Guess what I did yesterday?

I went with Mr. Potts to test drive a car! Two cars in fact.

A few facts about me:

• I'm a driver. I love cars built for driving. Those with tight suspensions that can hug a turn at 55mph and not drift.
• I can drive a stick - a 6 speed, if you please. And I'll admit, I'm good at it.
  
• I used to drive a little 350Z. I miss it. It was sporty, it was fast, it was me.
• I now drive a Honda Accord named Betsy. Why Betsy? Well, she's like your girl next door. She's so not me. When she's dirty (which is frequent) she's dirty girl Betsy.
  
• I test drove 2 cars today.
  
• A 2006 BMW 325i automatic sedan
• A 2007 BMW 328i 6 speed manual coupe. After driving the 6 speed I realized what I've been missing.

Now, to find the right one for me. Our BMW dealership is searching & I'm hoping they will find what I want.

25 Things about me

I recently did this on Facebook & thought I'd share it with you all. Some of the things you may have already known.

1. I love to throw parties. I love hosting people over. I love everything to do with having people over, except for the cleaning that comes before.

2. I love to cook. I love experimenting with food. I'm really good at it too.

3. Mr. Potts was the best chance I ever took.

4. I miss Maddy every day & still look around for her. I don't think I'll ever get over losing her.

5. I told my ex-husband that I would kill him if he tried to keep Maddy. And I meant it.

6. I cry. Easily. The commercial (yes, commercial) that gets me every year is the Folgers one where the son comes home & makes coffee & his mom comes downstairs & sees him. I feel that I am extremely empathetic, which leads to my crying.

7. I once was "mis-placed" in a mall by a forgetful babysitter (could have been an aunt or friend of my mom's, I'm not sure). Luckily they found me.

8. I don't get hangovers. Yep, I know, you hate me.

9. I have an obsession with beautiful handbags. Mr. Potts indulges my obsession & usually gives me a new one for Christmas & birthdays.

10. I love to read. I've been known to buy 10 books at a time so I don't run out & not have anything to read.

11. I'm incredibly goofy. I mean, to a point that Mr. Potts just shakes his head at me. I'm so goofy that I laugh at myself. A lot.

12. I wish I had kept in touch better with people I knew from high school & college.

13. I'm pretty good at the track - the horse track. The last time we went to Derby (Mr. Potts is from Louisville) I won. I won enough that I walked out with as much as I walked in with. Even after buying food & drinks.

14. I met my father when I was 13 & we've built our relationship from there. I'm really proud that we've gotten closer over the last few years.

15. I have been to 42 of the 50 states. I'll probably never visit all 50 - I just can't think of anything that really would take me to South Dakota....nope, probably not.

16. I was mugged when I lived in New Orleans. Right in front of my house. Two days before I was to move back to NC. It was Cinco de Mayo & I had gone with my friends to eat at my favorite Southwestern restaurant (Sante Fe) and then went home. I heard someone behind me & I thought he was asking for change. So I brushed it off with a "I don't have any change." Something in his tone changed & when I turned around I saw the gun & heard the man tell me to give him my money. I was a little inebriated & laughed at him until I realized he was serious.

17. I never carry cash (see #16)

18. I can fall asleep anywhere. It is a special talent I have - this thing for sleeping. I can fall asleep on a plane, in a car, for a quick 30 minute nap. Easy

19. I drink more water than anyone I know. I probably drink anywhere from 2-3 gallons of water a day.

20. I must have coffee every morning. If I don't, I get a headache later.

21. I can only let my hair grow to a certain point. After that, I have to cut it or I get headaches because it is so thick & heavy.

22. I was born missing one of my bottom teeth. It just never grew in. So I'm short a tooth.

23. I am on a first name basis with my periodontist. I've had two mouth surgeries (I won't go into the details - enough to say it was excruciatingly painful) and am a total freak about good oral hygiene. I floss at least twice a day & am a snob about the kind of floss I use.

24. I love my job & feel that I have a lot of growth potential with it.

25. My favorite flowers are tulips. I personally think that roses are over-rated.

Interview time

I volunteered to be interviewed and had two of my blog friends send me sets of questions. Julie, I apologize for taking so long to get these on here! If anyone wants to know anything else, just ask away & I'll make another post with the Q&A.

