strokes of genius

back to burrito blogging

2010-08-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

generally mr loke stroke is one who dishes out an honest (maybe at times biased) critique of taco shops. i have lived in north county san diego my whole life, and know my way up and down the coast- and all the taco shops peppered throughout. i have a couple pretty basic rules about mexican food-

1.) i like to taste the flavor of the food, not just the hot sauce that adorns it

2.) mexican restaurants are not authentic nor have tasty food- taco shops hold the best grub

my experience this weekend broke my 2nd cardinal rule. i feasted on one of the best traditional platos i have ever had at a little place called- Casa de Bandini. some of you SD natives may remember this restaurant from old town-
it up and moved to north county in the Forum shops of Carlsbad/Encinitas. i have been to this restaurant many times since its new location, and have never once been disappointed. usually i get the Carnitas tacos plate, or "Tres Amigos" which consists of 3 tacos- 1 carne asada, 1 Pollo Asado, & 1 Carnitas- both of these keep the loke stroke real happy, real full and left on a good mex food buzz for a couple days.

last night i was in the mood for something different- more "tradicional" as they say...as i studied the menu carefully, my eyes kept wandering back to "Arroz con Pollo" so i took it as a sign- and went with my gut, quite literally. before getting my food, i was in the mood for a smoothie-type drink and treated my self to a "flamingo"- pineapple, coconut, strawberry, and orange juice concoction that was perfect for a warm summer night. imagine a strawberry pina colada with a hint of orange too- freakin amazing. my waiter poked a jab at me as he questioned my order of a "pink flamingo" as he called it. he could have called me queer as a 3 dollar bill, that flamingo was off the hook.

the arroz con pollo was exactly what i was looking for. the chicken was cooked in a mixture of tomatoes, bell peppers and onions- mild but rich flavors that blended perfectly. the chicken nestled into a bed of rice-that was moist and had some type of sauce- not sure what it was but it was perfect. a little spice, some sweetness and some corn and carrots (minimal) up in the mix. on the side i had fresh, warm, and chewy hand-made flour tortillas to dip and wrap the goods up in. a side of black beans in a crispy corn tortilla shell completed the meal.

the plato tradicional was incredible, all flavors present, none too dominating. i made two of my own special burritos with the tortillas- each bite better than the one before it. the chicken was tender and juicy. the slight crunch and sweetness of the sauteed onions and peppers provided a great accent to the flavor. the black beans and rice made the burritos substantial and fulfilling. the portion size was generous; if i was watching my girlish figure, i wouldn't have eaten the whole thing- but it was too good to retire the fork. i completely succumbed to the plate. my palette was in ecstasy between the custom burritos, the flamingo and the chips and salsa. if you have ever doubted mexican restaurants like i do- look no further than Casa de Bandini. i am still on that good mex buzz.

excuse me, but its maestro now

2010-06-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

so i have been pretty much AWOL from the world for the past 6 months (3 years quite honestly)- but with good reason. the past 6 months have been crunch time for me in my educational pursuit. my LAST 6 months of formal education. my last 6 months in my grad program- and yes it was intense to say the least. for the past three years i have been running through a gauntlet. i have been wrapping up my architectural thesis and i can now safely say that i have reached that light at the tunnel and it has never felt so good. for a while that light was so faint, and possibly a figment of my imagination especially during times of intense mental, emotional and physical breakdown due to lack of sleep and nourishment. at times i wan't sure if it was the light of day or an oncoming freight train. but alas, i have made it, bruised and broken, but with a subtle smile half cocked and proud.

its a rare day that i boast, i am not the type to want any piece of the limelight or attention. but after this experience i have earned my stripes for some bragging rights. it has been a struggle- a constant battle of balancing life, work, school, church. it has all been on my plate and i have only been able to concentrate on one at a time- school usually trumping it all. i worked harder than i ever have in my life- even on my mission i was able to sleep- and most of the time i pulled it off. for those of you who don't know, my thesis project was an aquarium. i designed an aquarium in North Embarcadero to help create a better connection between downtown and the ocean. i have a whole shtick i could go into, but quite frankly i am sick of spewing it out. (if you really wanna know it, come over some time and look at my 200 pg thesis book- its all in there).

the project was fun, challenging, annoying and like any true designer would say "if i had more time, i would've done XYZ..." but apparently it was good enough to be put on display at my school- yup. my "Urban Aquarium" was chosen as one of 7 projects, out of 70 to be put in what's known as the NAAB room- basically the shrine to excellency. this is the room that they took us to the first week of thesis year and said " this is the bar...now go and beat it." its a room that big timers and head honchos of architecture accreditation councils look at to make sure the school is producing excellent work. i was pleasantly surprised that my project was chosen to stand among some of the greats of NSAD. so yeah, i'm awesome. recognize.

being done with grad school, i would be a total tool if i didn't give credit where its due. i am amazing, true, but i would have never been able to make it through on my own. there has been my own personal team of supporters who have been cheering me on the whole time. so in true tone loke style my top 5 list (in no particular order)

5. my parents have been super stars- always encouraging, constructively critiquing, helping glue together architectural models, editing drafts. they have been solid, patient, and giving. thank you is not enough of a sentiment to express my gratitude for their help.

