sight for sore eyes

after a long week, one that consisted of late nights, early mornings and staring at a computer screen way too much...those three little items above were just what the doctor ordered. i know i generally talk about burritos, but i do enjoy me a good taco too. rico's (again?- yes again) has fabulous beef tacos. they are even better with guacamole- but you already knew that, right?

school is wining down, so you better believe i will be hitting up the taco shops a lot more over the next couple of weeks. be afraid taco shops of san diego...be very afraid.

all i want for xmas is....

i have been asked by several peeps what i want for christmas this year. the truth is i can't really think of anything i am dying to have. i am so consumed with thesis, that anything fun or outside the realm of school is kind of out of an afterthought. i am a simple man- jeans and tees. those are always good staples. but i have racked my brain to come up with some things that i could use, during those few hours a week where i am not thinking about adjacencies, aperture, sustainability and analysis- (that's architecture jargon- do i sound smart yet?) in no particular order- here you go people....you asked for it, may God have mercy on your soul.

Surfing DVDs
Rob The Mob's new flick.


http://store.robmachado.com/products_detail.asp?productId=1004


Dane and Clay's vid- i wish i surfed like these two


http://www.k5.com/getproduct.asp?p=26517&s=239&b=265


my sunglasses broke, so here are some from Urban.


"blackout sunglasses" from urban outfitters.



CI FISH TRACTION PAD GREY
i have seen these at Hansen's but you can also get them direct from Channel Islands.
http://channelislands-store.mwrc.net/en/product.php?product_id=31395


Philips iphone dock. its amazing
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-DC315-37-Speaker-System/dp/B002IT1BFO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258308411&sr=1-4

other than that. all set. as always gift cards are always good- any surf shop, urban outfitters, apple, amazon. also fast food-

what do YOU want for christmas?

rico suave

if you haven't figured it out yet, you must not know me or have ever been to ENC. this next burrito is one of my all time favorites...and some of you may be wondering: "what has taken you so long, man?" i know my sisters for one have been thinking that. thats right bloggheads and burrito lovers- none other than .... duh, duh, duh!(insert dramatic music for effect here)



now for those of you who don't know, i almost hesitate in writing this review. ever heard of the saying "never meet your heroes?" well, this is sort of in the same vein. i am imagining a burrito, with a utility belt- strapped with an array of hot sauces varying in different heat. well, i don't wanna give the place too much hype, cuz i don't want anyone to get let down. and if you do, then we are no longer friends.
first of all, Rico's is the mexican equivalent of mashed potatoes and meatloaf. what?!! its comfort food- its the one thing that puts me right back in a little time machine, as soon as i walk through those doors and make my way up to that old counter. or i immediately get swept away into another universe as i take that fist bite.

enough already- i know, i get long winded when i write- enjoy it cuz thats the only time i do. but my ultimate comfort food, and will be good anytime i call up Pavlos or Juan is the BRC+G.
beans, rice, cheese and uh huh guacamole. i freakin loves this burrito and it has been the foundation of my burrito knowledge and love. Rico's is my rock and the BRC+G is my salvation. last time i got this was on tuesday night after a long day of workin for the man and doin time downtown at school. nothing could have calmed my nerves more. maybe the burrito is my version of a cool stiff drink after a long day. is that weird?
down to the stuff you pay me to say:
synopsis time-
tortilla- perfect. absolutely the right combo of size- big enough to wrap all its precious cargo tightly, protecting it from harm. slightly toasted, yet chewy. moldable, flowing with the contents inside, as to not tear or break and cause leakage. thats the worst.

the beans- the soul of it all- hot, mushy, and infused with the great Rico's cheese. i don't know what kind they use, but they have the best cheese around. i know they must grate it by hand- it is fine and melts in all the right spots. sometimes you get chunks of cheese that aren't quite melted- this is a bonus for Etrain. its perfect.

the rice- light, moist, and absorbent the rice is the binder that soaks up the beans to prevent any leak sneaks. its warm, flavored with subtle spice, and most likely onion. its a great compliment.

then theres the guac- rico's has an amazingly thick, pure guac. there is nothing added to it- guacamole straight up. no chunky salsa, no cilantro or onions. its pure and delishus. yes i wrote delishus on purpose, people. i always get guac on everything at rico's. its a must splurge.
on this occasion Rico's scored a 10- a freakin 10.

