TOUCHSTONE

If we are lucky, we have certain people in our lives become touchstones, a point of reference, that helps to center and guide us. I am fortunate to have had several individuals like this from various phases of my medical training. These people have made all the difference when I faced challenges or was contemplating big life decisions. Dr. L. David Hillis, who was Internal Medicine Program Director during my time in Dallas and a key role model in my early career, is one of those touchstones.

Whenever we visit my sister during the holidays in San Antonio, I always check in to see if Dr. Hillis is free to catch up. Nearly every year he is available, and seeing him is always a highlight of the trip. It is not just because we reminisce about the good old days. Rather, it is because he has such a wise and thoughtful perspective, having navigated academic medicine for 50 years at some of the top centers in the country. In addition to being a great leader, Dr. Hillis had the opportunity to be surrounded by some of the true giants in medicine, Dr. Eugene Brauwald, Dr. Donald Seldin, and Dr. Daniel Foster. These men were larger that life and clearly left a major imprint on him. I was fortunate to know the latter two, and I still remember the fondly and try to live up to their example. 

On this visit, I was grateful to have Dr. Hillis' advice as I contemplate how to chart this next phase of my career and decide how I could be most impactful while feeling most purposeful. He provided clear guidance on what factors to consider while never telling me what to do or how to choose. That is the hallmark of a great friend - one who helps you think about a problem without providing their own solution. 

Whenever someone from my field or my institution reaches out to me for advice, I think about the amazing touchstones I have had. I always takes these meetings or calls and try to help that individual talk through what is one their mind in the same way Dr. Hillis might. That is a tall order, but it helps to have had such an amazing touchstone for the past 25 years!

SAN ANTONE

We have been coming to San Antonio for years since my sister moved here, but somehow every trip to this city feels special.

San Antonio exudes an ethos and pace that is refreshing in this world that is very self-centered and moving at 100 miles per hour. Here, there is a distinct feeling of community and blending of cultures and world views. Despite being the seventh largest city in the country, people appear to take the time to slow down, savor life, and enjoy time with their friends and families. At least, that is the feeling I get from observing people out and about in San Antonio.

I feel my heart beat slow do a little and the stress subside when I am in San Antonio. Maybe that is because I am not back home and away from all the pressure of the real world. Undercutting that is theory though is the fact that I have visited plenty of cities on vacation but none makes me feel this way. Perhaps it is the blend of family here, the city layout, the food, and the beauty of the Texas hill country. 

I will not try to explain San Antone. Instead, I will just enjoy it once again!

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

When I moved to Michigan five years ago, I gave up a lot of things - the least of which was my frequent flyer status on Alaska Airlines, my preferred airline back in Portland. Here in Michigan, I have been flying Delta almost exclusively. I graduated to the second highest frequent flyer status two years in. This year, unbeknownst to me, I was very close to hitting an even higher status- Diamond. However, it looked as though I would be a few miles short. 

I turned to my friend, Amit, who is a connoisseur of airline points. He recommended I take a "mileage run," taking a flight purely to wrack up the miles necessary to achieve the mileage status goal. Therefore, I booked a round trip flight to Chicago - on Christmas Eve, one of the busiest travel days of the year. I landed, spent an hour on the ground, and then headed home on the same plane that had brought me there. That trip, coupled with my flight to San Antonio the next day for Christmas, put me over the top!

In many ways this quest for Diamond Status parallels the hustling I have been doing these past few years to get back to where I was before the move or to soar to even higher heights. It has not been easy, and along the way, I have been humbled so many times. On this day, though, I could see how far I had come and exactly the ingenuity and countless miles it to took to get here. I'll savor this moment, knowing that the mileage clock and the achievement clock resets anew each year. Here we go again!

GROWTH

As a parent, one cannot perceive the change and growth in one's children unless there are away for a prolonged period of time or unless one really looks hard.

