Just Go(kart) With It

I'm all about saying yes to an adventure. Heck, I'm all about saying yes to any type of plan or get together. After all, I'm an only child... constant entertainment is required (well, that and wine). So when K1 Speed asked if I wanted to come in and try out their go-karts, I couldn't say yes fast enough. Huh, huh, huh.... see what I did there? 
I love roller coasters, and I love driving 9 miles over the speed limit (9, you're fine, 10 you're mine...) so, ipso facto, I would obviously love karting! 
Side note: I'm not sure if I used ipso facto there correctly, but I thought it sounded nice, so just go(kart) with it. 
So last Wednesday night I rounded up some friends, and we headed to K1 Speed in Arlington, Texas. You start by registering on their computers, which then allows you to track and keep up with all of your races going forward.
Next, the rules, flags and karts were thoroughly explained to us. Safety was their top priority, and for that I was thankful! Because, well, I was a wee bit scared when I heard the karts could go as fast as 45 miles per hour. Not that mine topped more than about 17 feet per hour. Spoiler alert: I'm not good. 

  We then pulled our helmets on, and strapped in to compete in 14 laps around the indoor track. 

  I asked what the policies on taking selfies and driving were. Unfortunately that is frowned upon, so I don't have any in-action shots for you. But what I can tell you is the place number I finished, yeah, it didn't have a congratulatory place to stand and celebrate. 

  Even though I was the slowest driver of the group, finishing in 6th place (out of 6), it was still so fun and exhilarating! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. 
K1 Speed is actually a national chain, with 22 locations all over the country. BUT, for my girls in DFW, they are offering Dallas residents the chance to hone their racing skills with a $5 discount at its Arlington location! In an effort to support economic and tourism efforts in Dallas, a ticket stub from a Dallas-area attraction earns K1 Speed guests $5 off an “Arrive and Drive” pass to race at speeds of up to 45 mph for 14 laps!  
They are located near the Rangers ballpark, so might I suggest a little Sunday afternoon baseball, followed by some go-kart action? Might I also recommend taking me with you when you go? Might I also recommend the Rangers to stop sucking up Major League Baseball? Le sigh.
-----
Before I sign off for the day, I'm teaming up with my girl Alex for a little Q&A! Alex is no stranger to VTIM, make sure you read her first takeover post, A Guide To Irish Pubs! 

1. So you're a Texpat! Clever! Tell my readers what that means.

A Texpat is a Texas expatriate. We Texans tend to think we're special, so we coined our own expatriate term. I am a Texpat in Germany, specifically.

2. What's the biggest change for you, now that you live in Germany? What do you miss about the states?

The biggest change is without a doubt the language barrier. I now have a love-hate relationship with this aspect. I have to be listening intently to understand German, so I find it oddly relaxing in the city, not constantly eaves dropping on others conversations; you just can't help it when it's near and audible. Alternatively, on my sluggish days, it would be nice to just speak English.

3. What's your favorite drinking game? Do people play drinking games where you work, or do they just sit around and hit on you?

My favorite drinking game hails from the southern states. It's called Civil War and is a 6 person beer pong variant with higher speeds as the shots are constantly fired. Most of the drinking games at the Irish pub revolve around rolling a set of 5 dice.

4. Well, Germany won - were the World Cup shenanigans just insanity there? Any good photos for us?

I might still be recovering from the world cup win. This is not an exaggeration. It was simply blissful. Can I recommend to everyone living in a country while they win a world cup? I realize this is hard to predict, but you've just gotta pick a good contender and ride it out ;-) It helps if they drink like the Germans. Ok, maybe I can just recommend moving to Germany; it's kind of great.

5. You have a seriously cool map showing all the places you've been. What a list! Where are you just dying to do next?

As I've hit a lot of the European mainland, I have my sight set on those Scandinavian nations. After a visit to Copenhagen, I've been dying to see what more these Nordic countries have to offer. This will definitely be a summer activity as this Texan cannot deal with the cold.

6. What's your favorite German food? What's the first thing you'd order back in the U.S.?
My favorite German food might just be a Bavarian breakfast of pretzels, white sausage (Weißwurst) and sweet mustard. I also adore Maultaschen, basically a big, fat, German ravioli. I highly recommend ordering these packs of joy at your next German restaurant experience. However, American food still owns my heart, particularly Tex-Mex, and I literally drink salsa from my favorite Mexican joint upon arrival on Texas soil.

7. Which form of social media do you use the most?
That's a toughie, personally I love Instagram the most, but blog-wise, I'm probably chattiest on Twitter.

16 Weekend Plan Ideas

Today I've asked my ESPN2 girls to introduce themselves, their blog and give us all some ideas of the perfect weekend plans, for when you have no weekend plans! Because, Tuesday. #blehhh.

September Farm ::Start Here::  What Really Happened on our Wedding Night // That One Time I was in a Pageant ::Get Social:: Twitter // Insta // Facebook // Bloglovin

and a weekend i could ditch the kid and not be pregnant? i would do way more than five things...

1. i would take my farmer to brunch and drink too much champagne.
2. then we would pack up the cooler and kayaks and go whitewater kayaking. it's what we used to do before we bought a farm.
3. then we would head back to the big city for some dinner and dancing and beverage. probably lots of beverage. my farmer is quite the dancer, so we have to incorporate that.
4. i would force myself to stay up as late as possible knowing i could sleep in late the next morning.
5. is it wrong to say we would drink more champagne? i feel like no farm and no kid and no pregnancy for an entire weekend is a reason for celebration.
*6. there has to be a #6. at this point i would need to sober up to collect my daughter.

The Style Dunce  ::Start Here:: Things I'd Like to Tell My Niece // Life Lessons from the Real Housewives ::Get Social:: Twitter // Insta // Bloglovin

1. Sangria somewhere. Anywhere.
2. Shopping like I had all the money to shop.
3. Drinking craft beer somewhere to show I have substance.
4. A hike in the mountains to work off the craft beer.
5. A concert at night where I just sway back and forth to hide that I can't dance.

Seeking Sunshine ::Start Here:: Life Tip: Don't Fall Asleep on the Train // One Thing I'll be Doing This Spring ::Get Social:: Insta // Twitter // Facebook // Bloglovin

1. Drive up to Toronto if the Blue Jays were in town, watch a game and do a little shopping.
2. Take my dog to a dog beach somewhere.
3. Go on a wine tour in the Finger Lakes.
4. Finally go camping in the Adirondaks which I have been dying to do for a few years.
5. Make a very long trip to the local Marshall's and grab some sushi afterwards.



---- Oh, and follow me on insta if you like Florida, because that is where I am.... all. week. long.