dredom's world

2011 Summary

2011-12-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

* Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Eid, Winter Solstice and Happy New Year! *

We have moved to the California Central Coast!
We can see the waves from our living room window. Morro Rock is in healthy walking distance down the beach. We feed the seagulls bread. The quaint town has a wharf and an awesome coffee shop. Not too much going on. And it is a short commute to San Luis Obispo where I work.
We love it!

CJ, Jane's son, has moved to Long Beach and continues his video editing career.
iamcjmiller.com
Lauren, her daughter, completed some college units in Los Angeles and has now moved home again and will be attending a local college with the goal of a degree in graphic design.

Jane's jewelry continues to be in demand and she loves making new designs. Internet sales have picked up and we want to redo the web site to take better advantage of that market. Jane spent some time at our church centre in Clearwater, Florida and enjoyed being with her family there too.
www.jenandjane.com

Tashania and Taron remain down in Los Angeles with their families and are doing well.
Can you believe my granddaughter is three years old already?
The family in Clearwater, Cape Town and other parts of the world are doing fine too.

The company I work for, LEVEL Studios, is a digital marketing agency and has some very creative people. I love working there, doing a lot of work for mobile devices.
I am in two photography groups and do casual event photography. I even earned another lens shooting a wedding reception for a friend.
www.flickr.com
Jane and I did charity work at a drug information booth at the local farmer's market.
I still send out emails for the Los Angeles chapter of the Dianetics Running Team, and travelled down for the Say No To Drugs Race where it was great to connect up with old friends.
Surfing! I still run but I surf a lot. I am learning and making progress. Surfing has become a social scene with friends showing up for surfing before work. It is truly a spiritual experience to be on a gleaming ocean at dawn with pelicans and seals and sea otters.

We wish you and yours a New Year of flourishing and prospering and – thriving! Please drop me a line, I love to hear from you.

~ 2010 Summary ~

2010-12-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

* Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Eid, Winter Solstice and Happy New Year! *

"Times they are a-changin." – Bob Dylan
This year many of our friends will read this missive on Facebook or a blog. Others by email. And a few will get a delivery from the post man.

I'd like to announce that Jane and I got married but it seems the year has flown by without that auspicious occasion taking place. In any event, we are so married that friends call us "husband" and "wife." But I have come to realize that we probably need a little help from our friends to plan the ceremony and make it so. Any volunteers?

CJ, Jane's son, has merged his film editing skills with Internet savvy and has a good business going. He is spending Xmas in Spain with his girlfriend, Meggie. Lauren, Jane's daughter, pursued photography studies and it seems her future degree is leaning towards the Arts. Some of her work is quite marvelous.

Jane's jewelry is a hot item. Just last week another celebrity bought a selection of her designs. The partner store changed hands but is doing well. Jane is also considering other avenues for a bigger game.
www.jenandjane.com

Rain, my granddaughter, is two and traveling around with mom and dad, but still spends time with Aunty Tashania.

The family in Clearwater, Cape Town and other parts of the world are doing fine too.

Jane has been very active as a volunteer with our church. I have continued coordinating the Los Angeles chapter of the Dianetics Running Team. We have had some fun races and a few young guys on the team are actually winning races outright.

I haven't been rock climbing for ages but I have taken up surfing! It has been a slow learning process but I find myself ever excited to go catch that next wave. I'm addicted! It has even been cutting into my running time!

Photography is ever a passion too and I head the LEVEL Photographers group at work.

We bade a tearful goodbye to the Porsche, but at 357,000 miles (574 000 Km) it was time. I won't publish here the speed I did on the last day I drove her – suffice it to say I do miss that high performance. The new kid is a Pruis named "Hy," or "Hi" for short. Some great design went into this car, not the least of which is it is not very thirsty.

I have fallen in love again. This time with the California Central Coast. I work in San Luis Obispo during the week and go home to Jane on weekends. I rent in nearby Morro Bay and early mornings find me in the ocean with a surfboard. Surf, seals and sunshine. Life is good!
Now I just have to get the family to move up there with me.

We wish you and yours a New Year of flourishing and prospering and – winning! Please drop me a line, I love to hear from you.

