Life in Manteca 40: Mormon Helping Hands

A few pictures of Mormon Helping Hands.  Miranda went the the History Museum and dusted.  We were out hope Ministries doing yard work.  Caleb planted flowers and I weeded.  We met at the cemetery for hot dogs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIeA_5yYgB4
Promotional video for Mormon Helping Hands with Zion Choir , Alex Boye, and Carmen Rasmusen Herbert

Northland Ward orgainizing

Standing by flowers they planted; Lane and Caleb

The hoe Caleb later broke when I asked him to chop a root

Hot Dogs

Painting iron decorations

Miranda at the cemetery

Ace Train 20: Drawbridge Revisted

This is a movie of the Ace Train going through Drawbridge.  I am narrating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya37AR4yQ8Arid

Ace Train 19: The New 49er Stadium

I heard they had the ground breaking for the new stadium, and I had seen a new driveway go in the the 49er offices.  I didn't realize they were the same project until I looked for the construction, and there it was.  These are pictures of the new stadium in Santa Clara from the train.  It is behind the 49er offices, but I had a better view behind the soccer fields.  The stadium is outlined with orange mesh.

Life in Manteca 39: Three Restaurant Reviews, Music Concert

Our week started with a music concert on Monday.  This was a joint concert with the Sierra High School and East Union High School choirs.  Caleb sang his solo and did a great job, better than the recording on You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrGtunIXxb0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3q8hiyZf1Y
African chant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKPfduLsTP8
Chile con Carne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsQmj7-wQnc
"The Awakening"
He had people saying "We love you Caleb," like they use to in Cupertino.  I will pot some more music as I get them done.

We went to Chubbys after the concert with the Larsens.
***^Chubby’s was a pleasant surprise, and nothing like what I expected.  I had heard it was a hamburger and milk shake joint.  I had something different in my mind.  It is more like a Johnny rocket’s than anything else I have seen, but not as expensive.  I had the patty melt, and my burger was delicious.  Of course I love patty melts to begin with, but I found a burger that wasn’t too heavy and had lots of flavor with cheese, onions and rye toast.  I also enjoyed a peanut butter and raspberry shake.  One thing about Chubby’s is they make their own buns.  I didn’t have one, but the kids say they were really good.

***Applebee’s Manteca.

Applebees was another pleasant surprise.  Sheri and I went for a Friday date.  We had the two meals for $20.  Sheri had the steak with extra onions.  There were a lot of extra onions, more than she expected.  I had the shrimp and chicken, which was also very good.  It came with country potatoes which I like.  I also had the corn chowder for an appetizer.  I was expecting something like Sheri’s corn chowder, but it came with a Southwest flavor.  After my first couple of suspicious bites, it was actually pretty good.  I It had tortillas crunched into it so I didn’t need to use crackers.  The great thing about this meal, is there were enough leftovers that I was able to make myself a fried dish the next day but adding a couple of eggs--Sheri’s left-over potato skin and onions, and some shrimp and chicken.  It was really good. 

*Jack in the Box, Santa Clara

I visited the Jack-in-the-Box across from the dentist office.  I was pretty disappointed over all.  I used the computer machine, which took longer than just ordering, but they did give my free mini-churros for my efforts.  I had the onion and swiss burger.  I couldn’t find a mushroom burger.  The meat just seemed heavy and didn’t go down well.  I also had a rootbeer float, with refill of soda.  I tried orange when I refilled.  That was the high light of the meal as the food left me feeling rather bloated.

