I Found the Best Pizza in Bahamas

Take this as motivation, Bahamas.  Sorry.

Happy Birthday Camille!!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  See you very soon!

The Patty Lady

Every morning in Bahamas "The Patty Lady" makes her stops at local convenient stores, drops off some of her homemade goods, then parks outside the plant to sell the rest to us hard-working tank builders.  Theyre like a calzone/panzerotti/hot pocket and every once in a while I'll grab one for a late breakfast.  They're pretty good.  She stuffs them with beef, cheese, spinach, chicken, and tuna.  I don't think there is particular "Bahamian Cuisine", but they have their staples...this is one of them.

Beef and Cheese Patty

Trinidad and I

Here is a pic taken at our tank completion party.  It's me and the guys from Trinidad: The Supervision Team.

That's me, Bernard (Foreman), Franklin (Weld Supervisor), and Randolph (Pusher).

$50 Well Spent

I'm not a slob and I don't mind cleaning my place, but working construction means I have to do it non-stop.  Lately, I haven't been able to keep up so I asked around for a cleaning lady.  I forewarned her that I had zero cleaning supplies and that she had to bring her own.  The conversation went like this:

"Do you have bleach?"
"No."
"Do you have Ajax?"
"What's that?"
"A mop?!?"
"Nope...Listen, I have dish soap and a broom.  Bring what you need."

Seeing what I could get away with, I held off on laundry and dishes and casually pointed to a pile of clothes and an overflowing sink when I was showing her what to clean.  She wasn't saying much and I was rushing to get back to work.  I asked her how much and she said $50.  I left it on the table and went back to work thinking $50 is a little cheap for laundry too.   

By far the best fold my clothes have seen since I been here.

After work I went out with the Superintendents for some drinks, Bahamian watching, and late night wings and fries.  I didn't make it home till 11:30pm and it was pitch black in my apartment.  I took off my boots before entering, took a couple steps, and crashed right into my couch.  Mostly because it was dark, partly because of the booze.  Not only did she clean the whole apartment, wash and fold all my clothes, and take care of the dishes, she also rearranged all the furniture!  Ummm that wasn't part of the deal, Miss...but...actually...this makes sense.  I like my couch there, the TV in the corner is genius, and moving my bed really opens up the room.  Good idea!

Couch used to be against the wall.  Now it's in the middle of the room.

My apartment is spotless and it feels awesome.  I still haven't found some papers and CD's but they're probably somewhere that makes more sense than where I kept them.  The best fifty Bahamian dollars I've spent.

Random Tank Pictures

Caira told me she was bored and needed a new blog post.  Here are some scenic views from around the tank...

Ask and you shall receive!

Get Off Me, Earl!

I hope this map is right.  Just missed!!

Dear Hulu, Step Up Your Game!

This is garbage:

"Hulu is a U.S.-only service at this time. Unfortunately, we don't have international streaming rights for our content. Our intention is to make Hulu's growing content lineup available worldwide as quickly as possible. This requires working with the content owners to clear the rights for each show or film in each specific region. It's a long-term project. We don't have a definite timeline, but we'll continue to work to make it happen."

...Blah blah blah.  Would be a nice website to pass a rainy day, but nooooooooooo...

My Bahama Mama

I finally got my first visitor...and it was a pretty one!  Camille made the trip to Bahamas for a long weekend of sun, fun, relaxation, and, of course, some gambling.  Unfortunately it wasn't the best time for me to take a whole weekend off so I had to work on Saturday while she was here.  Although, I don't think Camille even noticed because she sat by the pool all day and read a whole book start to finish.  I still don't understand how that's possible.  I should have quizzed her to see if she actually read it. 

Instead of showing Camille how I actually live out here, we took the company van to the touristy part of the island, Port Lucaya, every night.  It's where all the restaurants, hotels, casinos, etc... are located.  She didn't need to see the local bars where me and the fellas go for a cold one after work.  Nor did she need me to make her a bowl of cereal for dinner to really understand what I've been up to.  Plus, I needed a weekend out too!