From Collages

Year 2009 Summary

2010-01-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

The unfortunate news of 2009 was that our Internet startup business which had so much hope was laid to rest and we all moved on to other things, poorer and wiser. Which led me to a contract in Utah.

Overstock turned out to be a remarkable company. They wanted me to become a full time employee and Jane and I seriously considered relocating to Salt Lake City. I started a love affair with the Wasatch Mountains, running the trails and taking many photographs. I feel privileged to have experienced the wildflowers that flourish in the summer – breathtakingly vibrant and abundant – I have never seen anything quite like it. I would fly home to California for monthly visits and Jane visited me too.

Big news is that Jane said "Yes!" I proposed in a romantic moment during one of my visits. She has set a tentative date later in 2010.

More big news was that CJ, Jane's son, graduated from the Pasadena Art Center College of Design with a degree in Film Editing. He and his associates have started a new company. He is incredibly talented and with his drive I predict he will go far.

Lauren, Jane's daughter, became an avid bicycle rider, participating in group rides far and wide. (And she got her brother riding too.) She started working and is surveying colleges to further her education.

Jane continues to make an artistic mark with her fabulous jewelry designs. She is also becoming more business savvy and is exploring expansion options.
I created a shopping cart for her web site. Feel free to try it!
www.jenandjane.com

Can you believe that Rain, my granddaughter, is now more than a year old and running around? She is the cutest little girl.
Taron is proving to be a good father and Tashania a good aunty.

Dalmain, my father, passed away in his sleep just after Christmas. He led a remarkable life and we thank him and wish him well.

Jane continues to be active n our church. My sojourn curtailed involvement with the Dianetics Running Team, but that should change now that I have started a new job in San Luis Obispo, which is in Southern California. (Jane is happy I can be home every weekend!)

We wish you and yours a New Year in which you flourish and prosper and a New Decade with a bright future! Please drop me a line, I love to hear from you.

Let the new decade begin!

In Memoriam - Dalmain

2010-01-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

The old man has moved on. We loved him so.

The loss is what we feel and it is what it is. But I want us to remember the lighter side, the fun person, the dynamic businessman he was. And the father. I think he would appreciate that.

I remember, as a very young lad, climbing Rhino Peak in his beloved Drakensberg. That night a ferocious storm lashed us as we took shelter under a ledge near the edge of a precipice. He slept on the outside so that I wouldn't fall. He was so mad when I backed out of going to St. Johns. He taught me to sail.

I admire the winner in him. I've never won a marathon or been a millionaire. And he was of course quite brilliant. I so enjoyed his insouciance, his spirit of play. His practical jokes are family folklore and we should make an effort to write them down. I think he would enjoy being remembered for his playfulness.

I want to honour him for being a pioneer Scientologist in the early days, bringing Scientology to the Eastern Province. That religion has meant so much to me personally that I will be forever grateful to him for making it available for me to discover.

Charming, good looking, forever young! He sets a grand example in so many respects, I think you'll agree. I believe he is doing fine right now, free from physical encumbrance, and he deserves a great new life filled with further adventures.

Go Pops! With all my love.

1962 East London - Chocolate Shake

2009-06-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

It vaguely registers with my senses that someone has ordered a vanilla milkshake. This is outside of my reality and I push the thought away.

We're at a corner cafe near the Eastern Beach. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to join my Aunty Noleen and her older friends on a trip to the beach. The highlight of the afternoon was of course the very special treat of a milkshake!

It is simply inconceivable to me that anyone could or would want anything other than a chocolate flavoured milkshake. I mean, chocolate is the best. I can still think about other flavours (as a choice by other people) but vanilla? Vanilla is no flavour at all. No, I shut that one out – the concept niggles at the rear of my consciousness but it doesn't bother me.

(7 years old)

She said Yes!

2009-05-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

I was flying out to Utah and Jane was flying in from her show in Clearwater Beach and we met at the airport and got to spend a few hours together. So we drove down to Manhattan Beach and walked out on the pier.

We were very loving and in comm. The surfers were on the waves and beach was golden. On a whim I took her in my arms and said, "I have a question. Let's just keep it light and spirit of play."

She looked at me.

