gChameleon

gChameleon Highs

2012-02-08T10:02:00.000-05:00

I am high.

I'm at a high point in my life.

I'm on a stock market high. After riding the Apple roller coaster up and down, I finally stick a good position in the stock of my favorite company. It hits all-time highs, and I go along and go long. When Apple falls, I'll acquire another slice. And I diversify. And I write this on the MacBook Pro I wait years to acquire.

I'm on a running high. I run my fourth marathon four months and four days after my first. I run Surf City up and down the Pacific Coast Highway to the sunny sounds of Beach Boys on a sunny morning. When I run a marathon, I'm high for like a week.

I'm on a selling high. After years of hooking people up with cell phones, I still hook people up with cell phones. And I still love doing it. And I'm taking what I learn from gFonz.biz and selling other stuff.

I'm on a buying high. I find more awesome Hollister Co. clothes at low prices, and that makes me high. When I wear Hollister, I feel like an ageless SoCal surfer, even though I surf only once.

I'm on a spiritual high. I feel close to God. He is my partner in every endeavor. Without him, I can do nothing. With him, I can do anything.

I read the Book of Mormon almost every day for more than two decades. I finish it again a week or so ago. I know it's true, and reading it makes me high.

I read the Bible too. Lately I read Luke, and I love Jesus Christ and his teachings. I luv Madonna too.

I frequent the House of the Lord: the San Diego Temple on this coast and the Manhattan Temple on that coast. I usually go twice a week, and it makes me high.

I'm on a physical high. My body may be little and skinny, but it's happy and healthy. Besides, its size makes it cheaper to feed. It's a temple in which I am happy to dwell and in which I feel high.

I sleep eight hours in a loft bed the other night for the first time in maybe weeks, and that makes me feel high.

I'm on a seasonal high. I have summer in winter. I beach in the winter and in the summer. Beaching makes me high.

I'm on a family high, and I find high symbolism in my family name. I have an awesome family. Just thinking about them makes me high. Even when we're far apart, I still feel close to them, even the ones on the other side. I live with awesome people who are my brothers and sons. And even when I am alone, I never feel alone.

I feel at peace with everybody and everything in my life.

I know I'll come down, but now

I am high.

Psalm 23

gChameleon Surf City Marathons

2012-02-06T15:23:00.001-05:00

gChameleon Sprouts

2012-01-25T20:30:00.000-05:00

As I run more and more as Flip Flop Runner, I eat healthy foods more and more.

I love fresh fruits and vegetables, and I discover a new place to pick them up at low prices: Sprouts Farmers Market.

After Nike+ Run Club, I stop at Sprouts. I pick up three pounds of California navel oranges for a dollar. I also get two pounds of red seedless grapes, two Roma tomatoes, two Fuji Apples and six ounces of blueberries. The total for all of it is less than six dollars.

They even give me a nickel for being green and bringing my own Trader Joe's bag.

The Sprouts weekly circulars from this week and last week both apply on Wednesdays.

Sprouts is healthy living for less.

gChameleon Stocks Up

2012-01-19T14:07:00.002-05:00

I buy, hold and sell stocks. It's the easiest way I find to make money. It fits my minimalism: I can do it from anywhere at any time, and it requires no storage or shipping.

It does require a lot of patience and a high tolerance for risk. It's a roller coaster I like to ride.

I buy stocks that yield dividends, which means I make money just for holding them.

And I buy Apple. Apple is the seed of my stock portfolio's growth.

Sometimes even Apple underperforms the market, which is why I diversify.

I now buy in slices, usually picking up more as the price falls.

With rare exceptions, my personal policy is to sell no stock at a loss. I hold it until I make a profit off it.

I buy much of what I hold now last year at the market's low. I decide to buy stocks like I buy Hollister clothes: only stocks I love at prices I love.

For the last few months, I watch the market closely, and I make few trades.

And it turns out that I make more for doing nothing than I would for doing something.

Apple hits an all-time high, and so do I.

gChameleon Krispy Kremes

2012-01-16T19:11:00.000-05:00

I no longer buy sweets. When I get them free, I eat them.

I go months without eating doughnuts, and I replace them with bagels.

I visit Krispy Kreme on Martin Luther King Day and buy the last 2012 Krispy Kreme calendar.

The calendar includes coupons for free and discounted Krispy Kreme doughnuts and drinks.

Tonight I get a free hot chocolate that costs half of what the calendar does.

I take a few doughnut samples and dunk them in the hot chocolate.

gChameleon Frees

2012-01-14T17:55:00.000-05:00

I miss the bus to free yoga at Lululemon La Jolla.

I make the bus to free breakfast at Ikea. It's Bring Your Own Friends Day at Ikea. I get a free blue bag, and I pose for a party pic.

I cross the parking lot to Costco and find fabulous free samples. I love plain Greek yogurt. It meets my need for ice cream, but it's a luxury I live without. I get three full cups of Greek yogurt and other samples.

I pick up a couple recent money magazines at the library. I don't check them out: they are free.

I bus from Fashion Valley and bike to the Mt. Abernathy chapel for my blood drive appointment. I arrive on time. My pulse is so slow they take it twice. It's because I'm a runner.

I look out the window at the church and think of Jesus as I give blood.

Freely I am given. Freely I give.

With a bike and a helmet, I'm like a teenager with a license and a car. My wheels free me to reach a lot more places a lot faster.

I stop at Trader Joe's in Pacific Beach. I sample fish. I pick up the last two packages of egg nog almonds for less than a dollar each. I hide them in a recycling bin and head to the beach.

The cold, cloudy morning becomes a warm, sunny afternoon. I run 10 Nike+ miles on Pacific Beach and Mission Beach.

When I run, I feel so free.

I realize my mantra: Be free.

Free from want. Free from sin. Free to run. Free to live.

gChameleon New Days

2012-01-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

To thine own self be true.

It's time for me to do something new.

Inspiration overflows inside me. I read Henry David Thoreau and Steve Jobs. I overinvest in Apple.

I write here for seven years. A few of you read me. If you read between the lines, you see inside me. I show and show off a lot of myself because this is my show.

If you don't read between these lines, you mostly see only what's outside, and I disguise myself in brands.

I invite you to come inside.

I debate today: find a gig and live a normal life.

Or be me. I don't want a gig. I don't want to answer to anybody. I want to create, and I want to be free.

I want to be me.

I'm in Southern California. It's early afternoon, and the sun comes out from behind the clouds.

So now I go outside, which is one reason why I write so rarely. I play and exercise all day, and I'm too tired to write at night.

For now, I commit to writing something new here every day.

It's a new day. It's the beginning of a new age.

gChamelon Poetry Potlucks

2012-01-07T20:08:00.000-05:00

I take Trader Joe's Hard Sourdough Pretzels to the poetry potluck.

I share one old poem and this new poem.

New day
New page
New clothes
New coast
New wave
New face
New race
New gig
New girl
New high
New year
New poem

gChameleon San Diego Temples

2012-01-07T11:07:00.000-05:00

The day I return to San Diego, I San Diego Temple trip.

