Asked & Answered: N.M. Rep Brian Baca

N.M. Rep. Brian Baca is a fifth-generation Los Lunas resident and a graduate of Los Lunas High School, class of 1988. He played football for the UNM Lobos from 1988 to 1992 and earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UNM. He is a recently-retired educator with 32 years of service as a teacher, coach and administrator.

His parents are Walter and Theresa (Wortman) Baca. His siblings are Claire Cieremans, Jason Baca and Claudine Sanchez. He and his wife, Jennifer (Chavez) Baca, have three children, Michael, Daniel and Kiara.

Q: If you became invisible for the day, what would you do?

A: “I would sneak into the top-secret facilities where all of the classified documents are housed to answer some of my age-old questions.

“I would find out once and for all if Elvis Presley, the ‘King’ is alive and well and living under a pseudonym. Next, I would visit Area 51 to find out if we are “not alone” and whether it was a weather balloon that crashed at Roswell or an alien craft, as initially reported.

“I would review the files on Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster to see if my fear of deep lakes and dark forests is warranted. I would finish my day of discovery by sneaking into Disneyland, riding all the rides, and then sleeping in the secret suite in Cinderella’s Castle.”

Q:  What’s the weirdest thing you believed as a kid?

A: “Like many kids who grew up in Los Lunas near the river and by the ditch, I was terrified of La Llorona. Recently, I was at my parents’ house celebrating my dad’s birthday when we talked about childhood memories. We laughed about how all of us were scaredy cats, especially me, thanks to the monster movies we watched on TV. I don’t care what people say. The original Dracula, Werewolf and Mummy movies are still the best.”

Q: What does your ideal weekend look like?

A: “For my ideal weekend, we first have to establish that it is a three-day weekend due to a holiday so we can get everything done. On Thursday night, after a long four-day workweek, I would pick up three large Casa de Pizza pies, light on the cheese, extra sauce, pepperoni and mixed green chile. After sleeping in on Friday, I would have a Benny’s burrito DoorDashed to my house so I could watch my favorite channel, Discovery+, in my PJs.

“We would then take the kids to Top Golf or bowling. On Saturday, we would go hunting or fishing, and I would grill steaks for dinner. On Sunday, we would go to church, cook chicken-fried steak with biscuits and gravy, and then watch my Denver Broncos beat everyone in the NFL.”

Q: If you could only have three things on your bucket list, what would they be?

A: “To fund my other two bucket list items, I would first win the Powerball and Mega Millions in the same week. I do not want to be too greedy, but I would want the prizes to be the largest ever, with $500 million minimum each.

“Next, I would travel across the globe with my extended family and close friends to visit all seven wonders of the world with special VIP access. After a year of travel, I would settle down on a huge estate where I would tend vineyards, vegetables, orchards and rose gardens.”

Q: Do you have a secret talent? What is it?

A: “I love to garden, grow flowers and plant rose bushes. As a kid, I worked in the garden with Grandpa Gabe planting, irrigating and harvesting crops. I grew up raising animals, fixing fences and hauling hay, even though hay caused my asthma to flare up.

“Today, I have a backyard garden where I grow culinary herbs, roses and my own salsa garden with seven varieties of chiles, from yellow hots to Carolina Reapers. I am also a pretty good cook, thanks to my mom and grandma.”

Q: Have you ever seen a ghost? Where?

A: “Although I hate to admit it, I believe I have seen a ghost, or something I thought was a ghost. I used to enjoy amateur ghost tours, though most are corny and touristy. Locally, I like the Old Town Walking Ghost Tours around Halloween and would welcome invitations to visit haunted locations in Valencia County. I have been on ghost tours at the Alamo and the Vampire Cemetery in New Orleans, but nothing came of those experiences.

“However, when I went on a tour of the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif., I felt uneasy from the moment I stepped aboard. We visited several paranormal hot spots and were encouraged to take photos in low light. I saw some unexplainable things, both in photos and with the naked eye. I might go on another ghost tour, but I will never return to the Queen Mary. Something is definitely going on there.”

Q: If your pet could talk, what would it say?

A: “We recently lost our beloved Maltese, Comet, and cannot bring ourselves to get another puppy yet. If anyone has Maltese or Shih Tzu puppies for sale, let me know, as there are some birthdays coming up.

“We currently have a pet rabbit named Oreo, who absolutely hates me, even though I am the one who bought her, feeds her and buys her toys. Oreo would say, ‘Why don’t you make yourself useful and buy me a bigger cage, better food and hay, not the cheap stuff, and more fresh fruits and veggies.’

Q: If you could have a lifetime supply of anything except money, what would it be and why?

A: “I would want a lifetime of travel with my family, making wonderful memories while visiting places I have only dreamed of seeing. I would visit famous museums and art galleries, as I am a museum buff with an appreciation for art. I would see the world’s best theatrical and musical productions and visit top amusement parks. A lifetime of love, laughter, and quality time with friends and family is what I treasure most.”

Q: You’re granted three wishes. What are they?

A: “In the words of Sandra Bullock as ‘Miss Congeniality,’ ‘World peace.’ We need far less hatred and violence and much more love and tolerance.

“My second wish would be for an end to all disease and illness so everyone could live long, happy lives with their families and friends.

