42'' of freedom

so Christmas is officially over...sad but true...and we could not have been more blessed. this time is always nice to look back and realize how good you got it, and this year we definitely enjoyed the good life. being in San Diego and close to the gundi and mendi fams is reason enough to be grateful, along with great weather, a nice home, new nephew,to name a few.

among other things is our big Christmas present from the mendi clan- a 42'' LCD flat screen to call our very own.
its a huge leap up from our old TV- a fourth generation hand-me-down, that had no power button, and weighed about 200 lbs. the new boob-tube is unreal, and looks amazing in our home, and is a pleasure to watch. just call us George and Wheezy.

let there be light

i can see it kids. officially, i have caught a glimpse of that glorious light at then end of the tunnel. my dad jokes about it all the time how i better make sure its not the light of an on-coming train. no, i will not be run over and trampled by any trains this quarter- except the etrain- though i did have my frair share of long nights, burning my candle at both ends, burning the midnight oil and a thousand other cliches for workin hard.

i must say i have not experienced school quite like this before. i look back on my early days as a new excited grad student, and long for that energy. i still am stoked off what i am doing, and enjoying the atmosphere, my colleagues and teachers. the challenge is good- if you are not being challenged you are not learning. one thing that i have loved about school is our gallery-style presentations. in said events we present our project to the classmates, teacher(s) and guests. after a quick explanation of your work, the floor is open for response and feedback. these are the times that i have learned the most- truly a time to appreciate the perspective and opinions of others. sometimes i puffed my chest like a peacock, at times i had to put my tail between my legs. one thing that is cool is the camaraderie of it all. my 'mates are encouraging and we help build and improve each other...so different than what i imagined or anticpated.

i just have a paper to finish up, and a little portfolio to throw together and then its coma time. yes...i will be in an official coma for three weeks. actually, i will try to spend QUALITY time with mrs. lokestroke. she has been a trooper through this, after all. thanks to all for the support, encouragement and help.

all i want for christmas is...

the etrain asked me to put down her x-mas wishes for the christmas this year.
the third book of that vampire series by stephanie meyer- Eclipse
gift certificates are always clutch- anthropologie, bloomingdales, nordstrom,
american apparel deep v-neck tees.

me...i want a hoola hoop.

are germans mexican?

so as i was driving home from school tonight...a lovely commute to and from downtown, that i do 4 glorious times a week...a thought occurred to me. seeing how i served an LDS mission in the motherland-aka España- and graduated with a bachelors degree in spanish, i often think in spanish. randomly i will talk to myself, or say some phrase in spanish to others. i think partly because A) i don't want to loose it, and B) it just happens-i have been immersed in it by some form or another since 2001.

ANYWHO... my point is, as i was driving home, i was in a "spanish mood" and noticed a mercedes benz infront of me. i then realized that mercedes is a spanish word. "'merced" translated is mercy, making mercedes "mercies." how many countries did los conquistadores conquer after all? think about it...

all tied up

i really should not be blogging, but i feel like it liberates me in some weird way. i suppose just writing releases angst, frustrations, lets the crazy thoughts in my head escape and in more than one ways is therapeutic. besides, my g-ma just discovered my blog and thought it to be nothing short of comical hilarity. who wants to disappoint the abuelita?

so as you may guessed by my title and fabulous graphical representation thanks to DCFC, its the end of the quarter, which means projects, papers and pandemonium---oh my! i feel like a got a grip on the situation. but inevitably will be having some late nights over the next week. the good ole cliche "when it rains, it pours" could not be more true right now. so, i suppose i will do my mother proud and let the blog and loyal avid lokestroke fans suffer...a man needs his sleep and noone knows that better than me. keep me in your prayers folks. the loins are girded, but i can always use a lil help from the divine.