4. my buddies at school- we thrived and fed off each other, pushing each other, learning together, and struggling together. without them, progression would be limited and apathy would be too. the world of architecture has some amazing talent coming its way.

3. my family- siblings and in-laws: they have always encouraged me and been impressed with what i have done. whether they really were impressed is beyond me, but they always knew how to feed my ego. and after all, whats an architect without his ego? my sisters have never fallen short to tell me how proud they are of there baby bro. miq even drove down with jules battling LA traffic late fri night and sat to see me for just a couple of hours! my mother and father -in-law have done the same. jon and mary have been supportive and have taken good care of erika, while she has been abandoned and taken the back seat to school. ryan and jose have always been excited and impressed of my hard work and even came to my showcase. thanks for showing your support guys. clint and josh have been there too with support and rally caps.

2. my friends- old college roommates, new friends here in SD. they have been awesome, even though i have been awol. my friend mario called me everyday at 7:30am of finals week to pump me up and help me finish strong. what a bro! my buddies from BYU, have always encouraged me, and showed interest in my work. i really have the best friends in the world. the best part about it is the fact that even though i have been totally out of it for 3 years, anytime we get together its like no time has passed at all. they are good examples of hard workers who have excelled in there various fields, which help make me push harder in mine.

1. the etrain. erika has been so solid and so supportive to me through this whole thing. it wasn't always easy or pleasant, but she has stuck with me and helped push me along. she was the one the lit a fire under my butt way back in 2006. she always encouraged me to pursue my passion, to take a chance and seize opportunities. she has been alone many nights, days, weeks- with nothing but buster to keep her company. she has been lax with my hygiene- which is very impressive because she is like her dad- everything must be "sano." she has been upbeat and positive through each project that came my way, always applauding my efforts and designs. she has been patient with eating next to balsa wood models, holding conversations about architectural theories and jargon. she has known when to come and embrace me with positivity and when to leave me be. she has been fun and exciting, and a breath of fresh air after long finals weeks. she is my rock, she is my joy and the reason why i do it all. i love that blondie!

of course i couldn't have done it without help from the Lord- this journey has been rocky and there were many a night i spent on my knees pleading for help, inspiration, guidance and strength. literal miracles occurred- from fixing crashed hard drives, to solving complicated design issues. He clearly has had his eye on me, through it all and has given me so much help. from softening hearts of critics and jurors, professors, all those times i drove downtown with one eye open, after being up for 36 hrs straight- giving patience and empathy to my family and friends. i have been truly blessed.

so be on the look out for the rebirth of the blog guys. I'M BACK!! (and badder than ever)

-loke out!

sight for sore eyes

2009-12-13T10:03:00.001-08:00

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....

2009-11-15T09:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-20T00:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-09-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-07-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-07-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

I LOVE SUMMER.

that is all

THE LIST

2009-03-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-03-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-10T22:40:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-08T16:23:00.001-08:00

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.

2009-02-03T12:29:00.000-08:00

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.

be sure to where a flower in your hair

2008-12-01T21:51:00.001-08:00

we spent thanksgiving up in 'frisco with the Mendioroz crew. its been a while since we have done that and it was pretty schweet. we ate at Sandy and Bills and enjoyed the company of all of randall's redonculous fam. not a dry eye in the house, and i am pretty sure many people wet their paints with laughter. my uncle andy should have his own talk show or something.he'd be huge.
we spent friday in "the city" as those norcal kids would say...Union square, Nob hill, Lombard St., Golden Gate Bridge/park, ocean beach, Fisherman's Wharf abd Ghirardelli Square. it was a whirlwind trip but fun. thanks mom and dad.

2 words...macbook pro

2008-12-01T21:45:00.000-08:00

a picture is worth a thousand words

what words would you put with these mugs?

gidget

2008-10-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

so my dream has come true sportsfans. this week marks a huge revisit of the past that i am thrilled about. for those of you who don't know, me and the mrs. met at the beach...in fact on our first encounter i taught the beauty how to surf (and loved every minute of it...i would bet she did too) so this weekend we got a fullsuit for E to surf in. she has been wanting to try new kinds of work outs for a while, trying to ween off of running- its literally ruined her feet. so she has been swimming, doing yoga and now surfing. YEAH BUDDY!!
so naturally i am thrilled. we took her out to this place- . usually a pretty mellow beach break, and where the infamous Kahuna Bob has his surf school, we came up on high tide and chest to head-high sets rolling in. erika dominated- never missed a beat- got up first try and even could hang solo as i took off on my own to take advantage of the rare good surf. she had the biggest smile the whole time and i am looking forward to having another surf buddy to roll with. she has caught the bug kids, and i am lovin every minute of it!

más fotos de Puerto

2008-10-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

so here are a few gems from the trip:

chillin by the hotel pool...waiting for our piña coladas, chips and guacamole

Sayulita...beautiful beach with a couple of killer point breaks. for the small price of $80/person we could have taken a boat out to them...needless to say, we didn't jump aboard.

last day of the trip. WAAAAAAAAAA!!!