I had the same sensation last week at lab meeting when two of my trainees presented their project progress. Both had joined the lab nearly five years ago knowing virtually nothing about prostate cancer - and, in one way - virtually nothing about cancer, generally. However, on this day, both trainees demonstrated a clear command of the field, in general, the problems they were studying, and their own data and projects.

As I sat back and took it all in, a sense of pride washed over me. I was not happy because I felt as though I was responsible for their success. Rather, I felt happy because I appreciated just how responsible they had been for their own growth and development. I felt lucky to have these two on my team, knowing that the people in our lives, including our coworkers, are not forever.

I will try to remember this feeling on the hard days when things are not going to plan or individuals do not do their best or demonstrate the command I expect them to have. Growth does not happen overnight, and if we do not pay close attention we can miss it. On that day though, growth was on full display. 

DEAR FELIX

Dear Felix,

Last weekend I made the short but eventful trip to San Francisco to say goodbye to you and to pay my respects to you, my dear friend Felix Feng, who was taken from this earth far too soon at the age of 48.

I first met you nearly ten years ago when we began collaborating on a team science project called the West Coast Prostate Cancer Dream Team. You were a new member to the team, having recently relocated from the University of Michigan, Almost immediately, you left your mark on the Team and helped turn it around by refocusing our projects and dreaming very big.

Countless ground-breaking papers followed, several of which you gave me the opportunity to lead. You appreciated that deep down most of us just want the opportunity to fulfill our potential. This seems basic, but far too often in life we are never given a chance to prove what we can do.

You were a guiding light for so many of us. I consider myself so lucky to call you a friend and to have had your wisdom and insights touch so much of what I have attempted to accomplish in the past decade. 

I did not make a major life decision without consulting you, Felix, during the past 10 years, and I consider you to be a member of my family. You are truly one in a million.

There are many luminaries in the prostate cancer field. Most of their contributions come from discoveries made in their own labs. You, on the other hand, developed so many careers around the globe, including those whose success did not directly benefit you. Felix, you are the epitome of a team scientist and made our field more collaborative and kinder. 

You will always be in my heart, Felix. The same goes for your family, and I know I speak for all of us when I say we will always be there for you Mary, Eric, and Emily. 

We promise to continue to build the community you helped to create and remain focused on solving the most pressing problems patients with cancer face. Thank you for always leading the way, Felix. I love you and will miss you.

Love, 

Joshi

UP IN THE AIR

I had four trips in the past two weeks, which meant I had quite a bit of time in the air. I normally sit in the aisle, if I have a choice, but on this flight. However, on this flight I was in a 1-2 configuration, sitting in the solo seat on one side. Therefore, I took advantage and spent a good amount of time looking out the window.

What I saw was almost ethereal. The clouds literally looked like the snow covered earth - or according to Nicholas the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia -  and I was so captivated by their beauty. It was a reminder of how much beauty is all around us and how grateful I am to be alive.

THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR!

I visited Seattle this past week to give a seminar and visiting professorship. However, this trip was more than about academics. It was a chance to catch up with dear friends, some of whom I have known for 15 years and who are among my closest collaborators. 

Time not only breeds content, but it also breeds connection. It was so wonderful to spend two days with them catching up and finding out how their lives are going. The trip made me realize how lonely the past five years here have been and how limited my friend circle is. 

There are several explanations for why it is hard to make new friends as one gets older. We are pulled in many directions by work, kids, parents, and marriage. There are fewer opportunities during the day to see each other because of work from home. People want to disengage from work, so seeing a work colleague after hours is not necessarily top of the list.

It made me sad to think that this was my situation and that there was not an easy fix to solve it. However, I was reminded just how lucky I have been all my life with such amazing friend groups each step of the way and how it takes work to build community.

It was interesting that one of my colleagues in Seattle remarked to me that I seemed to adjust well to change and find ways to connect with others. I did not have an explanation in the moment. However, as I reflected, I realized that these were skills I was forced to learn after attending five different schools in five years growing up with our many moves first from Canada to Oklahoma City, then to Round Rock, and finally to Wells Branch. When you are an Indian kid with a funny accent amidst a sea of people unlike yourself, you have to find common ground. 

