Platanutres - Tasty Goodness!

Hola y Howdy Amigos,

Okay, so let me introduce you to a tasty Puerto Rican treat which has taken over my life in the realm of salty snacky goodness. These delectable treats are known as Platanutres, and they a crazy assault to your plain old potato chip. See these things are potato chips at all, but deep fried, thin and crispy plantain banana slices. Yep, you heard me, and these things are awesome. Not sweet at all, as one might expect, but rather like a tasty, crunchy chip. Best consumed with a sandwich and diet Coke, they are now a requisite side dish to any good football game meal.

Don't worry, I haven't given up my unhealthy addiction to chocolate and all things sweet and sugary, but it's nice to shake things up a bit. Besides, if I talk about them enough, then maybe Frito Lay will get the hint and start marketing them. If not, then I have an import business to begin when I get back home.

Anyway, other news is that my home boys from WGI in Iraq sent me this awesome Liberty Country Club Iraq hat, which I wear with pride. No, not the rainbow kind of pride, just plain old God fearing, church going pride. Maybe if I wear it around enough, another Russian-American immigrant can pick another verbal battle (the only kind of battle he'll have the cajones to have) with me. He can spend his time ranting about how horrible Bush is and how we should have never entered Iraq. I can explain to him that it was vitally important that I went to Iraq, because there would have been no other way for me to get such a cool hat, and I'll recommend that he not vote for Bush in the next election. Hopefully even the democrats in Florida won't mess that up since Bush won't be on the next ballot. You never know. I hate stupid people.

Okay, it's late and I'm just letting myself get irritated by watching CNN. Everyone has to have a hobby. Eventually I'll come up with something more productive like learning Spanish, or practicing Salsa.

On an up note, I went home for Thanksgiving, and it was very nice. It was the first time my whole nuclear family has been in the same place for the holiday in a long time, and we didn't even kill each other. Life is good. The Ags lost, but it was a darn good game. Mack Brown had to have chewed out those worthless t-sips for giving up so many points. Remember, Aggies never lose, they just ran out of time.

Gig'em y adios,

Pooh.

Broken Computers & Bacardi

Hola Amigos,

Well, the weekend is upon us, and I am glad the week is over. First off, the project is finally beginning to move into mobilization, albiet about two weeks late, and we moved into new offices onsite, so the speed is picking up. For good measure, Windows XP decided to have a serious mental breakdown on me on Friday just before a meeting with the client. I spent most of the day with our IT guy in the main office trying to figure it out. It was a true conundrum for both of us. I was able to salvage the schedules from the system and I left it for him to re-image. Oh well, at least I have a computer to borrow this weekend until I get mine on Monday, but no P3 software, so the schedules are out of luck until then.

Anyway, today was a recovery day for me, so I headed out with a coworker for a little tourist action. We visited the Bacardi Rum plant outside of San Juan and took the tour. It was fun, but it only passed some of the day, so now I'm just chillin' in my room talking to you fine folks.

I'm looking foward to this week, because I'm heading out of here on Tuesday. I'm ready for a nice long, long weekend home with some stuffing, and an Aggie win over the t-sips. Most of all, I'm ready to get home to the wife. Just is patient enough with me to let me venture off on another assignment abroad, but it doesn't mean that I like being away.

Well, ya'll, I'm gonna get back to relaxing, but I hope everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving. Remember, the holiday is for family, so kiss your mom and thank her for cooking enough food to feed a small African country just to get you to visit.

Adios,

Pooh

Puerto Rican Livin'

Hola Amigos,

Okay, so here's the scoop. After dumping WGI for good and promising never to return to such a frustrating company, we kissed, made up and got back together.

Yep, I'm here in Puerto Rico working on a much less physically threatening (and much shorter) project that previously in the Middle East. True to form, this is also a much different standard of living. Follow along -

I am living in the Marriott Courtyard on Isla Verde, which is here in San Juan. I have cable TV, a king sized bed, and a full size bathroom. We have a free breakfast buffet daily, and my office is not walking distance from the hotel. I don't wear my ID on my sleeve, wear work boots, or carry a flashlight. I shop at the mall, and there is no PX/BX to be found. No one wears BDUs or carries automatic weapons. It is a strange world indeed. To round out the experience, I take a trip home about every three weeks, so it's not that bad.

Okay, for those of you still living in Iraq, just disregard all of the above as the rantings of a deranged lunatic because you know that there can't be a better life than that provided to you in the desert. I'm talking to the civilians that don't know any better.

Anyway, I figure with a new job that is was time for a new webpage, so here you go. I'll start posting pictures soon enough so be patient. Alas, staying at home was just not yet meant to be for me. There is just too big of a world to be built.

Adios,

Pooh

Bienvenidos

Howdy Ya'll,

Well, this will be quick, because I'm just trying to get this thing up and running. Here's the long and short of it. I'm in Puerto Rico. (Hence the bilingual title) I have a whole new world of stories and experiences to share, and I don't even have to wear body armor!

I'll fill you in more later. Take care and gig'em.

Adios,

Pooh