2008-09-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

so i have been gettin some serious heat recently about not updating this here blogg enough. lo siento amigos. lo siento. if you can't tell i just got back from a much needed vacation to Puerto Vallarta. nothing could have been better. to recap on the last couple of months...it was full of all nighters and big projects that consumed all of my time. i was literally a zombie for the past 3 months and now i feel better than ever.

i can't tell you how nice it is to relax...REALLY relax. literally do nothing. well, not exactly...if nothing consists of lounging in the mexican sun, ordering piñatas (virgin piña coladas not a paper machete spongebob square pants) at my will and dipping in one of the 18 pools at our hotel.

thanks to the Gundies we enjoyed a week of bliss

kinda queer

2008-08-07T12:00:00.001-07:00

The Hush Sound 08 05 08
Originally uploaded by meganwest

why do bands insist on doing this? i mean, as a "musician" and i use the term very loosely, i can understand gettin into your jam- but looks kinda freakin gay ya know? opinions?

ssshhhhhhhhh....not really

2008-08-07T11:57:00.001-07:00

The Hush Sound 08 05 08
Originally uploaded by meganwest

fun with film-

2008-08-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

kickin it

fierce

busa-bus

braids

if you've seen the leprechaun say YEAAAH!!

2008-07-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

so we ran into this lil gem tonite and had to share it. nothing like a lil mythical irish midget to get a bunch of folks all hyped up.

my recent past

2008-06-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

so if you are like me and you are not too fond of people only updating their blogs every six months with impersonal catch-all surveys (guilty as charged), then hopefully this blogs for YOU! i really want to keep you informed in my life and become like the infamous Peach's blogs...both mrs. lokestroke and i wait each day for an update. so this is what has been happening in my life recently. disfrutad! (enjoy suckahs)

a couple o weeks ago i did this:
i have become quite fond of the "summer buzz" if you will (and i know you will) and i decided to change it up for a lil bit. the hawk was pretty intense, and according to etrain it was "too fierce for me to handle." it lasted a weekend.

me and the mrs. went to spend a lovely day at the world-renowned Balboa park. I haven't been there in nearly 15 years. it brought back old elementary school memories of field trips and sack lunches.

we went and saw the Pompeii exhibit there and were pretty impressed. it created an eerie feeling seeing those body created from the ashes of Mt. Vesuvius. you crazy italians! that wasa spicy meat-a-ball!!

i have discovered a love for the photobooth app on the new macbooks. here are some of my great pics for you to enjoy-

DCFC...how you rock my world. this past weekend we saw Death Cab at the open air ampitheater at SDSU. sadly there were no drug stings nor arrests during the evening. this was the 5th time i had seen them and they still sounded amazing. each time getting better and better. we were in the 2nd row from the stage. it was amazing. we went with Yeen and Jose- and they seemed to enjoy their first time with Ben, Chris, Nick and Jason.

because we were so close i tried to get my arts-fartsy on with some images. unfortunately i needed a better camera. but here are my faves of the ones that turned out...boo ya!

I wish the world was flat like the old days
Then i could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speed trains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that could hold us back.

tags are fun

2008-06-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

attached or single? attached to etrain.

best friend? 32 crew, La Costa Crew

cake or pie? yes please.

day of choice? when the surf is good and Rico's is on point.

essential item? vans shoes.

favorite color? blue or green. i'm pretty into green these days

gummy bears or worms? worms for sho'!

home-town? Encinitas

ideal vacation? right now a nice surf get away. tropical, relaxing, good waves. or back to the Motherland. Viva Espana!

january or july? is that real? july. i love summertime

kids? not that i know of

life isn't complete without: etrain, bus-a-bus and burritos

marriage date? August 5, 2005

number of siblings? i'm the ridiculously spoiled baby boy. 2 amazing older sisters.

oranges or apples? orange juice, but apples off the tree.

phobias? nothing. i am fearless. nothing can phase me. maybe childbirth. thats just sick. i am glad i am not a girl.

quote?
"I'll be the platform shoes and undo what heredity's done to you...
You won't have to strain to look into my eyes
I'll be your winter coat buttoned and zipped straight to the throat
With the collar up so you won't catch a cold" -Ben Gibbard

reasons to smile? beats the alternative. i have g-spoon in the freezer, its summer,
etrain is hot and tan, doing decent in school...you choose.

season of choice? summer for sure. so chill.

tag 3 people: david & kristen, matt jorg, ty brown.

unknown fact about me: i used to want to be a blue angel.

vegetable? bell pepper

worst habit? i scratch my feet while i sleep. its absurd.

x-ray or ultrasounds? does that mean if i had special powers which one would i choose? x-ray. who wants to see all the crap inside someone. ech.

your favorite food? burritos, mangoes, cold pizza

zodiac sign? Aries.

security breach

2008-05-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

oh yeah. just so all of you know, there has been an impostor mr lokestroke. truth is, life is crazy busy and the blog suffers. the previous post entitled "hello my name is" was not me. obviously. please forgive me for the lack of golden nuggets and comedic relief over the past few months. don't take it personal. i still love you and think of you fondly...the impostor will be punished.

hello my name is...