Movie Nifgr; To the Movies: ***^Just Like Heaven; ****John Carter; ***12 O'Clock High

Just Like Heaven is a 2005 Reese Witherspoon movie.  It also features Mark Ruffalo as David Abbott.  Jon Heder portrays someone with skills in talking to spirits, and adds some freshness to the movie.  Witherspoon portrays Elizabeth Martinson who is separated from her body as the result of a car accident.  Her body is in a coma, while her spirit haunts Abbott who is living in her apartment.  This leads to David finally grieving his wife's death.  A romance ensues, and they have to save  Elizabeth's body who is going to be taken off life support.  This movie has a nice theme, making us decide what is really important in life.  Miranda got this movie through DVD Netflix.
John Carter is the big budget Disney scifi based on a book by Edgar Rice Burroughs written 100 years ago.  The movie tells the story of the uncle of Burroughs, Civil War veteran John Carter, who is transported by accident to Mars.  There he becomes involved in a war between four civilizations, two humanoid, one four armed and green and remind me of Avatar, and a sinister people who are behind the scenes.  They manipulate the war, giving information when it suits them.  They have superior technology, such as transporting between worlds, having ray guns etc. They remind me of something from Dr Who. This movie took a pounding from the critics, and the box office.  It probably looks too much like other movies, Avatar, Star Wars.  It has the fight between monster and prisoner in the arena.  The monster looks like the snowman from Hoth. There are also traces of Stargate.  However there are somethings new.  The critter that is like a dog is cute.  I also like to interaction between Burroughs and Carter and how this plays into the plot.  Maybe the characters in these other movies are based on Burroughs.  I give this movie four stars as I love most anything scifi.  This is good, but not as good as some others.  I saw this movie at Marketplace, $3 theater.
Twelve O'Clock High is from Netflix DVD.  This is an old Gregory Peck classic about the stress of war.  It gets to the best of them.  Dean Jagger (who also played Brigham Young and later converted to Mormonism) portrays the commander who has to get all he can from his men.  He won the best supporting actor.

Book of Mormon King Benjamin; my thoughts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIfSq2f5VuI

There were a couple of things about King Benjamin's discourse that caught my attention today.  Particularly in Mosiah two:

36 And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress and go ^acontrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do ^bwithdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved—

I thought it interesting how he says we remove ourselves from the Spirit, rather than the Spirit leaving us. 

And then from chapter three we read:

 19 For the ^anatural ^bman is an ^cenemy to God, and has been from the ^dfall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he ^eyields to the enticings of the Holy ^fSpirit, and ^gputteth off the ^hnatural man and becometh a ⁱsaint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a ^jchild, ^ksubmissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

This gives further insight, telling us we have to let go of our carnal nature, become submissive as a child, and yield to the enticings of the Spirit.  Oh that we can make the atone effective in our lives.  Please watch the movie through to the end, which is the best part.

Life in Manteca # 38

The weather has dominated couple of weeks in Manteca.   First we had strange weather with a tornado in French Camp,  The sky was really pretty for a few days.  It filled up our over drain lake in the park and inspired Caleb to borrow a kayak and invite from friends over.  Then today, in the same spot they are playing a soccer tournament in 90 degree heat.  I took Tony over to the park and pushed him on the swing, and watched a bit of soccer.  I miss it, but may soon get back into depending on Tony's interests.  Tony also showed me his climbing a tree skills and hanging on the monkey bar skills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veH4tr8fNPY
 FUN AT THE LAKE LAST WEEK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOINzXgu4bM&context=C4239bcaADvjVQa1PpcFOJqn7mLHjPf7NyXLoRYw8OOL_Yv1y_TyM=
TONY AND THE DOG LAST WEEK

Movie Summary: Christmas movies

***** It's a Wonderful Life (Jimmy Stewart)
***** Krueger's Christmas  (Jimmy Stewart) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tMuSVVljg8
**** A Christmas Memory (Truman Capote)
**** The Coat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3IH8ZNviQ
**** A Carlie Brown Christmas
***^ Christmas Angel
***^ Santa Claus I (Tim Allen)
***^ Christmas Story (Finnish movie)
*** Santa Clause III (Tim Allen)
*** Elf (Will Carrol)
*** It's Christmastime Again Charlie Brown
*** The Christmas Story (bb gun)
*** Rudolf The Red-nosed Reindeer
**^ Santa Clause II (Tim Allen)
**^ Dream Works Holiday Classics
** The Family Stone (Diane Keaton)
** Santa's Surprise
*8 The Night Before Christmas
**Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special
*^ Christmas Comes But Once a Year
*^ The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas
(no stars) A Christmas Too Many


