Birthdays in Mexico

Looking back over the years, I have to say that probably over half my life I have been somewhere besides my house for my birthday and this year was no different!! I have been in Spain, the bayou of Mississippi, camp, and so many other places. At each of those places they celebrate birthdays different and Mexico is no different.For my birthday I got to work in Tampico which is 5 hours north of Poza Rica on the coast. I was doing a nitrogen induction job at a rig so it was me with 20 Mexican men! I never would have thought I would have a birthday like I did that day! That morning we stopped at a grocery store really quick and I decided to buy a Tres leches cake . . . they are sooooo good and if you ever get a chance you need to try one! I bought a big one so I could feed all the people at the well, plus its always good to get on the good side of the client! Below is a picture of the cake. When I was handing out the cake some of the PEMEX guys asked why I was doing it and I said because it is my birthday. I quickly learned that when it is your birthday you get a hug from everyone . . . if you know them or not!! So now I can say that I have hugged about 10 complete strangers in a matter of minutes.


The pump operator during our down time while I was doing an inventory of tools and sweating went and picked some flowers, pictured below, for me which I thought was really sweet. He is an older man and about half my height . . . all I have to say is that I look so weird next to my crew they all are a lot shorter than I am!!

After we finished the job, around 10, we headed back to the hotel and a grill and meat were waiting for us. We had a nice little cookout with the other crew that was in town which was perfect and again I had a piece of tres leches cake!

When you get your cake you are supposed to eat the first bit with your face because then someone comes from behind and pushes your face into it . . . thankfully I say this happen at the base one day! No cake on my face this time!! (You can see no cake but you can see my beautiful farmers tan that I am getting!!)


All in all it will be a birthday I will never forget though I would have loved for my friends and family to have been there with me! Oh and one of the engineers has a little girl named Carolina and when this picture was taken they said I should email to my mom and say "Mom, look what I got in Mexico"!! I thought it was pretty funny and quick of them to say that! Don't worry mom that is not going to happen . . . you know me!!