I stole this silly survey from Amber. I thought it was the least I could do for all 2 of my followers since I've been neglecting my blog!!

1. If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals, or are they members of your family?

-We only have one pet.  Jasmine the cat.  She's a great cat and she's asleep in my lap right now, but we did just get her.  She's not quite part of the family yet......

2. If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?

-I am really happy right now, I would just dream about living happily ever after.  That things would continue to change, but they would always continue to be good, and if not always good, at least manageable :)

3. What is the one thing most hated by you?

-rudeness, racism, stupidity, selfishness

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?

-I would pay off my debt, buy a house, buy a car, set up trust funds for my kids, give Uncle Sam his share, keep enough to keep me comfortable, give elaborate gifts to my closest friends and family, donate the rest to hard working single mothers and sick children, except i wouldn't give it to charities, because most of your money goes to make people rich way before it helps anyone out, so I would seek out worthy recipients myself.

5. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

-my kids and my love

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

-Loving someone else is definitely best, but if you can have both, then you're truly blessed.

7. What is your bedtime routine?

-I usually put the kids to bed, do the daily cleaning, watch television or play online, get in bed, make out with my boyfriend, and sometimes i read for a bit and sometimes i go right to sleep after all that.

8. If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?

-He works where I live, and I used to be pretty consistent about paying my rent late ;)

9. If you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?
-I've watched people sketch or paint before and it's pretty cool, but I really like to admire the final result.  So, for the sake of this question, I think I have to go with the culinary arts here.  I love to watch food network and top chef.

10. What kinds of books do you read?

-whatever I want to read.......

(Where is 11?! Did it run away and hide?!)

12. What’s your fear?

-death - either for myself or those I love.  I would hate to be separated from my loved ones under any circumstance, but death is the most extreme circumstance in which to lose someone.

13. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space?

-No way.  I prefer Earth to space anyway, and I try not to eat too much junk food, but when I do, it's a truly special time :p

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?

-I would rather do what will make me happy.  If I would be happily married, I could gladly do without money, but if I could be single and rich and could better take care of my children, then that one would be okay too.

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

-I wake up to my alarm every morning and I hit the snooze button at least 3, but no more than 6 times.  If it's Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, I get up, hit the shower, get ready for work.  If it's Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, I get Paydon up, get him into the shower, lay out his clothes, cook his breakfast, and get him off to school.  If it's Saturday, I hang out all morning in my undies and watch cartoons with  my babies.

16. If you could change one thing about your spouse/partner what would it be?

-I wouldn't change anything about him.  That's why our relationship is so great.  I don't love EVERYTHING about him, but he's a great man who I don't feel like I need to change

17. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

-I'd have to think about that for a WHILE.

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?

-I would certainly try.  I have been able to, in the past, forgive and forget some pretty terrible things.  and by forget, I don't mean that I don't remember them at all, but I allow myself to fully trust again.  I don't let the thing that they did sit in the back of my mind and poison my relationship with them.  There have been times though when I couldn't do that, but I think it's because I didn't want to.

19. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?

-chicken.  there are so many different ways to fix it.  In fact, I had chicken burgers for dinner.

Fairwell 2010

          2010 has been the best year of my life and I have reason to believe that 2011 will be even better.  I could go on and on and on about why it was so amazing, but I think I'll just say that I found stability in almost every avenue of my life.  I got to spend more quality time with my kids.  I stayed financially capable.  I found the love and respect of a great man.  I did not get to spend as much time with my friends as I would have liked, but my true friends know that I love them and respect that my priority is my family.
          We have big plans for 2011.  I plan to continue to keep my finances in order and even try to pay off some old debt.  I plan to work out more in order to stay healthier and more fit and tone.  I plan to continue finding ample opportunity to spend quality time with my kids and my man.  I want to get engaged to solidify to everyone that this man is truly the love of my life, and we will spend the rest of our lives being ridiculously happy.  I plan to spend more time with my friends, but not at the expense of losing time with my children.  I plan to keep my house a little neater.  I want to get a new dog, but not until I get my house clean and my carpets cleaned. 
          What are your New Year's Resolutions?!

Buddy

Richard and I recently made the decision to give my tiny toy poodle up for adoption.  We loved Buddy, but he was he was too much maintenance.  We want to get another dog after the carpets and laundry is done to minimize the smell of Buddy in the apartment.

Buddy was much loved in our house but poodle coats require constant grooming, and their eyes require constant washing.  I knew I had to let him go when his hair began to get matted, his eyes were draining onto his face, and his coat began to look yellow rather than white after a bath.  I gave him regular baths and even attempted to keep his hair cut and his eyes washed out, but I was seeing the effects of my neglect and gave him to a stay at home mother of two little girls.  She and the girls will have more time to tend to my baby than I ever did.

I really wanted to get a Yorkie or a Yorkie poo as a replacement, but both of these breeds also require a lot of maintenance.

We quickly ruled out Maltese as well for the same reason, but I insisted I wanted a long-haired dog, while Richard insisted we needed a short-haired one.

It only took him seconds to rule out Pomeranian for the same reason.