There is one particular story to share that was kind of funny and, to me, kind of troubling.  While leaving the casino we thought it would be fun to play our wedding date at the roulette table.  So we walk over and put $20 on numbers 6, 25, and 11 and were feeling all lucky, cute, and honeymoonish.  Round and round the little white ball goes to determine if our wedding date is a winning $720 or a wasted $60.  Well, not only was it a wasted $60 but the number that hit was only the scariest and unluckiest of them all....13!  I immediately started having second thoughts and didn't really say another word the rest of the night.  I even slept in a different room.....Just kidding, but I did give Camille a hard time about it the rest of the night!  Awesome weekend!

August 2nd is a Bahamian holiday which means it's a long weekend.  Who is going to be visitor #2??

AKA: The Crew

I work with Bahamians, Trini's, Jamaicans, Haitians, and Americans but you would never know it by what we call each other.  Check out some of these nicknames:

Big Pants
Santa Claus (he weighs about 300 lbs)
Biggs (also a large man)
Puss
Trini
Sunny
Radio (never stops talking)
Hoot
Rasta-Man
Crazy (we seriously just call him crazy)
Boss
Candy-Man
Daddy
Spice
Hog Head (once mixed scrambeled eggs, hot dog, and rice, and ate it...like a hog)
Skinhead
CD (sells bootlegged CD's and DVD's)

If there is a nickname for me then chances are it's not flattering because I haven't heard it.  However, one thing I learned is if you don't like a name, make sure you don't show it or it will follow you for the rest of the job!

Happy Anniversary!

Today, June 15th, marks my Two-Year Anniversary with the company.  When I started seems so long ago, but it went by so fast.  Does that make any sense?  I've completed two assignments in Texas, one in Illinois, and now I find myself in the Bahamas.  It's been a fun little ride so far....it's definitely not over.

Day Off #1

My first day was May 10 and I haven't stopped since.  It's been 10 hour days, 7 days a week since I got here.  It's long and tiring but I look forward to the next day and I'm keeping busy so no complaints.  Besides, it only takes a day, or maybe only a couple hours, to explore the whole island so I don't need too much time.  I just need enough to find the beach.  My first day off finally came on June 4th for Bahamian Labor Day so I headed to the water.  This is the Bahamas you were thinking of:

Quote of the Day: "Thanks and Praises"

Yesterday after work one of my co-workers cracked me up when he said, in his Trinidadian accent, "Oh yes, thanks and praises.  Thank you father for creating the night, otherwise CB&I would work my ass 24 hours a day, thanks and praises!"

People Actually Work in The Bahamas

Finally here!  It's been all work all the time, except for the daily "cold ones" at 6pm.  We're trying to meet a deadline of Monday, May 24th, so we have two shifts working 7 days a week 21 hours a day.  The ship carrying thousands of barrels of oil is already on the water and looking to unload in our tank.  No choice but to be ready.

The Roof of Our Tank

I don't know where to begin describing the differences between the field and the office, but let's just say I feel less like Office Space and more like Leo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond.  My office is on the water except sometimes it's 60' high, sometimes it's inside a 253' diameter tank with a 7' roof, and sometimes it's at a little desk inside of a shipping container.  Never is it in a cube. 

My Office at 60 ft

There is much more to say but this little update will do for now.  I'm getting used to driving on the left side of the road, eating the local food, the awesome flavors of pop, and trying not to sweat through every shirt I own. 

Last Night's Dinner - Fried Snapper

I'll try and post sooner rather than later and hopefully I'll have some beach pictures to put up.  Till then, cya.

I Officially Own a Pair of Wranglers

Yep, it's official.  Today I bought my first pair of Wranglers.  According to Brett Favre, I'm officially a man.  Work boots, three work shirts, and two pairs of wranglers and off I go to a construction site.  It's what men do I guess.  I'll be in The Bahamas this weekend to witness and assist with a floating roof air-raise.  My boss asked me to tag along two days ago.  Really looking forward to a quick trip before the real thing.  Kind of like the pre-season.

I'll post a bunch of pictures when I get back.  Thanks for checking in!

Real.  Comfortable.  Jeans......Three.  Separate.  Sentences.