2008-05-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

hello my name is tone and I don't blog often enough and it makes people bored of my blog

tribute

2008-04-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

so seeing as how some of you think my blog is whack, i have decided to pay tribute to my close friends. as some of you may or may not know the past little while for mr lokestroke have been a little "challenging." i am glad to say that i have been pulled out of my rut(s) and have seen the light. there is no way that i could have been able to change my ways, or take on the bull by its horns without you. so, i thank you. for the next lil while i will give praise to those who have hooked a brother up! in no particular order- here's to you:
today's lucky winner:

the infamous Jacob Porter Melzer- oh how far we have come since those days of May Hall circa 2000-2001. from a lowly caterpillar you have blossomed into a butterfly- literally- THE social butterfly of all social butterflies. some things that the blogging world may not know about JPM-

he probably holds the record for most parking tickets at BYU. i am pretty sure that is the reason why his graduation was delayed.

he is easily the best driver in grid-lock utarded traffic. (no offense to my cousins and aunts in UT--you guys can't drive). but not always the best with talking his way out of a ticket- even when he flashes the "my dad was in the FBI" card.

he once hooked up with three girls in the same apartment. not at once- that's gross. but over a couple weeks, it all "just happened."

he is the soul reason for the Anti-Cheney commencement speaker protest at BYU- not because he's anti- but because he is a freakin clown. he started it as a joke and his disciples followed suit. way to ruffle some feathers melzer.

with his help he and i are the reason why Costa Azul, now known as Costa Vida, stayed in business. we ate there nearly everyday for a solid month and promoted the crap out of it. we never saw any royalty checks.

he is an incredible bowler, but chokes under pressure. many a night in Eagle Bowl were spent losing pride and cash-but all in good fun.

he is the founder of the "wall of amazing" a feat and jewel to mankind in itself.

he once had a pet rat that he named Merlin after his mission president.

he is the only guy i know who will not give up the pure pleasure of wearin Haviana sandals even in the chilling, snowy winters of Utah. your dedication to the haviana is one of a kind.

mr. melzer is not afraid to splash a little color on his toenails. he likes to stick to a theme or season motif...my personal fave was the easter egg purple.

above all, Jake is a solid friend that will always make you laugh and come through for you in the end. beyond his social popularity, Melzer has one of the biggest hearts i know. for those of your that truly know him, i hope you consider yourself as lucky as i do to call him my friend.

my blog is whack

2008-04-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

so a good friend of mine just told me that my blog was "whack." what's that all about? you know what dear friend of mine- YOU are whack! so to all those who think my blog is whack, lets see how whack it can truly be, shall we? one thing that he pointed out to me was the fact that me and the infamous George Michael Bluth worked in the luxurious industry of frozen bananas. i suppose that was the best summer of my life. i think the 2,500 clams that i got (all in 1's) at the end of the six weeks was the highlight. nothing like walking through a sea of carnies with a huge stash of cash in a cotton candy carton. good times.

you know what else is whack? this guy: David W Walls from Williamsburg, PA , had a brilliant idea on sunday afternoon. what else is there to do on a sunday beside get totally drunk and hang out in your backyard? well, apparently shoot bees. yes, shoot bees. so genius that he is, David load his .22 with buckshot to ward off the pesky pests. in the process, he shot himself in the hand and had to be rushed to the hospital by his son. David W Walls, I salute you!

tagged again

2008-04-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

my sis-in-law Jose tagged me:
so i think i did this way back, but i will do it again for kicks and giggles. who knows, maybe i have changed?

what were you doing 5 years ago?

i was in my last area on the mish bustin heads. not really, but enjoying some really great success and getting nervous to come home. i was in pamplona, Spain...with Goose(Elder Gustaveson) and was teaching the Crespo family. Mama Julieth, Papa Robin and the lil pimp son Andres Felipe- aka "Pipe."

5 things on my to-do list today:

finish up downey highschool- (work project)
work on a sustainanable firehouse museum project (school)
drive downtown and try not to fall asleep at the wheel
take buster out
sleep

7 snacks i enjoy

burritos
fish tacos
starburst
trail mix
hint o lime tostitos with salsa
dried mangoes
kettle corn

3 bad habits

not picking up after myself
saying "like" constantly
watching tv in bed- it makes me not sleep!

5 places i've lived

encinitas, ca
the p-town bubble
all over the northern coast of spain
san elijo hills
and soon to be carmel valley...aka del mar

5 jobs i have had

bus-boy- Cask 'n Cleaver
ice cream dipper, chocolate covered banana-maker Grant's Ice Cream-del mar fair
valet- Four Seasons Aviara, Charlie's , Yellow Coyote
byu operator-BYU
CAD tech/ creative bad-a for ADG

if i were suddenly a billionaire...

i would get a new house, new compute, take a phatty vacation and invest/save the rest.