gracias

so i haven't posted in a couple weeks...time flies when you are havin fun.(by fun i mean balancing grad school, work, a family,church...). the past few weeks have been a challenge and have tested my limits and patience. school has been killer- midterms, big projects and papers. i pulled my first true all-nighter since i was a freshman at the Y. oh if it could have been that. the last all-nighter was spent with new friends (who now i consider the best people i know, and best friends anyone could ever have) in dorm room, playing videogames & loud music, pissing off the RA, breaking stuff and creating the fabric of what would become the infamous "wall of amazing."

this past one was spent rummaging through research on different ancient civilizations, comparing and contrasting architectural and cultural innovations. 10 pages later and a few highly caffeinated drinks i was off to work and ready to take on a new day. which happened to be the day that i had a visit with Dr. Eli- expert on sleep disorders- kinda fitting eh? in said visit i was tested and prodded with various instruments- checking my breathing canals, tissue in nasal passage and who knows what else. i was then fitted for a mouthguard to wear at night because i apparently clench my jaw while i sleep. the most dramatic discovery by the Doc was my prognosis for surgery. he set up an appointment to give my tonsils the boot. so on dec. 12 i will go under the knife, and be down for a week. nothing but pudding and popsicles.word.

so back to the title of this monstrous blog- i do have a lot to be thankful for this year. it has been a good one. full of new challenges, growth, reminders of what and who i have to make my life pretty good- so in lokestroke fashion the following is what i have to be full of thanks:
(in no particular order)

1.prescription drugs- i now can sleep with the help of a tiny pink pill. life is no fun with no good night sleep.

2.amazing friends- being away from the people you love most is hard.at the same time the separation makes you realize how amazing they are, and appreciate your time with them when the occasion comes. being sprawled all across the country,we have gone to live our lives and start/prepare for the future- but can always pick up right where we left off like we haven't been apart at all.

3.education- graduating from BYU and now beginning grad school has and is shaping my life and future. it is what makes me who i am- what i know, what i learn and now being able to throw in what i love into the education mix is a huge blessing. there is something about studying and learning something that you have a passion for. its great. even though its challenging- i may complain about projects/papers/assignments- i really do enjoy it.

4. family- my parents and sisters have really been there for us this year. mom and dad especially- we lived with them in the early summer and i can't thank you enough for that. dad, providing me with a chance to work side by side, and learn the ropes is something that i appreciate daily. i know its a huge sacrifice. support in general is amazing- whether it be to listen to my frustrations or help build models out of foam core- you guys are amazing.

5.the Etrain- she has put up with a lot from me this year. clearly has earned some stripes or wings. her tenacity and determination for the best inspires me to be my best. she has had to sacrifice the most, with me being gone most of the time- she has always tried to be supportive and encouraging. a lot of many lonely nights and dinners all by herself makes it hard. luckily she is an amazing woman, who stands by her man like Tammy Wynnette.

more cowbell

ok, so they don't use a cowbell but there is definite cowbell potential. this is my new favorite band. i got hooked on them about a week ago, thanks to my friend Lauren...aka L.boogz. she works with the mrs. and they are now attached at the hip. we went to the Dirty Sweet show on fri night at Canes in PB and it rocked me into oblivion. classic rock just got classier...check those dudes out- old school. the beards, staches, long freakin hair...they are truly from a different time. if you are into classic rock with face-melting riffs and vocals, you must check out the dirty. its been on a loop on my ipod all week.

i suppose i should update about FIRESTORM 2007- all is well in sd. well, for the most part. actually, lost of homes got burned and destroyed and there is a huge city wide relief effort goin down to restore, rebuild and replenish hope in the affected families. as for me and my house, we are safe and normal. a day or so was all we were inconvenienced. really lucky and thankful that we were safe. my inlaws got about the closest you could get- the fire came right up to their house, literally, and stopped at the fence. just an avocado tree was burned...thank you firefighters!

what else is goin on... pressure is on this week. projects, papers and tests oh my !! mid-semester pains are peeking their evil head out next week. a couple of doozies, but i think i will be able to handle it. i still am ejnoying the architecture thang. school is good and i am making better friends with my class buddies. i could deal without the drive...if only....