"Will you marry me?", I proposed.

"Yes!"

Leaving for SLC

2009-02-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

It was very hard to leave Jane behind but work was available in Utah and I had to go. Six months! We've never been apart that long. But you do what you have to do and this too shall pass.

Ice on the water

2009-02-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

In Sunny So Cal - who would have thought? The birdbath was iced over. But the Tulip tree is in full bloom.

~ 2008 Summary ~

2008-12-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

* Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka, Eid, Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays! *

2008 was filled with work — lots of it! Days, nights & weekends.
And our Internet startup venture delivered a product about cars on a popular social website named Facebook. Unfortunately the auto business took a wrong turn and we are now changing the software to be about fashion. Wish us luck!

Jane's jewelry design business continues to strengthen. She and her partners moved their store to Studio City which proved to be worthwhile. Internet interest has increased to the point where I must add e-commerce to the web site.
www.jenandjane.com

Jane's son, CJ, is a star film editing student at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design. He graduates in 2009. Lauren, her daughter, turned 21 this year! She graduated massage therapy school but has decided to continue with studies. Zutia the cat is adored by the girls and Freeway the dog is getting old but still enjoys his walks.

The big news this year is that Taron, my son, got married and started a family! Rain India Lexton was born September 30th. Taron continues to direct film and his wife, Marisol, is an actress. Hm, I wonder what Rain will grow up to be?
www.txlfilms.com

My daughter, Tashania, and her husband have been married ten years already and continue to work for our church. Brandon was promoted to an officer – congratulations!
www.scientology.org

Dalmain, my father, joined my brother, David, and his family in lovely Hout Bay, South Africa. And beyond that cousins on both sides of the Atlantic added to the family and made grandparents and great grandparents proud!

I still love photography and post the occasional shot on Flickr. Jane and I continue to be active in our church and I plan to devote more time to studies in 2009. Running is a big part of my life and I run the local Dianetics Running Team, taking pictures all the while.
www.dredom.com/run/dn/
www.flickr.com/dream-on

We wish you and yours a New Year in which you flourish and prosper!
And remember, I love to hear from you.

* Happy New Year *

Rain India Lexton

2008-09-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Rain India Lexton was born at 2:18am on 30 September 2008.

I am a grandfather.

Bunny Rabbit

2008-07-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

We barely saw the little bundle of fur as it scurried across the road in the fading light and it remained perfectly still as we approached. A tiny rabbit!

Jane immediately looked around for it's mommy and then decided we should take it home. It looked so innocent and small. I went right up to it and it just sat there. Then I wondered if it was injured. Using my T-shirt I put my hands around the tiny animal.

Hop!

It did not want to be picked up. But after checking once again for its mommy and wondering what might eat such a morsel here in the unprotected wild Jane convinced me to try again.

Hop! Hop! Hop! Hop!

No, this little fellow was not going to be taken home. So I pointed out that there was some grass growing in the culvert and the bunny could eat that. With that we left.

I believe this was some dwarf variety of rabbit rather than a baby - I could be wrong but now I want to find out.

In any event it was a remarkable experience to have the creature so unafraid of human contact. Better than coyotes, I guess!

Did I mention he got married?

2008-06-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

Yep! April 13th at Celebrity Centre in Hollywood. I'm told it was an "A List" wedding. Plenty of celebs.

My Son is Engaged!

2008-02-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Just received the notification that my son, Taron, is engaged to be married! Yes, it's the beautiful actress he has been dating. Well, at least we know the grandchildren will be good looking. ;)

That's about the age I got married.

~ 2007 Summary ~

2008-01-27T09:55:00.001-08:00

~ 2007 Summary ~
Originally uploaded by dream-on

Home Office

2007-12-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

So I joined an Internet "startup" company. Working morning, noon and night. From home. The spare room has become my office. This is my view. Kind of different working from home. Sometimes I forget to do the normal things like shave and brush my teeth. But it is kind of fun to be able to work all the time because — I love working!

Would the real Mulholland please stand up!

2007-12-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

What is not clear from this picture is that there are three parallel roads, in the space of 80 meters, all named "Mulholland Drive." Another naming anomaly is one "Canoga Avenue" runs to the top of the hill and proceeds down the other side as "Canoga Drive" with mirrored street numbers. No wonder people get lost trying to visit us!