“My final wish is that my kids could grow up like I did, without constant internet and electronics. My childhood was spent at parks, swimming at LLHS and Chamberlin Pool, riding bikes, building forts and just being kids.”

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: “I see my self going out and watching my future grandkids play sports, dance or any other activity that interest them. I will still be gardening and perfecting my cooking skills after attending culinary and baking schools. I will be sitting on the back porch playing one of the many guitars I bought back in the ʼ80s when I was inspired to learn it from bands like Ozzy, AC/DC. I would end the night playing all the George Strait, Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney songs to end the evening.”

Q: If money didn’t matter, what job would you have?

A: “I would have my own TV series that is be a combination of my favorite shows, ‘Expedition Unknown,’ all of the hunting shows and food shows.

“I would visit places around the world and during the day would be working on an anthropologist dig or solving some of the greatest mysteries of all times. In the evening I would be a food critic and savoring the best food from around the globe with and emphasis on local and unique dishes. When the weekend came, I would go out and hunt and fish in the best places in the world.”

Q: Is there anything about you that people are surprised to learn?

A: “I will share a few fun facts about me. I was a three-sport lettermen in high school (football, basketball and baseball). I was the Athlete of the Year for LLHS and Valencia County in 1988. I attended UNM on a full athletic scholarship, where I lettered three years and started my last two. I pledged Sigma Chi and was initiated in 1991 and was given the name of “Bluto.”

“I was a ski instructor and worked for the forest service during the summers when I lived in Ruidoso. In college, I used to work security at Tingley and local clubs for ... Ozzy to George Strait and everything in between (around 100 or so over the years).”

Q: If you could pick a day to relive again and again, which one would it be?

A: “To set the stage you need a little background, I played YAFL football starting when I was 8 years old, although I was a little timid and somewhat scared. Fast forward to my senior year at LLHS in the fall of 1987 when I was getting the attention of colleges like UNM. Wyoming, BYU, Colorado State and a few schools in Texas and Arizona.

“It was my second to last game in high school against Manzano High and several of the colleges had informed me that they would be in attendance. I was a two-way starter on offense and defense and was having a good game. In all of my career I had never had a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct or anything like that but early in the third quarter on a stupid punt play an opponent grabbed me by my face mask and punched me in the chin. I retaliated and was ejected from the game. Needless to say, I never heard from those schools again, although I would have still chose UNM over all of them I wish that hadn’t happened.”

Q Would you rather spend a day without your phone or without speaking? Why?

A: “I would love to have a day without both the phone and not having to talk. Those who know me know that I hate cell phones and think we were better off without them. I see everyone looking down at their phones and communicating through texts and social media platforms and watching mind-numbing videos and think to my self how much better we had it as kids.

“Although I have to use a cell phone for many thing, I tell my friends not to expect some kind of electronic communication from me. If I like you, I will call you. If I really like you, I will go and visit you. I prefer quiet solitude every once in a while and really consider my self an introvert. I prefer deep thought, self reflection, and quiet over large woods and external noise.”

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve? Why?

A: “I have two — loyalty and people who are self centered. My inner circle is very small, consisting of family members and a few special people and I don’t have a million best friends, I prefer anonymity and flying below the radar rather than trying to be the center of attention. I am extremely loyal and will put the needs of others before my own. I expect nothing less from the people I care about.”

Q: What is that moment in your life you will always remember?

A: “The serious answer is my wedding day and the birth of my three kids. Of all of the titles I have held the title of dad is the one I cherish most ... Other favorite moments was staying at the California Grand during Christmas time and see the hotel and park decorated for the season. The other great memory was watching the Fourth of July fireworks at the Claharri resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisc.”

Q: If you woke up as your 16-year-old self tomorrow, what would you do?

A: “I would put on my old LLHS uniforms and score a few touchdowns, make a few slam dunks and hit the baseball over the fence into the old swimming pool in left field. I would put on my high school letterman jacket and ask out all the pretty girls I never had the guts to ask before. I was extremely quiet, shy and lacked self confidence in high school.”

Q: What’s the strangest purchase you’ve made (or almost made)?

A: “I am not really impulsive with my buying or spending but I have had my moments. I haven been suckered into buying some junk at the exhibit halls at the Expo NM on a whim. The one purchase I almost made that was not practical was on a signed print on some art work in a gallery in Ruidoso. It was way more than I could afford and was embarrassed when I realized I couldn’t afford it 30 years ago or even today for that matter.”

Q: Where was your most unforgettable vacation?

A: “The first time I took my three kids to Disneyland and we stayed at the Grand Californian. The rooms had bunk beds and had a little third pull out bed that looked like a dresser drawer, which was a perfect fit for my 3-year-old daughter. We had to take pictures with all of the characters and get their autograph books signed. We did a character dinner with all of the princesses and my daughter was wearing her best princess dress and my boys were hiding from the pretty girls.”

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

A: “I have never been out of the U.S. so if I could visit Italy, Germany, England and Spain that would be amazing. I want to visit Rome, to see the Vatican and Coliseum. In Germany, I would love to visit during Oktoberfest and try and find distant relatives from my mother’s side of the family. In Spain, I would run with the bulls and take in all the sights.”