the cool thing about this joint is the vibe. its got the local feel, and everyone who eats there has been eating their tasty grub for years- they share the same whacked out love i do. the cashiers are friendly, funny and they know you. they small chat with you and joke around. its great. they used to have tables that had old pictures of people underneath a sheet of plexiglass- they were awesome- who doesn't wanna see Brady Gusta (spelling jess?) in a hot pink quicksilver sweater and huge hair and braces. classic. unfortunately no longer have the memory trippin tables- but the owners and staff make up for it.
thank you Rico's for makin a brutha smile knowing he has a full belly o' beans.

new burritos!! aka sweet nothings

ok so i lied- they are not new. in fact they are old, but they might be new to you. after receiving warm reviews of my last post i suppose i should keep this thing up, eh? my mother referred to me as "the burrito whisperer," due to my last post- and think i will coin that if she doesn't mind. thanks ma. (on a sidenote i have been calling my mom "ma" a lot, as of late- i don't know why. i hope she doesn't hate it)
on to what i do best. since the last post i have been on a burrito frenzy. i literally had a burrito everyday after i posted last- i think subconsciously i thought i owed it to my fans. so without any more shenanigans- i give you the skinny.

Jose's Taco shop in vista-ish.
Burrito: california.
synopsis: Jose makes a pretty good burrito, man. he prides himself on portions- this is like the claimjumper of taco shops- but still classless and smelly like a taco shop should be. now, some places have different ingredients that concoct the infamous california- some use potatoes, some french fries, others have even gone with tater tots. Jose's goes with fries- which i enjoy, because the fries are longer, thus the ratio of fry to bite is pretty high. i love me a crunchy tater in my bite! then there's the staple Carne Asada- jose's is pretty solid- strips of meat with a good assortment of spices. overall tasty, tasty. now here iswhere the biggest difference is for most CA's - sour cream vs. guacamole. as for myself, if i could i would inject guac intravenously along with dr. pepper. i add guacamole to everything, if i have the option and the extra buck. from time to time i enjoy me some sour cream, but the Guac is where its at. jose's guac is good- kinda chunky with some salsa mixed in. next is cheese- good amount of it in there. the thing about the cheese is you have to know where to put it within the mix- my expertise leans toward putting it right in the hot carne so it will melt ad ooze into the rest of the goodies. jose's options to put on top of a layer of pico de gallo. i like pico, but not as much as oozie cheese. the tortilla is huge, and pretty chewy- cooked enough to have some charred-ness yet raw enough to retain the doughy goodness of a fresh tortilla.

scoring- 7.5 out of 10. - the cheese factor is what it comes down to. plus, with any good taco shop there must be good hot sauce. this is where jose's really lacks. they have green, "chipotle," and pico de gallo. no regular hot sauce to spice up your bite- i tend to think i am a "burrito purest," meaning its rare that i need hot sauce- i enjoy the flavors of it all on my pallet, but crappy hot sauce at a taco shop? the homies i work with have even gone so far as to want to bring there own sauce with them- maybe hijack some roberto's bottles and leave them there so jose gets the hint.

burritos or bust

so a while ago i came to the conclusion that my blog lacks consistency, both in content and in frequency, and ultimately people have lost all faith in waiting to get a glimpse of the inner-workings of the infamous mr lokestroke...however, i recently realized that there is one constant in my life- the BURRITO. yes, the taco shop staple, the bundle of joy wrapped delicately with a flour tortilla, like a baby bjorn for beans and cheese. now, stick with me for a minute, please. the bountiful burrito is the staple of my diet, and i have been around long enough to know what makes it or breaks it.

therefore, i, mr lokestroke, have been self-appointed as the burrito connoisseur . my duties, privileges and ultimately pleasures as the burrito boss is to provide you with an unbiased, detail oriented book report of sorts, review of the burrito that i eat. in a given week i usually eat 3-4 burritos, (sometimes more) so i should have plenty of ammo to offer an onslaught of succulent and tasty info for you, my faithful fans. move over anthony bourdain, a new tony is in town and ready to take on taco shops near and far.

