has 2009 been for ya'll? Here's the rundown of my insane year:

Jan 5th - Back to uni after Christmas break
Jan 8th - Started work on Flash game "Bobby & Sam"
Jan 10th - Nan went into hospital after a fall at home
Jan 19th - End of semester 1 (deadline day)
Jan 27th - Nan died

Feb 2nd - Start of semester 2
Feb 13th - Half term (no classes for a week)
Feb 18th - Nan's funeral
Feb 23rd - Dissertation deadline for uni
Feb 28th - Grandad's birthday-type-thing (his real birthday is leap day!), took him out for the day

Mar 2nd - Final major project for uni begins
Mar 5th - Terry, our family friend with cancer found out his tumor had reduced by 50%
March 23rd-28th - "Calamity Jane" show week, also end of term for uni

Apr 10th - My 21st birthday
Apr 13th - Reunited with one of my oldest friends, who couldn't make it to my party
Apr 15th - Another friend's 21st birthday
Apr 20th - My cousin got engaged! Also back to uni

May 3rd - Scooby (my brother's guinea-pig) became ill
May 4th - Scooby had already died when I went to feed the animals that morning
May 6th - Finished work on my uni final
May 15th - Reunited with my old drama group and a lot of old friends
May 26th - Final major project deadline

June 2nd - End of semester 2 (professional practice module deadline) and end of university, started work on exhibitions
June 8th - Found out I got a first for my dissertation! Woohoo!
June 9th - End of year show at the university campus
June 24th - David's (my brother) birthday

July 3rd - Dad's birthday
July 7th - Found out my final major mark, was disappointing and worrying
July 9th - Got my uni overall grade and still managed to get the mark I wanted!
July 10th - Celebrated uni mark with the few other classmates who actually wanted to celebrate XD
July 13th-17th - Exhibition at New Designers, London
July 18th-25th - Family holiday in Yorkshire
July 28th - Got my official grade through the post!

Aug 7th - Finished animation for Flash game "Bobby & Sam"
Aug 14th - Coco (my rabbit) went to the vet, had a major operation and turned out she had cancer
Aug 15th - Coco died overnight, sometime after awaking from the operation
Aug 20th - David got his AS results, aced them!
Aug 23rd-26th - Visited family in Devon
Aug 27th - Had an interview for an animation job (didn't get it though!)
Aug 29th - Adopted 2 baby guinea-pigs

Sept 5th - Our new next door neighbours finished moving in (hey, first time I've ever had new next door neighbours!!)
Sept 8th - Mum's birthday
Sept 9th - Got offered a contract with an ecard company
Sept 24th - Started work on Flash game "Larry and Lizzy"
Sept 29th - Got offered an interview with the company that turned me down a month ago (position was cancelled later though)
Sept 30th - Graduation day!!

Oct 1st - Started working on Halloween music video
Oct 2nd - My REAL diploma arrived (the ones they give you on stage are fake)
Oct 14th - My first ecard went up for sale
Oct 15th - Terry (who's cancer was now terminal) invited us and a few other friends over for the evening, last time I saw him
Oct 26th - Managed to buy tickets to see the Paul McCartney concert in December!
Oct 29th - Finished work on Halloween music video (didn't upload it 'til the 31st though)

Nov 2nd-7th - "My Fair Lady" show week

Dec 7th - Some of my RL friends were on a gameshow on TV!
Dec 17th - Snowstorm. Epic.
Dec 19th - Terry died, after getting worse the last few days
Dec 22nd - Paul McCartney concert!


*whew* And those are the highlights, more or less. Yes, I knew this year would be pretty hectic and I actually wrote down most of the stuff that happened to me throughout the year as it happened, to remember it all. I knew it'd be a crazy year, but even so there have been things that have happened this year I couldn't possibly prepare for. So it's been even weirder than I'd ever imagined! I decided to leave out the stuff about the amount of animation jobs I've applied for since I left university, or the last few months would be way too repetitive. XD

Here's hoping you all have a happy new year!!

Just to let ya'll know, I've made a side account for my portfolio work (which I need since I finish university in just over a month) which is . I'm transferring a few bits from this account to there. Just letting you all know so you don't think that I'm stealing my own artwork or anything XD

And I also have a huge amount of messages and deviations to go through, which I neglected due to college work. While I'm online, I'll go through the updates I already have, but just giving you all the heads up in case you send me a message and I don't reply for a few weeks! Things are just going to be crazy for the next month and I doubt I'll keep up to date with it all.

News...

I've been working all day and just want to wind down a little. So voila! Yet another quiz.

