Heart Break de Nuevo.

As all of you know, the Padres were eliminated by those pendejos from up north. What looked like what was shaping up to be a special October ended up being another disappointment in the long list of San Diego sports. 

A few observations from that series:

1. Dave Roberts is a fucking bitch. 
2. Dodgers fans are the absolute worst people. Trash ass humans. 
3. Ken Rosenthal needs his ass kicked. That racist gnome. 
4. Yu Darvish deserved better. 

What I learned about my siblings during this series:

1. Nicy doesn’t like dodger fans. She was super upset with them when she attended game three. She had a potty mouth in our group texts. 
2. Pepe was so upset that he shaved off his beautiful mustache shortly after the series. Padres trauma is a real thing. 

As a father, my job is to not only protect my babies, but to develop them into decent human beings and make sure they can lead a happy and healthy life. So shortly after this series ended I asked myself: why the fuck did I make my kids Padres fans?!? My son was disappointed and he had to witness LA fans celebrate a victory despite them acting like senseless assholes throughout the series. The only silver lining is my son will be better prepared to face the disappointments life throws his way. Damn SD curse will never end. 

Anyway, that’s it for baseball season. Hopefully the Mets advance. I will be present on opening day in March but unless they’re relevant in September, I won’t put myself through this again any time soon. 

Or I may. Who the f knows.

Go Padres.

Greetings from Ohio

Good evening a todos.

This latest entry is brought to you by below freezing temperatures and folks who say pop instead of soda.

I completely switched up careers. No longer am I the young, good looking talent you saw every Friday night on TV during football season. Nor am I the art teacher that inspired the future minds of the world. I have moved on from that. Those that know me know what I am doing out here in CBUS. If you don't know yet, I will tell you the same thing I told my students: I moved to Ohio to run a small paper business called Dunder Mifflin. I was surprised and disappointed they believed that. Damn teenagers.

Despite being in a constant state of hypothermia, I have been fortunate enough to find a career that will allow me to fulfill a promise I made a long time ago. I don't remember why we did this. I believe it was mandatory before getting married, but in Mexico we went to some sort of meeting with other couples. I don't remember much about that day, but I was reminded recently about the goals we wrote down. By year 10 of marriage we are supposed to buy a house. This is year eight and if things go well, that should become a reality soon.

This new career has been a challenge. I am working in an environment that is absolutely foreign to me. But the worst part is I am away from my family. Fortunately, I was able to spend Noche Buena and Christmas with them. I even dressed up like Santa and surprised my sister Nicy. She ended up crying. What a weenie. One of the best parts of being home was, of course, the food. I was able to eat tacos de birria, tacos de asada, some menudo, and drink some Coca Mexicana. I don't believe in heaven, but if I'm wrong and happen to get in, I hope those items are on the menu everyday.

Missing my babies is never easy. Yes, I spent many years being a part-time dad while they were living in Mexico when they were younger. And I am now in a position where I don't know when I will see them again. I have my good days, but I have been having a lot of of bad ones as well. I have to constantly remind myself that there is purpose in everything that I am doing. Sacrifice. That's what this chapter of my life is about. I am looking forward to the day I can get to happiness.

Take care everyone. And never forget: Black Lives Matter. Fuck ICE. No human being is illegal. Love is love.

Time to Make a Move

Hola de nuevo fans. I am back with another update to share with you all.

This blog is sponsered by dirty diapers and a lack of sleep. What is today's blog about, you ask? Change.

I am looking for a change.

I have been living in San Diego for the past nine+ years, with some time here and there in the Motherland. I returned to this part of the world in May of 2013. My immediate future wasn't clear at the time, but the goal has always been to move back to Ohio. Columbus in particular. 

Since returning, I have been able to work my way up the educational and journalism world. I have a pretty good thing going for me here in San Diego. I was also the head coach of the wrestling team for two years at the school I teach at and had a lot of success. 

I decided to resign a few months back from coaching and, while I have been enjoying spending more time with the kids, the reasons I felt I needed to leave that post never sat well with me. That along with other events have led me to realize that I have done all that I could here in San Diego and that a new adventure is needed.

Enter Ohio.

For those who don't know, Columbus, despite being named after a piece of shit human being, is an awesome city. The scenery, the rivers, the hikes, the art, the culture, the Buckeyes, the affordable housing, it makes for a great place to live. The wife brought it up a few weeks ago. She noticed I wasn't happy with the way things have been going and that I should look into jobs out there. Without thinking too much, I knew she had a point. I immediately looked up jobs out there and began applying. I bought a plane ticket and will be touching down in CBus on 7/21 late at night. It will be my first time there in 9 years.

I purposefully acted almost on impulse because the more I think about moving, the more I shy away from it. I have a good career, a couple side jobs that are fun and keep me occupied, my kids are doing well in school and their activities, and they have all their family here or within two hours. Plus my vegan brother just moved back to LA from Connecticut with a terrible hair cut and my older, odd sister is moving back to San Diego in a few weeks. 

This is a screen shot of my Pepeton talking with his Aunt Karah, Tio Pepe and Tia Nicy. If you don't know which one is my sister, she's the one who looks like she dressed up as my daughter for Halloween who dressed up like Johnny Depp.

My parents are another reason why I hesitate to make the move. They are finally going to have all of their babies close to them and here I am trying to move their favorite grandkids across the country.

But the dream has always been Ohio. An enjoyable, nice-paying job with a warm house for my babies to hide from the cold-ass winters. 

Change is scary. It's one thing leaving behind a city where you have nothing going for you. But here in San Diego, we have good jobs and our kids are happy. We would be taking a gamble. But I've always believed that happiness is found when one steps out of their comfort zone and succeeds. I have done it before and I plan on doing it again.