Two days later, I return for one of my favorite San Diego Temple trips yet.

In a few hours that morning, I do sealings, initiatories and baptisms for people in the spirit world.

"Only their bodies are dead," says Sister Finnegan.

Their spirits are still alive.

Doctrine and Covenants 109, Doctrine and Covenants 128

1. E1, SC2, SS10, I5, C15, B15
2. E1, SC2, SS5, I10, C13, B13
3. E1, SS5, I5, C10, B10
4. E1, SC2, SSF3, SSS5, I5, C10, B15

gChameleon Bikes

2012-01-05T19:11:00.000-05:00

I like to ride my bicycle.

I fall in love with a piece-of-junk bike I inherit from a San Diego dude last year.

It gets borrowed before I leave San Diego, and it's still unreturned when I return to San Diego this year.

So I search Craigslist and find the cheapest bike in the building kitty-corner to mine.

The Indian owner welcomes me into his apartment and onto his balcony to see the bike. We have the same MacBook Pro and the same shoe size.

He has two small mountain bikes: one is rusted, the other isn't. This makes my decision easy.

I offer him a little less than he asks, and he accepts. As little as I pay, I later realize I'm taken for a ride on the price.

I quickly fall in love with the bike. She's purple and silver. As purple is Prince's signature color, I name her Princess.

I immediately ride her to the bus and from the bus to a suburban neighborhood party.

"Get a helmet!" my family and friends tell me.

At the party, I meet an Indian guy who just sells his motor bike. I take the two Indians sellers in one night as a sign that my bike is meant to be mine.

I ride her from the party back to the bus. It already has two bikes on it, so there's no room for mine.

So I ride my bike all the way home that night.

I take her to the beach four times in the next week. She's an awesome beach cruiser.

I like to ride my bike.

gChameleon Southwests

2012-01-04T09:40:00.000-05:00

For the fourth year in a row, I Southwest to California for the winter.

The Southwest inflight entertainment is live. I laugh as I fly.

gChameleon Mormons

2012-01-02T01:55:00.001-05:00

I plan the last year around two marathons and two baby blessings.

My new niece receives a name and a blessing at church on this New Year's Day.

Afterwards, we celebrate with a big Mormon gathering at my sister's house on the top of a mountain on a sunny New Year's afternoon.

We have salads, soups and lots of sweets.

I love my family. I love my new niece.

I love being a Mormon.

gChameleon Mount Timpanogos Temples

2011-12-31T11:11:00.000-05:00

The Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple is a beautiful temple. It looks so accessible from the freeway.

As you drive closer, it's harder to find. I rarely go there, and I have a hard time getting there.

My cousin Emily has a pre-wedding endowment session at this temple. I find out an hour before the session that the session is in an hour. And being left behind is a recurring theme in my life.

I drive over South Mountain and get lost in Suncrest.

I reach the temple just before the session starts. A line forms outside the chapel door.

"I'm here with a wedding party in the session at 9," I tell a temple worker.

"That's not going to work," she tells me.

I come a long way, and I don't get to go to the session with my family.

I resign myself to the back of the line.

A famous Mormon joins me at the back of the line. I like that we are all kind of alike in the temple.

He's an angel with a bright light. His purity is appealing. I'm honored to sit next to him in the session. I'm also impressed by his example.

He is to me a sign: on this New Year's Eve morning in the second to the last session of the year, I know I'm in the right place at the right time.

And after my journey at the end of this Christmas season, I find great symbolism in his name: David.

I follow the star, and I find the Son.

gChameleon Christmases

2011-12-25T23:11:00.000-05:00

On this Sunday, it's like two Christmases: for the younger kids in the morning and for the older kids in the evening.

In the afternoon, we go to the Mormon church to celebrate Christ's birth.

I expect nothing, yet I get some nice things and some fun things.

Even better, I have so much fun.

Kaitlin gives me a Suze Orman book she checks out from the library. In it is the money the book would have cost along with the receipt for my library fines.

As is tradition, I laugh so hard I cry.

It's one of the best Christmases ever.

gChameleon Hollidays

2011-12-25T00:25:00.000-05:00

gChameleon Steve Jobs

2011-12-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

I go to Hayes and Norah's dance recital.

I read Steve Jobs during some of the other kids' dances.

I return the hard copy of Steve Jobs my dad gives me. When I get an iPad, I'd like to have an iBook of it.

This book inspires me to write. I have a unique life, and I have some awesome experiences to share. I also now have a MacBook Pro and some time to write.

After the recital, I long run to the bank and the library in Draper. Now it's colder, I run fewer days. Still I commit to a half marathon of miles a week.

After I run, I shower for the first time since Wednesday. I pick up some free running socks from Sports Authority.

I pass up In-N-Out for a self-made chicken sandwich with cheese, lettuce and tomato on a whole wheat Great Harvest roll.

I go without a victory shake for about a month, so I eat some cookies and cream ice cream.

And I fall asleep as I read Steve Jobs. And I wake up and read Steve Jobs.

And I hold on to my Apple shares and to hope.

gChameleon Apple Stores, The Gateway

2011-12-09T17:18:00.001-05:00

I invest in the world's best company: Apple.

Today I remotely celebrate the grand opening of Apple Store, Grand Central.

gChameleon Reindeer Runs

2011-12-04T09:35:00.000-05:00

gChameleon Ikeas

2011-11-28T11:11:00.000-05:00

I bike to Ikea for free breakfast.

I arrive just in time.

Luckily, they have twine to tie up my bike.

I stir sugar and hot water to make Mormon tea.

I buy a toy for my next race Run Run Reindeer on Saturday.

I bike home.

Want to join me next week?

gChameleon Black Fridays

2011-11-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

After a Thanksgiving feast, I fall asleep on the host's sofa.

I awake before midnight, and I celebrate Black Friday.

I hit the stores not to buy but to watch.

I stay at the mall all night.

I drink free hot chocolate and feast from free chocolate fountains.

I listen to a jazzy local musician play from 2 to 4 in the morning in the middle of the mall.

At the top of every hour, I take the ticket out of my pocket to see if I'm a winner.

At 6, they call my number. I open a bunch of empty presents and win a $50 gift card.

In red Hollister board shorts, flip flops and lifeguard whistle, I head to Hollister and pose for pics with 50 percent off.

On the way home, I pick up a hard drive. It was gone at midnight, but it's there at sunrise on the best Black Friday ever.

gChameleon Human Races

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

I dress up as a hot lifeguard elf and run the Utah Human Race.

I set a personal record for the 10K, and I place third in my division.

And I have a lot of fun running for the hungry in Utah and Zambia.

gChameleon Jets West

2011-11-21T20:30:00.000-05:00

I jet from New York City to Salt Lake City on JetBlue.

I arrive at JFK 24 hours before the jet departs.

The jet is called Can't Get Enough of Blue.

gChameleon Summers

2011-09-04T21:28:00.006-04:00

My summer days in New York City are epic.