**** A Chritmas Carol (1999) Patrick Stewart
**** A Christmas Carol: Scrooge (1951)  Alistair Sim
***^ A Christmas Carol (1984) George C Scott
***Christmas Carol (2009 animated) Disney Jim Carrey
** A Christmas Carol The Movie (2001 animated) Kate Winslett
** Scrooge (1970 musical) Albert Finney
*^ A Christmas Carol  (2008 animated)
*  Scrooged (1988) Bill Murray

Ay the Movies and Movie Night ***^"We Bought a Zoo," "****The Journey of Natty Gann" ***The Brothers Grimm" ***^The 300 Spartans

A couple of comments on movies I have seen lately

***^"We Bought a Zoo" Sheri and I went with Tony to the Marketplace $3 theater. This movie is about a Quixotic attempt by a father to restore his family as they are dealing with the grief of losing his wife, and mother of his two children. To do this he buys a property, which happens to include a zoo.  The zoo is previously condemned, and so it includes the efforts to overcome inspection, so they can reopen.
An enjoyable subplot is the relationship between the father (Matt Damon) and his son. The find a way to heal wounds in the son's art.  The father uses one of his drawings of a lion to advertise the reopening of the zoo.  Scarlett Johansen plays the game keeper.  This movie was pretty fun--but the Tony scale wasn't that great.  He had to go out at least three times during the movie, for a drink, for candy and for the potty.
****"The Journey of Natty Gann"  I watched this movie through Netflix DVD.  This is one of our family's favorite movies, but I couldn't interest everyone else in watching it with me; so watched it alone.  It is an enjoyable movie, with the struggle of the depression era, the railroad tramps and camps.  The grief of the father thinking he had lost his daughter, and then the classic restoration at the end.  This movie launched the career of John Cusack as he portrayed a drifter that befriends Natty.
***"The Brothers Grimm"  This movie has a nice premise, but then seems to loss itself by going overboard. heir It starts with the premise of the Brothers Grimm being con men, who sell their services of eliminating ghosts and witches, and first creating them, and then overcoming coconspirators who portray the evil beings using pulley and subterfuge. Then the become enmeshed in a real fantasy.  A queen is kept alive in a tower while a plague kills the entire kingdom.  However turns out, she extends her life inside a mirror.  The evil queen has been kidnapping children, which she is going to use to make herself came back to life.  It just goes a bit overboard with this.  This movie stars Heath Ledger and Matt Damon.
***^"The 300 Spartans"  This is the movie I enjoyed as a boy.  The drama of the Spartans standing against incredible odds, and then only being defeated when they are overwhelmed.  The underdog, beating back the Persian hordes is a classic.  My only complaint was the narration.  Too pompous for me, but in those days was what made movies.

What a Waste: Bascom Library and Community Center

The city of San Jose has made several new libraries.  I am not sure how they funded them, but I do know they spent millions of dollars, if not billions.  Over the past eight years they have remodeled or constructed 18 libraries with over 450,000 square feet.  The only problem, is now as they finish each library, it lies vacant as there are not funds to run them.  Reminds me of Argentina after Peron.  Peron had funded multiple public works, but then there was too much government debt, and not enough money to run them.  I recall seeing empty high-rise hospitals, statues of government excess.  The times had changed, after the country had been run into debt.

I think these constructions point to a similar process in our country, excessive debt, but not enough staying power.  These libraries are monuments to this governmental process--bonds, debt, interest. Four billion in national debt in a little over three years.  Everybody wants some Obama money. 

These are pictures of the Bascom Library, a block from my work, completed, yet not opened.  It includes a gym and recreation center.

Pictures of the Sky the Day of the Tornado

Pictures all taken from the train except the last.

