Like other Mt Lebo classmates, my plan for college went awry when Stanford failed to admit me. California-bound nevertheless, I began a 1972 summer flurry of last minute applications. Loaded up the Camaro with my stereo gear and clothes, and headed west on Labor Day. Raced across the NV-CA state line, into a golden sunset, windows down, with Steppenwolf blaring from the 8-track over the wind noise.

I attended Harvey Mudd College (private, 95% male engineering) in 1972-73, majoring in beach (La Jolla), and snow studies (Utah), with many field trips to the swimming pools of adjacent women's colleges. Seeking closer proximity to sand and surf, I moved to UC Santa Barbara the following year. Ended up finishing a BSEE&CS at UC Berkeley in 1978, despite distractions involving Porsches and race tracks.

Spent a decade in commercial electronics marketing and sales for major and start-up companies, living in Seattle, and San Francisco. Utilized airline "unlimited mileage fares" to study wave mechanics on many Caribbean Island beaches. The late 1980's brought one of what were to be multiple downturns in electronics industries, so I developed a second career dabbling in residential real estate. That proved to be fruitful, and provided the time flexibility to travel more.

Enjoyed most regions of the US, Western Canada, Western and Southern Europe, Mexico, Honduras, Thailand, Laos, Namibia (Africa), Papua New Guinea (So Pacific), Singapore, and layovers at various waypoints. Worked on "abs of steel" during months of blue-water solo kayak and canoe expeditions in Southeast Alaska. Built up shoulders, and a tolerance for chicken-fried towns, during 30,000 miles of motorcycle camping in the western US, including the "Anasazi tours". Kept returning to Utah for family skiing vacations, adding backcountry touring gear to the growing outdoor gear collection. Ski camped across the Sierra twice, and backpacked across it (solo) a few more times.

The mid 1990s found me living in a penthouse overlooking Oakland, CA, managing many rental properties, but yearning for less big city busy-ness. Ended up in rural Northern California, on the West slope of the Sierra foothills, running two head 'o cat, on 13 acres. While continuing to bicycle most days, was Data Processing Manager for a dot-com startup that went dot-bomb in September 2001. Toured Thailand to tune-out the ugly American backlash late that year, and returned with more serenity. Opened a small-town commercial IT consulting practice, which continues to chug along. Paddled around Papua New Guinea islands in an inflatable kayak, to revel at eye-popping reef snorkeling. Weeks of South Pacific heat and humidity exceeded what I remember in Mt. Lebanon, when I was cutting lawns during high school summers!

Some (including me) are surprised that I am still residing in the US. Enjoying the company of my elderly parents (including powder skiing with my 95 year old father) is part of the reward for that, but good fortune has smiled upon me again: Was lucky enough to meet a suitably nerdy, similiarly irreverent, (fortunately) tolerant, and enticingly shapely woman at a foothills town arts event in late 2009, and ka-POW! First marriage for both of us was celebrated in Fall 2011. Now the ranchette includes her two dressage horses, the loving couple, and a never-ending list of chores!

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I still enjoy seasonal rambles in the backcountry, with a particular fondness for high altitude crags and canyons of eastern California, and Western Nevada.

http://4reliablecomputers.net/california/

Nick Jedenoff

4listsrv-at-gmail-dot-com

Nick imgae review:

http://4reliablecomputers.net/mtlebo/