It's my party and I'll leave if I want to!

Alma had to work on Saturday, as usual.  She was thankful that Mom was coming into town because that gave her an excuse to leave early.  I, on the other hand, set my alarm for 10 so I could get my room cleaned up, get packed for Mazatlán and my stay at the hotel with Mom in Culiacán, and get ready for the party.  Alma might have fudged the time a bit at work so we could go to the party for a brief time before Mom got here.  Her flight was scheduled to arrive at 6, and the party was set to theoretically start at 4.  I got my things done and Alma got home in time for us to arrive at the party at 4.  On our way there, she started making calls to see where people were.  The reason she wanted to hit the party first was to get a hamburger.  Well, the birthday boys were still running around getting things.  No one was at the party yet!  We got there and saw only Rocio and Iván, sitting with Diana (her singing sister) and her boyfriend (I should really ask his name).  There may have been one or two other people I didn't know well there, but I'm not remembering.  We sat down and a few people started to show up.  Topete and his family, Jair and his family (including his sister Nadia, who also celebrates a March birthday), and the rest of the gang started making their way.  The mechanical bull was brought in and set up while they started patting out hamburgers.  After a couple of rounds on the mechanical bull, my friends started chanting my name (they pretty much know at this point that the mention of doing something new won't do it for me, so they start with the big guns) and Diana shouted, "Show us how it's done, Nashville!"

I explained that I grew up in KY, though I guess it's one and the same (and to them, it's about 50 and the same).  I lasted my 8 seconds, but not too much longer.  It was hilarious.  And who knew how sore I'd be after getting thrown off?!  I had a hard time standing back up on the inflatable.

Around 5:30, they were still firing up the grill and patting out burgers (and Alma was still standing by the grill, salivating- I think she hadn't eaten anything since an apple for breakfast!), but it was time for us to head to the airport.  We got there relatively quickly, parked, and got perched in front of the exit.  Five minutes until arrival.

I was practically pacing, but Alma was hungry, so she hit up the bathroom and then the food stand getting some oatmeal bars and a juice box.  Her eating habits are that of a kid, which makes me laugh.  Finally I saw Mom.  After all the luggage stopped going around, she still had none.  I had prepared her that hers might go to the International room, but it might not (mine has done both).  After finally getting her attention to tell her just to walk out to the other room, she had already talked with an agent inside and he helped her through a door I didn't know about.  Alma and I walked the (luckily short) length of the airport to the International baggage claim and waited some more.  It seems Mom had to fill out another customs form, even though she had done it already in Mexico City!

While we were waiting (and she was getting antsy), Alma saw a friend of hers (surprise) who spoke English and she asked him to go check on Mom.  She filled out her second customs form for the day, waited her turn in line and got inspected once again through security.  Alma asked me to make sure she wasn't hungry.  She was finally out!  After seeing her on the other side of a door for 30 minutes, it was really good to see her!  

I asked her if she was hungry and it was a resounding yes.  Ashley had been fed like a queen on her trip, which surprised me, so I had wondered if Mom might be.  She wasn't.  We debated for a bit what would be the best initiation meal for her.  We decided on tacos, but instead of baptizing her by fire as I had been, we went to a restaurant chain.  The food was delicious!  It was the same place "The Engineer" had ordered for me when I was helping him with his English.

I ordered Mom a carne asada and myself two quesadillas mixtas (which are just quesadillas with meat and onions) with mushrooms.  Mom's plate came with meat, onions, and a chile.  I asked for some tortillas.  I forgot to mention that we got a huge pot of beans to share with toasted tortillas.  That came as an included appetizer (like we would get chips and salsa in a Mexican restaurant in the States).  We ordered a pitcher of lemonade for the table and we were all overly satisfied with our meal.  I don't remember what Alma got to eat, but she enjoyed it as well.  When we asked for the bill, Alma picked it up and started digging in her purse.  I, of course, used my stealth reflexes and snatched it out of her hands.  Mom paid.  :)

We made our way to the hotel.  Mom got her money's worth on the lesson in Mexican driving.  We got her checked in and up to her room, where I think she could've fallen asleep standing up.  We left her to get cleaned up and rested up and headed back to the party.