I love the beach. I go far fewer times this summer than I do the last few, but I still try to beach once a week. This summer, I discover an awesome beach that's new to me: Rockaway Beach. It's perfect for barefoot beach running.

I love Shakespeare in the Park. This year, I see Measure for Measure and All's Well That Ends Well. I wait for neither: I arrive just before each starts, and I get great seats. Whatever the production, I'm always enchanted by this outdoor experience.

I love outdoor movies. I see about a dozen this summer in Bryant Park, McCarren Park, Hudson River Park and Tompkins Square Park. One of my favorite movies this summer is the original Arthur. I love its message: money doesn't matter; love does. During the screening, I realize I'm in love with New York City.

I love races in Central Park. This summer's are the first for which I ever register. I find them worth every penny: I drink my weight in Gatorade, and I go home with an armload of bagels, bananas, plums or pretzels. I also acquire a new wardrobe of race t-shirts.

I love the Olympic pool in my hood. Getting past the guards at New York City pools is no small feat. I show up in just goggles, flip flops and trunks with apartment keys in the pocket, and I easily get past the guards.

I love the Manhattan New York Temple. It's as much a part of my New York Marathon training as any other activity.

I love yoga at Target Community Garden. Afterwards, I hit up Costco for samples. I hit Costco like ten times this summer. I buy a pack of toilet paper once and a slice of pizza twice.

I love MoMA on Target Free Friday. Even when I have only ten minutes, I still stop in to visit Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Pollock, Van Gogh and Warhol. I enjoy eating my lunch late in the garden. I also enjoy the film screenings, even when I have no idea what's going on. The mix of elite and homeless in the audience alone entertains me.

I love flip flop running in Times Square. I long avoid this area until I discover it's the best place to raise charity fun(ds), pose for pics and meet people from all over the world.

I love random concerts. I happen upon a couple in Hudson River Park. I enjoy a show in Central Park that celebrates Shel Silverstein. Among the Shelebration performers are Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Vega and Lou Reed.

I love my New York apartment. I move in ten summers ago, and I love it as much today as I do the day I move in.

More often than not, I come home and crash on the couch in my clothes because I'm exhausted from my awesome New York adventures.

gChameleon Irenes

2011-08-27T18:15:00.006-04:00

I prepare to meet Hurricane Irene.

I withdraw cash at the bank.

I pick up food at Trader Joe's. I buy double or triple quantities of foods I usually eat: bread, peanut butter, cereal, pasta, sauce, pretzels, fruit, juice, dark chocolate. I also buy boxed almond milk.

I gather all the large plastic bottles in my apartment building's recycling room. I fill them with water and shelve them.

I pack a bag with clothes, food, money, a French Book of Mormon and a flashlight.

I remove our apartment air conditioners.

I Manhattan New York Temple. I'm the last patron in the last session before the temple closes for the storm.

When I arrive, it's ominously cloudy. When I depart, it's raining hard.

I pray that God protects this city and this apartment. I love them so much.

Matthew 25:1-13

gChameleon Manhattan Temples

2011-08-10T21:11:00.000-04:00

As is my tradition, I visit the Manhattan New York Temple on its first open day after its two-week summer closure.

I reclaim my clothing storage space.

I do baptisms and confirmations for the dead.

Tonight, I confirm John Coleman. He shares a name with my uncle who graduates early shortly after running a marathon.

I frequently receive what to me is a sign that I'm in the right place at the right time.

gChameleon Primaries 2

2011-08-07T13:11:00.003-04:00

I Primary for the second time.

I learn their names, I start out asking them if they have fun this week and what they do that's fun.

I get to have kids for two hours a week. I look forward to those two hours all week.

gChameleon Primaries

2011-07-31T10:15:00.002-04:00

I receive a calling to be a Primary teacher for four and five year olds.

Like all my callings, it's a surprise. Like all my callings, it seems inspired.

"Congratulations on your calling!" a sister says to me. "Primary will never be the same."

gChameleon Queens

2011-07-30T23:11:00.000-04:00

After two hours of sleep, I awake at 4:30 and trek to Queens.

A train full of runners and I arrive with the sunrise.

As I run my first official half marathon, I thank God for the chance to be in New York now.

I run fast, and I have fun. A friend and many strangers cheer me on.

As I near the finish, I run with everything I have. I feel as though my legs are not my own.

At the results board, I run into another friend who interns in New York when I do--the only other one who still lives in New York a dozen summers after our internships. He's with his wife and his two kids.

After running in Queens, I beach in Queens on a hot afternoon. I usually go to Riis. Today I go to Rockaway.

I dig it. With a boardwalk and miles of hard-packed sand, it'll be an awesome running beach for me.

I meet up with a new gCrew brother at JFK.

I trek to Brooklyn and fall dead asleep for two hours on the Williamsburg Waterfront.

I awake to a picture-perfect sunset on the Manhattan skyline.

I decide to try to snag a ticket to the Eels rock show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Eels is one of my favorite bands, and its leader E is a kindred spirit to me.

"Is this a beautiful day, or what? It's the most beautiful day I've ever seen," says the girl from the opening band the Submarines. I agree.

She's the most beautiful girl I ever see.

"Are you a road runner?" she asks me. She's a runner like me. The hottest girls are runners.

After his show, I meet E for the fourth time. He signs my ticket.

All the seconds and the minutes
And the hours and the days
And the weeks and the months
And the years of my life

It was all worth it
To be here now

gChameleon Manhattan Temples

2011-07-21T16:42:00.001-04:00

Two days before it closes for two weeks, I do a Manhattan Temple marathon.

During a break, I photobooth at the Apple Temple across the street.

gChameleon New Yorks

2011-07-08T23:00:00.002-04:00

I JetBlue to JFK.

I gCrew New York.

I Hollister, Fifth Avenue.

I Manhattan New York Temple.

I Ratatouille at MoMA.

I Apple Store, Fifth Avenue.

I jumbo slice at Koronet Pizza.

The greatest city in the world is greater than ever.

I love you, New York.

gChameleon San Diegos

2011-06-24T23:11:00.000-04:00

I stay in San Diego for almost six months.

I lose track of how many times I do everything, but I have a picture of almost everything I do.

I participate in every ordinance in the San Diego Temple every week, except three weeks when the temple closes and one week when I'm away on vacation.

I visit the San Diego Temple grounds with two of the gCrew California dudes. I hook up both of them and two others with Books of Mormon.

I give a talk in church.

I receive a church calling.

I beach more than 120 of fewer than 180 days.

I enjoy 4 beach bonfires and 4 underwear runs.

I run with La Jolla Running Club.

I run until I get injured. Then I start to bike.

I bike until the bike gets borrowed. Then I start to swim.

I buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and I eat even better than before.

I see two friends marry each other, and I see another friend get baptized.

I make little money, but I make lots of friends.

And I have lots of fun.

Hasta la vista San Diego!

gChameleon San Diego Temples

2011-05-30T11:11:00.002-04:00

On a celestial Memorial Day morning, I debate: go running or go to the temple.