I don't know what life will look like in a few months. I may end up staying in San Diego the rest of my life. But whatever it is, I hope I'm happier and have peace of mind.

Take care everyone. And never forget: Black Lives Matter. Fuck ICE. No human being is illegal. Love is love.

May 16 - El Dia de Mi Viejo.

 Greetings fans,

I was going to start this post with "Your favorite nightwalker is back with another exciting post." Until I looked up the definititon of nightwalker. So now I must settler for this instead:

Here is another post. (safe and to the point)

May 16, 2013 will always be a special day for me. Not because that was the day the series finale of The Office aired. Fun fact: I've seen The Office at least 10 times but have never seen the series finale. I may get into those reasons in another post but I digress.

5/16/2013 is the day my baby boy John came into this world and changed the course of elder John forever. 

I remember finding out late in 2012 that my then-girlfriend Francis was pregnant and all I could do was laugh. I don't know why I laughed. I never wanted kids or thought about having kids. But, for whatever reason, I was happy.

Francis, not so much. She cried in the bathroom of our one bedroom apartment in Columbus as soon as it was confirmed she was going to be promoted to babymama.

The next few months were not ideal. Francis returned home to Mexicali and San Diego to plan the wedding that would eventually get canceled, while I stayed in Ohio for work anticipating her return. In January of 2013, the day before buying a car that we would need once the baby arrived, I got super high with a buddy before entering a casino that would keep me prisoner for what seemed like 45 minutes but really was eight hours. When I told Francis what happened, she let me hear it. "Ya vas a ser papa! Asi vas a estar cuando llegue tu hijo?!?! Que chingados te pasa!?!?" I didn't feel like I did something wrong, but that was the first time I've been yelled at as someone responsible for another life. It was weird.

Later that week Francis had her visa taken away while in Mexicali, leaving me with a worry that was hard to deal with. Our baby was five months away from being born and my future was full of uncertainty.

My mom was the one who broke the news to me that my baby was going to be a boy. I was on my way home from a wrestling tournament with the Mifflin High Punchers when she let it slip over the phone. Those who know my mom would not be surprised by this. I did not want to know the sex of the baby, and at first I was bothered, but that feeling quickly evaporated. I was going to have a baby boy. That's not news one should be mad about.

I made the decision to leave everything behind and drive home from Ohio to Mexicali with my belongings and three cats. It was a long trip that consisted of naps in a Denny's parking lot in Kansas City, a friend's house in Denver, and at my cousins in Mesquite before arriving in San Diego.

I arrived in San Diego on May 14th in the evening. I was exhausted. I planned on staying there a day or two before making the two hour drive to Mexicali. I spoke with the babymama the next day and told her I'll be out there the following day. She told me to pack the car with all the baby supplies and I, in true John fashion, told her I absolutely would and definitely did not.

My precious sleep was interrputed early in the morning on the 16th. Francis called me to let me know that she was on her way to the hospital because baby John was going to make his grand arrival. She asked me if the car was packed and ready and I said, "Claro. Ya ahorita voy en camino."

I hang up the phone and wake up my mother and plead with her to help me load the car with all the supplies because the baby is on his way and I told Francis the car was ready and I need help now because if I show up late she's going to assume I didn't load up the car and probably kill me. This isn't far-fetched. Mexicanas are scary creatures. Pregnant Mexicanas? Their anger comes from the depths of Mount Doom.

We load up the car in record time and we head out to Mexicali. Fortunately for me, it was a false alarm. Unfortunately for me, since I wasn't there, her pops had to take her in his car. His car decided to run out of gas.

Normally one would say, "hey, it happens." But we're talking about Mexicali in May. The heat was in the triple digits and my sumo-shaped babymama was about to burst. You can say her mother was a bit upset with her husband. Surprisingly she didn't Will Smith him. Sure enough, when I get there later on the blame is put on me. Apparently if I would have arrived the day before none of that would have happened. How was I supposed to know the man wasn't going to have gas in his car?

Anyway, shortly after her water breaks. I manage to take a mirror picture of the historic event.

We go to the hospital and I'm not allowed to join her. All I could do for the next many hours is pace back and forth, worrying, hoping, thinking. It wasn't until about 10:30pm that I'm told my son was born a few hours earlier. I was now the proud papa of a healthy, handsome baby boy. I was told to return the next day to meet him during visiting hours.

I go back to the house and can barely sleep. I wanted nothing more than to see my son and Francis. I was invited out for some drinks by my future brother-in-law but I declined. I just wanted to shut my eyes asap so tomorrow can arrive quickly.

May 17, I meet my son. 

It was very surreal. I couldn't believe it. I fell in love. I felt excitement. I felt fear. 

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I returned from Ohio. I was returning to be a dad and hopefully a husband. It took me a while to process everything. Maybe too long. The feeling of doubt was lingering above me since returning. But my son always reminded me of why I made this decision.

One moment stands out in particular. I was working at a job I hated. The hours were terrible, the pay even worse and the work environment was toxic. I hated life. But kids have a unique way of easing your troubles. It was around Thanksgiving when I got home and John was sleeping. He must have heard me because he opened his eyes. And the first thing he does is make eye contact with me, and just smiles.

Fast forward to 2022, and John is nine years old. My first born. Mi viejo. Older brother to la Pechocha and Pepeton. He's made me become a responsible dad who does anything and everything to make sure he and the family are all right.

What I like most about my son is that he is a good person at heart. He enjoys helping people. He wants everyone to be happy. Despite claiming otherwise, he loves his sister and supports Isabella in everything she does.