today i dined at the classy Rudy's in La Costa-


burrito: chicken, beans and rice
verdict- this tasty blanket of beanville is a wonderful twist on the simple bean and cheese. Rudy's chicken is shredded, but has a slight, very light crunch- it is then cooked in a broth mixed with peppers. its light, yet full of flavor and the portion is generous. the beans are wonderful, the right consistency- creamy, not dry or undercooked. the spanish rice is decent, a little too moist for my taste- i prefer i drier rice to help soak up the beans and chicken juices, adding extra flavor to the rice itself.

all in all Rudy's chicken burrito gets 8 out of 10 burrito bombs- the taste, the size, and quality of ingredients are the reason for its high marks.
it would be a 8.5 or 9, but sometimes the juices of the chicken are a little too present-like today- and your burrito can have (but it is rare) the squirts.
the hot sauce at Rudy's is really good too- enough heat to make you sweat a bit, but not too much to mask the flavors of the chicken, beans and rice. Rudy and his hermanito Mario know how to throw together a good burrito!


Rudy's- muy sabroso!!!

what the...summer is almost over?

oh crap- i have t-minus 1 week till my summer is officially over. where does the time go? i guess the ole cliche "time flies when you are having fun" could not be truer at this time. i realize that i yet again have been terrible about documenting my wonderful summer. i guess its been full of good times, good food, exotic and beautiful locations and a lot of tasty waves.i have tried to surf my brains out...get it all in until the cold hard iron fist of school hammers down on my waterlogged brain. hopefully i can remember how to be a student again.

some of my favorite moments include, but are not limited to the following:

the napoli coast of Kauai- thanks mom and dad for an amazing trip! (and jess for the pics i stole from your blog)


larry the cable guy with the old man


GIT R DONE! i don't think i have ever laughed so hard for so long in all my life. one of his best bits was on the infamous Snuggie- yes, you know what i am talking about. he broke character he was laughing so hard about the concept of it all...in the words of Larry : "if you don't know how to work a blanket, hell, you deserve to be cold" but lets be honest here, shall we? the snuggie has gotten a lot of hype. Selma Hayek immortalized it when she told Tina Fey: "Lemon, isn’t there a Slanket somewhere you should be filling with your farts?" the snuggie is something that everyone clowns, but secretly lusts after.

case and point:

my parents got this "Snuggie Couture" for E-train's 25th b-day. the funniest part about it, is the fact that she longs for it all day long. towards the end of every night, i hear the same thing "All I want to do is get home and put on my snuggie!" kudos mom and dad, kudos. if any of you know E, you realize how bizarre this is- mrs couture herself, the fashionista, and the stylistic inspiration for women near and far, loves nothing more than her leopard-print blanket with sleeves.

yesterday at the beach me and mrs. lokestroke saw a guy paddle on a 6'0 plank. literally. the dude cut out a funky shape from a sheet of plywood and charged. didn't see him catch too much- maybe it was the fact he had no fin system, or the was 1/4'' thick...or maybe it was the fact that the surf was terrible. all things aside i applaud the dude for trying. i couldn't help but think if he was inspired by the following video. myabe he needs to get a jet ski like Taj, Kelly and Rob...

I LOVE SUMMER.

that is all

THE LIST

so i know most of you are away that a glorious day is upon us- this friday is the blessed and wonderful day of my birth. in fact this year is my golden birthday. thats right kids, GOLDEN.i will be 27 on fri the 27th. look out. so many of you have inquired about my birthday wishes- well, i already got what i wanted -a break from school. i just finished up a quarter last friday and have 2 weeks of cerebral freedom. i don't think 2 weeks is enough to compensate for 3 months without sleep...but some wise guy once said "you can sleep when you are dead." but, if you have to get me something, who am i to deny that pleasure? the following list is a collection of things i have my eye on. in no particular order or rank, i give you.......THE LIST:

nixon "showoff" wallet- brown. nixonnow.com

fourstar "hayes" l/s woven flannel sz L. activemailorder.com

flex fleece zip hoodie sz L dark heather grey or white americanapparel.net

the strokes "magna blue logo" black. sz L thestrokes.com


BDG School Colors Cardigan grey sz. L urbanoutfitters.com

nike SB blazers sz 10 black or brown

RVCA VA Patch Belt s/m http://www.activerideshop.com/Accessories/Mens-Belts/RVCA-VA-Patch-Belt-1

