I left for Salinas at about 4:15 am, once again traveling to the Gold’s Gym there for a workout.  On the way back, I snapped photos of the Salinas High School and over-sized, but otherwise realistic, cutouts of farmworkers in the fields bordering on the highway.  The images of farmworkers were quite distracting.

Figures of Field Workers, Salinas, CA 12-24-09

After breakfast I went to Marina with my parents, Scott Jones, and my niece Victoria.  At REI we looked at a variety of things, and Scott explained the virtues of the Townie Electra bicycle.   I browsed through DVDs on rock climbing – - unbelievable.  In the parking lot I saw something I had not seen for some time – - a car with a Reagan bumper sticker.

Scott Jones explaining Mountain Bike to Wilford Jones, REI, Marina, CA 12-24-09

After REI we went to Target.  One of my nephews wants at JADA brand remote control car for Christmas, went to Best Buy for some items, then left Marina to shop at a Target store located further South along California’s Highway 1.  As we left that store, there was an interesting bumper sticker stating “Resistance is unnecessary, you will not be assimilated,” a Star Trek reference apparently used to make a statement on immigration.  Proceeding on Highway 1 toward the Crossroads shopping center, I came upon 2 more interesting bumper stickers.  One stated “When the power to love exceeds the love of power, then the world will know peace.”  The other, which appeared on the same car, stated “Those who sacrifice freedom for temporary security will receive neither.”

The Treadmill is a store at Crossroads oriented toward running and rock climbing.  There are numerous photos on the walls from past years of the Big Sur International Marathon, as well as posters that advertise the products of companies  such as Patagonia.  Two books for sale there caught my attention:  “Growing Old Is Not For Sissies II” (giving brief profiles and photos of older athletes with impressive accomplishments) and “ChiRunning:  A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running.”  I need to consider the second book, given my series of running injuries in recent years.  I found information on Vibram “five finger shoes to be quite interesting.

Patagonia Ad, The Treadmill, Crossroads Shopping Center, Carmel, CA 12-24-09

At the travel bag store we discovered an innovate new inflatable pillow to use when flying on commercial aircraft.

Greg Jones with Novel Inflatable Pillow, The Travel Bag, Crossroads Shopping Center, Carmel, CA 12-24-09

Once home I took time to wrap presents.  I take price in attempting to the have the packages reveal as little as possible as to their contents.  Following a precedent I set several years ago, I labeled one present “From Greg, To Greg” and also got my sister’s chickens involved by labeling another gift “From Oreo, To Toreo,” Oreo and Toreo being the names the Lund children have give to two of their chickens.

My nephew Ben saved up money and purchased an iTouch, which resulted in a flurry of computer usage by my nephews throughout the day as they load up the iTouch with apps.  He’s received more entertainment, in the form of apps, from his iTouch in one day than I have in almost three years.

William, Benjamin, Jennifer, and Christian Lund and . . . Benjamin's iTouch, Lund Home, Carmel, CA 12-24-09

My sister prepared a nice lasagna meal, and we enjoyed visiting.

Dinner (Marcus and William Lund; Wilford Jones; Jennifer Lund; Scott and Barbara Jones; Christian, Victoria, Benjamin, and Scott Lund), Lund Home, Carmel, CA 12-24-09

Dinner (Barbara Jones; Victoria, Christian, Scott, Marcus, and William Lund; Greg Jones), Lund Home, Carmel, CA 12-24-09

Later, we watched a nice movie called “Imagine That,” about which I previously wrote a post.

P.S. (1:10 pm, Friday, 12-25-09) – - Yesterday I came upon an interesting column titled “Ask A Mexican” that appears in the Monterey County Weekly.  The one I read, from 12-23-09, dealt with histories of how the United States originally took control of Arizona and California.

Photo From Gold's Gym, Salinas, CA 12-23-09

I woke up before 4 am, and drove to Salinas using my brother’s GPS system, a drive of about 30 minutes. I had a good workout at the Gold’s Gym there, and the California Gold’s Gyms always have more interesting photos having on their walls.