A few weeks ago, they had their first jiu-jitsu tournament, and while Isabella was competing, the loudest in the gym was John. He was yelling out instructions and encouraging her to do well. While winning the match, Isa began to cry because she got scared. As soon as she got off the mat, John was there to console her to let her know she did great. That's who John is.

For someone who never wanted kids, I feel I've done a pretty good job raising my son. I know I tend to be too hard on him at times and for whatever reason, I have high expectations for him. I'm trying to be better with that. The wife has helped me tremendously with this. Being a dad has been the best thing that has happened to me.

I don't know if John will ever read this. I'm not one to celebrate people online. I like to let them know in person my feelings. I tell my kids everyday that I love them. This post is for my fans and groupies to let them know I have a pretty amazing son. Aside from the fact his dream is to grow up to be a Youtuber, he's got a good head on his shoulders and a big heart.

Feliz cumpleaños a mi viejo.

Take care everyone. And never forget: Black Lives Matter. Fuck ICE. No human being is illegal. Love is love.

Introducing Mi Pepeton

 Greetings fans,

Checking in to update you all once again on what is going on in the always interesting life of John Duran. 

It is the year 2022 now and we have moved past the worst part of the pandemic. At least I hope so. I'm about to complete my first full year of teaching in a classroom. I'm about to clear my credential. My babies are killers in Muay-Thai and jiu-jitsu and recently began wrestling, I've put on a couple LBs and I'm more exhausted than ever.

Why am I exhausted? Is it because I'm working long hours at a hotel once again over night while also teaching six classes during the day? Nope. It is because of one person and one person only. He destroys everything in his path. He will nap during the day and when I get ready to close my eyes to join him in a siesta he quickly wakes up and says "fuck you and your disire to catch Zs. I'm awake and need attention." He's cute in the face and thick in the thighs. He will destroy a diaper with one good push. He is none other than Julian Jose Duran Escalera aka Pepeton aka Calixto.

Pepeton exited his mother's womb on October 17, 2021 early in the morning. He came two weeks early and was tiny. The first two weeks were tough because he lost a good percentage of his weight and we were worried he was sick.

Yeah....we were wrong.

This dude is a freaking man baby who eats so much that he wears pijamas for kids who are 18 months. This fool isn't even seven months old yet! He apparently doesn't believe in napping during the day. He also doesn't care if you put on your best shirt to go to work or to go out. He will throw up on it and laugh about it, then get upset because you aren't carrying his big ass around the house.

Despite my complaints, he does bring me joy. For those who don't know, I wasn't too present in my other kids' lives early on because they lived in the Motherland while I worked in SD. So it has been fun getting to see mi Pepeton everyday. But this dude is a handful! I don't know if I pissed him off while he was in the womb or something but physically and mentally, I've never been more exhausted in my life. How is it possible that something so tiny can kick my ass this bad? It's not fair. Damn babies are ruthless.

As always, I promise to write more often, and this time I will keep that promise. A friend reminded me today how therapeutic it is so I told him I'm going to be more consistent.

So make sure to check back frequently because a lot has happened the past two years and I plan on documenting that as well the adventures that lie ahead.

Take care everyone. And never forget: Black Lives Matter. Fuck ICE. No human being is illegal. Love is love.

Coming to You Live from a Hotel on a School Night!

    Greetings fans. Sorry for not keeping you guys updated on the everyday happenings of my life. It is 2020, and I think it's fair to say that a lot has happened since my last post. 

    

    The kids made the move to San Diego. The wife did as well after almost seven years of having to stay in the Motherland. I am officialy a teacher at Mount Miguel High School, entering my second year. Also the new head wrestling coach there. My kids learned to swim and we were enjoying life.

    Then 2020 happened.

    Covid-19 hit and it quickly spread throughout the world. Everything was shut down. But in true American exceptionalism fashion, we said F this and began acting like we are somehow immune to this virus because wearing a mask is for communists, pansies and sheep! And Karens have been popping up everywhere like Oxxos asking to speak to managers or throwing their feces at innocent bystanders because they are Karens and that's what they do.

    All kidding aside, it has been a tough year. George Floyd and Breonna Taylor joined the long list of people murdered by police. I lost a friend earlier this year. We were expecting a baby but unfortunately the baby was not developing properly. I think I speak for everyone when I say 2020 has been awful.

    But lets focus on the positive. This pandemic, even though it has limited my family's social lives, has had many positives. 

    My kids learned how to ride their bikes without training wheels. My daughter, who is very adventurous, now rides a long board. My dogs are healthy and happy. My cat is cool but still annoying. The wife just jumped out of a plane. (See image below and look closely to see if you spot any fear in her face).

    As for me, I get to see my family everyday, which is what I have been wanting since 2013. 

    Don't get me wrong, I wish this pandemic would go away ASAP. I miss being in the classroom with my students. I miss taking my babies to the park so they can play on the jungle gym. I miss seeing coworkers and attending school activities. But being able to spend everyday with the family has been great. Seeing the babies everyday, watching them grow and learn, has been a joy. 

    One weird note: it seems my daughter and I have somehow synched our bowel movements. It never fails - as soon as I go to the bathroom, I hear her little Flintstone feet run to the bathroom door trying to turn the knob. Literally. Every. Day.

    With distance learning and only having two classes this quarter, I'm trying to approach this time as an opportunity. An opportunity to try new things. My siblings and I have a couple projects in the works that I am really excited about. I, too, have some ideas that I think I will really enjoy. Plus I want to write more on here.

    I picked up a second job working overnight at a hotel. I have a little free time throughout the night so I don't have an excuse not to write more.

    Take care everyone. And never forget: Wear a mask. Black Lives Matter. Fuck ICE. No human being is illegal. Love is love. 

