Your mom is a better athlete...

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Yesterday, your mom and I complete the 3rd Annual Staten Island Triathlon. Your mom, by the way, is a better athlete than the average person, including me. There, I said it.

We once competed in a duathlon (run-bike-run) two years ago where she beat me by a couple of minutes. That same Fall I beat her in another duathlon (run-bike-run) by a couple of minutes. This triathlon (1/3 mile swim - 12 mile bike - 4 mile run) was our third head-to-head competition. And she crushed me.

we ate a healthy plate of rice, beans, and veggies for dinner the night before our race

We woke up really early to drive down to Staten Island with your Abuela Betty helping us with our equipment and keeping you entertained. Although I was nervous, there was very little time to be nervous now that we've got you. A lot of our focus is on your well-being and comfort so it's a good distraction from race-day nerves.

It feels like we barely got set up when they called us to head down to the beach. Now, the swim is my weakest sport. I learned to swim at the age of 25. Your mom was on the High School swim team. She was also a lifeguard. So, heading into the swim, I took it easy.

I was surprised by how great it felt to swim in the choppy ocean water. I was slow, with people passing me left and right, but I was swimming without having to stop; that's a victory for me. I came out of the water a full three minutes behind your mom.

Heading to the bike I pedaled as hard as I could. We biked a 4-mile loop three times, so I could see you mom ahead of me, but I could never catch up. I managed to make up some time on the bike but not nearly enough for what was about to happen.

I consider myself a runner so I was confident that I could make up some time on the 4-mile run. However, after swimming and biking for over and hour, your legs feel like tree trunks. And mine did. For about four miles. Your mom, on the other hand, said she felt great. She sped through the run leaving me gasping for air behind her.

Your mom finished in 1hr48min26sec and I finished in 1hr54min45sec, a full 6+ minutes behind her.

you joined us to celebrate the finish

So, your mom has beaten me in two of our three athletic competitions. Of course, this doesn't end here. While discussing our triathlon over dinner your mom said, confidently, that she could beat me in a road race - my sport!

So, on September 17th, we'll be facing off in a 4-mile race.

If you're smart, you'll put your money on your mom crossing the finish line before me. If you're lucky, you'll get her athletic genes.


Still running,

Tu papa

my baseball blankie

Dear Chicken Nugget,

This morning was chilly here in NYC and I woke up and wrapped myself in a green baseball blankie I've had since I was seven.

The blanket was part of a bed set but only the blankie survived the years and many apartments.  It's not particularly pretty but it carries memories.  The blanket is grass green with a huge baseball player swinging a bat on a baseball diamond background, along with the logos of all the baseball teams that existed at the time - including the Montreal Expos.

The blanket may not be considered a collector's item but it's special to me.  I love that blanket.  It's yours as soon as you're old enough to have a big kid's bed.

In the meantime, I'll continue to treat it well and keep it from your mom's well-meaning hands (she has a tendency to want to wash the baseball blankie...really).


Yours eternally,

Tu papa

I am a Spartan!

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Today I completed The Spartan Race.  Your dad is a Spartan (at least according to some race organizers who made loads of money off wannabe weekend warriors).

Your mom came out to cheer and my friend, Bob, came out to race as well.  It was a fun race with 14 obstacles.  I climbed an 8-foot wall with no help (though it did take a couple of tries).  I ran up and down sand dunes.  I climbed a cargo net, hopped some 4-foot hurdles, and crawled through mud under barbed wire.  There was also some spear throwing, wall climbing sideways, and climbing a greased wall.  Oh, and there was the part where two huge guys dressed as Spartans tried to beat me with padded jousting sticks right before crossing the finish line.

I hope they keep this race around long enough that you'll be able to join me.  I'd love to run alongside you.  And then one day, we can both be Spartans.  Together.


Prepare for glory,

Tu papa

This is Sparta!

Your dad and his buddies hanging out.

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Your dad suffers from a serious disease called Wannabe-Warrior Syndrome.  I recall suffering from this disease as early as elementary school.  My earliest memory of it was when I was ten years old and coming out of the theatre after watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.  As I kicked imaginary enemies walking down the street, I thought that my calling in life was to be a hero or warrior. 