Whataburger

At home, I feel like every other commercial is for Jack in the Box or Sonic but I never see them on the road.  Well Texas has their own major chain except it's the exact opposite.  I've never seen a Whataburger commercial , but I can't go two blocks in any direction without passing one by.  Which is exactly what I've been doing up until last weekend.  My last Texas stint was Whataburger-less, but Saturday morning my trainee buddies and I were in dire need of some Texas-style greasiness.  Enter, a #1 with cheese:

Whataburger = Texas

I'm definitely not as experienced in the burger department as I am with pizza so don't expect an in-depth review.  The food is what you'd expect from a place like this, although I should point out the burger doesn't come with any ketchup and the cheese isn't all that melted.  However, it definitely did the trick.  I felt like friday never happened...which was a good thing.

I'm lucky to have made some awesome friends when I was in Tyler and even luckier to have met up with them in Houston.  We had an awesome night out and finished off the weekend with a good ol' Tyler Tradition: Disc Golf.

L to R: Josh, Chastin, and Me on the disc course.

Texas Healthcare

When karma finds out you get to work in The Bahamas everything else just gets more difficult.  For instance, today I ended up at the shakiest doctor's office in America to get my medical certification.  It was miserable from beginning to end but I'll only share the worst part. 

So the doctor just left and I'm waiting for the nurse to administer a typhoid shot into my arm.  And I'm waiting, and waiting, and waiting.  Over a half-hour later I peek my head out and ask the nurse, "did you guys forget about me?"  She put down her Snickers (fun-size) and looks at the wall where my clipboard was being neglected, "Let's see," she says, "oh yes, yes, I'll be right with you..."  I stand in the doorway for ten more seconds, went back in, and it was fourteen minutes till she came back.  I gotta go back to work!  I know, waiting a long time isn't a big deal.  But, here's where the "fun" begins.  

The tardy nurse takes the syringe, holds it up like nurses do, flicks it, and squirts some in the air...RIGHT ABOVE MY PANTS!  Are you kidding me?!?!?!  And down comes a drizzle of typhoid juice onto my work pants.  Thats gag.  I was disgusted, so I stared at my pants in shock, looked back at her for a quick second, and looked back down.  She didn't even say anything except for "Ok, deep breath, 1, 2, 3..."  What a joke.  Now you know why I don't get shots.  Thanks Texas.

But wait, there's more.  After the shot, she gets her fingers all caught in the band-aid and it folds over itself.  So, by the time she unfolds it she looks like she just completed four Magic Eye puzzles and she says, "Ok, where's the mark now?  Ummmmm here it is (smack)."  Ya right.  Tomorrow I'm gonna wake up with a bruise above my band-aid.  No chance she found it.  Thanks again, Texas.

Addendum 1 - BAHAMAS

I'll tell you the latest news about my field assignment if you promise not to ask "when?" or "how long?"  We got a deal?  Ok, well today one of the project managers came by my cube and handed me a work-related "grocery list":

-(4) Passport Pictures

-Medical Certification

-Police Certification

-Various Forms and Papers

All of these items need to be taken taken care of before I can work outside the country.  I don't know, I just do what I'm told.  Attaining this work approval takes about four weeks so I imagine that will be right around the time I'll be leaving for the site...in The Bahamas. 

The Site. No, that's not The Atlantis.

I won't exactly be snorkling to the jobsite or drinking Bahama Mamma's at my desk...far from it.  My company doesn't build luxury resorts, we build massive, ugly, steel tanks.  Well, that's not all we do but that's what I'll be doing.  I'll also help construct a massive pipeline for these big uglies. 

This is all I know and all I need to know.  I knew before I arrived in Texas that at some point I'll be off to the field so it doesn't do any good to nag my boss for info or ask him thirty questions a day.  If i needed to know, I would know and if my boss knew, he would tell me.  That's just the way it is.  It used to be suspensful and make me lose sleep, but now I know it's just standard operating procedure.  Welcome to the Engineering and Construction Industry, Berto.

PS - The project manager on this job went to New Trier so I'll be answering to him the whole time.  I guess this is revenge since New Trier kids were at my mercy all throughout high school.  OOOOOOOOOOH.   Frickin karma, I swear.