    

Could the Stars be Aligning????

I really need to be more active on here. Writing soothes my soul. To the millions out there reading this, I'll try to be more active.

So these past 12 months have been quite the roller coaster for me. It was not easy at times, but things are looking good. I by no means am playing a victim, but man do I feel I am deserving of some good luck. And it looks like it is happening.

Since my last post, I have become somewhat of a local celebrity around San Diego. It's not a big deal but I'm kind of a big deal. I'm the Dine & Dash field producer for the Prep Pigskin Report. Long story short I eat food while on TV every Friday night during high school football season. My Ohio State journalism degree is finally paying off! It's a fun segment where I get to interact with all sorts of people. Plus I get fed while doing it!

This Monday I have an interview to be a teacher at the school I've been working at for the past four years as a supervisor. Who would have thought I would one day be teaching? 2010 John would have laughed at the idea. 2019 John is excited for the opportunity. Once again, my Ohio State journalism degree is finally paying off! I'm excited for the chance to contribute even more than I have been doing the past couple of years.
I also began contributing to EastCountySports.com during the winter. I hope to be more available where I can showcase my talents during the fall, winter and spring.

On a professional level, I am seeing my efforts being rewarded with opportunities and recognition. As happy as that makes me, it pales in comparison to what is bringing me the most joy. The wife and I decided a while back that our bendiciones will be going to school in the US of A this school year. Meaning, I will finally be able to see my kids everyday! My son starts in August and my baby girl in January.

My Gordis, my lady, la dueña de mi corazon, has her immigration appointment late October. If all goes well, a few days later we will be living together as a family in San Diego.
Of course, that means I will be a papa soltero for two months while we wait to go to Ciudad Juarez. I will have the support of my parents in SD but, for those who read my last entry from a year ago, it will be a challenge for me. But it is a challenge I am so looking forward to! My kids are awesome. I cannot wait to have them everyday.

It looks like the universe is finally done beating down on me. As I mentioned earlier, I am no victim and I know there are plenty of people on this Earth who have it faarrrrrrr worse than I do. But these last seven years have not been ideal. They have been quite tough, honestly. But I feel I am coming out of this a better man, husband and dad. Plus studies show that women prefer a dad bod over a fit bod. So I got that going for me as well.
I am only a few months out from being able to wake up to this everyday.

Life is going to be good!

Once in San Diego together, there will be no slowing down. I have held off "living life" for too long. I never felt right having fun without my wife and kids. So what will be on the schedule? Padres games. Gym. Hiking. Date night. Runs at Lake Murray. Traveling. Getting my kids involved in sports. Maybe joining a sport myself. Anything and everything. The trick will be to do all this while (hopefully) being a teacher, working for the PPR and ECS, running a few after school programs, and coaching three different sports. The "Hey Mon" skit with the hard working Jamaicans on In Living Color really speaks to me on a personal level.

Despite my full schedule, you will not catch me complaining or saying I am too tired. The stars are finally aligning for my family. We deserve to be happy.

Papa Soltero

Since Saturday morning, I have been taking care of my kids all by myself. This has been a nice change up for me. I usually only see them on the weekends so it's been nice spending time with them. I get to wake them, make them laugh and put them to bed. On Sunday we ate breakfast and then went to my son's baseball game where he went 1-2 and scored a run.

I love my kids with everything I got. I have really enjoyed these last couple of days. But..... My goodness am I tired. And not just normal tired someone gets after working and running errands. It's a different kind of tired. Like Jesse Pinkman being held captive and forced to make meth in the final episodes of Breaking Bad tired. Everything revolves around their schedule. From school to after school activities. It never ends. Pooping comfortably is out of the question. The door always props open and they ask what I'm doing. What the hell does it look like I'm doing? Close the damn door.

What's been tough for me is disciplining them. Usually on the weekends I take them to the store or I show up with gifts. I don't like having to be the one that disciplines them after not seeing them all week. On Monday, I picked up my kids from school and I was told they behaved badly. We went home and I made them lunch before heading to my son's gymnastics practice. After practice I asked what they wanted to eat and John said he wanted a hamburger and Isabella wanted some nuggets. I repeat, John wanted a hamburger and Isabella some nuggets. We head to Carl's Jr. and I tell them we're taking the drive thru and eating at home because they behaved badly in school. They ask me a good 15 times if we can eat inside but I say no. But then I think to myself, "If they play for a good hour and get tired, putting them to bed will be much easier. But they didn't earn it. They misbehaved in school. Hmmmm....F it we're getting down and eating here." I ask them again what they wanted. John wants a hamburger. "Do you want cheese, John?" "Yes." "Isabella do you want nuggets?" "Yes." We order and make our way to the play area. They go in that jungle gym that always smells like feet and are having a good time. The food arrives and I call them over. "John here is your hamburger and Isabella your nuggets." Isabella then says "But I want a hamburger." "No the F you didn't" is what went through my head but I tell her "Isabella, you said you wanted nuggets. Now eat your nuggets." Then John tells me "But I don't want cheese." "I don't want nuggets!" "I don't want cheese!" Both are close to tears. I then give Isabella the burger and John the nuggets. Calm has been restored just like that. All I'm thinking is "These fools are going to make me go crazy inside a Carl's Jr. in hot-ass Mexicali."

They play for an hour and we head home. I shower them and put them to bed. No problems at all. Was I wrong for taking them to Carl's Jr. after they misbehaved in school? Probably. But I was tired and wanted an hour to relax after putting them to bed. Taking care of kids all day is tough. I don't know how my Gordis does it. I am fortunate to have a wife that is a great mother. She comes back tonight from Vancouver and I honestly don't know who will be more happy to see her, me or the kids. I've been surviving off cold pizza and cup o noodles and I can't take it anymore.