Stolen from

Boring Things
What is your name?: Gemma
How old will you be 5 months from now?: Still 20
Are you an only child?: Nope, I have one brother.
What are your mom and dad's names?: Sally and John
Hometown?: Somewhere in the south-east of England

Okay, Here Are Some Random Questions.
Do you like cake?: Usually
Single or taken?: Single
Do you listen to Coldplay?: Nah
What is your middle name?: Louise
Do you enjoy reading?: Yup
What time do you usually fall asleep?: Somewhere between midnight to half one
Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?: Omar Sharif
What does your purse/wallet look like?: It's red and has a picture of Snoopy on it
Are you afraid of bugs?: No way, bugs are cool!
What annoys you most about your parents?: Hmm... not much, but they tend to disagree a lot XD
Do you like sleeping?: Yes, but I don't sleep very much
Have you ever played The Sims?: Have I ever!! (Sims 1 and 2)
Do you eat meat?: Nah
What do you want for your birthday this year?: To not get older.
Do you get annoyed when people don't spell things right?: Not usually, but excessive chatspeak annoys me
Do you have any small animals?: Yeah, a bunny and a guinea-pig (but the bunny's kinda gigantic...)
Are you talking on AIM right now?: No, I only have AIM on my other computer
Do you pronounce it "A-I-M" or "aim"?: Both. I alternate because I'm weird like that.
What movie have you watched most recently?: School Of Rock
Do you read myspace bulletins?: I've never even been on MySpace!
Do you create surveys?: Nah
Would you ever eat a bug for any reason?: No, but only because I don't eat any animals. Otherwise I might!
Do you type fast?: Fairly

Family and Friends
Do you have a best friend?: Yup
Has your family ever been on a vacation together?: Yup
Do you have family birthday parties?: Very rarely, but we had a party for my nan's 80th last week!
Do you look like your siblings (or cousins if you are an only child)?: When we were younger my brother and I looked alike, apparently.
Do you have a brother? If so, is he older or younger?: Four years younger, but a whole foot taller.
Does your dad try to embarass you?: Probably. (either way he constantly succeeds...)

School.
Have you ever done summer school?: Nah
Do you have big lockers at your school?: No lockers at all in uni, but at secondary school we only had small lockers.
What class are you ( '09, '10, '11, '12)?: Graduating in '09!
Are you allowed to chew gum at your school?: In uni, yes. We never were allowed to in school though.

More randomness.
Do you have a Mac or a PC?: Yes. (my main computer's a PC and my laptop's a Mac)
When is the next time you think you are going to a movie?: Absolutely no idea
Are you tired right now?: A little
Do you like to watch TV?: Depends on what's on. Sometimes I prefer to just have it on in the background while doing something else.
Do you like vegetables?: Some, but mostly I prefer them raw.
Do you always do your homework on time?: Yup
What is your least favorite song?: Barbie Girl
Do you play video games much?: Yup
Do you watch Grey's Anatomy?: Nah
How about Gilmore Girls?: Seen it once, many years ago.
Do you wear jewlery every day?: I always wear a watch when I go out, otherwise no, only rarely.
Have you read Twilight?: Nah
Do you think Robert Pattinson will make a good Edward?: ... I have no idea what you're talking about.
Have you ever seen "Catch That Kid"?: Nah
Do you like Hayden Christensen?: Meh.

Ending- Finish The Sentence.
I am so....: ... sanely-challenged.
Don't ever make....: ... a chair out of bits of broken glass.
I hate when I have to......: ... remember something I have no interest in.
Music is ...: ... what makes the world go round!
I like to........: ... do things for a reason, or make up a reason as to why I am doing something.
Friends are the.....: ... invisible glue!

Well that helped to take my mind off of things... such as how long it took me to actually fill this in.

100 Theme Challenge --> [link]

Clubs -->

External Links:

MyToons - [link]
Sheezy - [link]
TLKFAA - [link]
Subeta - [link]
The Sims Resource - [link]


See ya!!

News...

Stolen from because it looks fun... and because I'm ebil.

Rules:
1. Choose a few of your own characters. Five at the most
2. Make them answer the following questions
3. Then tag three people.

Characters:
Rocky and Rolly. I'm thinking of making a second animated cartoon about these two, so if I do this I'd better make sure I'm familiar with them!!

1) How Old Are You?
Rocky: 11 years, I've just started secondary school... ugh!
Rolly: I was brought into existence 4 years ago.

2) Height?
Rocky: A little over 5 foot.
Rolly: About 3 foot, but I can stretch my neck up to 57 foot when I want to!

3) You Got Any Bad Habits?
Rocky: Getting into trouble.
Rolly: Following Rocky's lead.

4) You a virgin?
Rocky: DUDE. Of course! I only had that "talk" with my dad a year or two ago. Sheesh.
Rolly: Yeah... see... I've never met anyone else of my kind... so it's complicated...

5) Who's your Mate/Spouse?
Rocky: Well, see... I have someone in mind, and we WILL get together... she just doesn't know it yet. Yeah.
Rolly: Still looking for someone my own kind... if you ever meet another living, breathing accidental lab experiment let me know, okay?

6) Have Any Kids?
Rocky: I created Rolly... in a lab... by accident... so technically I could kinda call him my kid.
Rolly: Nope, but man, how great would THAT be? I'd hope they inherit my stretchy expanding neck!

7) Favorite Food?
Rocky: Anything with sugar that can make me crazy and hyper. Heck yeah.
Rolly: I can eat almost anything... including a ton of things that apparently aren't edible. Hmm... guess I have such a wide choice I don't really have a favourite.

8) Favorite Ice Cream flavor?
Rocky: Yes.
Rolly: Banoffee! A perfect mixture of banana and toffee.

