Birthday shenanigans

Just recently I celebrated my 24th birthday; I know, happy belated birthday to me! Instead of kicking it here in the OKC I traveled to the Tip of Texas, otherwise known as El Paso, TX, to spend my birthday with my girlfriend and her family - six days of fun in the sun...literally. Actually, the majority of the afternoons were partly cloudy and a cool 95-99 degrees, but still. I also promise not to go weather on you and tell you about the diurnal, high-based thunderstorms that were very pretty. Another thing that was extremely picturesque were the mountains, which were much bigger than the mountains we have in Pennsylvania; it was a taste of home. 

El Paso is waaay bigger than what I thought. Not only does it take you 20-plus minutes to get from one side to the other on I-10, much like Oklahoma City and I-40, but you can see New Mexico AND Mexico from inside the city limits; very cool. My girlfriend and I actually got stuck on a highway that goes through the mountains; make sure someone has the keys before you all shut the door. It worked out for the best though. We got to relax in the shade and stare out over the valley floor, with Juarez, Mexico in the distance. We also got to chat with a really happy man who knew a lot about the culture of Mexico, which was interesting and entertaining.

Besides the clubs/bars we went to at night, one particular event stuck out above the rest - Chalk the Block. Chalk the Block was a big street festival that was hosted in downtown EPT, which included food, live music, fireworks,...chalk...., and of course, a car show! Cars that stood out were vintage Camaro Funnycars, a stock 2007 Mustang GT500, and a De Lorean DMC-12; you know, the car used in Back to the Future?

As always, my stay seemed to go way too fast, and before I knew it I was back in Oklahoma. It was a great, funny, relaxing time after a fairly bumpy severe weather season. I'm recharged and ready to do work, but here's to a quiet, uneventful summer ;)!