self proclaimed best husband ever: yesiree. i happen to listen to a local radio station, who was playing a mystery song each morning last week, then revealing the artist on fri. i happen to recognize the band...long story short, I ended up hooking etrain with a personal visit with her favorite band at the radio station. who is that you say? mmmmmm....let me think aBOut that Please. you do the math. needless to say, she was elated- got to listen to them gab with the DJs, play a few tunes and then she and her friend got a private tour of their tour bus. you will have to ask her all about it. she would LOVE to tell you.

throw another shrimp on the barbie

so as most of you know, life has been a little hectic the past few days.if you don't know, get your head out of the sand and look at the news.there are massive fires all along southern California including San Diego, Malibu and Santa Clarita.me and both of my sisters have had to evacuate from our homes and camp out in greener pastures. thats a stretch saying greener pastures because the smoke and ash is insane...

have you ever seen the movie Backdraft? thats basically san diego right now. Too bad Billy Baldwin and Kurt Russell can't come and rescue us. its actually not that bad, though.(for us anyway. san diego has been hit hard- but we are lucky to be safe and not too affected.) i suppose i am being dramatic. the air quality is definitely struggling- you can't really be outside for more than a couple minutes without wanting to puke. its raining ash and soot, covering everything with a gritty gray film...the sky is hazy and has an eerie orange tint to it- like you were wearing some 80's throwback oakleys with orange lenses or some snowboarding goggles with amber lenses for hazy days. nasty eh? i did not retouch this with photoshop.


basically everything has shut down- businesses, schools, freeways. its like a freakin ghost town around here. people were scrambling to get gas and get "the heck outta dodge"...all that madness caused some local gas stations to shut down. the only thing that has been open is good ole McD's. Gotta satisfy those chicken nugget and mcflurry cravings i suppose. local grade schools have shut down for the week...most universities are down to. i got a couple of days off...nice not having to commute to downtown. that just means i gotta work double time when we do have school again.

the missionaries have been shipped over to my parent's home from Poway and Ramona- their areas have basically burned down. who ordered the extra crispy? i feel bad for them because they have nothing to do. thats the worst thing as a missionary- feeling useless and helpless. i feel even worse for my mom, having to try and entertain them.

one thing that is really annoying about all this is the fact that the surf is firing right now. the offshore winds are making all spots open up and produce some of the best surf i have ever seen. problem is you can't breathe. that doesn't stop the die-hards though. i have seen people scramble to the beach holding towels and handkerchiefs over there mouths as they run across the street onto the sand. if you can't breath while you walk, how can you possibly breath while you surf? insane. even though i am dying for some good surf, i would rather keep my lungs please.

the update as promised

so i find myself posting a lot the same phrase: "more details to come" or something to that effect, yet rarely follow through. so i am trying to be a man of my word here on my previous posting.
La Escuela:
I am loving my grad school experience thus far and will break it down for ya.


the STUDENTS: NSAD is somewhat of an art school, so there is a huge population of really creative, eccentric, artsy-fartsy types. which is a refreshing change from the provo zoobie. i love being surrounded by BIG thinkers, and those who think outside the box. most of my fellow students are really nice, friendly and pretty down. i envisioned math cronies and engineers, with pocket protectors who could tell you the first 57 numbers of pi. i also envisioned pompous, egotistical know-it-alls, with a chip on there shoulder ready to prove anyone and everyone wrong.there are a couple of supercharged egoes with legs, but i suppose there must be opposition in all things.

the STAFF: its comprised of working professionals who work in the field as their full time job, then somehow find the energy to come down and teach us a thing or two. i can't help but compare to BYU professors, who were great in many ways, but struggled in others. in my previous college experience i found that the professors usually had a god-complex, and treated you as peons. as i got into upper level courses, that kinda faded, but there still was a distinct vibe of "I am teacher, you are student." i found my learning is much different thus far...the entire "campus"( i put that in parenthesis because it consists of 3 buildings) is much more laid back. everyone calls each other by their first names, students, teachers, administrators,etc. there is an evened out playing field i guess. where learning is exhibited and experienced across the board by both young and old, student and teacher.its pretty dope.one kinda funny thing is my studio teacher totally reminds me of my cousin Joel. imagine lil brown joel with an afro (and no receding hairline i suppose ;) ) and you got Avery. he is the man- graphic artist, designer, fine arts guru, and a multi-media warrior.