Junto A Ti Creo Que Aumente Mas de 3 Kilos....maybe 10

This was not supposed to happen to me. I do not know where I went wrong. People told me it was inevitable but I never believed it. Yet here I am. Fallen victim to this disease. I look at myself in the mirror everyday and all I see is disappointment. My parents say my son is exactly how I used to be as a kid. Very active, full of energy. He is involved in gymnastics and baseball. He loves to run and can spend hours at the park. Before having him and settling down, I, too, stayed busy with activities and sports. Soccer, wrestling, boxing, weight lifting, running, the gym. However, everything changes once you become responsible for another life. Free time is harder to come by and naps are always desired. Being a part-time dad (hopefully that changes soon) is exhausting. Being a full-time dad (more on this in my next blog) should only make me spiral down deeper into this horrible disease. Unless I do something about it. I hope to look in the mirror one day and no longer see disappointment. What is disappointment? Love handles and big cheeks (both kind). In case you have not caught on, I suffer from what many men have been suffering from since the dawn of time. I have a DAD BOD. John from six years ago would look at present-day John and be devastated knowing that one day he would be shaped like George Lopez during the early years of his TV show. I have never been one to toot my own horn, but pre-kids John was not bad on the eyes. I managed to sweep my Gordis off her feet almost immediately. I softened her up with my looks and reeled her in with my charm. But now, all I have left is my charm. But what good is having great customer service if your store is a chubby 31 year old with as many chins as he has kids. Don't believe everything you see on television. WRONG! I should have seen this coming. TV prepared me for this yet I ignored the signs. I always felt sitcoms were unrealistic the way they usually had a good-looking wife with an average, sometimes overweight husband. King of Queens. The Simpsons. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Family Guy. Now here I am. Another Peter Griffin. That really grinds my gears. I'm a big believer in personal responsibility. But not with this. I blame the Motherland for its delicious food. The wife for her delicious food. And my kids for being so damn expensive and needing to eat everyday. But I am making this promise: I will shake this off and get back to a weight where I look and feel great. Maybe I am being a bit too dramatic. Maybe I should relax. Once I start rocking the mom jeans then I'll start panicking. Until then, I will begin my body transformation. If all goes well I will probably become a famous Instagram model and travel the world and leave it all behind.

Don't Call It a Comeback!

The wait is finally over! After years of silence and baby-making, I have been inspired to once again write a new blog post. Many would compare this to Tupac resurrecting and rocking the mic, but I would disagree. This is more like LeBron going back to Cleveland and winning an NBA title. Quick recap of important events that have impacted my life: I had a son. I got married. I had a daughter. I lost my abs. I lived in the Motherland for a few years. I live in the Motherland on the weekends now. My sister had a baby girl. I am a field producer for PPR during football season. San Diego legend David Wells said hi to me. I was vegan for 48 hours. I was a vegetarian for 72 hours. But lets move on. I am sure I will touch on the above subjects and other stuff in future posts. So what inspired me to start blogging again? Or better yet, who? The wife, of course. MY better half. Mi vieja. Mi Gordis. My quesadilla maker. We are sitting in our driveway in Mexicali. We are planning our trip to Cancun and this is how our conversation goes: WIFE: "How much is too much to spend on a hotel?" ME: "I don't know." WIFE: "Well is $1000 a night too much?" (FYI that's in pesos. I'm not balling yet. Kids are expensive! They eat a lot! Multiple times are day. But lets get back to the subject at hand.) ME: "That's fine." WIFE: "What about $800?" ME: "I don't know." WIFE: "Well I'm asking for your opinion. And you never tell me anything. We're a team." ME: jokingly say "We're a team? You're in charge. We're not a team." She then proceeds to close the laptop and looks bothered. ME: "What's wrong?" WIFE: "I don't understand why you would say that. You act like I'm always deciding things for us all the time without your opinion." After charming my way out of an argument, I became inspired. I had to document this exchange. Those that know me know I can be sarcastic at times. I'm very nonchalant when it comes to things. However, none of that was part of my initial response. I was asked a question and clearly gave an answer. She then asked me if a lower price was OK. Why would a lower price not be OK? What was the purpose of that follow up question? I have been with the wife for almost six years. Even during the honeymoon phase, I have always been this way. Why get bothered? We are going to Cancun in a couple months! Plus we both know I am really in charge. I will definitely try to document my life as a dad and husband on here more often. it's already been a unique and awesome adventure and I have many years to go.