I have never thanked mom and dad for the skills and resilience I built up during those moves - mainly because I did not approve or understand these moves in the moment or for many years after. Now though, I do understand what those moves did for me and how they influenced the rest of my life. Connection and closeness are incredibly important to me, and that is probably because there were so many times that I struggled to find those things. If the past is a guide, I will hopefully find my people again. Until then, I will keep trying!

MY OLD ASS

Last night, the kids and I watched the recent movie, "My Old Ass," with Aubrey Plaza. It was a high school coming of age story, but it was so much more than that!

In the film, the eighteen year old main character is about to head off to college. Like many her age, she takes her family and everyday experiences for granted. However, one night will experimenting with drugs, she is magically visited by a 39 year old version of herself played by Plaza.

Her older version tries to give her advice about how to live differently - mainly about appreciating the people in your life and making better life choices. Somehow, this sinks in, and e teenage version of the main character begins to make changes small and big.

I will not spoil the ending, but suffice it to say that we might all live differently if we appreciated that our time with our loved ones was finite and that they will be gone one day. That is the main lesson I learn each week in clinic.

Watch "My Old Ass" and share it with someone whom you love who could benefit from these lessons. You won't regret it! 

FATHERS AND SONS

This Thanksgiving was a reunion of sorts. Nicholas came home for break, and my dad came to visit, too. It had been five months since we last saw him when we went to Houston in July. Since that time, a lot had elapsed. We had a presidential campaign. Nicholas and Cate went back to school. We lost the election. And so many other significant events had occurred - many of which caused any number of us great consternation.

That is why it was so lovely to connect and just enjoy each other's company. We went for walks. We ate out. We watched a lot of football and soccer. It was incredibly enjoyable and relaxing - just what we all needed.

Today, I dropped Nicholas and my dad off at airport. They had similar flight times, and so I was able to do it in one trip. Since Nicholas flight was later and because my dad had a heavy bag without wheels, I asked Nicholas to forgo TSAPreCheck and go through regular security with my dad, so he could help him to the gate. Nicholas graciously obliged and got grandpa to the gate safely. This gesture was emblematic of full circle between fathers and sons - when roles get reversed and the son or the grandson becomes the caretaker. 

I am so grateful to be a son and a dad. It has been the joy of my life to be loved and love. I will always be thankful for this year's Thanksgiving with two amazing men. I love you, dad and Nicholas!

GRATITUDE

Being grateful is an acquired taste for many people. That is because so much of our world and our lives does not conform to our notions of how we wish things were. However, sometimes gratitude sneaks up on you and shakes you awake, recalibrating your expectations and resetting your world view. That was the gift the family of one of my patients gave to me this week.

I first met Dr. P two years ago when he was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He was weak and felt ill most likely due to the renal failure his obstructive cancer was causing. We started treatment, admitted him to the hospital, and stabilized his kidney function. We were able to improve his symptoms for a few months, but then the cancer began to grow. Despite multiple additional therapies- new hormonal pills, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, injectable radiation, his cancer marched on. I had discussed experimental therapies, but he declined these because of the time commitment that was involved. It was not that he was worried about the inconvenience of additional study-related visits. He was concerned because he was the primary caregiver for his wife, who had had a stroke several years back. He was unwilling to sign up for anything that might interfere with his ability to get home to her every weekend by 3 PM, so he might relieve her in-home nurse.

A few weeks back, I met with him in clinic with his brother, sister-in-law, and son. I explained that we did not have any safe options left and that I recommended hospice. Dr. P said he understood and thanked me for all my efforts. As I stood to leave, I gave him a hug and did not hold back my emotions or my tears. 

Indeed, hardly felt I had done much for him, especially since most of the treatments I had recommended had not worked at all to slow down his disease.

A few weeks later, his sister-in-law emailed me letting me know there would be a visitation and funeral the next day. She said, "I thought you would want to know." 