5 things people might not know about me

i am not that into computers- yes, i love macs and photoshop, but i really am not that much of a techie
i love to cook. i consider myself a culinary artist. when i do cook i enjoy an aesthetic presentation and adding little touches like cutting a strawberry into a flower on waffles
i talk in my sleep. a lot. full on conversations. if you have ever lived with me or gone on vacation with me-you were probably entertained- or really annoyed.
i worked for years on changing my laugh when i was in highschool. i used to laugh like an idiot. it was embarrassing.
almost half of my teeth have a filling in them. some teeth have multiple. soft molars and a sweet tooth are a bad combo. when i was 10 i had a brief case full of candy- like it was full of petty cash or drugs. i thought i was sooo cool.

2008-03-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

hey kids i got a new blog...well, same blog new interface. check it out:

www.mrlokestroke.wordpress.com

check, check it

-T

2008-03-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

so i can't believe i haven't posted about this at all...guess life is nuts and i often focus on whats bringin a man down. BUT, Erika got a new car!!! Thank you a million times over to daddy-o...up and surprised his favorite daughter one day at the Mini dealership. "Kevin Arnold" (her friend ashley also has a mini and named hers Winnie the Mini...thus Kevin Arnold had to be Erika's ride) is a huge step up from the buggy. Etrain is a mad woman when she drives it...only one speed for her- TOP SPEED! check out the beaute:

Erika challenges anyone to a race! bring it suckahs.

humble soup

2008-03-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

so i just wanted to post something to thank everyone for all you have done for me. i feel like i have a huge fan base- not just fans of my blog- but my life and my happiness. i appreciate so much those of you in my life that have been there for me always, and most of you don't know how much you have impacted me. i consider myself lucky to have a huge support system filled with amazing people who are selfless and true friends. i know that i have a lot on my plate, and i can count on so many people if i ever need to. if i have come to you in the recent weeks in frustration and or looking for someone to listen, THANK YOU!! you know who you are, but you may never know how much you help and effect me. i appreciate so much the concern of all of you, and the sound advice that i have received. with all these things i am trying to juggle, i am glad i can count on so many people to help me along the way!

enlightenment

2008-02-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

You do not start to become who you want to be until you are honest with yourself about who you are right now.

Sometimes you need to be honest with yourself about even the stuff that "sucks" about you. From time to time I feel like I am trying to force myself to be a certain way or to think a certain way, for whatever reason. But in forcing myself, I can never fully assume what it is that I think I should assume. It isn't until I have let go - or rather honestly assessed that I am being stupid or forceful or dishonest with myself - that I am able to truly see what it is that I want to become, that I should become, and how to get there.

i ran across this entry by an old friend of mine and it hit me... i have noticed that i have been complaining and whining a lot lately like a little girl. i haven't been satisfied with anything in my life right now- school, work and personal relationships- and i feel like a zombie. going from day to day, barely making it by in all areas, or not making it in some. i suppose i haven't been honest with myself and who i am, what i am and what i do with my life. sometimes i feel like i am being pulled in all sorts of directions like this dude:it is hard to juggle all these things on my plate, but i feel like i can definitely be better. i am sick of excuses and feeling like a tird, quite frankly. i am sick of not being "all there" in the situations i face daily. i am sick of responding to the question : "how is it going?" by saying "fine." or "what are you up to?" with "same old, same old." its time to be honest with myself and here goes.

i need to quit envisioning what my life will be like in 5 yrs and make it that way now.
i am an intelligent man, who makes unintelligent decisions daily.
i have an amazing wife, who for some reason sticks around.
i have dreams to be a successful and prominent architect. now is the time to put those dreams on the table while they are still accepted in Architecture school.
i am a baby.
i am a freakin riot.
i have amazing style and people would pay thousands for locks like mine.
i am terrible with money and time management...but am trying to be better. honest
i can jam on the guitar
i have mad drawing skills
i make the same mistakes over and over...i am a slow learner
i am stubborn and passively aggressive
i am a "nice guy"

ok. i am starting to feel like a cheesy dove soap commercial. but i am open to any other things that anyone else can contribute about who, how or what i am.

lokestroke is now aerodynamic

2008-02-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

what do you think? i was sick of taming the mighty fro. plus etrain was was sick of seeing my hair everywhere. so fresh and so clean, clean!!

she aint no pigeon

2008-02-09T00:08:00.000-08:00

so i have to throw out a disclaimer to all my fans, friends and family out there. most of your who read up on the blog are people who i speak with and or communicate with in some form or another regularly. if you are not in my phone, and you read this...maybe you should leave your number and we can chat it up. back to the point...today was a very exciting day for us. for those of you who really known erika, you know that at one point in her life she wanted to be a doctor.

she just had one little set back of reaching her dream- in her own words, she hates "blood and guts." kinda hard to be a doc without that, right? i think she may have realized that she couldn't become a doctor when she first had to dissect an earthworm in middle school and couldn't handle it. even today at the ripe age of 23, she is squeamish at the sight of her own blood, as minimal as it may be- like a stubbed pinky toe.