All Good Things Must Come To An End

My time with the Mount Miguel Matadors has come to an end. Since making the decision of leaving for Ohio, I knew I was going to give up a lot of things I enjoy. Coaching at Mt. Miguel probably tops the list.
For those who have seen me these last couple of days, especially Saturday night after Masters, know how bummed out I am about this.
We hoped to possibly qualify four kids to the state meet but came up short. Our 126 kid really took 5th but was DQed on a bad call which resulted in a 6th place finish. Our 220 kid just missed the medal rounds. Our HW took 4th, just missing out on 3rd and state.
What stood out to me this weekend was our 138 wrestler, a senior and the coach's son. He underachieved all season. It didn't help that he didn't wrestle last year but everyone had high hopes for him. In my opinion, he loves the sport of wrestling, but he lacked that fire for it. However, he always worked hard in the room and was a great team captain. He did it right all year long. And when people see him wrestle they are always in awe of his ability.
While wrestling to stay alive in Masters (had he been on the other side of the bracket he would have more than likely made it to the finals), he was dominating a kid and made one mistake that lead to him getting pinned - which happened to him all season - thus ending his wrestling career. He laid on the mat for a few seconds realizing it was over for him, got up, shook the kids hands, shook the opposing coach's hand and made his way toward Vic and I. Vic told him to keep his head up and that we were going to go outside to the back. On the way there, a ref in charge of keeping the middle of the mats clear walked up beside him and gave him a hug, letting him know he had a great season. Once outside, his emotions got the better of him as he sat in a corner letting it all out.
I could tell Vic was upset and disappointed, but especially sad that his son had to lose the way he did and that he wouldn't get to see him wrestle anymore. I was very sad for him. I hate hate hate seeing our kids lose.
I love sports. But individual sports like wrestling, boxing or MMA have a different feel to them, whether you're in it, coaching or a spectator. There is nothing like it. For anyone who's witnessed any live know the emotions are unlike any other. The highs are great but the lows hurt....a lot.
When he lost, despite still having other guys in the tourney, it hit me that my time with the Matadors was coming to an end. The emotion he showed let me know that his time as a Matador wrestler was over, and I definitely related to it.
My friends told me I should look into coaching out in Ohio. I plan on that but the attachment I have to this program is going to be tough to match. I highly doubt I'll ever have a wrestling lineup of Mexicans, Blacks, Samoans and one and a half white guys out in Ohio (yay for diversity!). I was fortunate enough to help Vic start this program from scratch and see our kids take tremendous steps in just two seasons.
I'm going to miss my team, my fellow coaching staff, refs (not all of them.....some don't have a clue what they're doing out there), coaches and wrestlers from other schools, the whole routine of wrestling season.
It had me exhausted every weekend but it was worth it.

We Could All Learn from ManMeat

I am currently in position to witness what not many ever get the chance to: a fairytale. Not just any fairytale, but one of the blossoming love between ManMeat and Uncertain.
Who are these individuals? One is a free-spirited soul who enjoys wearing sunglasses at night while driving, and the other is someone who doesn't know what they want, or in other words, a typical female.
Just recently, ManMeat confessed his love to Uncertain with a little help from his good friend liquor. But, like every fairytale, there is a twist to this love story. ManMeat is planning to move out of state in the coming weeks. Only one thing will keep him here and that's Undecided.
Unfortunately for ManMeat, two things are keeping him from making babies with his dream girl - she's not a fan of his past and her doubts and possible guilt she'll have if it doesn't work out. You can't blame her for thinking this way. She does have a Y chromosome that makes her and many like her think nonsense.
My advice to Uncertain would be to take a chance. Everyone has a past. You can't hold that against him. And if he thinks you're worth staying for, that should show you how he feels about you.
I'm trying to find the negatives that would come out of this and I can't come up with one. Reason being is because life is about taking chances. Where would this world be without Steve Jobs, Nicy D or the McRib (I hear it's good but I don't know)? Both would be taking a chance at being happy. As the great Ali once said, "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." If it doesn't work out, at least they can walk away knowing they went for it.
I want it to work out because I already called dibs on Godfather. It doesn't matter if it's for baby ManBo or baby BoMeat. I'll be honored with either one.
I should warn them about possibly choosing Cochina as Godmother. I don't think they realize she likes to dress up like a pirate while making love in the club. I digress....
Anyway, the clock is ticking. ManMeat leaves in a few weeks and the status of this relationship remains unclear. Will something come to fruition? Will Uncertain realize she can't live without ManMeat and chase him down at the airport, stopping him right when he's about to board his flight and kiss him to a standing ovation from all the travellers at the terminal? Or will this fairytale not have an ending any time soon?
It all remains to be seen. One thing is for certain, ManMeat is living his life the right way.
Move over McRib, there is some new Meat in town....for a few more weeks at least.

Looking Back Before Looking Forward

Finally, a new blog. My apologies for the lag.

I guess you can say a lot has happened since my last entry. I'm still an adult unfortunately.

Despite being a month into 2010, I figured I'll look back at the year that was 2009.

2009 was very interesting for me. This time last year, I was chilling in New York (on a couch because my genius top-5 law school sister poked a hole in the air mattress) preparing to go back to Ohio State with the hopes of getting a Resident Adviser position. I was lucky enough to get it.

Summer time was good. Aside from bumming it out, I tried to make the most of it. Made new friends, had a few too many last hurrahs, not enough pow-wows, and got a baby...Bonifacio of course. He's mi bebe.

Started my final year at OSU. Being an RA is a great experience. Winter break was great. Spent time with those most important. Unfortunately had to work more than I would have wanted but that's life, right?

2010

It's February and I am about seven months away from having a college degree in journalism. Seems crazy to even think that, especially since I wasn't even in school last year.

I'm really enjoying winter quarter. I'm enrolled in a news editing/writing class and magazine writing course. It is not an easy transition to go from regular writing to these two different styles. I'm still having a hard time. However, I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Writing a story is great, but the journey you have to go through in order to put them together is what I love most about journalism. Everyone has a story. And every now and then, you'll stumble onto a good one. I was fortunate enough to do a story on a fellow Spring Valley native and learn about his life and goals. It's been a great experience and I look forward to having more of these for years to come.

Goals for this year? Same as usual - do well in school, maximize my time because time waits for no one, and find a job after graduation. I'm also hoping to continue to surround myself with good people.

I don't think I'm hoping for too much. If anything, this last year has taught me that time is moving and I need to be right there with it. I'm already 23....entering the big boy stages of life. I need to do what I can now before it's too late.

As Kids We Used to Laugh, Who Knew that LIfe Would Move this Fast?

Question for anyone: When did you grow up?
I'm not talking about the decade you grew up in or the first time you got paid from your first job. I'm talking about when you first realized you had left behind your days as a youth and were now considered an adult in everyone's eyes.