I grew older, wiser (well, wise enough to know that my hidden talent in life was not in the martial arts or any sort of fighting for that matter) but I still found a deep connection or longing to be strong and able to defend the defenseless.

Eventually this translated into stints in politics, thinking I was pre-Med, then pre-Law, then teaching.  But, the common thread through all this was a pull, or tug, to be able to stand up for what's right and kick ass while doing it.

Which leads me to where I am today: my seventh day of "Spartan Training."  I'll explain the 300 Spartan thing another time, but for now, just know that in the long history of human battle, there were once 300 Spartans who stood up to tens of thousands of Persians and inspired a nation to fight back an invasion and save democracy.  Great story.

In any case, there's a race being held on August 15th, 2010 called the Spartan Race where silly people like me are going to run a 5-kilometer race that involves jumping through fire, crawling through mud under barbed wire, climbing greased walls, and getting beaten with a stick.  And that's only four of the twelve obstacles I'll face.  The idea is to mimic, if even for just a little bit, some of the torturous fighting and training that the Spartans did back in their day. 

I'm training for the race because I think it sounds like an incredibly fun thing to do.  I'm also training for the race because it gives me a goal to help me get back into shape.  I am going to be in great shape when you arrive because I need to be.  Not just because of the race, but because you and your mom are going to need me to be healthy - and that's the ultimate reason to do what I'm doing.

Sure, you'll probably still catch me watching 300 and walking around the house pretending I'm slaying Persians left and right.  But, it's that crazy little Wannabe-Warrior Syndrome that keeps me getting back into shape when I fall out of it. 

I have you and your mom to motivate me to stay healthy and active.  And, I'll use those crazy hero stories to help inspire me off the couch.

So, if you ever see me standing in the middle of the living room and you hear me say, "Madness...?  This is Sparta!"  I suggest you either grab your shield and stand with me or run away 'cause it means daddy's having a relapse.

Eternally yours,

Tu papa

World Cup Break

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Once again, I find myself writing after a long hiatus.  I apologize for the lack of letters over the last few weeks.  I do have a good excuse though, the World Cup!

Nugget, the World Cup 2010 just ended yesterday (Spain beat the Netherlands, 1-0, and are now the World Champions) and the next one won't happen until 2014.  By the time the next World Cup comes around you will be around four years old and on your way to school, God-willing. 

I hope that by that point you will be able to join me in watching the excitement that is World Cup soccer.  I hope that you'll enjoy futbol as much as I do. 

I'd like to think that my letter writing won't drop off during the World Cup 2014, but I make no promises.  The good thing is that you'll already be around and understanding most of the words coming out of my mouth.  So, even if letters aren't being written, you'll be experiencing the action alongside me.

Now that the World Cup is over, I'll use the free time I spent watching soccer to instead build furniture for your room, clean out the apartment, and get other things ready for your arrival.

I'm looking forward to sharing World Cup excitement with you in four years!


Eternally yours,

Your papa

Sometimes God laughs at our soccer prayers

Dear Chicken Nugget,

There's a famous film director named Woody Allen who once said, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."

I've come to believe that God also laughs at prayers during sports events.  Look around the stadium during the last at bat in the bottom of the 9th inning when the home team needs a run for a tie or a win.  There are thousands of fans praying.  Or watch the people in the stands during a penalty kick in the 90th minute when the home team desperately needs a goal.  There are thousands of fans praying.

My personal belief is that God doesn't involve himself in sports events, there are bigger fish to fry in the universe.  But, I sometimes imagine God sending a gust of wind one way or the other just to have a good laugh at fans' reactions during these nail-biting moments. 

One day I'll have to tell you about the World Cup 2010, the first one ever held on the African continent.  Especially the part about how the United States had a very dramatic First Round (which at the time of this entry isn't over). 

Just a few days ago I posted a prayer on the official NY Red Bulls fan blog at NJ.com (yes, your dad is officially a blogger for NJ.com).  I prayed:

Dear Lord, Give our boys the strength, speed, and focus to kick Slovenia back to Europe where they belong.  Amen.