It's one of the few Mondays that the temple is open, and it's a good day to serve the dead.

I decide to go to the temple. In the baptistry, I meet up with David, a convert from Africa.

Last year, he and I do baptisms together.

Today, we do confirmations together. I really feel the Spirit.

I know I make the right decision.

David and I take some reunion shots outside the temple.

I start walking home but go back for initiatories.

After my morning in the temple, I spend the afternoon on Moonlight State Beach reading about running.

gChameleon Celebrates Born This Way

2011-05-23T20:55:00.003-04:00

I celebrate the births of Lady Gaga's album Born This Way and Whitney's baby on this day.

Whatever my niece's name is, I'll call her Baby Gaga.

gChameleon Meets Needs

2011-05-15T16:14:00.004-04:00

I visit my needs meetees, and my needs meeters visit me.

I receive a priesthood blessing from them for my injured left foot.

I have faith that my foot will heal, and I will praise the Lord for the miracle.

gChameleon Häagen-Dazs Free Cone Days

2011-05-10T17:25:00.000-04:00

gChameleon Apple Stores, Fashion Valley

2011-05-07T21:33:00.001-04:00

gChameleon La Jolla Running Clubs

2011-05-06T23:11:00.000-04:00

I walk, run and ride from Del Mar to a La Jolla Running Club dinner at Fiona's.

Karleen makes awesome pasta with vegetables.

I bring Trader Joe's bread.

We also have fruit and a cake to celebrate Rika's birthday.

Benny's Surf Club of Awesomeness joins in the fun. We watch surfing videos and have an inpromptu dance party.

We run together. We eat together. We have fun together.

gChameleon International Dinners

2011-05-01T18:54:00.007-04:00

I go to an international dinner at Fiona's.

Brazil, Germany, Guatemala, India and the United States are all present.

I bring Trader Joe's New York cheesecake.

I wrap it up and deliver a surprise.

We eat. We make a fire on the beach. We listen to an acoustic guitar set.

It's an awesome Sunday evening with awesome friends.

gChameleon Bikes

2011-04-28T17:55:00.001-04:00

I beach run barefoot day after day because I love the beach and I love to run.

As I run day after day, my feet get thrashed.

My feet need a day off.

Today, instead of running the beach barefoot, I bike the beach in flip flops and ride 10 miles from gCrew California to Del Mar.

I feel like I'm flying when I'm jetting and when I'm running. I also feel like I'm flying when I'm biking.

On a bike, I feel like a little kid, and I feel close to my grandpa who's biking in paradise.

gChameleon ING New York City Marathon Lotteries

2011-04-27T11:11:00.002-04:00

The day after the 2010 ING New York City Marathon, I enter the lottery for the 2011 ING New York City Marathon.

Every time I look at a marathon web site, I get emotional because I feel the marathon inside me.

New York is the city where I am born as a runner.

This morning, I awake on the marathon opening day to see if I win the lottery. As always, I get emotional.

I lose the lottery.

How can Heavenly Father help me win the lottery when the race is on Sunday?

Exodus 20:8-11

gChameleon Easters

2011-04-24T10:20:00.000-04:00

While chasing my church limo on Easter morning, my card falls out of my white shirt pocket.

The tomb is empty, and so is my pocket.

Rather than look the card, I hop in the limo so I can get to church on time.

A few days later, I receive a replacement card that's even better than the one I lose on Easter.

It's my Easter miracle!

gChameleon In-N-Outs

2011-04-23T21:55:00.001-04:00

Like a real SoCal surfer, I In-N-Out after I surf for the first time.

gChameleon Surfs

2011-04-23T14:22:00.012-04:00

I bodysurf. I subway surf. I web surf.

I wear surf clothes. I observe surf culture.

Today, for the first time in my life, I surf.

I join Benny's Surf Club of Awesomeness.

Benny brings his surfboards and wetsuits to La Jolla Shores Beach.

I follow him hoping to pick up some tips in case I ever surf in my life.

"Garrett, I think this one will fit you," Benny says and throws me one of his wetsuits.

Surprised, I put it on over my Hollister board shorts, and it fits me perfectly.

Benny shows us some surfing basics on the sand and then leads us into the water.

After a few tries, I stand up on the board for a few seconds before I fall off.

Surfing is the thrill of my life.

On Easter weekend, six months to the day after I'm born as a runner, I'm born again as a surfer.

I'm born to run . . . and I'm born to surf.

See my surf pics here.

Many thanks Benny. You're awesome bro!

gChameleon Vanguards

2011-04-18T23:59:00.019-04:00

Just in case I live long enough to grow old, I open a Vanguard Roth IRA and contribute the maximum I can for 2010.

Because I'd prefer to pay tax on the Apple seeds than on the Apple harvest.

gChameleon La Jolla Half Marathons

2011-04-16T17:05:00.026-04:00

I go to the La Jolla Half Marathon Expo on the Saturday before the La Jolla Half Marathon.

The race parallels my running routes. The race is sold out, but I still search for a way in.

Until I find one. The race officials agree to allow me to replace another runner.

Can I run the La Jolla Half Marathon on my way to church on Sunday morning?

I usually run on Sunday only to chase my church limo, but maybe I can run just this one Sunday race.

Then I remember: I'm me. I do everything differently.

The La Jolla Half Marathon is on Sunday. I run it on Saturday.

I start at the La Jolla Cove finish line and finish near the Del Mar start line.

Thousands of runners run the official half marathon. Only I run my half marathon.

The official runners pay money to run the official half marathon. My half marathon is free.

The official runners run on the street. I run on the beach.

The official runners wear running shoes. I wear flip flops for the first few miles and then run barefoot the rest of the way.

The official runners wear bibs. I wear only Hollister board shorts, the closest ones I own to running shorts.

The official runners leave their stuff before they start and pick it up after they finish. I carry my bag of Hollister clothes, Trader Joe's food and gFonz.biz cell phones with me the whole way.

I stop twice to release water, to drink water and to drench myself in water.

As I run, I decide I don't care whether I ever make money or have stuff. A healthy running body is all I want now.

The last few miles, my legs tire.

I finish feeling fabulous.

And hungry. I devour my lunch in the setting sun.

While the official runners eat their pre-race pasta dinner, I celebrate my first unofficial half marathon at a pool party. There I feast on celestial homemade cinnamon rolls.

While the official runners run the official half marathon, I sleep, church, fast and feast at the Pacific Beach Ward potluck.

Even though I don't even run this year's official La Jolla Half Marathon, I feel like I win it.

Isaiah 58:13-14

gChameleon San Diego Temples 2 8

2011-04-15T11:11:00.009-04:00

I do sealings in the San Diego Temple this morning.

From time to time in the temple, I receive personal revelations. They're usually little thoughts or impressions that make a big difference in my life.

I have sufficient for my needs, and I spend less than I make. And I'm profitable. But, as Apple shares fall, I worry about money lately.

I receive this revelation today: "Garrett, you are rich in many ways."

