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.