You know what God did?  He laughed.  Slovenia went up 2-0 in the first half and the U.S. came back in dramatic fashion to tie the game - but no win.  So much for sending Slovenia back to Europe.

The point, Chicky, is that God has a great sense of humor; especially in sports.  If you ever need proof, become a Mets fan like me.


Te quiero siempre,

Tu papa

One day, I started a chant

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Today we're on our way to Nebraska to visit your grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousin Timothy.  But, before we fly out, I wanted to share with you that on Saturday night, your dad started a chant at a stadium.

When you're old enough to understand the impact of one person in a stadium holding 25,000 starting a chant, you'll know how big a deal it is.

I was sitting with my friend Anthony in Section 221 of Red Bull Arena watching the NY Red Bulls Home Opener and nearby was a section of Chicago Fire fans.  They had brought drums, trumpets, and fireworks and were singing the whole game.  I was starting to get tired of them and in the 75th minute started with, "Let's Go Red Bulls!"  Anthony joined in and, after a near-goal rally by the Red Bulls, the crowd joined in and soon the chant expanded to the whole stadium.

It was a brief moment but a great one.

And, the NY Red Bulls went on to win their season home opener of 2010.  If you get the chance, look up video footage of the Red Bulls' Season Opener on March 27, 2010 and listen for the crowd's chanting at around minutes 75-76.  I did that.

Looking forward to the days you and I get to start chants together.

Eternally yours,

Your papa

college basketball

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Sometimes my students will ask me how I know so much about the world and I jokingly answer that, "I know everything."   They get a good laugh out of that one.

Despite having won two March Madness Bracket Tournaments in a row a few years ago, the truth is I know nothing about College Basketball.  Nothing.

Little Nugget, I went to New York University (NYU) where the Division III team goes by the name Violets.  Intimidating, isn't it?

NYU doesn't even have a Football team.  So, College Sports will never be a strength for me.

Every March for March Madness I fill out a Bracket and learn a little bit about the teams involved and then rely on pure luck.  If you ever come to me for advice, well, don't.  Don't ever come to me for advice on College Basketball or any other college sports.

Oh, but I do know one thing is true... never ever follow a team named after a flower.

Eternally yours,

Your papa

we've got cans of red bull in our trousers

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Your mom and I went to a NY Red Bulls game on Saturday night at the new Red Bull Arena and it was awesome.

It's a big deal because it's the very first soccer specific stadium built in the New York City area.  It's been a dream to have a solid soccer team in this area for a long time and it finally feels like we have one.

I was taught about soccer, or futbol as I like to call it, by my grandfather.  He would watch the important matches on TV and would often have matches he didn't even care about as background when he was doing something else.  When I went to Ecuador as a child I realized that futbol was the sport that made the world go round.  I hope you'll realize this too.

Often my cousins in Ecuador would get me to play a game.  In Ecuador a game can be started in the middle of the street with four rocks to make goalposts and a ball.  Unfortunately, with little practice and little athletic ability, I was awful.  But, the love for the game stuck.  I was just recently thinking that a possible dream job would involve being a sports writer focused on soccer.  How awesome would that be?!?

Your beautiful mom bought me my first Red Bulls jersey last night and I love her for it.  Someday you'll inherit my jersey if you want it - I'm sure it'll be a little retro but I hope retro will still be cool.

Well, after fifteen years of following the local NY-area team, we finally have our own soccer stadium.  Every seat is a good seat, it's got real grass, and the upper level makes incredible noise that I hope will help intimidate the opposition.  When you're old enough to handle the noise, we're totally taking you to the Arena.

I do plan on introducing you to the beautiful game as early as possible and will encourage you to play it so that you stand a better chance at it than me.  Remember, futbol is the game that the whole world plays.  At any given moment, somewhere in the world, soccer is being played.

I want to share futbol with you.  I hope that you'll love it as much as I do.  And, if someday you become a major soccer star, well, how awesome would that be?!?

Eternally yours,

Your papa