9) Killed anyone?
Rocky: Hey, that bee had it coming. My face was covered in honey, it was buzzing after me angrily, what was I supposed to do?
Rolly: Not long ago I was partially responsible for the murder of a caravan... but then again so was Rocky.

10) Hate anyone?
Rocky: Those popular snobs and bullies at school. I wanna do baaad things to their kind... *picks up very heavy mallet*
Rolly: *snatches mallet from Rocky and throws it off-screen, knocking out one of the backstage crew as it flies off* I have a vicious rivalry with the washing machine. One unpleasant experience of being stuck inside that thing and you can just never forgive it.

11) Any Secrets?
Rocky: My best friend is an accidental freak of nature who was the result of a lab experiment malfunction.
Rolly: I'm an accidental freak of nature who was the result of a lab experiment malfunction.

12) Love Anyone?
Rocky: I like someone, but I haven't actually spoken to her yet.
Rolly: Okay, so one time I fell for this giant rubber band ball, but in my defence it totally looked like it could've been a manmade creature, like myself.

13) TACOS?
Rocky: Yes please! Followed by a belching contest - sounds like fun, huh?
Rolly: With extra spiciness!!

14) Ever slept in All day?
Rocky: A few times. Some days I use up so much energy doing something weird and different that I need the whole of the next day to recharge.
Rolly: Oh yeah, I did that one time. That was some party.

15) Eye colors?
Rocky: Damn cartoonist didn't colour my eyes, so they're just white with black pupils. Talk about laziness!
Rolly: Same here.

16) Hair?
Rocky: I have five short black hairs upon my head.
Rolly: I have very short purple fur - orange in some places - growing all over me.

17) Fat/Average/Slim?
Rocky: About average, hopefully though my muscles will start to develop more. That'd be sweet.
Rolly: Round and podgy... and kinda bouncy too.

l8) Rain or sunshine?
Rocky: Sunshine is great, because you can get out the house and have fun. But I don't like it when it's too hot and I'm too energetic, 'cause then you get all sweaty and sticky. Yeesh.
Rolly: Sun during the day when you want to go outside, rain during the evening to help you snuggle up in your home.

19) Pool or Beach?
Rocky: The beach... as long as you don't get a crab climb into your swimming trunks. See, there was this one time when... eh, actually I'd rather not tell you.
Rolly: The beach... as long as you don't swallow too much salt water.

20) Camping or staying home?
Rocky: Camping! Roasting marshmallows, telling spooky stories... ah, if only tents had a built-in plasma TV and cable that would be the ultimate way of living.
Rolly: Don't get me wrong, I like nature and adventures and stuff, but staying at home is better. Camping isn't always safe - you could get attacked by a bear or a wolf. Also, having to go to the bathroom outside isn't much fun either.

21) Dog or Cat?
Rocky: Friendly loyal dogs! My family used to have a big, fuzzy Border Collie. He would tear the house apart. These days, however... that's MY job.
Rolly: Hmm... dogs I guess. I don't have any experience with them, but cats have it in for me. They scare me.

22) Believe in aliens?
Rocky: Yeah! Well, I think so, I really hope there are aliens out there and that someday they come to visit us!!
Rolly: I think it's possible, but don't encourage Rocky or he'll take me on some bizarre adventure.

23) What do you do to relax?
Rocky: Watch TV, play video games, eat junk food, or any combination of those three.
Rolly: Daydream.

24) Car or Ship...?
Rocky: As long as it's more reliable and cooler than our caravan, I don't care.
Rolly: I'll pass. I get motion sickness real bad. But I agree with Rocky, ANYTHING is better than our caravan.

25) What is your job?
Rocky: Being a kid. You know, getting into trouble at school, forgetting to clean my room, getting on my parents' nerves... same old, same old.
Rolly: Trying to keep Rocky out of trouble. If this was a REAL job, I'd have been fired a looooong time ago.

26) Any Unusual Things about you?
Rocky: In school, I'm the weird kid. Everything about me is unusual, 'cause I don't follow the crowd and I'm no clone. Sure, when I leave school none of that'll matter, but right now I'm considered pretty unusual.
Rolly: Well for one thing I'm a mutant freak, another my neck can grow and shrink, also I'm purple and orange...

27) Boy or Girl?
Rocky: I hope I'm a boy; if not I've been buying the wrong underwear.
Rolly: Technically I'm an "it", but I act like a guy.

28) Favorite Place?
Rocky: The theme park a few miles from where we live. Well... as long as I'm not standing in one of those ridiculously long queues.
Rolly: In our back garden on a fresh summer's day. Drinking a smoothie.

29) Do you like pancakes?
Rocky: As long as it's overloaded with sugar or syrup... or both!
Rolly: Sure! Not fussy about the topping, I'll have anything.

30) Last words?
Rocky: Finally! So... whatcha wanna do now, Rolly?
Rolly: *collapses* Zzz...

I tag... YOU, YOU and YOU.

100 Theme Challenge --> [link]


External Links:

MyToons - [link]
Sheezy - [link]
TLKFAA - [link]
Subeta - [link]
The Sims Resource - [link]


See ya!!