but today she got one step closer to realizing her childhood dream. she just got a job working for a doctor in a medi-spa. working in aesthetics has landed her a job working side by side with an experienced doctor who performs all sorts of cosmetic miracles. laser hair removal, laser facials, weight-loss, juviderm, and many other high tech medi-spa treatments that i can't name. (nor should i even know being a man and all.) she is so excited to be able to work in this type of environment. i am so proud of her and excited to watch her grow, and progress farther into her line of work. she will be doing massage, microderms, facials and a whole slew of other tasty treatments.

back to the disclaimer...today i sent out a mass text to all our friends, letting them know about erika's new gig. it wasn't until i spoke with someone later tonight that made me realize that my text might have seemed a little pushy or guilt-trippy. if you were offended, taken back, or felt pressured or rubbed the wrong way..i apologize. thats the problem with text messaging. no tone involved. i would never try to force anyone or guilt trip any of you. i was just really excited for my lady. so 1000 apologies, and nothing but love. YEAH E-TRAIN!!!

california dreamin

2008-01-26T01:28:00.000-08:00

reason number 1,217 why i am stoked i live in san diego:
a california winter-

vs. this-

2008-01-10T22:24:00.000-08:00

ROUND II
so school started back up again- its gunna be a lil more intense than
the last quarter. the first day was a shock, but i know i can handle
it. new professors and new classmates to get to know are always good.
the break was a sweet escape from the academic life that i lead...no
hanging stress or late nights. i just got to enjoy hanging out with the
wifey and the family. we got to hang out with our wolverine friends- U
of Michigan, not x-men - the francis- tayebi dynamic duo. love those
kids. saw one of the funniest movies i have seen in a long time. if you
haven't seen Juno- go. its hillarious. here is a nugget to enjoy from
the film.

technical difficulties

2008-01-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

so i am trying out some new set ups...strugglin'...more to come soon

42'' of freedom

2007-12-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-12-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-12-06T05:16:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-07T23:33:00.000-08:00

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

2007-10-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-12T18:55:00.001-07:00

null

the Etrain's B-day wish list

2007-09-09T19:04:00.001-07:00

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...

2007-08-22T16:37:00.001-07:00

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...

2007-08-16T13:07:00.001-07:00

¡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

2007-08-07T12:11:00.001-07:00

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

2007-07-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

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'

2007-07-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

(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

2007-07-09T23:16:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

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

one month in the ENC

2007-05-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

Over the past month a lot of crap has gone down.i pretty much suck at keeping this blog updated...sorry to loke stroke fans out there. i could throw out yet again another list of this and that, highlight shot-outs, etc...but alas, i don't have the energy nor the memory to put it all down. i suppose i will let my brain spill a bit, and my thoughts fly out freely and uninterrupted.

I have now been working at Aquatic Design Group for a month now, and learning a ton about the business, design, architecture and life working 40 hours a week. Before working full time me and the mrs. were able to enjoy the good life, vacationing and jet setting around the country. We went up to Lake Havasu for a weekend, where we basked in the the hot AZ sun, and dominated wakeboarding.Thanks Jon and Mary for hooking us up!!

Something that also happened was my nephew Drew turned one. Like the amazing mother that she is, Miq threw a birthday bash for the little tyke. its been said that Drewl is a spittin image of yours truly when I was his age. Quite freaky it is, because its true. For loke stroke fans out there, here ya go- me 24 years ago:

Another trip I got to take was out to Washington DC for G-rides wedding. I had never been out to DC and to be perfectly honest, never really wanted or thought to go out there. our nation's capital, the land of politics and political people--if anyone knows me, they know that politics are not my forte or my cup o tea. However, I loved goin out back east! I met up with friends till the end Chris and Sarita and we definitely bonded since we only knew each other during the festivities. The DC temple was beautiful and so was the Maryland countryside. I felt like I was in a movie most of the time. Its so quaint, green and the people in MD are so nice. Here are a couple shots of the bride and groom, Mr and Mrs. Garrett Giles-

More updates of life back in the ENC is in the works. hasta la proxima

"a lot of people go to college for 7 years."

2007-05-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

i have reached a another milestone kids.crazy as it may seem, and much to everyone's disbelief and faith in my academic skills, i have walked the walk and moved on out of the p-town bubble as a cougar grad. back in the day i was anti walking in graduation...i preferred to leave the bubble early and not mess with the crowds, the utahrded drivers etc., etc. however, i am glad that i was persuaded to walk at graduation(thanks for making me do it mom). it was a really weird feeling to be "one of those people" graduating from BYU. it has always seemed so far off, or just kind of something never quite in my grasp.

