Johnny Diaz's Blog, page 6

Running with Johnny

I did it again. On Thursday morning, I completed my second Turkey Trot in Miami. For years especially when I lived in Boston, I remember my cousins and friends talking about the Turkey Trot, an annual run/walk that takes place Thanksgiving morning so you can build up an appetite for the big dinner.  Getting up at 6 a.m. to run a few miles at 7 a.m. with throngs of people in Boston's brrr weather

The Car That Could

Everyone remembers and shares beloved stories about their first car. I paid tribute to my old blue 1982 Honda Accord  and what it meant to me in the short time (three months) that I owned it. And everyone has a favorite car, one that they wax nostalgic.

But what about your best car, the one that rarely let you down and hung in there with you in good and bad times.  For me, that was my college

A Poem From the Heart

Writers write in all forms. Short stories. Books. Essays. Blog entries. Poems.  News articles. Although I mostly write daily stories for the Sun Sentinel about whatever is trending or what people are talking about on social media each morning, I really enjoy creative writing whether that's writing novels or poetry. 

My interest in poetry began in elementary school for school assignments but I

Catching up with Danny Pino of FX's 'Mayans M.C.'

FX's new biker drama 'Mayans M.C.' features Miami native and Cuban-American Danny Pino.

'Law and Order:SVU' fans may remember Danny as detective Nick Amaro who investigated sexually-based offenses for an elite squad in New York City.

In this new role, he plays drug lord Miguel Galindo who tries to balance his family life (husband and dad) with running the Galindo cartel on the

Kindness of strangers

The kindness of strangers. 

After our Iberia flight in Malaga, Spain was delayed twice Sunday leading to a missed connecting Iberia flight from Madrid to the United States, I befriended two fellow stranded passengers Yoli and Sarah at the Madrid airport. 

I was already somewhat emotional after having said goodbye to my bestfriend Racso in Malaga (that goodbye at the security checkpoint

5 reasons for Miami and Fort Lauderdale's high HIV rates

Miami and Fort Lauderdale have led the nation in new HIV infections over the years. It's no surprise to locals who see giant billboards along I-95, bus ads and public service announcements on TV urging folks to get tested and treated. We also have the AIDS walk and other fundraisers and social events that promote safe sex, HIV awareness and the importance of PrEP.

But why does South Florida lead

The rise of all woman-anchor teams

Roxanne Vargas and Sheli Muniz are NBC6's morning team.

I watch a lot of TV especially in the mornings because (super big yawn) I wake up at 6 to start my 7 a.m. shift.

And lately, I've noticed that most of the morning anchor teams in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale TV market are led by women. Even the morning the meteorologists are mostly women.

Is this a trend, a coincidence or a little of both?

My dad 'Juanito'

My father Juan De Dios Diaz unexpectedly passed away Wednesday afternoon. He died peacefully in his sleep. He had a long good ride and lived to 84. 

If you dined at Puerto Sagua restaurant in the 1970s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s in Miami Beach, you may have known him simply as Juanito, the fast moving, handsome counter waiter with the crisp white shirts and black pants who worked the late

My Journey with Bladder Cancer

“Given your age and active lifestyle, the chances of this being something bad are extremely low,’’ the urologist said in his North Miami office that early Friday morning. As he spoke, my eyes slowly traveled over the bright orange anatomical diagrams of the bladder, kidney and prostrate that decorated the wall of the sterile exam room. I wondered, which organ was releasing those mysterious red

Boston or Miami? Miami buildings that can pass for Boston

During my daily travels in Miami, I've spotted some buildings that remind me of Boston. I can't help but marvel their designs because they all have a red-brick facade which is rare in South Florida because of the heat.



These buildings would blend in perfectly in Boston but I think they stand out in Miami against the sleek, new towering office buildings that look like they were just unpacked