Julie, from Wearing Mascara sent me my first set of interview questions.
1. Do you have any pets? If so, what kind and what are they like?
Mr. Potts and I have 2 pets. Hayden, the wonder dog and Pepe the cat. Hayden is a yellow lab who is full of energy. She loves long walks (do I sound like I'm writing a personal ad?) & water. We've taken her to the dog park where she loves to find the first mud puddle & jump in. From that point she proceeds to wallow in it while we hiss (cause we're trying not to be those owners who yell - yeah, who are we kidding), "Hayden! Get out of the MUD!!" Never works. She then proceeds to run & play while all the other dog owners (whose dogs somehow manage to avoid the mud puddle?) look at her, shake their heads & tell us how dirty she is.
Pepe is short for Pepe le Pew as he smelled like a skunk when I rescued him. He was 4 months old & only weighed 4lbs at the time. He was a sight, with kitty dreadlocks sticking out all over his head. He is a little spastic & loves to "hunt" my ponytail holders.

2. Do you believe in love at first sight?
For me, no. I thought Mr. Potts was really good-looking when we first met, but it wasn't love at first sight. I do however, tend to fall in love easily & allow myself to express it.

3. From the time you wake up to when you leave your house, what is your daily (M-F) routine?

• I wake up at 4:40am to go to the gym
• Bathroom for a quick swipe of my teeth & I either wear contact or glasses
• Other bedroom to get dressed - I put my left shoe on first
• Out the door to the gym
• 1 hour cardio minimum - February starts more weight training, but that will probably be in the evening.
• Back home to shower
• Walk in, let Hayden out, feed her, make coffee
  
• Shower
  
• Depending on which day it is I either wash my hair & blow dry or don't & do a quick touch up (I can't wash my hair every day)
• Brush my teeth - at a minimum 4 minutes
• Put on makeup
• Get dressed
• Go downstairs & get all my stuff together
• Make cup of coffee
• Out the door
  

4. What is your favorite or most inspirational blog and why?
I'm not sure that I can really pick. I think that there are so many people who are blogging that share their life changing experiences, that make me think, that encourage me to do or in general just make me laugh.

5. Which part of your body is your favorite and why?
This one takes a ton of thought. I've tried to adopt the thought that God made me the way I am that he wants me to keep my body healthy. So I'm trying for that. I would probably say that my favorite part of me are my legs. They're strong, they can carry me far, I tend to keep them very muscled & they're attached to my pretty cute feet.

Kristen over at Something about nothing sent me these. They were hard!
1. From your profile you say: "I love to try new ideas & recipes"
Describe some examples ( you don't have to actually give recipes unless you want to)
Well, I've started cooking fish more. I've always been wary of cooking fish - the smell, the mess, what if it was awful, etc. I recently made Ginger Lime Mahi Mahi & it was wonderful (you can find the recipe here). I also just made Chicken Francais for the first time. I'm going to make a Maple Salmon soon. I've been trying new recipes & trying to document them on my bog. I think it really is more of a commitment on my part to trying new recipes and new foods I may not have worked with before. Thai food is another - I'm working to perfect my red curry with chicken & veggies. I'll share that recipe once I'm successful with it.

2. If you could have your own Foodnetwork show what would it be called and what would it be about?
I'm awful with naming things - so probably something like Basics with Kim - I know, I know, boring. The thoughts that went into this though, were along the lines of marketing it as a show that would be the basics, but beyond. Something for a person who is comfortable in a kitchen, but would like to experiment more with different recipes and ingredients while still keeping it fairly simple. If you could recommend a name for something like this for me, what would it be?

3. Where do you see your self in 15 years?
Working successfully in Learning & Development. Most likely at a Director or VP level. No kids. Traveling often. Happy. Still in Love. Probably still in the South.

4. From your profile you say: "I'm an adventurous cook who has a not so adventurous husband to cook for" - so what do you cook for Mr. Potts?
I should preface my answer by telling you that Mr. Potts never ate condiments until he was a senior in college. He didn't eat pasta until he went away to college. As for fruits & veggies, forget it - I think he ate bananas. I've introduced Mr. Potts to the world of gourmet salads. He eats fish when I make it, where before, his idea of fish was fish sticks from a box. He has eaten a mango & now loves when I make a mango/pineapple salsa to go with chicken or fish. I make fresh green beans sauteed with onions, garlic & bits of bacon - he LOVES those.

5. What has been your biggest accomplishment in your life thus far?
Being where I am today. I was married once before and it took a lot of courage for me to leave. He was mentally abusive and would always put me down. I truthfully thought that he may physically hurt me when I told him I was leaving. To be where I am, in a happy, loving relationship is a huge accomplishment for me.