Richard suggested something like a Boston Terrier or Pug, but I quickly ruled out those two breeds for their relationship to the bulldog.  Their more stout with a strong jaw, so they're not much for me to cuddle with, and they might be able to break skin if they got nippy with the kids.

I'm not much for the Jack Russell Terrier either, because I think they're too hyper for an apartment, and we had already ruled out all large breeds due to size and room restraints.

When Richard suggested Chihuahua, I was ready to make a compromise, but I was still favoring the look and feel of long-haired dogs.

 Then I did a little research on long-haired Chihuahuas.  Their coat is longer, but does NOT require constant grooming, only bathing and brushing.  Their jaws are very weak, sometimes too week to consume hard food, so even though they're known to be nippy dogs, he won't do any damage if he bites.  They have proven to be trainable pets.  They are very self-centered dogs who love attention.  So, in a few months, after we gets things here back in order after the holidays, we've decided to get a long-haired Chihuahua and I'm already so excited.

If you have any suggestions about a pet that might fit our needs better who we didn't consider, let me know!

2 pies in only 20 minutes of prep time!

This is a little holiday tradition of mine.  I love pumpkin pie, cheesecake, and pumpkin cheesecake during the holidays!  Making two pies at once does take a little more concentration since they don't have exactly the same ingredients, so it's easy to get confused, but with some practice, you can double your fun making a pumpkin pie and cheesecake simultaneously.

You will need:

Pumpkin Pie:
1 (14)oz. can of pumpkin
1 (12)oz. can of non-sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 dash of salt
1 pinch each of: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, allspice
1 (9) in graham cracker pie crust

Cheesecake:
2 (8)oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1/2 cup of milk
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 dash of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 (9) in graham cracker pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Soften your cream cheese by microwaving on High for 20 seconds, and place into a medium size mixing bowl.  Put pumpkin into a comparable sized mixing bowl.

Add your condensed milk to your pumpkin bowl, and your 2% milk to your cheesecake bowl.

Add 2 large eggs beaten, a cup of sugar, and a dash of salt to each bowl.  Add vanilla into your cheesecake bowl.  Add cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and clove to your pumpkin bowl.  Now that all the ingredients are in their proper bowl, mix both of them with a mixer or in a blender.

Now, this part is a little tricky.  After pouring both mixtures into a pie crust, place ONLY the pumpkin pie into the oven on the middle rack.  Cook at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350, put the cheesecake into the oven.  Bake both pies for 45 minutes on the middle rack.  Remove from the oven and let cool, then you can eat them, or put them into the refrigerator to chill.

For a pumpkin cheesecake, opt to get 3 smaller pie crusts, after filling the pie crusts, combine the leftovers from each bowl into your third pie crust to make your pumpkin cheesecake.

Precious

          I had some mixed feelings about this film prior to seeing it because although it won several awards, it got some very negative reviews from some people who saw it.  After seeing Precious, I conclude that if you hated it, it's because you didn't understand it.  It is based on the book, Push, by Sapphire.  The first thing that you need to understand is that this book is written from the point of view of an illiterate 16 year old girl, and the ignorance and innocence transcends into the film.  A lot of people said there was too much profanity and the hardships that this girl was faced with were just unrealistic.  I think all of those people are very lucky to have never had to experience or witness a life so full of tragedy, but they're extremely naive if they think such people don't exist!  I will agree, however, that this movie is not for the faint at heart.
          The story starts in Harlem in 1987, and follows 16 year old, Precious Jones.  In the beginning of the movie, Precious is being suspended from school for being pregnant for the second time by her own father.  A lady from her school tells Precious about an alternative school she may be able to attend, and wanting to better her life from that of her mother, Precious goes.  In the beginning, she reads and writes on a 2nd grade level (but to be honest, my 5 year old reads and writes better).  Her mother seems like a heartless, angry woman, who makes Precious do all the cooking and cleaning while she sits watching television all day.  Her mother is also physically abusive.  She is supported on welfare for Precious and for her first child, Mongo, who is an adorable little girl who suffers from down syndrome and lives with Precious' grandmother.  She only sees her daughter when the social worker comes around, and her mother allows Mongo to come over so that it will appear that she lives there.
          In the beginning of the movie, Precious is very quiet.  She conforms to the things in her life for the lack of better knowing.  After a few months or so at Each One, Teach One (the alternative school), you can see that she gains confidence and happiness (as much happiness as a person in her situation could experience).  She begins writing in a journal every day to her teacher, Ms. Rain.  Her story begins to touch the teacher and she starts giving Precious advice and inspiration in her return letters.
          After giving birth to her second child, Precious returns to her mother's house where they get into a physical altercation, after he mother tosses her newborn baby into a chair.  She is upset about losing her welfare after Precious told her own counselor that Mongo did not actually live with them, and that her mother had lied in order to get welfare.  Precious defends herself and her child and goes to the only place she knows she is safe, Each One, Teach One.  After trying for hours to find a place for them to go, Ms. Rain allows Precious and her newborn to stay at her house with herself and her female life partner.  Precious gets herself into a halfway house with her teacher's help and it seems that she is on the road to get her life together.
          Precious' mother comes to visit her at her halfway house to inform her that her father has died, and that he had died of AIDS.  She tells her mother that she should get herself tested and walks out of the room.  Precious reveals in the next scene that she has tested positive for HIV and that she will die.  Ms. Rain convinces her to continue to write and tell her story so that she can help other people in similar situations.
          At the end of the movie, Precious' mother asks her counselor to reunite her with her daughter.  Precious agrees to the meeting.  The meeting is a little odd as you realize that this woman is not heartless, just broken by her own life.  She admits to hating Precious for taking her man away.  She reveals that she believed that no other man would ever love her, and he was loving Precious instead of her, that Precious had stolen her man away.  She was upset that he had given Precious more children than he gave her.  She truly breaks down in a tearful jolt of mumbling, some of which makes little or no sense.  After her mother leaves, and returns with Precious' daughter, Precious takes her daughter and her son and walks away from her mother, never planning to see her again.  She wants to create a better life for her children, while knowing she will not be there to raise them.
          The movie was not glamorous at all.  There were no special effects.  The dream sequences were a bit outrageous.  But I got the impression that all of that added to the real, deep, dirty truth of Precious.