I cleared some time in the morning and headed over to the visitation. There, I met his two sons again and other family members. I told this sons how proud he was of them and how he always talked about them. I thanked his brother and sister-in-law for being there for him on hospice. They, in turn, thanked me for what I had done. When I lamented that I was not able to do as much as I would have liked, his daughter-in-law interjected, "Dr. P had one goal - outlive his wife so he could remain his caregiver. You helped him achieve that!"

I am not sure I have ever been given a greater gift from a patient's family than the knowledge of what his goals were and how I helped to make that goal a reality. It reminded me of the importance of asking patient's what they hope to achieve and to not overestimate what they expect when faced with a terrible diagnosis. It was also a reminder of all the things to be grateful for in my life - my family, my health, my work.

I left the church that day in a new frame of mind - a more grateful frame of mind. I pray that the lesson I learned there persists. What a life.

MOURNING IN AMERICA

When I woke up, I was praying the headline I saw on the New York Times on my IPad would have been anything but Donald Trump is President-elect, and yet it was not to be. This morning my fellow Americans elected Donald Trump to the presidency again. 

There are far too many columns that will be written about why this happened, and so I will not attempt to cover the same ground here. What I will do is describe how absolutely sick so many people whom I love feel today. My friends reached out by text, email, and phone describing how despondent they were. The most common word I heard was "numb," as in I cannot feel anything at all - probably because grasping the full implications of his win would be too hard to swallow. 

I thought about my friend with a transgender teenager who must be asking, "what place will there be for my child in America, and where will he be able to get his health care next year?" I thought about my dad who said he did not recognize the country he brought us to 40 years ago anymore. I thought about the people in my lab who came to this country for the unparalleled educational opportunities but who now feel as though their long-term status here is in doubt. 

It was a clinic day, so I also thought about my older, white patients - many of whom probably voted for Trump - and what might have motivated these decent men to make such a choice. How would I meet them today, feeling so much hurt and disappointment? 

In many ways, clinic was exactly what I needed today. Like every week, every patient was kind, thankful, and respectful. They acknowledged my humanity and appreciated that I did the same with them. There was an unspoken trust that only time and familiarity can create. In short, they made me hopeful that we are not as divided a people or as broken a nation as we think. Our differences pale in comparison to our similarities, and our destinies are often unwittingly tied together with those whose paths we could only cross on this greatest and most diverse nation on earth. 

I wish I could wave a magic wand and create a different outcome, but I cannot. However, I do believe that we, the people from all sides of the political, racial, and religious spectrum are the only way we will solve our collective problems. With finite grief but infinite will, I will put one foot in front of the other and never give up on trying to make this country a better place for my kids and yours. What a country and world it would be if more of us felt and acted the same way?

I will leave you with this poem shared by my sister today. May it bring you some measure of solace. 

THE STING OF DEFEAT IN GOING FOR THE THREE-PEAT

Yesterday, Cate's soccer team, the Michigan Tigers, made it to their third straight State Cup Finals. They had won the prior two against a local team called Legends. However, this year they were playing Plymouth Reign, who knocked out Legends in the semifinal.

Plymouth has done better than us than most teams, and they knocked us out of the State Championships playoffs three years ago. We have drawn them on several occasions as well, and I am not sure we actually having a winning record against them.

The final was a contest of two very different styles. We play an expansive, attacking form of soccer, while Plymouth is content to sit back and park 10 players behind the ball in a zonal defense.

We made a mistake early on, giving them ball away in midfield that led to a quick counter and a peach of a finish by one of their forwards. At was 1-0 at halftime. 

We committed a foul in the box, which led to a penalty early in the second half. They dispatched the penalty with ease, making it 2-0.

With about 15 minutes left to play, we pulled a goal back. There was everything to play for. With a few minutes left, Cate got the ball in midfield and drove forward to the goal with a defender going toe to toe with her. She just got off a shot towards the near post that was not covered by the keeper. However, the shot skidded just wide. We were not able to put away other opportunities, and so the game finished 2-1.