It didn't take me as long as anticipated- once i got a fire lit under my butt.(i have the etrain and mom to thank for that) Considering my leave of absence for 2 years to serve the gente in Spain, it only took one year longer than scheduled. Actually, i planned on staying in college for as long as possible...livin the college lifestyle and avoiding "the real world," so technically i am ahead of schedule.So it is on to bigger and better things.

one thing that i have been missing though is the bubble- as lame as it may sound, and for as much as i wanted to fight it, provo was a cool place to be for the past five years. let me explain for all those haters out there...p-town was a place where i feel like i truly came into my own. I grew up a lot while i was there, and think that i owe all of my growth from my amazing friends. i have said it before, and i will never tire of saying it again, but my friends were the greatest. that's what provo is to me.
Its a place where you can meet so many people, and spend so much time with those great people. i don't wanna get too sappy here. sorry. seriously though, from the cooners to the brittany 190 adventure squad its been a trip. it truly is an end of an era. in true loke stroke fashion (and Leno i suppose) i will bust out a couple of top 10 lists for P-town.

Why i will miss p-town
10. J-dawgs
9. Rio and Bajio
8.the perch
7. 3 girl blanket
6.whiffle ball--short lived, but amazing
5.park city snowboarding trips
4.3 tacos and fries for $2.14
3.the homies
2.bidnay sessions
1.cheap gas

why i WON'T miss the bubble
10.zoobies and utah jazz fans
9.provo burn outs...there comes a time where everyone needs to move on
8.provo police
7.p-town acronyms...pda, dtr,dt..
6.snow...the weather in general is whack
5.loud,annoying neighbors who constantly sing opera
4.no parking anywhere
3.the soapbox and tools playing guitars/ukuleles to impress chicks.
2.people that refer to california as "cali"
1.utahrd drivers

it was a fun run while it lasted provo! to all those who are still there: "God speed brethren!"

2 words: whiffle ball

2007-04-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

so let me tell you about a little thing i like to refer as "going back to my glory days." as many of you may know, i was once a talented young baseball player. i started playing baseball at the wee age of 4 and was immediately hooked. from t-ball to pony leagues, i lived for the game. i was considered a top draft pick during try-outs, proved my worth during the season and usually ended as a key element and clutch performer to my team. with a career high batting average of .720 and having pitched several no-hitters and one nearly perfect game (i beaned a friend), its safe to say that they truly were glory days.

my baseball ended though as i discovered skateboarding. at times i reflect and wonder "what could have been" if i had stuck with the sport that my father taught me. would i be playing for the cougs right now? who would my friends be? would i have ever picked up my true passion today: surfing? so many questions so little time. where would i be?

the answer doesn't matter. WHY? because the glory days are back. thats right. this past friday was introduced to america's past time once again. In a very Sandlot-esque way. Melzer invited me out to play a game with some of his cronies. i use cronies with the utmost respect. Joel Baer, Nate Barnes, Sean Heatherington, Jake Smart to name a few...allowed me to step on that hallowed ground known as a baseball diamond. and boy was it sweet. i started off a little slow. mainly just enjoyed the wisecracks of the people there. than i got into it, and started to come alive.

i don't wanna toot my own horn or anything....ok, maybe just a little. the kids started calling me "automatic" and i was the new force to reckon with. i was put into 3rd base on defense-my old stomping grounds- and loved every second of it. the "hot corner" was in full effect. i reached base on every attempt, and was a homerun short of hitting for the cycle. i help my team come back from a 14-6 deficit and win. (Joel hit for the cycle on saturday. it was awesome.) but the whiffle ball game definitely rekindled an old flame for me. Who knew whiffle ball could be so amazing?

i'll be home for easter

2007-04-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

me and the mrs. came home for this past weekend and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. it defintely was fun to stay home at both our parents' houses and see the fams. I woke up early on thursday morning and enjoyed the first surf sesh in about 6 months. i think the last time i surfed was in November! the surf was really good, pretty glassy, firing lefts and waist to head high sets. because it was pretty good, the joint was packed (i went to Beacons)which made for some interesting situations. one of my favorites was old man withers trying to fight a dude for "snaking" his wave. its really annoying when you have to battle for waves, especially with old locals who think they are local gods, with the right to every good wave. the greatest thing about the surf sessions was listening to my ipod in the water!
it was really good to go home, even if it was a quick trip. It was kind of a teaser, because we knew that we would be comin back in just a couple weeks for good. the best part about goin home was kickin it with the fam. We got to spend a lot of quality time with both families- even if some members were missing-John and Jeff in Moab destroying rental jeeps, Jose in NYC and Miq and the gang with the Provosts. The count down has officially begun though- i think it began lke 3 months ago actually- but time is really coming to an end in p-town. april is half over and we move down to SD on the 28! loco, ese loco.

quarter of a century?