the LOAD- so far its pretty normal. my homework and school work mainly consists of projects, drawing, constructing models, creating--which i love. then there is the typical reading. can't get away from that i suppose. working anywhere from20 to 26 hours a week is doable, so far...knock on wood...without drowning.that will most likely change once i get into more heavy hitting classes and thesis writing etc. i know i have a tough road ahead of me, one that will require me to stretch my thinking and limitations, but i am stoked off the process.

the coolest thing is how excited i am about being in school. erika posed the question "who are you and what have you done with Tone," the other day becuase i was excited about going to school and talking with my professor. i sometimes ask the same question, with a smile, as i realize what i am becoming.

school of hardknocks

hello again from blogville. i have taken an unintentional leave of absence from my blog retreat. so sorry. the cause of my vacate is none other than something we like to call grad school. as you recall a while back i announced my acceptance to the New School of Architecture San Diego- or NSAD as it were- well, i have now been attending said institution for two weeks and must say "I Dig it."its kinda crazy to think that i would be all about goin back to school, and wanting to get in that proverbial ring again and go a few more rounds. i feel like i have been recharged and have a different outlook on my education. i feel like NSAD is totally the place for me, thus far, a kind of "artsy-fartsy" environment is one that i love. don't get me wrong, I loved my college experience at BYU- but the scholastic part of it was sub-par. i think i more enjoyed the people i surrounded myself with as mention in past postings. But i really feel excited to learn, excited to use the creative juices that i have been given. i will post later in greater detail about my inner thoughts towards the school, the teachers, my colleagues and fellow grad students. but for now, just know that i am a happy camper, folks.

tagged like the rest of them

my sis Jess tagged me with the following mind-bending questions to help everyone out there get to know me a wee bit better. here are the answers to appease all the fans world-wide:
1.)what were you doing 10 years ago? well, i was just learning how to drive-thinkin i was cool in my mom's jeep cherokee.i was terrified of girls, but might have just gotten over it thanks to EFY. if that was the case, i thought i was a pimp. i was skating a lot, basically killing myself and adjusting to the pressures, cliques and crap of high school.

2.)5 years ago: I was tromping through the streets of La Coruña, Spain on my mission. I would have just baptized (sept 7) one of the coolest converts ever-the infamous Juan Mosquera. I was at the top of my game, with my favorite comp Elder Dustin Naud, and lovin life.i was eatin Napolitanas and servin the lord.



3.)1 year ago: I had just celebrated my first wedding anniversary and started up school again at BYU for the fall semester. i was eating Cafe Rio, Bajio and J-Dawgs like it was goin outta style. i was surrounded by the most amazing friends anyone could ask for. i was enjoying the new addition of Buster in our lives, and loving watching Erika's eyes light up whenever anyone mentioned his name.(she still does)I was preparing for Erika's party, because hey--today is her birthday!!

4.)yesterday: i worked 8-5 at ADG and found out that one of my best friends in the world Ty is having a baby girl come January. I surfed after work and thouroughly enjoyed myself. the waves were decent, and the crowd was minimal.i took erika to Anthropologie and acted as her fashion guru-picked out a new dress for her that flatters her in all the right places! i also helped her clean the apt. so she could wake up to cleanliness on her b-day.

5.)5 snacks i enjoy: currently i can't get enough of Costco trail mix. i mack it everyday at work. Rico's burritos-- guess its not a snack, but i love 'em. dried mangoes. starburst. tortilla chips with guac or salsa!

6.)5 things i would do if i suddenly won $100 mil.: pay off my grad school, buy e-train a new car- Porsche Cayenne SUV and then drive her buggy off a cliff. get some upgrades for my Tacoma- wheels, tires, exhaust,lift, etc. buy a new house by the beach.invest a whole lot.