At about 11:30 am my parents, Scott, Jennifer, and I took a walk on Ocean Avenue in Carmel. We enjoyed browsing in interesting stores such as the Carmel Bay Company, which had some very humorous greeting cards and book titles (e.g., “11,002 Things To Be Miserable About”, and “The Book of General Ignorance”), and they sell Lula’s Chocolates there!

Wilford Jones, Carmel Bay Company, Carmel, CA 12-23-09

At an international shoe store I learned about a shoe marketed as the Anti-Shoe (this odd-shaped shoe has an arc-shaped sole, which is marketed as exercise-inducing, but which may be nothing more than uncomfortable).  While there my brother Scott found a shoe that might be big enough for my brother Doug.

Scott Jones with Shoe for Doug Jones, Carmel, CA 12-23-09

We went to a store dedicated exclusively to kitchen items, anything from gadgets to cook books to appliances.  My sister’s family has a chicken coup behind there house, with about 12 chickens.  Beginning at this store we started looking for chicken-themed items (e.g., chicken figures, chicken-shaped cookie cutters), and discovered that chickens are omnipresent in our society, you could almost say we have a chicken-centric culture.  Start looking for chickens or chicken-themed items as you walk about your communities, you may be surprised at what you see.

We ate a nice lunch at a little restaurant on Ocean Avenue called Cafe Carmel.  My sister knows the owner, and my nephew spends a lot of time at the restaurant with the owner’s son.  She came out after we ordered, greeted each of us,  then sent some delicious desserts to our table.

Jennifer Lund, Scott, Barbara, Wilford Jones, Carmel Cafe, Carmel, CA 12-23-09

Desserts Given Us By Faye Massoudi, Owner, Carmel Cafe, Carmel, CA 12-23-09

Back home we visited the chicken coup behind my sister’s home.  My mother was able to to reminisce about her childhood chore of executing chickens by decapitating them, we made connections with great cinema (the “Do the chickens have large talons?” line from Napoleon Dynamite), were attacked by chickens, learned names of the chickens, found where the chickens had laid about 10 eggs that had gone undiscovered, mourned the loss of come of the chickens to bobcats (a bit unsettling to think of what creatures are wandering at night around here, my sister later told me that about 10 years a black bear walked down Ocean Avenue).

Benjamin Lund, Scott, Wilford, Barbara Jones, Lund Home, Carmel, CA 12-23-09

My parents, Jennifer, Scott and I dropped my nephew Marcus off at the La Canada golf course, which is situated right next to the Community Church of the Monterey Peninsula.  After exiting the road, you can turn left to the golf course, or right to the church – - either way, you’ll see this clever sign.

Sign at Exit to La Canada Golf Course / Community Church of The Monterey Peninsula, Carmel, CA 12-23-09

We went fo the nearby Crossroads outdoor shopping center, where there is a Lula’s Chocolates store, a very nice bookstore, and where I met the love of my life.

Lula's Chocolates, Carmel, CA 12-23-09

Beautiful Woman and Child, Greg Jones, Crossroads shopping center, Carmel, CA 12-23-09

Scott Lund treated us all to a very nice dinner at The Forge restaurant in Carmel.  Christian, Marcus, and I all had tacos.  Scott Jones split a full rack of ribs with Benjamin.  I started a dot-to-dot game with William, but we never finished.  On the TV’s in the restaurant, we were able to see parts of Utah’s bowl game victory over Cal.

Barbara and Scott Jones; Christian, Marcus, and Victoria Lund; Wilford Jones (behind Victoria); Scott, Jennifer, and William Lund; Greg Jones; Benjamin Lund, Forge restaurant, Carmel, CA 12-23-09

We ended the day enjoyed a DVD at home, “Julie and Julia” rented from Red Box.

This morning I worked out at the Goodson Recreation Center in Littleton.

In 2007 I gave my parents a gift certificate for the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.  The hotel was built in 1892, is still one of Denvers’ best hotels, and many celebrities have stayed there, including United States presidents.  Elvis Presley reportedly said that The Brown Palace is the best hotel in the world.

Brown Palace Hotel, Denver, CO 12-22-09

This morning my parents, older brother, ate breakfast at The Brown Palace.

Barbara Jones at The Brown Palace, Denver, CO 12-22-09

Lobby, The Brown Palace, Denver, CO 12-22-09

There are several restaurants in the hotel.  Ellyngton’s serves a good breakfast, so we ate there.