I have come to learn that life is a non-stop process of learning filled with perseverance. From the day we're born, responsibilities are placed on us in order to allow us to keep up in this world. We begin growing the first day of our lives and never stop. However, realizing you've entered that area of "responsible adult" is a surprising and unexpected realization.

I remember feeling all grown up whenever I was working during my year off from school a few years back. I remembering feeling like a responsible young adult when I left for Ohio State....I mean THE Ohio State. But did I feel like an adult? Not at all.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to go bowl with a friend where I would also help her watch over her baby brother and his friends. It was supposed to be a total of four or five of us, but much to our unfortunate surprise, we had to watch over a total of five or six 12 year olds for about two hours. It was our duty to make sure these kids didn't leave our sight and to answer either yes or no when asked if they were allowed to use the restroom or grab snacks.

After bowling, while eating, I realized what I was. Was I? Already? After going back and forth with this thinking, I hesitantly accepted the reality of what I was......an adult.

Was it really that long ago that my friends and I looked forward to going to that same bowling alley with the hopes of breaking 100, play lazer tag, and hit up the arcade? Was it really that long ago? I found myself not caring about breaking 100 (I like to aim at a 140), nor about playing in the arcade. All I was worried about is making sure the kids were ok.

I brought this up to a group of friends a few days later, and sure enough, one of them had a recent panic about growing up. He explained to me how this upcoming decade will be the 10 years that will determine our lives. Most of us are going to graduate from college, have a career, find our significant other, and have kids by the time the year 2020 arrives. That got me thinking of what the future holds for myself, my family, friends, and the world in general. How will our lives be like 10 years from now? Now that I'm an adult, what steps do I have to take in order to make sure I'll be ok by the time 2020 comes around.

So, I stand/type before you as an adult. Someone who is responsible enough to look over kids, as someone who is expected to make the right choices, and as someone on the brink of attaining that "old man strength." This should be interesting.

Confusing Species

I received a request to inform the world about the differences between men and women.

Men:
Simple people.

Women:
Instead of pointing out how females are, I would rather use an example that I feel best describes them.
A female will order buffalo wings because she reads they are only 300 calories, but changes her mind at the last minute and orders chicken strips with fries on the side, asks for ranch and honey mustard, and rejects the hot sauce for wings, yet she is happy when she does receive hot sauce because that is what she originally wanted, and regrets eating the strips instead of the wings that only had 300 calories.
Moral of the story: Females don't know what they want.

Is That What That Pirate Costume Was For?

This weekend was probably one of the most entertaining since coming back home for the summer. Friday I had dinner with friends where I got rocked by Ceciah....she can be a punk at times. Saturday was chill as well that consisted of a late late late night dinner with Cec and Lawen, and Sunday was more of the same except with an earlier dinner.

Dinner on Sunday was, as my amigos like to label it, a "pow-wow," where we talk about anything and everything, including subjects we do not normally talk about. I had the priviledge of sharing this experience with La Bestia (LB to be short) and a person who actually believes fate determines our lives. I think I'm going to refer to her as........LW.

We began the discussion of fate vs free will. LB and LW seem to believe that fate is real and everything around us is fate, and that everything happens for a reason. While I can agree with the latter part of the statement, I feel fate does not exist and is too often confused with the statement that everything happens for a reason. I would like to think that I am in control of what I do with my life, not some idea that I was destined to do something. Some believe free will determines fate, but that doesn't make much sense if you think about it. One's actions determines their future, not their surroundings. I don't believe people are destined to be something. I believe they need to work towards it and earn it. Destiny sure isn't going to help them through the process. It will be their free will. I could go on and on arguing about this but it gets tedious.

The great/unfortunate thing about our gatherings is the information some people share. It can make you laugh or cringe, leave you speechless or wanting more answers. Last night, LB was kind enough to let us know about her experience at the amusement park. Fortunately for her, she was tall enough for the dragon ride. She said the ride at times was not fun but was happy to conquer it. It was apparently the biggest ride she's ever been on. Me personally, I don't like amusement parks.

You know how some people like to dress up to go watch Star Wars or Harry Potter? Turns out, LB likes to dress up as well whenever attending amusement parks. To each their own I guess. I'm not here to judge.

LW is an interesting individual to me. I see the inner-beast in her is desperate to come out, but LW is hesitant to open up the cage. What she needs to do is step up her free will and handle it. And by that I don't mean to go out with a guy just because he makes you laugh. Leading someone on is no bueno. I guess it makes sense that she's friends with LB....she's a veteran at that.

I, at times, was the focal point of the discussion. Nothing as interesting as LB, however.

After dinner, I went to another gathering that was also entertaining. Overall, it was a great night and great weekend.

I hope no one is offended by this blog. If they are (LB???), oh well. I'm sure you really don't meet the minimum height requirement for the ride at the amusement park.

You Better Appreciate This Lawen

It's been forever since I have written a new blog.

Quick summary of what has happened since my last entry:

• finished Spring quarter with a GPA I'm happy with
• got the RA job
• came back to San Diego to enjoy the summer
• got my puppy Bonifacio
• enjoyed July 4 at South Mission for 12 hours
• unfortunately missed the Incubus concert last night but attended a bonfire with some friends, which led to this blog

Since I have been lagging with writing new blogs, I was asked last night to write about the bonfire. So, here is what happened last night:

Alex, Emily, and I got to Mission around 8 and enjoyed some Jack in the Box by a pit while waiting for Ceciah to arrive. When she finally met up with us, she forgot to bring me a chair but didn't forget to bring her attitude.

It took some time to get the fire going....Cec brought some fire starter thing and.....well, long story short, I started the fire.