This picture taken from van by the train station in Lathrop

The sky was so pretty Wednesday, I decided to take some pictures from the train.  This would have been four hours after the tornado in French Camp.  These pictures are taking looking over the mountains of Altamont Pass.  Miranda complained that she was in Tracy and missed everything.  I guess the storm was isolated.  There was lightening in Manteca, and they kept the kids late after school to make sure they would be safe going home.  This included Caleb.

Life in Manteca 37: Easter Weekend

 Easter weekend has come and gone.  It started with Sheri and I going out to eat at Appleby's on Thursday.   Appleby's was surprisingly very good.  Sheri had steak and I had chicken and shrimp with fried taters.  Very good and 2 for $20 with appetizer of onion rings.  I took Friday off as Caleb had off of school.  Friday ended up being a do the yard work day to get ready for Easter. It was also a visit Winco day to shop for Easter.  Also movie day with Tony and Sheri.  We went to  "We bought a Zoo."  Very fun with Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansen and little sister of Dakota Fanning.
Saturday was Easter egg dying and hunting.  Here is Tony's record.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_nRBwddvxo&context=C484ff60ADvjVQa1PpcFPV-v3VBttmWpU8avrD7yp5ZSu0a3qtNcA= 

I also went to Jazz concert with Caleb; James Forte Benefit concert at the Hollywood Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zNdS1TvHK0
Birdland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC01cewh9GI
Groovin' Hard

Sunday morning was lots of chocolate, and Tony entertaining his sister with his dancing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btLfuHZb7fA&context=C484ff60ADvjVQa1PpcFPV-v3VBttmWpU8avrD7yp5ZSu0a3qtNcA=

Movie Night: ***East of Eden

I watched this movie through Netflix DVD.  My interest in the movie stems form my interest in most things John Steinbeck.  This is his classic novel of a family with two sons, and a mother who is supposedly dead; but in the end is not dead but a woman of the world.  The sons realizing this story has different effects on them.

The younger son considers himself bad, and does everything for his father's love.  The other son, who is considered good, has his father's love and approbation.  However, int he end, it is the younger son who cares for his father after his stroke, and the other son goes to war.  James Dean stars as the younger son, and this movie helps with his reputation of being a rebel.  I would mildly recommend this movie.  It does show two contrasting worlds, that of Monterrey and Salinas, at the time when the country was preparing to go to war.  It also shows racism at it ugliest, as the local deal with a citizen of German descent.  Finally this movie also confronts the theme of what is right--how do we let others be themselves, while living a good life.

Life in Manteca: 37 A Week of Music; Relay for Life

This week has been one full of music.  Caleb is in two groups at school, and had four concerts this week.  He had choir feeder school concert on Monday.  This is to promote choir to the kids who are future students at the high school.  Then on Tuesday he had the same deal with jazz band.  Wednesday was a talent competition, and he and Lane McMurtry had put together a song, "Kids" by MGMT which they played as a guitar duet, with Caleb on vocals.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H58W808l68
Then Friday was the Relay for Life concert.  Caleb performed in both jazz band and choir.  He had a solo with the choir singing "For the Longest Time."  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrGtunIXxb0

The Relay for Life was very interesting,  The band conductor is Rick Hammerstrom from our ward.  His wife was diagnosed with cancer a year ago.  Relay for Life is a fund raising program for the fight against cancer.  Sister Hammerstrom spoke at the concert, about her history with cancer.  There were several survivors at the concert.  The highlight was a song Brother Hammerstrom performed in which he honored his wife and expressed his love, but also recounted the experience of his wife being diagnosed.  It was very moving, and he received a standing ovation. 

Conference weekend is always fun.  Sheri made her breakfast with cinnamon rolls between sessions today as we are headed to the Norman's my sister, tomorrow between sessions.  I love conference and it has been a good one.  Of course they all are.

Charity came today, Sunday.  We went over to Dianna's between sessions for lunch, and watchd some of conference with them, but had to leave early as Caleb and I had choir rehearsal.