I am rich in many ways.

I'm rich in time.
I'm rich in travel.
I'm rich in temple trips.
I'm rich in beach days.
I'm rich in family.
I'm rich in friends.
I'm rich in hair.
I'm rich in health.
I'm rich in used gFonz.biz cell phones.
I'm rich in new Hollister clothes (that I acquire at DI prices).
I'm rich in Trader Joe's food.
I'm rich in hot water.
I'm rich in sunshine.
I'm rich in apartments.
I'm rich in Ikea loft beds and faux leather sofas.
I'm rich in awesome roommates.
I'm rich in fun.
I'm rich in adventure.

God blesses me with these riches, and I thank him.

Maybe I'm not rich in money. If I were, I'd be poor in most of the ways I'm rich.

gChameleon Apple Stores, Fashion Valley

2011-04-08T23:02:00.002-04:00

gChameleon San Diego Temples 2 3?

2011-04-06T09:06:00.002-04:00

I celebrate April 6 by doing sealings at the San Diego Temple.

A single saint, I usually do sealings with temple ordinance workers whose spouses are usually not with them.

At the end of today's sealing session, a couple joins us.

After being sealed for eternity, they have three children in three years.

Serving in the temple this morning is a very special occasion for them. They seem so excited to have the time to come to the temple together.

As this man and this woman face each other over the alter, I see and I feel their celestial, eternal love for each other.

If I ever find anything like it in this life, I too will marry for eternity.

gChameleon San Diego Temples 2 1

2011-04-05T23:11:00.001-04:00

I get higher and higher.

I beach run barefoot. I do pull-ups. I hot tub. I shower. And I temple.

One right after the other in that order.

I try it a few times now, and it feels like heaven.

Matthew 18

gChameleon Beaches 2 2

2011-04-03T23:11:00.006-04:00

After general conference, I pack a picnic, cruise up the 101 and flee to the Cardiff State Beach.

When I beach on Sundays, I stay out of the water, and I keep my shirt on.

Today, I walk all the way home: 10 miles on the beach, one of the longest beach walks of my life.

gChameleon Beach Runs Barefoot

2011-03-30T23:11:00.002-04:00

When I reach the beach, my head is hazy, and the sky is foggy.

I beach run barefoot.

As I run, my head clears, and so does the sky.

As always when I run, I feel high.

gChameleon Lady Gagas

2011-03-29T23:59:00.006-04:00

I get a gig as a Virgin Mobile Angel at Lady Gaga's Monster Ball concert.

I borrow black skater jeans and black Converse All-Stars. I get a Virgin Mobile pilot jacket and Virgin Mobile angel wings.

I'm an angel and a roadie who helps a photographer capture Lady Gaga's Little Monsters. It's a rock 'n roll dream come true for me.

After I lose my wings, I text in the toilet until Gaga takes the stage. Then I sneak in. Then I find a seat. Then I move closer to the stage until I'm as close as I can be.

It's one of the best shows I ever see.

It's like seeing Madonna . . . 25 years ago.

Gaga turns 25 . . . yesterday.

Gaga makes us freaks feel like it's awesome to be who we are.

Because Jesus loves everybody.

"Build your stage," she says. "You are a superstar!"

If you got to see Lady Gaga live, would you leave in the middle of her show to catch the last limo of the evening?

Me neither.

I stay until the end of the show and am the last monster to leave.

gChameleon California Karaokes

2011-03-28T23:11:00.007-04:00

For family home evening, I trek to Richard's birthday party at Helaman's house.

When I arrive, I hear magical music: karaoke.

"Are you going to sing?" Amy asks me.

"Oh, I don't know," I say, even though I can't wait.

Finally, it's my turn. I come quickly out of karaoke semi-retirement, turn to the Madonna catalog and find Like a Prayer. Of all Madonna's karaoke songs, Like a Prayer seems most fitting for a gathering of my church family.

I have no need to look at the screen: I know all the words to this hymn by heart.

I dedicate my performance to all the holy sisters in the house. Then I dance, sing, move and groove like a saint and a sinner.

As I do, the room empties.

When the song ends, the party ends.

Ether 6:9

gChameleon Pacific Beach Pinewood Derbies 2

2011-03-28T06:52:00.011-04:00

I spend like six hours on my car last year, so I decide to invest less time this year. I make my car in the bus on the way to the race.

When I arrive, the mechanic says he'll be surprised if my car's wheels even turn on the track.

It's not how fast it moves. It's how hot it looks.

My car is a Trader Joe's surfcar on one side. On the other side, it's a Hollister surfboard that matches my Hollister button-up and flip-flops.

The mechanic greases and tweaks, and my car reaches the end of the track in its first heat. But never again.

For the second year in a row, I'm a proud pinewood derby winner.

Since my car is the lightest, I win a ribbon for best gas mileage. Since my car is ultimately the slowest, I win a new car!

The pinewood derby imitates life. In life, I'm a winner . . . at losing. And in life, I pay less than everyone else per mile. And it takes me longer to get everywhere.

But I probably have more fun on the way. And I'm totally green. And who else can make their car on the way to the race?

My competitors make some awesome and fast cars: a shark, a Preston High School bus with Napoleon Dynamite, a Flintstone's car and a Peeps car.

While my competitors drive away in their reals cars, I catch my limo to In-N-Out for my victory dinner.

Victory is sweet! I love to win, even if I have to lose to do it.

This is my third pinewood derby in three years. Read about last year's here.

gChameleon Bikes

2011-03-20T22:10:00.009-04:00

I'm a carefree, car-free SoCal eco-warrior.

I take only a few car rides with friends, and I go with them only where they'd go even without me.

I know tonight's fireside will go later than the bus runs.

Last time, I walk home from the fireside.

Tonight, I bike home from the fireside: 5 miles in the rain.

On the eve of spring, biking in the rain is a birth and a baptism for me.

It's my first time on a bike in years, and it's the best adventure I have since I start running . . . or since I boat ride on big waves with J. Nuck in the Dominican Republic.

Happy B. Day J. Nuck! Quiero vivir!

gChameleon Lives

2011-03-17T21:30:00.001-04:00

As I run barefoot on the beach on a foggy evening, I take a step back and remember how awesome it is to be alive.

And how awesome it is to live in San Diego.

Down the street from the temple.

Near the beach.

I'm a lucky dude.

Happy hireAsaint Patrick's Day!

gChameleon Hollister Harbor Coves

2011-03-16T23:55:00.003-04:00

I run my first race of the year at UCSD.

I break out a brand new pair of Hollister Harbor Cove active shorts, which are awesome and comfortable running shorts. I also wear a Hollister beanie and flip-flops, free sunglasses and a dot of sunscreen on my nose.

Yes, I run in flip-flops.

Full of energy after running around UCSD, I run a few miles barefoot on the beach.

gChameleon San Diego Temples 22

2011-03-16T12:34:00.003-04:00

I San Diego Temple two to four times a week.

My fastest time from gCrew California to the temple is four minutes.