I know that they entire team felt badly about the loss, but there is a reason why so few teams three-peat. I am sure they will build on this adversity and come back stronger and more deliberate next time. I feel privileged to watch these talented and poised young ladies play the game I love so much. Getting to see my favorite players of all time bring her creativity to the pitch is a privilege that I will never get tired of. We will get them next time, Tigers! 

THE KING OF ALL CAKES

Cate has turned into quite a baker, but she really outdid herself this weekend. She decided to make a King Cake - you know the kind they serve at Mardi Gras.

I have had a few of these in my life, but Cate's was honestly the best one I had ever had. So many layers and such flaky crust. A real work of art! Watch out, Ina Garten!

FORTNIGHT

We are now two weeks out until election day! It has been a whirlwind campaign season, and I will be so glad when it is done, provided that Kamala wins! 

I cannot believe that the race is still this close between one of the most qualified candidates in history vs. a convicted felon, self-described sexual predator, and chronic swindler. What the American people see in him and miss in her I will never understand.

I am not an optimistic person by nature, but I have to believe that 270 electoral votes worth of Americans will do the right thing! If they do not, it will not be a verdict on Kamala and her campaign. It will be a verdict on us all as Americans who put country and democracy last. When a tyrant tells you what they are going to do, believe him! I pray that enough of my fellow Americans believe his words and believe in each other enough to end his reign of terror.

If not? I'll see you in Canada.

SWEET 16

Cate turned 16 last week! Sixteen! Can you believe it? It feels just like yesterday when we brought that sweet child home in Portland to meet her big brother for the first time. Time flies!

It has also been five years since we moved here when Cate was starting fifth grade in a brand new school. I still remember her first day of school when she was adamant that she bike to school by herself. We had practiced a dry run on several occasions, but I was sure she would let me take her on on her first day because that had always been our tradition. However, Cate had other ideas. 

Somehow, she left me snap a picture of her before she headed out that day, and it still pulls at my heartstrings. A few moments later, she biked away. I am pretty sure I shed more than a few tears as it hit me just how brave my little girl was - a new city and a new school where she knew no one.

Last week, it was a different transition of sorts. Cate got her driver's license! On the day after her birthday (she was off on her actual birthday), she headed out in the morning to the Highlander. It was a cold morning, so first she had to defrost the windows. Once they were defrosted, she drove away all on her own.

Just as I am sure there is no preparation for parenthood, there is certainly no preparation for seeing your kids grow up and spread their wings. However, that is what we pray will happen when we raise them and try to teach them right from wrong and send them off into the world each day.

I could not be more proud of the amazing young woman Cate has become. She is passionate about her sports teams, her school work, and her friendships. She is loyal and kind. She is honest and does not take any shortcuts. She is the best of me and Kathleen without many of our shortcomings. 

I am so proud of you my sweet girl, Cate! I will love you until the day I die! I am so lucky to be your dad!

ROAD WARRIOR

While I was at Syracuse for Parents' Weekend, Cate was away another weekend with her travel soccer team - her second weekend trip to another state in two weeks. I was fortunate to join her with Kathleen last weekend as we traveled to Milwaukee and then Madison.

We were able to catch up to one of my good friends from med school, who lives in Milwaukee, and then it was on to a weekend of soccer!

Cate's team won the first game 3-2, coming back from two goals down. In the second game, we again went down but fought back an tied it up for a 1-1 draw.

More than just watching Cate's exploits on the field, I enjoy spending time with her and seeing new things. I realize she will be gone from our house in just three years, and I want to take in as much time as I can with her until then. 

I have seen with Nicholas just how quickly time flies, and before they both fly the coup, I will try to drink up every minute we have together. Life is a sweet gift, but it is until further notice.

51

Earlier this month, I celebrated another milestone - my fifty-first birthday. I am not one to think too deeply about birthdays or aging, but it is hard not to at my age!