Ellyngton's, The Brown Palace, Denver, CO 12-22-09

Greg, Wilford, Scott, and Barbara Jones at Ellyngton's, The Brown Palace, Denver, CO 12-22-09

We drove home on South Broadway, past the former Gart Brother’s Sport Castle which we frequented during my youth, the offices of Westword, the former Bandimere retail store (a parts store for high performance street cars, where I went often when my friend Steve Brown was working on his 1967 Pontiac GTO, and the Bandimere Speedway still operates just to the west of Denver), and numerous rundown used car lots and watering holes.

My parents’ nextdoor neighbors decorate their house for about every major holiday. Here is this year’s display in uninflated, mid-afternoon mode.

Jones Home Neighbors, Littleton, CO 12-22-09

We took E470 to DIA and flew to Monterey to visit my sister’s family in Carmel.  We made a very long walk to Gate B-83, located in the southern end of Concourse B in an area that feels more like a bus depot than an airport.  On the flight we enjoyed roast beef sandwiches and cookies from home, and I read my Einstein book.

Scott, Wilford, and Barbara Jones, Gate B-83 at DIA, United plane we took to Monterey in the background, 12-22-09

Barbara and Wilford Jones After Landing at Monterey Peninsula Airport 12-22-09

We drove a rental car to my sister’s home, enjoyed a nice visit, and my sister’s husband Scott served up Belgian waffles, eggs, and sausages.

Today included staples of my Christmas vacations in Littleton.  I worked out at the Goodman Recreation Center, arriving there at about 5:45 am.

Goodson Recreation Center, Littleton, CO 80120

Goodson Recreation Center, Littleton, CO 80120

After my workout I ate breakfast (strawberry Belgian waffle with whipped cream, 2 links of sausage) with my parents and brother at the Colorado Pancake House at University and Orchard, browsing books at The Tattered Cover on Colfax Avenue, and a visit to Sam’s Club in Littleton.

At the Tattered Cover I saw a notice touting the cause of www.denverbackyardfarms.org, and saw a bizarre book titled Eating the Dinosaur (this appears on the back cover:  “Q: What is this book about? A: Well, that’s difficult to say. I haven’t read it yet – I’ve just clicked on it and casually glanced at this webpage. There clearly isn’t a plot. I’ve heard there’s a lot of stuff about time travel in this book, and quite a bit about violence and Garth Brooks and why Germans don’t laugh when they’re inside grocery stores. Ralph Nader and Ralph Sampson play significant roles. I think there are several pages about Rear Window and football and Mad Men . . . Supposedly there’s a chapter outlining all the things the Unabomber was right about, but perhaps I’m misinformed.”).

The foregoing were the Littleton Christmas visit staples, the following may be emerging staples (see my post about my 12-10-09 activities). We ate lunch at the Mellow Mushroom at The Streets at Southglenn (where I somehow heard for the first time that the portion of a piece of pizza that has no toppings is known as a “pizza bone”), walked across the street to the Hollywood Theater to watch Clint Eastwood’s film “Invictus” starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in a story about Nelson Mandela helping motivate the South African rugby team to an upset World Cup championship, visited Macy’s and the public library at the Streets of Southglenn.

For dinner we enjoyed a taco dinner at home, as seen below.  Note the bottle of ketchup in front of my brother Scott – - true to our custom dating back to my childhood, I put ketchup on my tacos, but did add some Franks’ hot sauce.

Wilford, Barbara, and Scott Jones Eating Taco Dinner, Jones Home, Littleton, CO 12-21-09

After dinner we watched “Twilight of the Gods,” and episode of Inspector Morse, a show that my parents enjoy a great deal.

Scene from Inspector Morse, Family Room TV, Jones Home, Littleton, CO 12-21-09

Today I attended services at my parents’ local ward of the LDS Church, the Littleton Ward.  That ward has just recently been formed from the Littleton 1st, Littleton 6th, and two Southglenn wards.  This change excludes from the wards some families that I know from when I grew up in Littleton, including the Barker, Chipman, Murphy, and Willardsen families, although the ward still has families from the early days such as the Brown, Burnside, Cockerham, Ostermiller families.  This map indicates the boundaries of the new ward (click on the image of the map if you want to enlarge it).