I figure out how to do the most in the least amount of time and in the fewest visits.

And I receive visits. One day in the baptistry, I baptize William Smallwood. Another day, a Coleman.

"I don't even remember being as young as he is," a sealer says of me.

He has no idea how young I am.

gChameleon PB FHE's

2011-03-14T19:00:00.003-04:00

I guest host Pacific Beach Ward family home evening on Pi Day.

I arrive early.

We sing Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel, and I start my pinewood derby car.

And we eat round cookies.

Alma 29

gChameleon Speaks

2011-03-13T11:11:00.004-04:00

My bishop invites me to speak in Pacific Beach Ward sacrament meeting on adversity.

It's my first sacrament meeting talk in San Diego.

It's my first sequel: I speak on adversity in New York City two years ago.

Day by day, piece by piece, the message is given to me to give.

In sacrament meeting with the Spirit present, the talk is delivered better than it's written.

My previous speeches are here.

gChameleon iPad 2's

2011-03-11T19:11:00.006-05:00

I celebrate the arrival of iPad 2 at Apple Store, Fashion Valley.

The line is out the door.

As a dude who's way too deeply invested in Apple, the reception for this device deeply pleases me.

Best stuff. Best stock.

gChameleon Gets Motivated

2011-03-08T19:11:00.006-05:00

I get motivated by Steve Forbes, Colin Powell, Rudolph Guiliani, Bill Cosby and Joe Montana. They're all live in San Diego at the same place on the same day, and I get hooked up with a free ticket to see them.

At the end of the day, I also meet one of my favorite 80s sitcom actresses Kari Michaelsen. Not only is she still hot, she's also smart and nice.

She's my first kid crush, and I'm still a bit smitten. She's worth my 25-year wait.

To celebrate, I walk a block to In-N-Out for a cheeseburger and a lemon water.

California is a dream.

Thanks Helaman and Keleni for hooking me up.

gChameleon Beach Runs Barefoot

2011-03-05T16:04:00.002-05:00

I never get sick, and I never get injured.

But I slightly injure my right foot recently. I'm unsure what happens to it. Maybe it's playing human foosball in flip-flips. Maybe it's tripping hard on a door stop. Maybe it's running too much for too long.

After running five or six days a week for more than a month, I have a hard time not running. But I know I need to take it easy on my feet.

My physical therapist dad checks out my foot. When he does, it doesn't hurt, so I decide nothing's broken. He says I may have a stress fracture.

After I wear only flip-flops for weeks, my dad tells me to wear socks and shoes. I do . . . for a few days.

While walking barefoot on the beach on this celestial Saturday, my feet feel fine. So I decide to try to run.

As I do, my feet feel healed. I run 2 miles for the first time in 2 weeks and 2 days. My feet are happy to be back leaping on the sand and splashing in the water.

From now on, I may run less and cross train more. Because I want to run for the rest of my life.

gChameleon Cruises

2011-02-22T13:38:00.000-05:00

I cruise up to Carlsbad at sunrise.

Why?

It's a surprise!

Please return soon to find out.

gChameleon San Diego Temples 13

2011-02-16T10:26:00.005-05:00

The San Diego California Temple reopens after three weeks, and I return on its first open day.

On Tuesday, I beach, run, hot tub, shower and temple. During the session, I feel high.

On Thursday morning, I do sealings with the ordinance workers. On Thursday evening, I do a session with the Pacific Beach Ward. It's the fullest session I ever see in the San Diego Temple.

On Friday morning, I do initiatories, baptisms and confirmations. After baptisms, I take a celestial temple shower.

On Saturday afternoon, I bring an awesome gCrew California dude to the temple and have an awesome experience. Please return here soon to read about it.

I see the sun less outside this week, but I see more sun than ever in the San Diego Temple.

Matthew 6
3 Nephi 11

bc70 e2 i10 sc2sd5ss10

gChameleon San Franciscos

2011-02-14T08:08:00.004-05:00

I Southwest from San Diego to Oakland. I meet up with my rad dad and my hot mom.

We BART to San Francisco.

We stay in a four-star hotel atop Nob Hill.

My hot mom brings me Great Harvest cinnamon pecan bread and a Great Harvest Valentine's sugar cookie. She's so sweet.

We eat at Blondie's Pizza three days in a row.

We In-N-Out Fisherman's Wharf twice.

We visit Ghirardelli Square and eat ice cream three times.

We hook up a hippie dude with a gFonz.biz cell phone in the Haight.

We eat artisan burgers at Roam on Union Street. I have a French and Fries and a Dagoba Chocolate Shake.

We meet up with Fay and Ron at Ella's for breakfast. I have a big sticky bun and blood orange juice.

I run across the Golden Gate Bridge to and from Sausalito. I run about 10 miles in one day, a personal record for me.

My rad dad hooks me up with a Hollister hoodie. He's so generous.

I ride the cable cars until I run out of time.

I BART back to the airport just in time to catch the last shuttle.

I crash at Oakland Airport and Southwest into a Valentine's sunrise.

gChameleon Apple Stores, San Francisco

2011-02-10T20:08:00.000-05:00

I celebrate Verizon iPhone release day at Apple Store, San Francisco.

gChameleon Beaches 30

2011-02-07T19:11:00.004-05:00

As stock prices and temperatures rise, I Breeze to the beach.

Of the 30 days I beach this year, today may be the most beautiful yet: 75 degrees and sunny. On the first Monday in February.

I limp down Del Mar. I run from Torrey Pines to La Jolla Shores.

I stop at my bar and do 22 pull-ups.

After I run, I lunch on the beach in the late afternoon.

gChameleon Fast Sundays

2011-02-06T21:09:00.000-05:00

In the last hour of a fast, I feel inspiration.

I fast for my feet.

I fast for my finances.

I feel so blessed.

I love where I live.

I pay my tithing last Sunday, and I see miracles in the week since.

My stocks rise. My phones sell. My MacBook goes.

I have a new MacBook, a new iPod, a new Canon camera and new clothes. These are the tools I need to create, and I got them all at the lowest prices possible.

I love my weird ward.

I love the temple that's just feet away from me.

I'm just blessed.

I pray I can take these blessings and use them to glorify God.

gChameleon Saturdays

2011-02-05T23:11:00.002-05:00

I have awesome days down here in SoCal.

Many are similar. None is the same.

Today I wake up early enough to drop a few phones in the box before the mail man comes.

I bus to the beach.

I run a mile.

I eat lunch on the beach or on my way back from the beach.

I bus to the mall.

I hook up a woman with a phone. She's pleased.

I SoCal at Hollister Co.

I trolley to Costco. I go for an encore of Super Bowl wings.

I In-N-Out animal-style.

I race home and hot tub.

gChameleon Tithes

2011-01-31T23:11:00.000-05:00

I pay my tithing.

My gFonz.biz phones sell, and my shares rise.

Doctrine and Covenants 82:10

gChameleon Beach Runs Barefoot 21

2011-01-31T16:04:00.002-05:00

I beach run barefoot 21 times in 31 days.