Splice

          I can't tell you how excited that I was when Rich said he picked up the movie Splice from the Red Box.  I have been so excited to see it and didn't even decide that it was complete and utter SHIT until the credits rolled at the end, so no one can say that I didn't give this movie more than a fair chance.  

          It is a movie about a young scientist couple, specializing in splicing animal and plant DNA for medical and pharmaceutical uses (and they have a title like splicologists or something), who is trying to get permission from the board who funds their program to approve introducing human DNA into an experiment.  When the board refuses, Elsa and Clive create this animal/human hybrid splice in private.  Elsa obviously wears the pants in the relationship and Clive does everything that she asks and she is the one who pushes the whole thing, and you find out later that she uses her own human DNA which only allows you to believe that she has serious mother/daughter issues, since she doesn't want children at all, just pets with her own DNA.  As they become completely consumed with their hybrid pet/child thing, their lab (N.E.R.D.) is failing miserably at the task that the board has given them to find where the protein is coming from that is so helpful (which is the reason for the whole experiment).  They are experimenting on Ginger and Fred who are a male and female pair of plant/animal splices that look like big nasty blobs of flesh.  They had noticed that Ginger's estrogen levels had dropped, but didn't realize until their huge science conference that Ginger had actually turned into a male when Fred and Ginger kill each other and splatter blood on a crowd full of other scientists (not a very good impression).

          After the major set back, the lab is being taken over by the big bosses who are funding the program and in order to protect their secrecy, Dren, their animal/human hybrid (whose name, btw, comes from their lab's name backwards) has to be moved to Elsa's farm, which used to belong to her dead mother (there is DEFINITELY a weird, fucked-up back story which I kept waiting for them to explain, which they NEVER did.  Her mother was crazy, and now she's dead, and Elsa has issues, and that's all they EVER let you know!)  Dren is growing at a rate of days in minutes, so her life is rapidly progressing before their eyes.  They have by this time discovered that she can breath under water, and has wings hidden away under her skin, and blah blah blah.  In earlier days, Dren had favored Elsa, like you would a mother, and despised Clive, who did actually try to kill her once and tried to talk Elsa out of ever creating her in the first place, but as she reaches what would be her teenage years, that is if she aged in years, she begins to resent Elsa and favor Clive, but not like a father.  She seduces Clive, and Elsa walks in as they're having sex.  Elsa is disgusted that Clive has cheated (and with something that wasn't even human) and they have a big fight, but agree to settle their differences and deal with Dren.  They return to the farm to find her sick and dying.  She dies soon after, at which time they dig a hole and bury her, only to have her come back to life as a man, at which time she kills Clive, rapes Elsa, and then gets killed by Elsa.

          In the last scene, Elsa is giving the board the right to further the study.  They offer her a lot of money, which she accepts, then she stands to reveal she is pregnant, which insinuates that furthering the study would mean studying her unborn hybrid incest child which I find absolutely disgusting.

          The acting wasn't great.  The story line was flaky.  The details were a bit outrageous.  They didn't define the characters well at all.  You never understand where Elsa's mother issues come from, or why Clive is a freak who likes hybrid women (I say she seduced him, but basically she kissed him and he pulled his pants down), or how Elsa can forgive her boyfriend of 7 years for cheating with her half random-animal daughter in one conversation, or how Dren thinks or feels at all, or why Elsa was so adamant about keeping Dren to herself, to study by herself, but she's willing to sell her unborn, inbred child for science.  Even in a science fiction movie where the plot is unbelievable, the characters should be believable.

I give this movie a 1 out of 5.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

We just watched the first episode of the Starz series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand.  It was racy, saucy, and sexy.  There was a lot of blood, some power struggles, lots of nudity, and several sex scenes.  We were going to watch the first 2 episodes, but by the end of the first, Rich was practically attacking me!  I recommend this show to anyone :)