The Littleton Ward meets at the chapel located at 910 West Ridge Road.  This is the building where I attended Church in elementary school through high school.  This is the cover of the Sacrament meeting program I was handed as I entered the chapel.

Sacrament Meeting Program Cover, Littleton Ward, 12-20-09

We are not supposed to take photos during services, so I took this photo of the interior of the chapel just prior to Sacrament meeting.

Chapel, Ridge Building, Littleton, CO, 12-20-09

We sat toward the back of the chapel, on the same pew of longtime friends and neighbors Boyd and Lois Brown, and Cindy Schnackenberg Cooper, one of my friends from high school, was seated behind us.  Bishop Jerry Ostermiller presided at the meeting.  Here was the actual program.

Littleton Ward Sacrament Meeting Program, page 2, 12-20-09

Littleton Ward Sacrament Meeting Program, page 3, 12-20-09

The musical program was very well done.  It is always great to hear the Primary children sing, ward member Travis Tabares performed an a capella number with a quartet that also performs professionally, and Sister Renee Leth has a very nice voice.  After Sacrament meeting we visited with Stake Patriarch Forrest Jensen and his wife, then went into the cultural hall for Sunday School, where we sat by Cindy Cooper as well as Leanne Harston, who was also a friend from our youth.  Here are photos of the cultural hall, taken before class began.

Cultural Hall, Ridge Building, Littleton, CO, 12-20-09

Cultural Hall, Ridge Building, Littleton, CO, 12-20-09

Brother Bill Daynes taught the Sunday School lesson, on “The Family:  A Proclamation to the World.”  Afterward, I noticed a pen laying on the floor a couple of rows in front of us.  I retrieved the pen, showed it to the man standing nearest the chair, asked him if the pen was his, and he responded:  “No.  But I like it.”  This set off a series of events in which the pen was held up during opening exercises for the men’s Priesthood Meeting, then taken to the women’s Relief Society meeting, where the true owner was found – - as I later reported to my family, I felt pretty good about myself for having done this.

Before Priesthood Meeting I visited briefly with Dan Near, who taught my Sunday School class when I was in high school, and who later served as a bishop of a ward in Littleton.  Jim Maxwell, who was in the bishopric during my youth, taught a priesthood lesson on the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, and afterward I visited with Mitch Woods about his career with Lucent and his views that Latin  American produces engineering work on a par with that of India, but cannot compete as to the number of engineers produced.

Scott Jones at Ridge Building, Littleton, CO, 12-20-09

Back home I took some pictures of the downstairs bedroom I stay in during my visits home.  I helped my father finish our basement, including the downstairs bedroom.  I selected the wood paneling, which reminded my father of what he would expect to see in a bank.

Downstairs Bedroom, Jones Home, Littleton, CO 12-20-09

A priceless item is kept on the bookshelves.  It is an Orange Crush bottle I saved, a bottle that celebrates the Denver Broncos’ 1977 season, the first season the team went to the playoffs, which was also the first season they went to the Super Bowl.

Orange Crush Bottle from 1978, Jones Home, Littleton, CO 12-20-09

Here is a closeup of the portion of the bottle listing the results for all of the games the Broncos played in the 1977-78 season.

Denver Broncos Season Results for 1977-78, Orange Crush Bottle, Jones Home, Littleton, CO 12-20-09

Here is a stack of book on the room’s bookshelf.

Bookshelf, Jones Home, Littleton, CO 12-20-09

From top to bottom we see a book on plumbing (I recall helping my Dad replace washers in the various faucets in the house), an estate planning book, the Fitness for Life manual from the BYU physical fitness course all students had to take during my time as an undergraduate at BYU, the BYU academic catalogue for the 1982-83 school year, a green-covered book that could be an engineering book of my father, a book on Humphrey Bogart (my Dad is a great fan), a book on Frank Capra (my Dad generally has a great interest in films), a sort of year book for the California Mission of the LDS Church during  the time my father served there under Presidents Bunker (who I believe was a mortician from California who wore black suits and drove Cadillacs during his time as mission president) and Taylor, a book my relative Norma Jean Trietsch Wright titled “The Wrights of Coalville” which recounts some of my family history of the Jones side, and two more books on movies (reflecting my father’s interest in the topic).