I indulged...

I left work yesterday tired & tight. I've been working so much lately & have just been exhausted. So yesterday afternoon I called my massage place & booked an hour massage at 6pm. It was phenomenal!! The guy used a more forceful (I don't know if that is the correct word) technique which is just what I needed to work out my kinks in my back & shoulders. I left there so happy & relaxed. I'm going back next week. :) So my indulgence will probably turn into a twice a month therapy.

Since it was about 7pm when I left eh massage place, I ran into the store to grab some things for a salad. Mr. Potts adores my salads - Chicken Fajita Salad, Gorgonzola and Beef Salad, etc. Last night I grabbed a rotisserie chicken, some goat cheese, a small bag of walnuts, red seedless grapes, a Granny Smith apple and a red pear. It was wonderful last night with a little Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. I also picked up a large bag of the spring mix so I could eat off of it all week. Mr. Potts asked what I was going to name this one & after pondering, decided to call it the Fruit and Chicken Salad. There are times when he requests them by name. :)

Tonight we're having homemade Roasted Butternut Squash soup topped with toasted pine nuts. I was trying really hard to think of something to go along with it & decided to pick up a loaf of sourdough bread & some fresh Fontina cheese. It will be done very similarly to an open faced grilled cheese. Slice the bread, add the cheese and broil. I can't wait for dinner!

Happy Tuesday to you all! Will you have a busy or a slow day today? Is anyone already thinking about what they'll eat for dinner tonight?

I'm Vain, I Admit it

I am vain. Not in a "Oh my, I'm so pretty I could stop traffic." Not, "My body just rocks" (although if you push me the right way, you may see it rock & roll). Not, "Mirror, mirror on the wall...."I'm vain about my hair. It is thick & heavy & wavy. It shines. I don't get split ends.Right now, however, I'm not feeling vain. I'm totally rockin Kelly Bundy roots. I am in DESPERATE need of some quality time with my hairdresser. A good 3 hour session where I can read in silence and she massages my head & neck when washing my hair. But you see, I recently "broke up" with my hairdresser. It's not her, it's me. She works so far away & it takes me 50 minutes on a good day, 1 hour 10 minutes on a bad day to get there. The worst part is that I really haven't told her yet.So on the February 7th, I'll be going to audition someone new. My stomach is all aflutter already thinking about how she'll do. Will she be good with layers? Will she get my highlights just right? You know, that buttery warm color, but not too blonde? Will she let me sit in peace (I may be weird here, but my life is so hectic right now that the chance to just sit & relax is highly appealing)?

Do I tell my old hairdresser that we're no longer together? Should I give her the old, "It's not you, it's me..." line?

Huge Success

Phew! It is 5:30, I'm exhausted, Mr. Potts is exhausted...but our house is picked up and back to normal.

Our Post Holiday, Holiday Party was so much fun! Everyone had a great time & loved the bad gift exchange. Our fab friend P. played bartender with his signature drinks. We even turned the upstairs into Dance Party a la the 80's.

Hope you all had a fun Saturday. What did you do?

It's a Party, Ya'll!!!

Tomorrow is Mr. Potts & my 2nd Annual Holiday party. Although this year, it is with a few twists. We're having it in January, because, well, December is so stinking busy! Not only that, but people tend to hibernate in January and we thought this would be a great way to get our friends together in the new year.

Our second twist involves a Bad Gift Exchange. This is where people will bring the worst gift they received at Christmas. You know the one - the full face ski mask that your sister gave you even though your average temperature in the winter is the high 40's. How about that holiday decorated candle holder that doesn't go with anything you own - not even your Christmas stuff? Mmm hmmm...should be interesting.

The most important part of our party however, involves food & drink. Obviously. :)

Bartender P will be coming by in the afternoon to set up his mobile bar in our garage - we're putting in space heaters for him & the smokers. Aren't we wonderful hosts? He always comes up with creative names for our parties. Last year my fave was a yummy pink drink - I can't remember it all, but it was SO good!!

I'm planning our menu right now for heavy snacks. What do you think? Anything that you LOVE that is easy to make that you don't mind sharing with me, I'd love!!

Roasted vegetable tapenade with garlic jalapeño bread
Spicy Sausage balls - made with chipotle cheddar cheese
Black bean & corn salsa with blue corn tortilla chips
Cheese ball with assorted crackers
Meatballs - in a sweet & spicy marinade
Toasted ravioli
Some sliced cheese & crackers

What do you think? Should I add anything?