I run more miles this month than any month in my life: about 60.

After running the beach barefoot six days in a row, my feet are thrashed.

They take a break on Sunday.

Today, my feet are back on the beach. I strike the ground with the front of my feet.

I run for one reason: because it's fun.

And when you have feet and a sandy beach, who needs socks and shoes?

gChameleon Pacific Beach Wards

2011-01-30T11:11:00.001-05:00

After visiting it for half of last year, I officially join the Pacific Beach Ward.

This is a big victory for me: this ward is more selective than Brigham Young University.

It feels awesome to be the real deal.

gChameleon Hollister Surfs

2011-01-28T23:11:00.001-05:00

I Hollister surf in SoCal: UTC, Fashion Valley and El Cajon in one afternoon.

I catch some sweet deals.

gChameleon Bodysurfs 1 20 18

2011-01-27T15:45:00.000-05:00

As I beach run barefoot in red Hollister board shorts, the temperature is high, and the sun is hot.

It's time. I run into the water.

I bodysurf for the first time this year.

The water is freezing. The experience is exhilarating.

gChameleon San Diego Temples 10

2011-01-22T11:22:00.002-05:00

I seal three weeks of San Diego Temple trips with three hours of sealings at the San Diego Temple.

I proxy for 15 sons.

The temple closes for three weeks.

Matthew 6

gChameleon Apple Stores, Fashion Valley

2011-01-20T16:07:00.000-05:00

After selling Apple shares yesterday and today, I buy more Apple today.

Best stuff. Best stock.

I'm a Mac addict.

gChameleon Slovenias

2011-01-19T23:11:00.000-05:00

Slovenia joins gCrew California. He's a PhD student and a marathon runner.

He rides with a fellow flyer from the San Diego airport to the Mormon temple. I meet them nearby.

He needs a laptop, so I take him to the Apple Store.

He needs food, so I introduce him to Trader Joe's.

He wants Coke, so I help him find some.

To thank me, he hooks me with up with a Trader Joe's milk chocolate bar. Like him, it's from Europe.

gChameleon Beach Runs Barefoot 11

2011-01-18T16:11:00.003-05:00

I beach run barefoot for the eleventh time in 2011.

The last few times, I experience discomfort in my left lower leg and my feet. I attribute it more to running in flip-flops on cement than to running barefoot on sand.

But when I end my barefoot beach run today, my feet feel completely healed.

gChameleon Ikea Tromsos

2011-01-18T13:11:00.014-05:00

Last Martin Luther King Day, a military man delivers an Ikea Tromso twin loft bed to me. It was his friend's son's bed.

One year to the day later, I reclaim my space at gCrew California and reassemble my bed in my room.

When I climb up the ladder and climb under my ocean stripe sheets, I know I'm home.

gChameleon Family Home Evenings

2011-01-17T23:11:00.002-05:00

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I family home evening with the Pacific Beach Ward.

I'm so late, I debate whether to just skip it and celebrate FHE and MLK at Krispy Kreme.

"Maybe I can make it in time for refreshments," I think and continue to the church.

Fiona gives a phenomenal presentation about eating healthy cheaply.

I learn that fruits in season can be cheap.

At the end, we have the best FHE refreshments of all time: California navel oranges, cherries, bananas and pistachios.

They're all made by God.

I fall passionately in love with navel oranges.

On my way home from FHE, I pick up a load of them at Trader Joe's.

gChameleon San Diego North Stake Conferences

2011-01-16T23:16:00.001-05:00

I San Diego North Stake Conference for the third time.

"Keep the commandments" is the simple theme that streams through the conference.

Elder David F. Evans of the Quorum of the Seventy presides. During two conference sessions and a fireside, I listen to him speak for three hours. And I'm not bored for a minute.

He tells stories about his call as a mission president in Japan, his father with Alzheimer's disease and his mother who serves two missions after his father graduates.

"Joy, this is Tom," President Thomas S. Monson calls Elder Evans' mother. "I've been thinking about you. You should go on a mission. You can serve at the Nauvoo Temple, but a lot of people want to serve there. If you really want to do some good, you should serve in the Philippines temple." She does.

Elder Evans pulls out his iPad to share something President Monson says. He then reveals that Elder L. Tom Perry uses an iPad and calls himself "the paperless apostle."

I know these men are inspired of God, and I bet God uses an iPad too.

I miss the last bus and walk five miles home so I can stay until the end of Elder Evans' last talk.

Besides, why go to a fireside if you leave before refreshments?

Luke 15

gChameleon Beach Runs Barefoot 8

2011-01-14T16:04:00.005-05:00

On the warmest day since I arrive in San Diego, I beach run barefoot until I run out of beach to run.

I buy Nike shares, Nike shoes and Nike+ sensor only to run barefoot on the beach four days a week for the last two weeks.

gChameleon San Diego Temples 6

2011-01-11T23:11:00.001-05:00

I have such fun at the San Diego Temple on Tuesday morning, I return for more on Tuesday evening. I temple two times on Tuesday.

This time I do a dozen initiatories. The significance of the ordinance hits me.

I have inexplicably incredible health since the Manhattan Temple is dedicated in 2004. Around early 2005, I start doing initiatories regularly.

They're as invigorating as going to a gym and as relaxing as going to a spa, so I skip the gym and the spa and go to the temple.

My body is blessed. My body is a temple.

For the first time tonight, it occurs to me: maybe doing initiatories is one of the reasons I now can run and not be too weary.

Doctrine and Covenants 89:20

gChameleon San Diego Temples 5

2011-01-11T13:11:00.004-05:00

In the same hour that the Verizon iPhone is announced, I meet my chere tante Peggy in front of the San Diego Temple.

She does a lot of our family's genealogy, and she's a great temple example to me.

She and I do an endowment session together today. At the end of the session, morning sunlight floods the celestial room of a temple that is obsessed with the sun.

After the session, Aunt Peggy treats me to chocolate pudding with whipped cream and sprinkles in the temple cafeteria.

"It's food from Kolob," she says, echoing Grandpa Coleman.

It's my 91st visit to the San Diego Temple, but it's the first time I eat in the San Diego Temple. I'm happy to break my fast with Aunt Peggy and maybe some other graduated members of our family.

Matthew 25:40

gChameleon 70's Parties

2011-01-10T23:10:00.003-05:00

I celebrate Bishop Rydalch's 70th birthday at a groovy 70's family home evening party.

As always, I don't buy my costume: I make it out of stuff I already have. I fro my hair and tie a Jerry Garcia tie around my head. I wear my lime-green Hollister t-shirt under my psychedelic inside-out Desigual vest and my most bell-bottom-like Boomer jeans. I finish it off with a pair of sunglasses just to add some funk.

"Your costume is the best," the senior missionary couple tells me. The funny thing is it's made out of stuff I wear on a regular basis.

All the food is from Costco: wraps, veggies, fruit, cake.

I try Twister. I pose for pics.

It's all fun and games until my brand new black Canon camera gets dropped and dies.