When at home, there is a bag I use when going to the gym, a bag I bought at the end of my LDS mission to Argentina.

Gym Bag from Argentina, Jones Home, Littleton, CO 12-20-09

After taking these photos downstairs, I joined everyone upstairs for a nice roast beef dinner prepared by my mother.  Dinner conversation included my parents’ endorsement of Targets’ brand of Caesar Salad dressing and raisin bran, and spreading the good news that chocolate licorice (which in recent years had appeared to have vanished from the market) is now available at a certain Super Target store in Colorado.

Scott, Barbara, and Wilford Jones, Jones Home, Littleton, CO 12-20-09

After dinner we were dejected when the Denver Broncos lost to the Oakland Raiders 20-19.

My brother Doug called us on Skype.

Barbara and Wilford Jones talking to Doug Jones via Skype, Jones Home, 12-20-09

After talking to Doug we read scriptures (Most of Luke 1-4), had excellent chocolate malts prepared by my father, and visited about a variety of topics.

Visiting the Littleton Ward, Brother Jim Maxwell taught a priesthood lesson on the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  The Sacrament Meeting was a musical presentation about the birth of Jesus Christ.  Finally, here is a very nice video from the LDS Church about the real meaning of Christmas.

NOTE:  If this entry has concepts or terminology you do not understand, you may find explanations at www.mormon.org [intended primarily for those who are learning basic principles about the LDS Church], at www.lds.org [the official website of the LDS Church that includes basic information as well as more advanced materials for members of the LDS Church], or from me directly by posting a comment.

I’ve been looking forward to my Christmas vacation for some time.  A few days ago I shared my travel plans with my co-workers Dave and Patrick.  Dave disapproved of my itinerary of a flight to Denver to spend a few days at my parents’ home in Littleton, where my brother Scott will be visiting from Tennessee, then all four of us fly to Monterey to visit with my sister’s family in Carmel (where we will be joined by my younger brother Doug who will fly in from Portland), then return back to Provo after Christmas.  Dave’s disapproval stemmed from my traveling east when my ultimate destination is west, suggesting that by doing so I am merely bending to the will of my older brother.  It is apparent that lawyers have overactive imaginations.

* * * * *

Saturday, December 19, was my departure date.  I set my alarm for 2:58 am, pulled myself out of bed several minutes after the alarm went off, and went to Gold’s gym for a workout (6.1 mph on the treadmill for 32 minutes, a slow pace but I’m nursing a fragile right foot at present; lower body weight training; 1o minutes on the exercise bike; all done to the comforting sounds of audio edition of The Economist.

* * * * *

My niece Victoria is a sophomore at BYU.  I picked her up at her apartment at about 4:45 am, we loaded up her stuff, and went off to Salt Lake City International Airport, conversing on the way about her upcoming semester at BYU’s Jerusalem Center.  I parked at the Redwood Road facility of Diamond Parking, we took the shuttle to the airport, and I bid goodbye to Victoria at Terminal 1 where she would take her 8 am Southwest Airlines flight to San Jose, and I went to Terminal 2 for my 6:50 am Delta flight to Denver.

* * * * *

Once through security, I had about 20 or 30 minutes until my flight left from Gate 1-1, so I got some exercise walking on the concourse listening to the Book of Mormon on my iPod.

* * * * *

On the flight I enjoyed (when I was not succumbing to sleep because of extreme exhaustion) reading “Einstein:  His Life and Universe,” by Walter Isaacson, a gift I received some time ago from Michael Jacobs and Billy Schwartz, excellent lawyers from Morrison Foerster that do work for Novell.  When the flight attendant came by with cabin service, I boldly departed from my usual beverage choice of water and chose cranapple instead, and tucked away the Biscoff cookies for a later date.

* * * * *

I’m traveling solely with a backpack and a carry-on, and also brought a large sleeping bag stuff sack in case Santa gives me bulky gifts this year.  In part, I have to avoid paying for checking bags on my flights.  I checked the carry-on at the gate in Salt Lake City, and it was bitter cold on the jetway at Denver International Airport as my fellow travelers and I waited for our bags.