Fall Birthdays

2007-10-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

The greater Rietman family converged on our humble home in the hills to celebrate birthdays in the Fall. They came from the north, the south and the east – by car and by plane but none by train. The home was not perfect, the home was not spotless – there were not enough chairs to sit on. So we tossed a futon on the living room floor and a trash can seated one person at the dinner table. It was grand! It was fun! So good to see the family again.
picasaweb.google.com/untiedt/2007FallBirthdays

Bamboo Stalk

2007-09-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

And here we can see the new "bamboo stalk" colour on the living room walls! Busy ripping out the carpet right now. Then comes the skirting boards. The parquet floor beneath is a little worse for wear and bodes a project unto itself in restoration. Considering that it took me weeks of smoothing and sanding the walls before we ever got to the paint I had better get a move on so everything is perfect for the imminent family gathering.

Good Morning!

2007-09-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

Here is Jane, shortly after I have roused her with a cup of french press coffee, preparing gormet breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Yes, I am so lucky!

Lucky

2007-06-28T18:02:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky.

Walking the dog in the cool evening under beautiful trees on a quaint suburban street, I ask someone if they are both Weimeraners? They are. One is a silver and the other a blue. They got them from the rescue and she gives me the web site. Pretty leaves crunch underfoot. I realize I am lucky.
Here I live. Beautiful home. Plenty to eat and flowing water on tap. No gunshots, no drugs. No soldiers. No wondering what lurks around the corner. The sunset is beautiful. We see a coyote disappearing around the bend.

So lucky.

Breakfast of Champions

2007-05-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is what I have to put up with on Sunday mornings! The omlete is gourmet in the extreme complete with fresh herbs from the garden. What is missing is the freshly brewed Pete's coffee with cream. And if this looks good let me assure you that it tastes even better! Problem is, Jane's breakfasts are so good that everything else pales by comparison. Yum! Am I spoiled, or what?

First Tulip

2007-04-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

This is my very first success, ever, of growing tulips! And there have been several attempts. Previously the plants would come up and then die, or just not bother to break ground at all.

So imagine my delight when the first buds appeared! Happiness is!

The Ceiling Fan Adventure

2007-02-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

As you can see the ceiling fan is whirling away (with its blades on), mixing the warm and cold so that the upstairs is not a sauna while the downstairs a refrigerator. (The blades had been removed by construction workers before we moved in.)

So how do you get to a ceiling fan 2 stories up? My brilliance came up with this solution after only nine months of consideration. Problem is if you lean the ladder up against the wall it is too far away from the fan. So here it is leaning against a 4 meter plank across the middle which is in turn supported by the upstairs banister (bottom right - you can't see it) and a saw-horse on the other end. (Note the clamp which stops the plank from sliding.) Tied the bottom of the ladder to the stairs, which you can just see in the bottom right of the picture, to prevent it from sliding out from under me. Just in case you were wondering, yes, it's pretty darn far up when you look down!

BTW, it is remarkable how effective the fan is. So much more comfortable, plus I look forward to lower utility bills.

Miss P.P.

2007-01-10T08:35:00.000-08:00

Meet Zutia, a.k.a. Miss P.P. "P.P." stands for Perfect Princess and has has nothing to do with the little yellow wet spots that appear around the house from time to time. Blame for these lies clearly in the paws of the "sausage" dog, a.k.a. Freeway the Dachshund. I mean, Zutia is perfect after all, right?

The Ring

2006-12-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

Yep! Finally got a ring. Platinum with diamonds all around; high quality stones, so I'm told.

So all Jane's friends ask what this means? It means a step in the right direction! Anyhow, she loves it and I love it and we're happy.

Merry Xmas Jane!

Bees in a Bird Bath

2006-07-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

It has been intensely hot and dry here lately, (it is after all a desert), and the old agua is evidently in short supply. The bees have discovered our bird bath, as have the birds. They share the water in apparent harmony.

home sweet home

2006-05-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

Lots to be done, boxes everywhere, but it is sweet to have your own home.