In thinking about the 51 years I have spent on this earth, I am struck by how lucky I have been and what a wonderful life I have been blessed with.  My dream of being a doctor came true. I have been able to have the career I always dreamed of as an academic physician. My parents are both still well, and I get along with both of them. I love my siblings, and I have a wonderful wife and children, who are incredibly talented and who are growing into remarkable young adults.

I have been able to weather personal and physical challenges and am still able to get up each day and go for a run without limitation or discomfort and clear my mind. Because of my job and the people in my life, I have a better appreciation for the beauty of nature and the everyday kindnesses that are easy to take for granted.

Altogether, I feel very fortunate to have had the life I have had. I do not know when my last day will come. Let's hope it is not for a while! However, if it comes tomorrow, I will die knowing that I have been blessed by so many amazing people, places, and opportunities. I will try to remember this truth everyday - and not just around birthdays - and to appreciate all I have to be thankful for. 

PARENTS' WEEKEND

I was fortunate to visit Nicholas this weekend for Syracuse Parents' Weekend! It had been a little over a month since he left for school, so it was so nice to see him again and catch up in his environment.

Like last year, he stayed in my hotel with me for the weekend, and we took in the sites and tastes of Syracuse. 

We even saw a football game, in which Syracuse blew away Holy Cross! Go 'Cuse!

More than the wonderful food and sites, I enjoyed spending quality time with Nicholas most of all. It is hard to believe he is 19 years old and that he has navigated his first 13 months of college so well. That is a testament to his focus, character, and maturity. I know I was much less mature than him at his age, and I am not sure what has made him so wise beyond his years.

As we spent time together, I was struck by just how grateful I am to have the amazing family that I do. In the end, what more is there in life than time and experiences and expressions of love with the people we care about. In so many ways, that is the lesson that life has revealed to me over and over again, and I will try to remember that virtue the next time I feel cynical or down about the state of the world or about my life. 

I cannot imagine anything more important than seeing my kids grow into the people they will become and supporting them through their ups and downs. My parents have always been that source of support for me, and I feel privileged that my kids might think of me in the same way. 

Nicholas will be back home on fall break in two weeks. Until then, I will fondly recall the memories of this past weekend with my guy. You are one of my favorite people in the world, son, and I am so lucky to be your dad.

STATE OF MINN

This weekend, Kathleen, Cate, and I traveled to Minnesota (MN for short) for the Labor Day weekend. It had been a few years since I had visited, and we packed a lot in to a long weekend.

On the first day, we went to the State Fair. It was packed, and we took in al the sights and sampled a variety of fair fair! I even bought a Harris-Walz t-shirt!

We visited with some of Kathleen's old friends and went to a nice farmers' market in Minneapolis the next day followed by a tour of Kathleen's alma mater, Macalester College in St. Paul. We feasted on some decadent cakes and then headed back to her sister's house for some games!

Today, we enjoyed a barbecue with family before heading to the airport.

I was struck most of all by just how nice people are in Minnesota - noticeably nice than in Michigan, which definitely has an edge to it! Minneapolis is also dramatically bigger than Ann Arbor, though that also means big city problems. Nonetheless, this was a trip to remember. Minnesota Nice is the word I would use for it!

WALZ WITHOUT CEILING

Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz (pronounced "walls"), the Governor of Minnesota, to be her running mate a few event-filled weeks back. Mr. Walz is quite a departure from the typical Democratic candidate. He is not a lawyer. He is not Ivy League-educated. He is not from a coast. He is not wealthy. He is a damn good choice.

Having grown up in rural Nebraska, Mr. Walz has dedicated himself to public service through serving in the military, teaching high school, coaching football, serving in Congress, and serving as Governor.

He is kind, down to earth, and enthusiastic. Famously, he branded the Republicans weird on a segment on Morning Joe, and he has been an ardent supporter of Vice President Harris even before she named him her running mate.

I am very hopeful that his message of patriotism, common sense, kindness, and defense of freedom will resonate with everyday Americans. We are all hungry for those things. Right now, Walz has no ceiling!