As I walked to the trains to take me from Concourse C to the Terminal, I saw a young woman drop a sweater on the escalator, and she seemed to be unnecessarily frantic in retrieving the sweater.  I followed her onto the train to see if I could observe any other unusual behavior, but the most unusual thing she did was to engage me in conversation, asking whether I teach at BYU (my backpack is from the BYU International Studies program).  It turns out she is a BYU student from Aurora who is majoring in Latin American Studies.  I told her that I went to Argentina on my mission, she said her father did as well but suggesting I would not know him because he is – - old.  If she only knew . . .

* * * * *

My parents greeted me at the Terminal, and we visited while waiting for my brother Scott, whose flight was scheduled to arrived at 10:30 am.  I shared some jokes from a colleague about a pirate captain and a guy whose cat died while he was on vacation, as well as ramifications of an ill-advised comment I made a couple of weeks ago in a Sunday School class.

We went by the Denver International Airport (DIA) interfaith chapel.

Interfaith Chapel at Denver International Airport, 12-29-09

The rules governing use of the chapel would seem to make this chapel unique among all other churches I have experienced – - meditation is allowed, but if you fall asleep you could be kicked out.

Interfaith Chapel at Denver International Airport, 12-29-09

The airport had a cool Christmas tree display made entirely from poionsettia flowers:

Christmas Tree Display at DIA, 12-19-09

As we waited for my brother to emerge from the train station in the basement of the terminal, I observed the work of two gentleman working as greeters that would answer passenger questions.

Greeters at DIA, 12-19-09

My parents and I became increasingly less attentive after watching wave after wave of passengers arrive, and ultimately were surprised when without saying a word Scott simply walked in front of us from our right, stood there, and smiled.  A a little unsettling.

As we greeted Scott, I observed a black woman arrive from the train station below, and at the very moment she embraced the black woman that greeted her, a message came over the public announcement system – - will so-and-so please go to the white paging telephone.  I remarked to my parents and brother that in this day and age it is outrageous to witness such blatant discrimination at a place like DIA.

We drove southward from DIA to Littleton on E470, a toll road that now uses technology that reads license plates and sends monthly bills to the owners of the vehicles based on their usage.  This technology has rendered obsolete the several toll booths lining that road.  The structures stand abandoned, not unlike the security bunkers or checkpoints that have fallen into disuse in places such as Buenos Aires and Berlin.  Somehow seeing such sites stirs up nostalgic longings for “the good old days.”

Abandoned Toll Booth, E470, Colorado, 12-19-09

Once in Littleton we toured “The Streets of Southglenn,” a high end outdoor mall and residential area that is sort of an upgraded, inside-turned-out version of the mall that was built on the same location in the 1970s.  We dropped off Scott at Great Clips for a haircut (having missed another barbershop called Floyd’s), while my parents and I shopped at Whole Foods, where I saw something I had not seen before, an ultra-politically-correct tree for use at Christmas, the “sustainably grown Holiday Tree.”

Christmas Tree Ad, Whole Foods, Littleton, CO, 12-19-09

We then dropped my Mom off at the office of Dr. Mallinger (favorite dentist of the Jones family), while my father, Scott, and I made a failed attempt to eat lunch at a Trujillo family restaurant, Jose’s, on Littleton Boulevard in downtown Littleton, but had to divert to Romano’s when we learned Jose’s is closed for lunch on Saturday’s.  We keep trying to support Jose’s, but last year we went by only to learn he was closed for a week or more during the holiday season.

Jose's Restuarant, Littleton Blvd., Littleton, CO, 12-19-09

After lunch we went to my parents’ place, I shopped for Christmas gifts online, and took a nap.

* * * * *

My father woke me from my nap to join everyone to watch the Josh McDaniels show (in which the Denver Broncos head coach previewed tomorrow’s game against Oakland).  We then went back to the Streets of Southglenn, where we watched an excellent film (“Blind Side,” starring Sandra Bullock, about a family that helps lift a young man from poverty, Michael Oher who is now in his rookie season with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens) at the new Hollywood theater (complete with assigned seats, we were in seats 11-14).