Moving Time

2006-04-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

We moved. gasp! Boxes everywhere. But at least it's not a rental any more. And close to Topanga State Park. And close to work. Will post a pic when I've hacked a path through the boxes to the computer.

poppy on poppy

2006-01-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

Tried setting my tiny Optio S5i to max quality max size - but it still came out fuzzy. Guessa gotta usea tripod or getta D200. :)

Winter Solstice

2005-12-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

you can stop being afraid of the dark. the creeping night will now recede and we can look forward to the light of day once more.

stealth kitty

2005-11-30T15:34:00.000-08:00

This might look like an avenue of fall leaves at first glance. But if you look carefully you will find a stealth kitty lower right. Stealth Kitty? Well, I used to call her Red Lady but that didn't really fly. Then my daddy declared her Rosebud. Nice. But Jane swears she is a stealth kitty because she is low and slides through the traffic real fast.

my jane

2005-11-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

we went to the clay pit in brentwood. yummy!

My Son the Movie Director

2005-10-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

Taron's music video, UNITED, recently won best short film at the New York Film Festival. And it just qualified for an Academy Award too!

TXL Films

did i mention i was a proud dad? :-)

The Ft. Harrison

2005-10-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

view from my window after graduation. musicians at the pool, refreshments, friends - ah!

2005-09-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

purple

sunset over clearwater

2005-06-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

sierrabella, i've been working like a dog, and in florida, and working like a dog. :) and right now i'm - working like a dog! (:

2005-04-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

Sierrabella gave me instructions to get a pic in my profile, so here goes step 1...

2005-03-21T13:13:00.000-08:00

pt. magu state park - the legs

dark day for rosebud

2005-03-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

she is going to the hospital today for some "rear end" work. three gees. but i care about her. pretty soon you gonna see her cute li'l tail screaming by you on the freeway. :)

ran up to inspiration point

2005-03-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

flora after the rains

2005-03-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

dang! a toe nail is going purple. marathon will do that. anyhow, ran up the trails above pasadena with my buddy john radich and michele. really pretty. training for the wild wild west in may.

i'm having a real dilemma - in love with a camelback but 1) it's a biker's camelback, and 2) it's a woman's camelback. but it's real light, could use it for like running to the store (can pack a lotta stuffinit). but maybe i need a hiker's camelback. y'know? maybe the biker thing won't work for running. then john said he'd run up whitney with me - which justifies the bucks - probably gonna do it. :)

2005 l.a. marathon XX

2005-03-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

reality check - do i want a good time or do i want good pictures? if you want a good time you have to do good training. hmm.... so... we dusted 4 hours instead of 3½. but i did real good on not dehydrating for a change. and i did get some good pictures. :) here's amy, tek, brian, bob, me and emanual at the end.

2005-03-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

plum blossom for sierrabella

taxing

2005-03-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

whoa! the green one advocates a national consumption tax. surreal to have a sane idea so high up.

meanwhile i'm going nuts with my no-carb diet. cashews, almonds - anything to sway the dizziness and craving. then precipicate headlong into carbo-load orgy tomorrow. going for 3½ on sunday, even if my training doesn't deserve that.

i was there

2005-03-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

we are walking out of trader joe's when this girl walks in with NAUGHTY across her t-shirt. jane laughs. i say, "that was good." she says, "what was good?" turns out i missed that the girl was wearing no bra and that she was out to steal husbands in our sleepy little bedroom-suburb in the mountains. there was, of course, no recourse for me - no right answer. i finally capitulated and said that if i ran into the girl again i would talk to her about it. :)

2005-02-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

busy bee, popping poppies

2005-02-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

plum blossoms in my window

under or over

2005-02-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

Ran at the track with Brian and the Judge. Over breakfast the Judge mentioned that his girlfriend was "an under" but changed to "over" for his benefit. Personally I view this as right or wrong, not preference. The right was is over so that you can easily tear off the next piece.

hello

2005-02-20T09:17:00.000-08:00

my toes touch the bloggy waters... my first foray.

hello!

i am a runner. i write software for an internet company. i like to take photographs - of people, places and things. i like to write entertaining snippets about my races and adventures.

and i want to learn what blogs are all about.