I play it cool on the outside, but inside I'm in shock.

When my cell phone gets borrowed at church, gFonz.biz is born.

What will be the disguised blessing when my camera gets dropped at church?

gChameleon Carlsbads

2011-01-09T19:11:00.003-05:00

After church, I cruise up the coast on the 101 to Carlsbad State Beach in a Breeze bus.

I spot a surf bus. A surf dude crashes inside it. After I shoot pics of the ride, a local introduces me to the owner.

I watch runners run on the shore and surfers surf in the water.

As I walk and talk from one side of Tamarack Beach to the other.

5

gChameleon Pacific Beach Wards

2011-01-09T14:18:00.001-05:00

After six months away, I return to the Pacific Beach Ward.

The ward meets in an old-school style building. The location is different; everyone and everything else are the same.

Many members remember me, and I remember them.

The sacrament meeting talks are among the best I ever hear in that ward.

"Go to the Lord and ask him what to do with you life. If your intentions are righteous, the financial part will come," advises the first speaker.

Says the second speaker: "You're never too old to learn new things. The more we develop ourselves, the broader and stronger the mark we can leave. We can be a light and glorify our Heavenly Father."

I'm grateful there's a mid-singles ward here for me.

After visiting for six months last year, I complete an application to join the ward officially this year.

Do you think I'll get in?

gChameleon Apple Stores, Fashion Valley

2011-01-08T20:08:00.001-05:00

gChameleon In-N-Outs San Diego

2011-01-08T19:11:00.004-05:00

I In-N-Out in Mission Valley in San Diego.

In-N-Out is awesome in Arizona, Nevada and Utah.

In-N-Out is awesomest in California, its home state.

I come straight from the beach.

My animal-style cheeseburger is a monster. My fries are stacked high. My Neapolitan shake is thick.

My spread, my mustard packets and my paper hat are just as I ask.

More than 21 years later, I can taste the quality.

gChameleon Beach Runs Barefoot

2011-01-08T17:08:00.003-05:00

I run barefoot on the beach.

I try to run only two or three times a week.

But I run barefoot on the beach into the sunset four days in a row.

I need no shoes: the sand is soft.

I need no tunes: the waves are music.

I want to race in my new Nike Pegasus shoes with my Nike+ sensor.

Until then, I run barefoot on the beach.

gChameleon San Diego Temples

2011-01-08T13:08:00.000-05:00

I love the San Diego California Temple.

On Wednesday night, I do an endowment session.

On Thursday morning, I do 30 baptisms and 30 confirmations.

On Friday afternoon, I do four initiatories.

On Saturday morning, I do two sealings in Spanish.

I use my living body to help people who are dead physically but living spiritually.

I help them. They help me.

gChameleon Beaches 1

2011-01-05T17:55:00.004-05:00

I see people in sweaters, winter jackets and scarves. The date tells them it's winter.

I wear short sleeves, Hollister board shorts and flip-flops. The temperature tells me it's summer.

I run barefoot on the beach into the sun.

I feel a sensation for the first time since I start loving running last fall: sweat.

I love beaching. I love running. I love beach running.

In SoCal. In January.

3m. 1e

gChameleon San Diegos 1

2011-01-04T23:04:00.003-05:00

I Southwest to San Diego.

The Filipina who picks me up last year drives me downtown in her surf bus. She races to get me on the last direct trip up to La Jolla.

When I arrive, I run from gCrew California to Trader Joe's in board shorts and flip-flops in the dark.

I see the sun of the celestial San Diego Temple.

I rush home and hot tub.

gChameleon J.Crews

2011-01-01T23:11:00.008-05:00

From 2004 to 2008, after I graduate from Gap and before I discover Hollister, I buy all my clothes at J.Crew.

In 2010, I put my my J.Crew collection up for sale.

Tonight, a style guy who's just about my size shows up. His iPad guides him.

I invite him and his girl in and set him up with a fitting room.

He leaves with the first third of my J.Crew collection. It includes the chunky brown corduroys I wear to my sister's sealing, a gray sweater I wear to my sister's wedding reception, plaid-lined khakis I wear to church in the winter and comfortable sweat shorts I wear to bed.

I'm pleased my J.Crew clothes go to such a nice guy with such nice style.

Goodbye J.Crew clothes! Thank you for giving me more to spend on Hollister shares . . . or Hollister shorts.

gChameleon New Year's Day 5Ks

2011-01-01T10:25:00.002-05:00

I call and awake Kaitlin on New Year's Day.

"Running or sleeping?" I ask her.

In 20 minutes, she speeds down from the mountain in her Subaru and drives my mom and me to Draper Park for the New Year's Day 5K.

We start slow. The path is narrow and icy in spots, and there are a lot of runners on it.

I run ahead because I want to beat my Beat the New Year 5K time from last night.

Because it's New Year's Day, I run to U2 on my hot mom's hot pink iPod shuffle.

A photographer shoots me in my blue Nautica boxers I win in Central Park and my blue Hollister hoodie.

"Best shot of the day!" he says. See it here.

I beat my time from last night by a minute.

Running a 5K is an awesome way to start an awesome year.

25

gChameleon Beats the New Year

2010-12-31T23:56:00.018-05:00

On December 31, 2010 at 11:30 PM, I run the Beat the New Year 5K in Sugarhouse Park.

The temperature is 9 degrees Fahrenheit. The track is ice and snow.

I wear the blue Nautica knit boxers I win in Central Park and a white Hollister hoodie.

My glasses fog. My snot freezes.

I beat the new year by 4 minutes.

Thanks to my mom for convincing my dad to drive me to the race.

And thanks to my dad for driving fast enough for me to start the race on time and finish it before the new year.

26

gChameleon 2010's

2010-12-31T12:31:00.001-05:00

I kiss goodbye one of the best years of my life, a year during which I . . .

start a new gCrew and live with dudes from Canada, France, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

spend six months in San Diego, three months in New York and two months in Salt Lake.

jet to New York, Boston, Chicago, Austin, San Francisco, Puerto Rico, Portland, Jamaica, Long Beach, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Barbados.

roadtrip to Mesa and St. George.

pick up two real paid gigs: two months as a U.S. Census enumerator in San Diego and two days as a (very modest) underwear runner in New York.

run 8 races in nothing but underwear . . . and learn I love running.

make as much buying and selling Apple shares as I do doing anything else.

visit the temple and hit the beach more than 100 times each.

replace all my old clothes with vintaged Hollister clothes.

bond with my nephews and nieces.

buy the exact same sofa on two different coasts.

gChameleon Draper Utah Temples

2010-12-31T10:15:00.003-05:00

My mom and I do the last session in the Draper Temple on the last day of the year.

In his house, I thank Heavenly Father for one of the best years of my life.

gChameleon Mr. Krueger's Christmases

2010-12-26T20:26:00.001-05:00

My family and I Christmas feast and watch Mr. Krueger's Christmas, Jimmy Stewart's other holiday classic.

You too can catch it here.