Hollywood Theater, Streets of Southglenn, Centennial, Colorado, 12-19-09

We walked the short distance from the Hollywood Theater to the Mellow Mushroom.

Barbara, Scott, and Wilford Jones, Streets of Southglenn, Centennial, CO, 12-19-09

At the Mellow Mushroom we visited over the loud music of a live band, saw the New Orleans Saints lose their perfect record by losing to the Dallas Cowboys, and enjoyed a great pizza.  We stopped by the King Soopers grocery store at Dry Creek Road and University Avenue, where I inspected the covers of the tabloids at the checkout lines, seeing the predictable coverage of the Tiger Woods scandal, but most remarkably one had a story on 100 secret American Indian prophecies that would change your life forever.

* * * * *

Back home I enjoyed some Lula’s chocolates, did some situps while listening to my iPod, and drowsed off while reading from “Einstein.”

I saw the film “500 Days of Summer” the evening of Saturday, December 12, 2009.  The movie had received strong reviews (e.g., a review in the Deseret News and a review by Roger Ebert each which gave the film four stars, the highest rating possible from each critic), so the theater was packed, I was not the only person that had jumped at the opportunity to see this film.

This film is a species of romantic comedy that chronicles the relationship between a man named Tom and a woman named Summer.  There are many clever and humorous moments in this film, and the Tom character is quirky and hilarious.  Personally, however, I did not care for the Summer character at all.  In other words, the only thing wrong with learning about 500 days of Summer is that each day deals with . . . Summer.  The worthwhile story is the one about Tom, and having Summer as a foil provokes behaviors and responses that are entertaining and make Tom a sympathetic character.

This Summer has quite a bit in common with another Summer.  I write, of course, of the archetypal Summer character from that great American masterpiece “Napoleon Dynamite,” who uttered that memorable yet vacuous line “Vote for Summer!”  My vote is from Tom.

Friday (12-11-09) – - In the  evening I went to the Provo River Christmas Cruise, which was the subject of an earlier post, and which is advertised on this webpage and which is reviewed here.  I was one of four customers on the 9 pm cruise.  We sat in a flat-bottom boat that could hold about 40 people or more, the boat operator propelled the boat by pulling on a rope suspended about 8 feet above the surface of the river, we turned toward the one shore with Christmas lights and music, Santa came out to the boat in a canoe (he asked if we had seen his reindeer, I told him they don’t have out there), he gave us candy from a Santa hat, then went off in his canoe.  At the end of the 30-minute ride, a young man greeted us at the dock (he bore an uncanny resemblance to the Santa in the canoe).  This stretch of the Provo River is wide and slow, with bare tree limbs extending over the river from each bank.  The outfit that produces the “Provo River Christmas Cruise” also produces a Halloween cruise at the same location, and the locale seems more suited to that.  In the end, I’d say if you’re looking for an unforgettable Christmas activity, this is for you.  I won’t forget it.  It is kind of like a cross between “Deliverance” and “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

Brother Mark Jarman taught a Sunday School lesson on “The Family:  A Proclamation to the World,” which was issued by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1995.  During the class discussion, I alluded to how one of my former law professors attending an international policymaking conference shortly after the proclamation was issued, and used principles from that document to counter policy proposals that would undermine the strength of family.  Those who disagreed with his statement hissed after this 4-minute presentation, but most other delegates gave him a standing ovation, and he was approached for help in advancing the principles of his message.  Professor Richard G. Wilkins spoke of his experience in a July 6, 1999 BYU devotional address titled “Defending the Family.”

P.S. (12-14-09) On Sunday evening I attended a single adult fireside in American Fork.  A stake president from Lehi, Randy Loeffler, spoke.  He shared a video depicting the life of John R. Moyle, the man how inscribed the words “Holiness to the Lord” on the east face of the Salt Lake Temple.  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared that story in the October 2008 General Conference; his talk was titled “Lift Where You Stand,” and includes a subsection titled “The Example of John Row Moyle.

NOTE:  If this entry has concepts or terminology you do not understand, you may find explanations at www.mormon.org [intended primarily for those who are learning basic principles about the LDS Church], at www.lds.org [the official website of the LDS Church that includes basic information as well as more advanced materials for members of the LDS Church], or from me directly by posting a comment.