Lawen decided to make an appearance. San Diego summers = fireworks over Sea World, so that's always nice. Lawen began talking about her friend who has the answer to every question....Sasha or Chacha, I don't know. She claims 4th of July fireworks only last for 15 mins but Lawen was saying it's 30 mins. I don't really trust that girl, though, because she didn't know the result of Erik Morales' 53rd pro bout (he unfortunately got stopped in 3 against Pacquiao, in case you were wondering).

The bonfire was very chill. We were all enjoying the calmness, taking in the ocean breeze. I unfortunately found out I do not have an aura, a presence of some sort. Thanks Lawen.

After that, Lawen left, Ceciah kept being mean, and I was doing work on Bejeweled. The fire began dying down so we decided to call it a night. As much as I wanted to go see Incubus in concert, I enjoyed the bonfire. It was good times.

E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many We Are One

A couple weeks ago, I decided I was going to write a blog about gay marriage after my Nicy called me upset about what Miss California had said. She just wrote her own so I have a tough act to follow.

I have never understood why this country opposes gay marriage so much. I don't understand why anyone would oppose it. I believe everyone has the right to do what makes them happy. I still find it funny/irritating that we still do not allow gays to marry. I thought everyone had the right to the pursuit of happiness? Apparently this only applies if you're straight.

I remember having a conversation about this last year with a couple of friends on the floor. My friend Fitz said something that I believe will end up being true...he basically said that years from now, we're going to look back and think how stupid we were for not letting gays get married. Just how this country looked down on blacks, or how women were inferior to men, we're going to look back just how we look back now to those issues and think how ridiculous not allowing gays to marry really is.

My sister, as she mentioned in her blog, made a very good point about Miss California's comments. What if she had made a racist remark......that she doesn't support interracial marriage, or she sees blacks as inferior, or Mexicans should go back to their country.....would her honesty have been ok if she had said something like that? Then why is it ok to treat gays as less deserving than others?

It's no secret that I'm a full supporter of gay rights. I believe that people should be free to do what they want as long as they aren't hurting anyone. I really don't see the big deal in allowing gays to marry. Is it a religion thing? If someone wants to be a religious person that's fine, but don't impose your beliefs on others. I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate it if someone from another religion passed a law that didn't allow them to marry their significant other.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but having the opinion of opposing gay marriage is just wrong, plain and simple. It's a primitive way to look at things, and an unjust way of thinking. I hope that people will soon realize that gays are just like the rest of us.....they're people. Let them live their life. Let them be happy.

It's an old cliche, but very appropriate at this time....treat others the way you want to be treated. If we're truly a country that cares about equality and civil rights, we will allow gays the same rights as the rest of us.

As Andy Warhol once said: "They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." I believe this is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately. A group of people are being oppressed and we cannot allow time to hopefully change the way we think. We need to keep raising awareness on this issue. We need to back our fellow man and woman and let them know that we are here supporting them.

E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many We Are One

My Guide to a Successful Summer

I was recently given some words of encouragement from a good friend with some crazy intuition. Those words inspired me to make a list of things I would like to accomplish this summer while home in San Diego with the goal being to have a memorable summer.
I'm trying to expand my horizons, and I hope to complete everything on my list by the time summer ends.
Here it goes....

1. Go to Disneyland
2. Learn something new....something that would be productive. I have to think about this one.
3. Read at least 5 books.
4. Go to Vegas with the family and watch another boxing match.
5. Volunteer around San Diego.
6. Go to Petco Park to watch the Padres at least 4 times.
7. Convince my parents to get a puppy.
8. Go to Cafe Sevilla with Ceciah and friends.
9. Go to Sea World.
10. Stay in shape by making sure to go for a run at least 4 times a week.
11. Convince Mary to watch 3 scary movies with me.
12. Rock the mic on some karaoke.
13. Go to Legoland.
14. Eat at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles at least 3 times.
15. Go buy some of those delicious cupcakes from LA that Mary had one time.
16. Get a tattoo.
17. Go to the zoo.
18. Face my fear of heights in some way.
19. Go watch Incubus in concert.
20. Go to Shout House!
21. Play some beach volleyball on 4th of July.
22. Spend as much time with my familia as possible.

I'm hoping that when I look back a few months from now, I could say I completed everything on this list. I may add to this list, but if I don't, I'll be happy with the way summer ended up.

My ubiquitos issue.

Isn't it strange how once you notice something, or someone tells you something, all of a sudden, it seems to be everywhere or people mention that subject to you frequently out of the blue?
A specific future-prediction has been brought up to me for a couple years now.....it's been building up slowly. More people seem to be getting in on it as the years pass on. I thought it was a San Diego thing, but sure enough, it has followed me out here to Ohio.

I was at the RPAC today when I ran into my friend Fitz. It had been a while since I talked to him so we did a little catching up while he waited for Steve (the worst fave 5 contact in the history of fave 5) to show up. Long story short, he made a statement that had me buggin out a bit. He basically said what a few others back home have been saying for some time now.

It has become more and more of an active topic of conversation between me and some of my friends, and, after Fitz conttnued the trend, I began to think how strange it is to hear people have the same belief concerning this subject, and how frequently it has been coming up.

I try not to think too much about it, but I wonder what the deal is behind things that become ubiquitos. Is it the universe trying to make things fall into place? Is it fate just giving me a sign of what's to come? I often have strange thoughts of how the universe or life works. I just find it interesting how many people come at me with this idea of what will happen in a few years.

If my friends' and other people's predictions do end up being true, I can't say I'd be surprised because I'm sort of expecting it to happen. I have a couple years to go so don't be waiting for an answer any time soon.