California Fleece Slim Fit Pant sz med navy americanapparel.net

Salt Valley Plaid Western blue sz. m or l urbanoutfitters.com

50/50 Short Sleeve Crew Neck T sz L....black, red. navy, heather black..any color. americanapparel.net


rayban "wayfarers" tortoise

3D mouse- http://www.amazon.com/3Dconnexion-SpaceNavigator-3D-Navigation-3DX-700029/dp/B000LB41BM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1237909404&sr=8-1

futures fin F4 model green....check out "futures fins" on ebay

as always anything is appreciated... i am not demanding these by any means, and any one of these goodies would be great...and if i get none, that's great too. i thank you ahead of time for your interest in the glorious day of my birth.

long lost twin?

so i have been getting a lot of heat about this at&t kid and how we are long lost brothers. there is a guy at my church who asks me every week if i have seen my twin yet. yes Smoot, i have. so i originally didn't like the fact that peple were comparing me to this kid...but eh, i am over it. so for all of you who haven't seen my twin, enjoy. i particularly like the scrubs clip- thats pretty young Tone, i suppose.

chortles, chuckles and gaggles oh my

today i made an arse of myself in my codes class. generally i am a quiet, kept to himself, and polite note taker in class...shocked?...but tonight was different. my neighbor Nicole sneezed on me...yes, she sneezed on me. but this just wasn't any sneeze. it was the type where she tried to stop it, but that only made it come out with more of a vengence. in the process of her trying to prevent this colossal sneeze, she muttered something...in english or any other human form of language no one will ever know...at the same time. the combo of the forcefulness of the sneeze, the weird squack that came out and the immediate look of terror and embarrassment on her face sent me through the roof.

i sat there in the back exploding...now i was faced with the same dilemma of trying not to disturb class and prevent a blow out. this act of defiance and the denial of a roaring laughter caused me to start wheezing and making little squeaking noises, similar to one of my dog's chew toys. now i was laughing not only at Nicole, but i was laughing at the high-pitched squawks coming from myself. through it all i laughed so hard i started crying. the worst part about it was i kept replaying her sneeze-yelp thing over and over, causing me to burst out into short and abrupt giggle/snort things. it was pretty awesome. thank you nicole for making a brother cry. i owe you one.

the verdict is still out

i was talking with an old friend the other day, one that i hadn't talked to in a long while- and something happened. she told me that i was growing up- becoming a "full-on adult" and stuff. i don't know why she would think that, whether i have a job, or that i am on the downhill side of the slope to 30. regardless, it took me back to the days of being a kid for real and doing kid things...you see, i still don't consider myself an adult. i don't really do any "adult-like" activities. i don't watch the news, don't follow stocks, i don't listen to talk radio or watch CNN or watch the O'Reilly Factor. i eat candy like it was going out of style. when i was 10, i kept a stash of candy in my scripture bag at church (sometimes replacing the holy writ altogether)...i also got my dads old briefcase and stoked it with candy, like i was a dealer or something. that was rad. today i still keep stashes all over- the center console of my car, in my 3rd desk drawer at work, in my nightstand. that fact alone should deny my chances of being an adult altogether. what do you think?

what i'm not into

crappy haircuts- its been in the past that i have look like a Beatle.as much as i love the catchy melodies of the british fab 4...i am not really diggin the connection. i got my haircut this weekend, and its now officially beatle-mania revived. the new do is definitely beatle-esque, circa 1963. ringo, paul, john, george...





and tone.

A.W.O.L.

there is no excuse for my lack of posting.other than the fact that for the past 2 months i get an average of 12-15 hours of sleep a week. so sue me. life is good though. a new quarter at NSAD = new stress and new level of expectations. i have done pretty decent though...managed to get an award for a model i built. i might post pics of that later. but, i have come to the conclusion that writing about myself is pretty boring...plus i am just not that into myself. instead, lets write about what i like, what i wish i could do or have. not in a materialistic sense, but more character and talent. so with no further a due: to quote my wife-
"i am really into......"



ASCII art. it blows my mind. take a step back and look at these images. they are titled "as complex as it it" and "the guitar king". they rock my world.


moleskin. these notebooks are an architecture students best friend. way better than a sketch book, these little nuggets give the sense of quality and a "booky" feeling. when grad school is done, i can't wait to look through all my moleskins as they line my bookshelves.





typography. love fonts.love creating new ways to manipulate text. i am a total font geek.

stayed tuned for next time.