KAMALANOMENON

This blog started out in 2008 as a forum for expressing the political stories of the day. However, I have not felt so excited to be a Democrat and so hopeful about the prospect of winning the election since that year. That has everything to do with Kamala Harris.

This election season started out quite depressing - a rematch between the two candidates from the last election. A good portion of the country was rightly unenthusiastic about this re-match, and many of us felt as though we were headed for an electoral disaster.

Fortunately, Joe Biden - god love him - decided to step aside Many people had hoped there might be a mini primary process to decide the nominee, but Joe quickly (within minutes of announcing his departure) endorsed Kamala.

Since that time, she has run a flawless campaign. Her crowds have been huge. Her poll number are surging. There is true joy in the air. 

All of this speaks to the moment we are in. We have weathered a once in a century pandemic. We have withstood eight years of Trump. We have seen two 78+ year old attempt to convince of that they are the rightful steward of our country in this time of unprecedented challenge. America is clearly hungry for a change, and now all of a sudden Kamala is the change candidate while Trump feels like an "incumbent."

In less than 90 days, we will know where this country's epicenter lies. More than the desire for change, so many Americans want to belong to something bigger than themselves and to be agents for progress and positivity - the inverse of everything Trump has offered in his movement. I may be pollyanna, but I do believe that hope beats fear and that change beats retreat.

Here's hoping the Kamalanomenon continues this week at the Convention and beyond!

CUATRO REYES

Today, Spain became the first nation to win the European Championship four times after beating England in a spirted match in Berlin.

Three of their European championships have come since 2008, making them champions in three of the last five championships. Importantly their 2008 and 2012 championships bookended a 2010 World Cup win, the first in their nation's history.

However, since 2012 Spain have looked a team adrift. Their tika taka, death by a thousand passes approach that won them the 2008, 2010, and 2012 titles, had become predictable. Oftentimes, their play lacked a killer instinct, and goals were few and far between.

However, things seem to have changed for the better with the appointment of their current coach Luis de la Fuente. He has brought a more aggressive, possession with purpose style of play and has also ushered in a new generation of players, including the fantastic 17 year old Lamine Yamale from Barca and Nico Williams from Atletico Madrid.

Today, these young man and the rest of the Spanish players were too much for England. Coupled with their UEFA Nations League title last year, Spain look to be the dominant men's team in Europe - just like their women's team whose World Cup victory we witnessed in 2023 in Australia.

I cannot wait to see the Spain team in the USA in the 2026 World Cup, where they have to be considered one of the favorites.

Until then, vamos Espana! You are truly cuatra reyes (four time kings)!

COPA MAGIC

During our trip to Houston, we took in a Copa America match with Argentina and Ecuador! It was a cagey affair and not very attractive football. However, it was a chance to see Lionel Messi play once again.

Fortunately, the match took place indoors in the NRG Stadium, so we were spared the 90+ degree heat and humidity of July in Houston.

There was a dramatic end to the game after Ecuador scored late, sending the game into penalties. Messi uncharacteristically missed his shot using a technique called a Panenka to chip the keeper. The ball sailed over the top bar!

Thereafter, the Argentina players made good, and their keeper, Emiliano Martinez, made two great saves. Thank you!

After a win in the semis against Canada, they have all to play for in the final tonight against Colombia! Viva Argentina!

H'TOWN

Last week we visited dad in Houston.  It had been a year and a half since we last saw him when he came for the endowed chair ceremony. Therefore, it was so nice to see him again.

It was a sweltering few days in Houston, but it was so nice to be back. 

We ate barbecue.

We went to a soccer match (more on that on another post).

We had Vietnamese from Kim Son.

We went to the Museum of Fine Arts.

We saw the Texas Medical Center.

We had Amy's.

Most of all, we just had quality time together.

As we all get older, it is hard to know how many more times we might have to see our family and friends. That is why I am so glad that we made the trip down. Fortunately, we flew out one day before the storm Beryl made landfall. Dad lost power for two days, but fortunately power has been restored.

Until next time, love you, dad!