7.)5 locations to run off to: italy, hawaii, puerta vallarta, spain, costa rica.

8.)5 bad habits: leaving cupboards and drawers open. letting the laundry pile up. i mumble. being too laid-back.forgetting to clean the bathroom each saturday.

9.)5 things i like doing:surfing, eating fresh mex,chilling with my hot-a wifey, wakeboarding and hangin out on the lake in general.getting together with good friends and family..anything artsy.

10.)5 tv shows: Scrubs, La Ink, Ace of Cakes, Seinfeld, Arrested Development

11.)5 things i hate doing: laundry, cleaning the bathroom, looking at how much taxes get taken out of my paycheck, not being able to sleep at night, trying to find where Buster peed on the carpet and then cleaning it up.

12.)5 biggest joys: Erika, Bust-a Bus, free anything, surfing at sunset, new technology.(i am a nerd)

strokes of genius

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the Etrain's B-day wish list

Ladies and gents, boys and girls...
the mrs. loketsroke is about to turn another year older, wiser and more beautiful. some of you have inquired about what she would like for her birthday. according to her, she is boring, but here ya go:

Anthropologie Gift cards
Bloomingdales Gift cards
Bernardo Sandals Medieval stone (black sz. 7) check em out here:http://bernardofootwear.com/product_pages/spring_07/spring_07_m_const.htm

if any of you have questions give me a shot out.

NIca continued...

ok. so its not that exciting of a reveal for the cliff hanger. the horse-drawn buggy: preety much saw everyday in the streets of the dirty Nica. it never got old, nor failed to surprise us that they rolled that way. the flaming car: well, that was kinda crazy. we were following the local missionaries (thats where the Guatemalans, Costa Riqueño and gringos come in) to dinner. we were following the assistants and all of the sudden we came across a flaming Jeep in the middle of the road. no ambulance, no one trying to do anything accept by-standers jumping around the car dancing. i saw one kid pushing around a flaming tire, like it was no big deal. maybe it was some kinda protest or manifestation for Ortega and the FSLN party. who knows really, and it probably was an old tune for Nicas. Unfortunately we didn't get a pic of the disaster, but like the car itself, that image is burnt in our minds forever.

our dinner with the missionaries and mission presidente Fraatz was pretty sweet. It was cool to jive with young elders again, and share my wisdom and their excitement for the work. One elder was from Murrieta and when he found out that i was from the ENC he nearly foamed at the mouth. "i love Swami's" he kept saying to me. we talked about encinitas surf spots for a bit, but i tried to divert the trunkiness and lead the chat toward the mission. i ended up moseying down to hang out with the "nativos," the elders from south america. we bonded over mission stories and futbol over a nice meal. the elders were shy and timid at first, but opened up once they knew that they could get whatever hey wanted thanks to daddy-warbucks Randall. it was pretty sweet, and i know that those kids had something to write home about- as if baptizing the country wasn't enough. the Managua Nicaragua mission is the highest baptizing mission in the church. preach on brethren!

recto, recto, recto...

¡que dios bendiga a los estados unidos! well folks, i am back from the motherland II Nicaragua. a week long journey that took me and the old man across the spans of time. last Wednesday we arrived in the late evening in the capitol of Nica...Managua. it was poring rain, and we got our first taste of "directions" to our hotel at the car rental: "turn left, go two blocks, and straight, straight, straight. can't miss it!" we later learned to grow accustomed to ambiguous directions, that changed depending on who you asked, and calculating at least 2x long to get anywhere because we would inevitably get lost. not a single sign to guide us on any corner, instead a broken down car, perhaps a malnourished and maimed dog and a man with a toothless smile eager to help an american. an adventure to say the least. a typical vacation it was not, but definitely one that will never be forgotten.

highlights of the trips of trips are coming shortly....heres a cliffhanger to keep you on the edge of your seat:

it involves a donkey-drawn carriage, a flaming car, 3 Guatemalans,1 Costa Riqueño, 6 gringos and a chase. to be continued...

stung out on Strung Out

so for those of you who don't know me and the mrs. celebrated 2 years of wedded bliss on sunday(aug 5). YEAH US!!its crazy to think that it has already been 2 years..i guess time flies when you are having fun. the past 2 years have been awesome and i am more in love with mrs. lokestroke everyday. i think she has earned a few stripes or some angel wings for putting up with my stubborn, passive aggressive ways. i guess you can say that we celebrated in a not-so-typical way. Erika has been obsessed with the punk band Strung Out for the past 10 years. I know, I know, you are saying to yourself "what about Hanson?" Thankfully she does like other music, thats not so Hanson-esque.I for one have to be compltely honest- i wasn't the biggest fan of Strung Out...i listened to them occasionally in highschool, but never really jumped on the train. Erika on the other hand, dreams of lead singer Jason Cruz
on a regular basis, and would consider leaving me for him if the opportunity presented itself. i was quite impressed by the end of the night though, and have rekindled my interest in the old punk band. they definitely know how to put on a good show. since saturday i have been listening to their cds on my ipod non-stop. there is something about going to a concert that makes you appreciate and enjoy music better. i felt the same way about the Strokes, Wolfmother, the Shins, Motion City...just to name a few.

Viva la Rock!

keep it simple

so i did one of these sweet online tests that my sisters and bro-in law love so much. turns out, its pretty right on.

You Are Strawberries with Cream

Fresh and uncomplicated, you are always enjoyed but often overlooked. You're confident in who you are. You don't need a facade to feel better about yourself.

What Dessert Are You Most Like?

goin fishin'

so the search is over kids. for those of you who know me, i have been talkin about gettin a new surfboard since i graduated. erika can attest to my constant jibber-jabbering about types, sizes, colors, shapers, brands, deals.....my incessant trips to surf shops, and complaints about my current board.i even went on craig's list and found a Channel Islands Flyer
(not a fish)that i bought then sold for a profit. well the griping can stop. here it is kids: aint she a beaute? its a Kane Gardens Classic Fish. i have been searching for months and am so stoked to be able to surf in this crappy summer surf. so how did i end up with this pez? i saw a posting on craig's list for a rep who was having a surplus sale down in La Jolla today. so after work, i hopped onto the good ole 5 freeway ready to go check it out, but pretty much camped out in traffic.so i called the KG factory on the way down, and got directions to it. KG headquarters was closer and i couldn't handle any more of the bumper to bumper. i hadn't planned on going to KG but it must have been fate. Shirley, the shaper's wife and office manager helped me out on finding me a shtick. I met Stu and he lined me up with it. the nicest people ever and a easy-going and joyful experience. stu is the man and i will definitely be a life-long customer of his. goin straight to the HQ got me nearly 50% off retail price. can i get an amen?!so to all you who so generously contributed to the mrlokestroke surfboard fund, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

la segunda ronda

(thats round 2 for those of you who don't hablar the español)
so i last left you with a few little thangs that i love about my lil wifey, with a promise to share more. a man of my word, here ya go:
she is a hard-worker.don't let the blonde hair, bright white smile, and beautiful blue eyes fool ya...the etrain works her tail off. as pointed out last week by a certain miss Sarita Tayebi, she could be a spoiled brat and demand everything from daddy, but chooses to earn her keep. she has an amazing work ethic, something that i need to adopt more of. she has worked hard her whole life, and won't settle for anything.(except me i guess) she was a Hinckley scholar at BYU, ran a restraunt in p-town and currently works her butt of at Nufaces Spa, and her own business of esthetics on the side. on top of all that she works hard around the house, making sure our pad is perfectly clean, and smelling good. i really look up to her for being so driven and dedicated.

she is fitness-conscious: i never really have told her how grateful i am for her dedication to fitness. she runs daily, usually with her mom and her faithful pup "Bus-Bus." i don't know how she does it, running is the last thing i wanna do at 7:00am. she has even ran the dreaded, infamous 26.2 miles of a marathon. she got me hooked on yoga...sadly we haven't been able to practice much and harness our chi out here in s.d. she totally dominated the class in provo; bustin out dolphin stands like it was her job. i take great pride in bragging to all my friends about how in shape she is and dedicated to taking care of herself. when we first started dating she would surf with me, and one of our first times hanging out she showed me up hard core wakeboarding. check her out at lake havasu earlier this summer:total domination!









sometimes i call her Lyric. the girl knows every word to every song she has ever heard. she has a knack for memorizing the words to songs after only listening to them once. its pretty amazing actually, and always makes me laugh. she loves to dance in the car while she belts out the high notes, in her own renditions. she usally changes the wording around for fun. as a side note of her knowing the words to every song she hears, she knows how to rock! we have seen several shows together, concerts at dive clubs, and full of tools trying to be cool. she has jumped around in a mosh pit and held her own in a packed house full of sweaty, smelly dudes. wolfmother, the shins, death cab, panic, strung-out, just to name a few...its her dream to see Bad Religion live. Etrain is closet p.f.r.


one of the cutest things about the e-train is how she treats our puppy. he truly is a mama's boy, and she defnitely treats him like her little baby. she has about seven nicknames for him-shocking i know- and is always excited to see him when she gets home. she cuddles up with him, and baby-talks him in her arms.this may seem annoying or rediculous to some, but for me it has opened up a whole new side of the e-train. the mothering nurturing side. i know some of you are rolling your eyes about comparing children to pets...i don't want you to get the wrong idea. i look at the way she acts around buster as potential. she claims that she is not good with kids, or they don't like her...blah, blah, blah.NONSENSE! she has them eating out of the palm of her hand. having a puppy has created new opportunities for those mothering instincts and intuition to emerge. i watch her play with my niece and nephews and know that she will be a great mother.

so thats the tip of the iceberg of my love for mrs. lokestroke. I hope i shed a lil light on who i get to share my days with...lucky me!

pitter patter

not all the strength of the ocean
not all the heat from the sun
though others have tried
i just can't deny
for me YOU are the one
for true love is priceless
for true love you pay a price
theres nothing that can keep me from loving you
not fire, no not ice

for reasons unknown to me, i have this crazy little gene cruising around through me that keeps me from being able to have an adult bone in my body which denies me the ability to have an intelligent, developed and legitimately mature conversation. i used to pride myself on being a "great communicator" or listener. as a teenager i often played the role of the couples therapist- providing advice, an attentive ear, or shoulder to lean on. now i realize that was a load of crap that i told myself because i never had a girlfriend and the rest of my friends did. oddly enough, i find writing a form of personal therapy, and find my deepest and most thought provoking insights can be spelled out so much clearer when my mouth doesn't get in the way. that being said, i have come to the realization that i like to give shot-outs, "what-whats" and hollas at a lot of people out there, but am lacking in giving the recognition to my dream girl, my bride, my pahtnuh, my sweetheart and blue-eyed bombshell of a wife!

the etrain, as she is sometimes referred to, is my world. i consider myself lucky to have landed such a keeper of a woman. there is a mormon myth that says that the harder you work on your mission, the hotter the wife you get. i worked my butt off out in the motherland of España, but there is no way i could have worked hard enough to score the etrain by my own efforts. definitley some divine intervention was workin in as we were dating for her to be convinced to stick it out for the long haul with yours truly! why do i love this girl so much? thats not even a question- the real question is how does she put up with me?

ever since i met erika, i have noticed her love for life. she has this sunny countenance about her that glows and heats up a room. there is a song by ben harper called "she's only happy in the sun," and i used to call it her song, because she is truly a california girl...but then i realized that she brings out the brightness of the sun and radiates energy and spunk everyday. she loves life, the little things in life, and knows how to make them big.

those magic paws...yes the paws. i joke about how small of hands she has, especially when we first started dating. i felt like a great big grizzly when first started holding hands...her tiny, dainty hands next to mine always made me laugh. but, those lil paws harness the strength of 10 bears! those "money makers" are perfect for any sore shoulder, back or neck. having a message therapist for a wife is what sealed the deal for me. whether at Nufaces, at her parent's or on a church pew, she does have the magic touch!

nigs, tone-tone, two tone designs, bucket, grunge, mims, dady-o, yeen, lis,mama, fugs n' jugz....the girl has a knack for nicknames, and each one is more funny. she keeps me on my toes, with random names for random things and i laugh every time. g.b. hinx has to be my favorite, as sacreligious as it may be...her witty, goofy charm is what cheers me up in any situation. if you are ever one of those kids who never had a nickname growing up and felt like you missed out, give erika a call!

my own personal Giada DeLaurentis:homegirl has skillz! erika is obsessed with Giada, and i reap all the benefits of her wanting to be just like her. she is an amazing cook, something that developed while we were dating that i happily indulged in. she took a cooking class and would test our her recipes on me, which i greatly appreciated and gladly accepted. each week i get to sink my teeth into something "delish" and usually very healthy. its adorable to watch her cook, and its even better to watch her enjoy her own food just like Mrs. DeLaurentis. i am so lucky that she knows how to and enjoys cooking...life would suck if we were livin on top-ramen and mac & cheese.

round 2 of why i love the easy-E will have to continue tomorrow. in the words of mrs. lokestroke- "me's pooped!"

livin up to the blog queen

so i have officially created a monster folks. a while back i decided to do this whole blog thing, cuz..well, why not? my two sisters jumped on the blog train, and I guess I hopped off somewhere and have been periodically been hitch hiking for about a year. Miq, my biggest sis, is now a machine. her blog is pretty sweet, man. i supposed if i had as cool of kids as her, i would be just as proud and anxious to show them off to the world. not only does she have great kids, she has pretty amazing insights too. growing up with Miq, i just remember drama and often wondered why she was so annoying. she is 5 yrs older, so we were never really close and i never really understood her. looking back now, i went through the same crap, and gave my parents the same attitude. its been said that i can get away with a lot more, and give a lot more sass cuz i am the baby. this may seem like a full on Mique-bash...but just wait folks.

Mr lokestroke is a sensitive, calm and laid back kinda guy. what i am REALLY tryin to say is that over the years, as i have matured (much to my sisters disbelief and doubts) i have seen what kind of an amazing person the infamous Miq-a-Liq has become. an amazing mother of three adorable kids, a fighter and advocate for her special needs child with autism, a creative and talented photographer and scrapbooker. who knows how she does it all, how she has time to juggle all that stuff and still come out on top. i know she has her days, as she says, but who doesn't? and if anyone can have her days, its her. not only is she a fabulous mother, but she is also a die-hard and loyal friend that anyone and everyone would love to have. her personal creativity and thought that she puts into everything she does leaves us all amazed and surprised and speechless; or if you are my mom, she makes you cry. she is person who will do anything for family, and definitely knows how to treat me and jess and our spouses. as a brother i feel lucky to have her as an example and i am glad that we have grown closer over the years. one thing about Miq is that she rarely gets the credit she deserves. a guess that goes with the territory of motherhood- so many unseen and unmentioned acts of service and selfless sacrifice. well Muq, in my small way i thank you and applaud you for being who you are. i thank you as a brother and a friend and am proud of how you handle your daily adventures with the Provosts.

if you wanna see what i am talking about, just click to see her blog on my links!

the apt

so for a lil while there we were living with the folks when we first moved back. first of all, let me just say how much we appreciated the hospitality of my parents. they made life really easy for us, and were so generous and cool about everything. as much as we appreciated the nice digs and constant hook up, there comes a time when a man has to get a place to call his very own.
So we got this lil place in Carlsbad-well, i suppose its San Elijo Hills. regardless of what zip code we have, we love our lil place and feel lucky to be living in a new-brand spankin new crib. check it out:






of course the pics don't do it justice, you have to come out and see it for yourself. for those of you who haven't seen and experienced casa lokestroke, consider this an invitation! mi casa es su casa