The Cube Life

Who says working in a cube is so bad?  Well this is the view from my desk.  How many times you think I'm gonna get caught gazing into the lake?  

Not too shabby huh?

1,200 Miles Later

It took two days, five gas stations, two hotels, and three pizzas but we made it across the country.  I can proudly say that after spending 20+ hours in the car with my fiance that  the wedding is still on.  Actually, we had a blast. 

At The Arch

We stopped in St. Louis to see The Arch and eat pizza, Little Rock to get some sleep, a Friday's or Chilli's or Applebee's or whatever the hell near Dallas for lunch, and finally got to Houston where we explored and treated ourselves to a nice dinner along the lakefront.  It's a dreadful feeling going to bed after ten hours of driving knowing there are nine more hours to go the next morning.  But, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do I guess. 

My name is Fred McGriff Alberto DeCicco and I fully endorse this product!

The stop in St. Louis made the first day pretty simple.  We weren't just stopping for gas and fast food and then hitting the road right away.  We parked, walked around The Arch for a little while, and went to eat at The Good Pie which is kind of on the campus of St. Louis University. 

The pizza was truly great.  I never thought I'd say this but I want to go back to St Louis...for the pizza of course!  The margherita at The Good Pie instantly etched itself into My Top 5.  That's a big deal.  The crust achieved the elusive "crispy but chewy" consistency that is so hard to come by on a Neapolitan pizza and everything else was very well-balanced and flavorful.  Not to mention the perfect amount of char.  We ordered three pizzas and Camille and I snapped pics of them like they were on a red carpet.  Our waitress probably thought we were nuts until I told her I needed a receipt because I am a pizza blogger and I am expensing this meal.  I had to tell her something and that's not completely a lie.  I mean I am expensing the meal, it's just not Forza Pizza that's taking care of it.  We drove through dinner and ate the leftovers in the car.

The Margherita at The Good Pie

Little Rock was uneventful and Day Two was basically all driving and cows so there isn't much to document.  Aside from all the sitting, road-trips can be pretty fun. The best part of the trip was the pizza and being able to hang out with Camille before I leave.  We talked, busted out the Madlibs, and had a couple jam sessions with Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, and, ya I'll say it, some songs from Glee. 

Road Warriors

Now I'm here and I already mapped out all the pizza places in the area so I'm ready to eat through my temporary hometown.  Everything is going well and I start my "first day" of work tomorrow morning.  I'll keep you guys posted as often as possible.  Thanks for checking in!

Hitting the Road

It's 1,200 miles from Chicago to Houston and I'm gonna drive every one of them!  Camille and I hit the road on Friday and plan on making it to Houston Saturday evening.  I've scheduled two stops along the way.  One in St. Louis to see the Arch and eat at The Good Pie and the other in Little Rock to see my buddy Bill Clinton. 

The Route

It's going to be a fun trip.  The Mad Libs and ipod are ready to go and I'm excited to get back to Texas. 

The Life of a Trainee

My first job out of college was at a now-closed Pipe Shop in Tyler, Texas.  I was there for six months, learned a ton, met some awesome people, met some frickin' weird people, and came back home for a rotation in Plainfield.  I've been here for a year and three months anxiously awaiting my next assignment, and wouldn't you know, it's back in Texas.

Like I said, I learned a ton in Tyler.

I leave Friday, March 26th for Houston where I'll be preparing for a construction assignment in the Caribbean.  I know, it's awful.  To have to leave Plainfield for the Caribbean is just mean.  But, that's the life of a trainee I guess.  This is the third rotation of a two-year training program.  All start dates, end dates, and locations are tentative and are rarely right the first time so I'm guessing there will be some addenda to this post.

I am saving all the details for later because, like I said, everything is very subject to change.  I am extremely fortunate for this opportunity, where ever it may be, as it will only positively contribute to my career.  At the same time, I will miss my fiance, family, friends, and Forza Pizza.  I hope to document all my experiences in this blog so check in with me as frequently as possible and leave me some comments.  Don't miss me too much and if you're mad that I'm gone I'm sorry... but I have to PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE!