Viesa and Me

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Hey everyone! No, the Fitnessista isn’t suddenly typing in a much deeper voice. You’ve got The Pilot for this post. My better half is taking a much needed break this morning before starting her day. So, how’re you guys doing? I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was great. After working until midnight with a few of the guys on a "verification" (which is a huge tactical presentation briefed to both squadrons) for the past week, I spent Saturday and Sunday relaxing with the pup.

 

Sleeping in… (nudging her with my elbow to see if she’s going to come downstairs with me)

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On Saturday morning, I played football with some of the guys from work and spent the rest of the day watching it. Are any of you bloggies die hard college football fans? I’m a Bama alum so I love watching the Tide do their thing and being only 6 hours from Tuscaloosa, they usually show the games on TV. I snacked periodically during the day. I’d post the pictures of my meals but I have a confession. It turns out that I’ve become incredibly spoiled by living with the Fitnessista and some of my bachelor cooking abilities/drive have tapered off a bit. If you feel cheated, I’ll do another post with a sweet pic of my bagel, cereal and eggs. Lunch was a couple sandwiches with chips and salsa. I know…just allow your imagination to soar at the thought of such an eloquent spread. I miss my wife and her amazing meals 🙁

Sunday was pretty much the same except for a stop into work to get ready for a major inspection we’re having this week. When I got back I took Viesa on a walk around the neighborhood before wheeling out the grill. It’s our tradition to grill on Sundays so I brought the pup out front with me and cooked up a couple boneless chicken breasts just lightly seasoned with Weber’s Grill Creations "N’Orleans Cajun Seasoning". It added just the right amount of spicy heat to the chicken. I left one of piece unseasoned for my brunette dinner date. I wasn’t starving thanks to my constant snacking but it hit the spot.

 

Dinner of Kings:

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If those kings had dogs:

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She hated it:

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With everything going on this month at work with inspections, verifications, upgrades, etc., I haven’t had a lot of down time at home (which works out well with the Fitnessita in OKC since it’s better to knock all this stuff out while she’s away). Thankfully, we have a lot of great friends that walk Viesa during the day when I can’t get home. When I’m here, however, it’s great to spend a little quality time with my buddy. Not to be a Buzz Killington but since we’re probably going to have to find her a new home soon, it’s nice to hang out with my pup while I can. Hopefully, she’ll go to family so we know she’ll be taken care of and we can check in on her when we visit.

Overall, it wasn’t too shabby of a weekend. I hope you guys have a good (and hopefully short) week. I’ll be flying to OKC soon to meet up with the Fitnessista then it’s on to our next adventure. Whatever it is, we’re glad that we’ll be able to share it with you. In the meantime, if there’s anything you’ve ever been curious about pertaining to military lifestyle from the husband’s POV, feel free to ask. I’ll be happy to give you my best, honest answer. Take care and I look forward to saying hi next time.

 

Attack!!

The Pilot

Heritage Flight, P-40 and A-10, Flying Tigers Reunion 2004
Unedited originals
All photos by TSgt Ben Bloker, Langley AFB, VA
(757)764-2144
Ben.Bloker@langley.af.mil

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51 Comments

  1. Jessica @ How Sweet It Is on September 21, 2009 at 7:31 am

    So cute! Your meals look like my husbands when I’m not home. 🙂 Great job taking care of the pups!

  2. Heather on September 21, 2009 at 7:31 am

    Hello Mr Fitnessista! Compliments on your post. You are funny. As a fairly recent Aussie import I’m curious as to where this Valdizzy place is. What is its population? And what does it have to recommend it (plethora of handsome and upstanding young men aside)?

    • The Pilot on September 21, 2009 at 11:55 am

      Hi Heather,

      Ah, well, beautiful Valdizzy located smack in the heart of Southern Georgia with the actual (and less interesting) name of Valdosta. There’s supposedly over 45,000 people here but I’m wondering if the census bureau didn’t include cows in that number. The biggest plus to the city; besides fresh produce, is it’s location inbetween Atlanta, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tallahassee. I work with a lot of young men and while I won’t comment on the “handsome”, the “upstanding” part is right out. Thanks for the comment!

  3. Stephanie on September 21, 2009 at 7:44 am

    Love the guest post! What a sweet guy to take over this morning and give your lady some much needed rest I am sure 🙂

  4. Jennie {in Wonderland} on September 21, 2009 at 8:02 am

    Loved it! This reminds me of when I left the UK to visit Canada in Feb. My bf lived off of hamburgers and possibly a few chips. I think. He wouldn’t show me his meals on Skype 😉

    My father and brother are both in the military – Canadian military {my brother is off to Afghanistan this week, actually} so I’m thrilled to see you representing!

    • The Pilot on September 21, 2009 at 12:01 pm

      Ha, our diet gets pretty shameless after a while…although it’s pretty delicious. I wish your brother a safe deployment out there. I’ve had the pleasure of working with several Canadian teams during my last couple trips out there. There’s always a smile on my face when I see one their callsigns on my mission assignment.

  5. rhodeygirl on September 21, 2009 at 8:11 am

    great post pilot!!!!

  6. Jocelyn on September 21, 2009 at 8:20 am

    cute!! but oh no! why do you have to find your doggy a new home soon…

    • The Pilot on September 21, 2009 at 12:03 pm

      Hey Jocelyn,

      Unfortuneately, Viesa has a dominant-aggresive personality (most Shibas do) and it’s clashing too much with our other dog. On her own Viesa is perfect. You couldn’t ask for a smarter, more loyal companion but her breed just doesn’t play well with others. We’ve tried everything but we can’t supress her natural instincts. Oh well, I have to love the good with the bad. It’s what makes her, her.

  7. Mara @ What's For Dinner? on September 21, 2009 at 8:21 am

    Great post! I gotta say, your meal looks about a million times healthier than “the gamer’s” meals when I’m not home! If you need me to send you some Chicago Italian Beef, that can be arranged 🙂 Hug the Fitnessista for me when you see her!!

    • The Pilot on September 21, 2009 at 12:05 pm

      That was a life-saver! Of course you can’t get anything like that around here…almost worth the trip.

  8. Bo The Photog on September 21, 2009 at 8:27 am

    Bravo Pilot! I got to meet the Fitnessista when I shot the video for 105degrees opening. She was a delightful interview and a joy to talk with. May the two of you continue to enjoy life with every step you take. As for your grilling skills, we may need to find you a class here in OKC for that.

  9. April on September 21, 2009 at 8:35 am

    That’s a nice meal for a man to make himself 🙂 When i’m away there are mysterious pizza boxes that appear. Looks like you’re a good fur daddy too!

  10. kirsten on September 21, 2009 at 8:48 am

    great post Pilot! You and the fitnessista are such a cute couple.

  11. Allie Katie on September 21, 2009 at 8:48 am

    Great ‘guest post’. Does it count as a guest post if you are married to the blogger? Possibly not! I am a huge college football fan, but since I am an SC alum, I’ve been avoiding ESPN since Saturday night. Sighhhhh. Here’s hoping Roll Tide does better than we did!

  12. Sarah on September 21, 2009 at 9:02 am

    Nice post Mr. Pilot! Hope you have a good week and a safe trip to OKC.

  13. VeggieGirl on September 21, 2009 at 9:06 am

    Awesome guest post, dear Mr. Pilot 🙂

  14. K on September 21, 2009 at 9:11 am

    I love your guest posts!! Glad you’re getting in some Viesa time 🙂

  15. cjbrownsc on September 21, 2009 at 9:14 am

    Great post! Very sweet of you to be the guest blogger today!
    I am a huge SC football fan, although I can be quite delusional when it comes to my Gamecocks! LOL
    I have a question-I have flown many times, but still get very nervous whenever I get on a plane. Airplane noises give me the heeby-jeebys! Any words of wisdom that you could offer me?

    PS: You and Gina are the CUTEST couple! Thanks for opening your lives to blogland!

    • The Pilot on September 21, 2009 at 12:12 pm

      Thanks for the kind words! There are still times when I’m flying on a less tasking flight when I start to hear noises I swear I’ve never heard before. I have the benefit of knowing the most of what’s going on with the mechanics of the aircraft so I don’t worry too much and neither should you. Commercial airliners have triple redundant systems that have to fail several times over before they even come close causing a major issue (but they also makes a lot of noises). The Fitnessista still clutches my hand a little tighter if the jet makes a strange noise but I still tell her that same thing. If it helps, just think that most noises mean that things are working as they should 🙂

  16. Elizabeth on September 21, 2009 at 9:14 am

    This was a great post! I love when the blog husband posts. Especially if he is humorous. You and G$ are birds of a feather.

  17. Pam on September 21, 2009 at 9:24 am

    Sending love and hugs to Viesa and you! Love the photo’s and sharing!

    Be well and safe!

  18. Laura W on September 21, 2009 at 9:24 am

    I ALWAYS think that Viesa is like double the size of what she actually is, despite Gina saying like 127894x that Viesa’s actually pretty small! She’s so cute.
    I like going (notice I didn’t say watching) to UGA games, but I went to PITT!

  19. *Andrea* on September 21, 2009 at 9:35 am

    sweet post. pilot, you’re adorable! gina is missed 🙂 i am a hugeeeeeee PATS fan. tom brady <3

  20. Dani on September 21, 2009 at 9:42 am

    I love tag-team blog efforts… so awesome! Hope you are both having a lovely Monday:).

  21. Tavolini on September 21, 2009 at 9:51 am

    Nice post!! Looks like you guys are holding up quite well–the beach picture is fantastic. Have fun 🙂

  22. Krista on September 21, 2009 at 10:36 am

    Love the post, Pilot! I’m betting Viesa is loving all the attention!!

  23. allijag on September 21, 2009 at 10:48 am

    You two are just the cutest couple around – great post 🙂

  24. Dotsie on September 21, 2009 at 11:20 am

    Cute post 🙂

    So sorry Viesa has to go! Hopefully she will get to stay close by, though!

  25. Stacey on September 21, 2009 at 11:27 am

    Hey Pilot! So listen, I know the Fitnessista has been meaning to post the macaroon recipe, I’m sure she’d be eternally grateful if you took care of that task for her : )

    we won’t tell….

    • The Pilot on September 21, 2009 at 12:14 pm

      Haha…sounds suspicious to me 😉

  26. Angharad (Eating for England) on September 21, 2009 at 11:44 am

    Hilarious! Glad to see you encouraging the missus to take a well-needed break. Grilling + football (ok I would prefer soccer) + dogtime = amazing.

    • The Pilot on September 21, 2009 at 12:17 pm

      I’m always amazed to see blog readers from other countries on here. Thanks for reading! And I have to admit, myself and a select few others would rather be playing soccer. Oh well, maybe someday I’ll get to visit and spend some time in a place where European football is the norm.

  27. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) on September 21, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    You get Husband of the Month award for helping your wife out on her blog. I think my husband would laugh at me if I told him I needed him to post on my behalf. I give you props for not only consenting to blog, but actually figuring out the technology for how to write a post and send it. And of course mega props for steppin’ in and steppin’ up!

  28. A on September 21, 2009 at 12:38 pm

    Hey Pilot! Great post! You’re a great hubby for letting Fitnessista take the morning off from blogging! 😀
    -A

  29. Jenna on September 21, 2009 at 12:57 pm

    great post pilot!
    i am sure you are missing gina’s meals! haha.
    jenna

  30. Melanie on September 21, 2009 at 1:01 pm

    Wow – what a great guy to post for Gina!! Love your picture of the A-10. My husband works at Willow Grove PA in the 111th Fighter wing on the A-10’s (at least for a while, they only have 4 planes left). He works in Ammunition/loading, so nothing as exciting as getting to fly them 🙂

  31. Meg on September 21, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    Hey Pilot,
    My hubby is a fellow AF officer, and for some reason I keep remembering that awful comment someone once left basically insinuating that Gina has no life while you’re off galavanting in planes and living your dream. My husband and I are facing similar attitudes especially as I am shifting my work schedule to work less and spend more time figuring out my own career aspirations. Anyway, just wanted to hear YOUR perspective on this kind of attitude toward military wives and how you handle it around other people. My sweet hubby would like to punch people when they make such stupid assumptions, but we’re looking for perhaps a less violent way to handle it ;). Thanks!

  32. Emily on September 21, 2009 at 4:24 pm

    It’s nice to get a post from the Pilot’s POV, and so nice of you to give Gina the morning off. 🙂
    How cool is it that you’re a pilot? Seriously. I know humans are meant to live on land but quite frankly I prefer to be in a plane or on a boat. I’ve considered both the AF and the Navy but I’m kind of a wimp, haha. And college football fans? TAR HEELS all the way! We’re all kind of psycho about them here in the Thrill (Chapel Hill=the Thrill to natives, kind of like the whole Valdosta=Valdizzy thing for you guys).
    Hope to hear more from you in the future! I see a wifey-hubby blog post in the not so distant future… 😉

  33. kristina on September 21, 2009 at 5:05 pm

    hey pilot,
    you and the fitnessita are such a cute couple, i can’t even stand it! what a nice gesture but to write a guest blog while your girl is away!! props to you on flying jet planes ~ the art and bravery of flying has always fascinated me! tell me does the fitnessita ever go in the air with you?? thanks again for your post.

  34. Salamander (American in Canada...Paris would sound so much more exotic!) on September 21, 2009 at 6:00 pm

    Hey Pilot!

    Great post! My grandmother’s side of the family is from Birmingham, so I grew up with BAMA T-shirts proudly emblazoned across the front! ROLL TIDE! 😀 Good to see another fan!

    I’d say you’re doing pretty well. I’m going home in a few months and am freaking out that the BF won’t be able to feed himself because I’ve taken pretty much all of that responsibility on. Maybe he’ll lose the couple lbs he’s wanted to since I wont’ be around ;). My sister/brother-in-law are also USAF in Colorado (Teaching I think?).

    Great work! Lets see more of you eh?

    • Fitnessista on September 21, 2009 at 10:43 pm

      i agree… we totally need more pilot on the blog 😀

  35. michelle on September 21, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    Viesa says thanks for cutting up her chicken

    • Fitnessista on September 21, 2009 at 10:43 pm

      LOL!

  36. Erin on September 21, 2009 at 9:40 pm

    It has been way too long since you posted mister man! 🙂

  37. laurensmommy on September 21, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    cool post, pilot! you guys are a great team! Just wanted to give a shout out for the Tide!! Roll, Tide, Roll! 🙂

  38. Suzanne on September 22, 2009 at 12:54 am

    #1. Excellent post Pilot!
    #2. I have fallen in love with Viesa via this blog. And…I want Viesa. And no, I am not joking. The husband and I would never replace the two of you but we are dog loving people! If you have a hard time finding a home, and want to see if I’d be an adequate second Mama, contact me!
    #3. You two are an adorable couple, cant wait for a reunion post!

    🙂

  39. Stephanie on September 22, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    Great post pilot! My husband is from Alabama and we are big Bama fans. Roll Tide!

  40. The Formerly Anonymous Yvette on September 22, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    I agree about Viesa — she’s a total fox! I believe her breed is related to the Akita — and I have a beutiful Akita-Shepherd mix that is also dog agressive. They say that Akita’s prefer to be the only dog in the family. But I have seen them do just fine with other dogs. I always wonder if I had gotten her at the same time with another dog if maybe it would have worked out. I’m curious who you had first or if you got them at the same time?

  41. Elizabeth Edith on September 22, 2009 at 9:58 pm

    <3 football. Nice post!

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