2007-04-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

so i realize that it has been quite some time since i have updated anyone on the infamous blog. my apologies. i am sure there are fans out there waiting to hear something new in the wonderful world of mr. lokestrokestroke. the biggest news- I turned 25 last tuesday. yup, the big 2-5. its kinda weird to think that i am now 25, but i am enjoyin it. the big day was pretty sweet, i must admit. if there was one thing missing that day it would have to be a sweet cake by Duff from Ace of Cakes.

etrain's cake was more than enough for me and my closest friends. I was spoiled week by Mama lokestroke. my mom came out ib ny b-day and spen the rest of the week taking care of me and erika. she's the best. the day itself was pretty low key. i was actually suffering from some sort of head cold, so i spent most of the day sleeping. NICE!! when i was awake, i enjoyed the compay of my beautiful wife, my closest friends, and my great mother. I guess you can say that i got really spoiled this year, and got hooked up presents-wise. thank you all, those of you who gave me monetary gifts and those who gave me your time and company. i feel your love. one of the sweetest things that i scored was a water-proof housing for my ipod so i can surf with some tunes. aww yeah. can't wait to try it out. also my new system for the tacoma with the ipod adapter-it rocks my world. new clothes and gift certificates, a sweet watch...man, i am one lucky lil' mexican. here is a few thangs that i am lovin these days:

now all these things are dope as all get out, but more important are the people who gave them to me. i consider myself extremely lucky, and i am grateful for an amazing in every way wife, a wonderful family, amazing in-laws, and the best friends anyone could imagine.

what has changed since i have turned 25? not much really. i certainly don't feel any older or any more mature. especially now that i picked up Guitar Hero II with the cash grandma sent. thanks grandma!!

serioulsy though, i think 25 will be a good year. graduating from BYU, moving back to San Diego, starting grad school at NSAD to work on a masters in architecture, working side by side with papa lokestroke at Aquatic Design Group.... its gunna be a hard one to beat.

frank ghery eat your heart out

2007-02-08T16:26:00.000-08:00

ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
mr loke stroke has an announcement. many of my fans may have known of my plans to attend graduate school and earn a master in architecture. well, the god's are smiling down upon yours truly because i just received my letter of acceptance from the New School of Architecture congratulating me for my fall admittance. wha, wah?!! the plan is coming together nicely, very nicely. this means that i have all summer to work my butt off, learn the ropes at ADG and pretty much dominate at life. thanks to you all for your help, because i definitely didn't do this alone. much love.
da stroke

NYC Day 2

2007-01-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

Our first official day in the Big Apple started off with the long trek into Manhattan from Queens via taxi-after that first night experience, the last thing we wanted to see was a subway. We got dropped off right across from Radio City Music Hall where we stopped into a deli and got some grub. Ryan and Joselyn had tickets to see the Rockettes and we were killing time before their show.

after splitting up we went over to the discount ticket booths to pick out a play for us to see. so many options, so little time. our first choice was Wicked, but you have to get those tickets years in advance so we just asked the thespian at the box office for recommendations. we ended up goin with an off-broadway gig called Altar Boyz...smart move, very smart. the show was hillarious, gut-bustingly funny. we laughed out loud, almost to the point of tears. if you haven't heard of it, its about a mismatched christian boy band who sing to save souls. Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham...funny dudes.if you ever get a chance, its worth your time.

after the show we headed on up to 5th ave to meet up with Jose and Yeen. on our way we stopped by Rockefeller Center, took a quick little ganter at the "infamous tree"-(which i wasn't blown away by) and the tiny ice skating rink. there was mad amounts of people there, we could barely move. after the tree we went into Erika's personal paradise and heavenly escape-none other than Anthropologie.it was stimulation overload for the lil blondie, and i had to take the reins and pick out all her clothes. i acted as a personal shopper for her, giving the axe to certain items, and pointing out others. she got her fill, well enough for the time we had. we also stepped into H&M for a minute and shopped some more. do you think she's excited?

we ended our quick spree and headed to Macy's to finally see the Gundi's. that is where i will take a break and continue the rest of the day. this entry is allready way too long.

stay tuned kids....

day one of the NYC experience

2006-12-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

So the time has finally come to break down the big trip. Much apologies, it has been quite some time since it happened.
DAY 1-
we left P-town bright and early- around 7:00 for a 10 o'clock flight-i have my father's disease of goin to the airport way too early. It was a direct flight with some sweet little tv's which made the time go by much faster. We arrived in New York at JFK in the early evening and met up with Ryan and Joselyn at the bag claim. After a while of trying to figure out where to go for the Airtrain and what stop to get off, we finally found our bus that took us to our hotel. Me and Erika had no idea where the hotel was located because Ryan had planned out our stay, all we knew was that Ryan had picked it out and it was "super convenient." To our surprise, this "convenience" as it were, was in the middle of the ghetto of beautiful Queens, right across form the airport.

We decided to go into the city, because the night was young. we didn't know where the subway was, so we had to hop on the local bus. Thats when things got a little interesting. Allow me to paint you a picture: We get on the bus and go through ghetto Queens, travelling around Rockaway Blvd- the neighborhood that 50 cent comes from on a friday night. We were the only white one's on the bus, and when i say white, we are talking WHITE. Me and Ryan passed for locals- Ryan looked like Joey from Friends, and I can pull of the mexican, latin american pretty well. However, the women were a different story. Here are Erika and Joselyn, both white, blonde and stickin out like sore thumbs. Both wearing white designer jackets with fur, designer jeans, designer purses...plus both them with eyes the size of saucers as the neighborhood locals hopped on the bus.

We finally got to the subway station, and bought what we thought at the time were useful subway/bus cards. It took us nearly 2 hours to get from our Holiday Inn in Queens to Manhattan. We headed into the city and cruised around SOHO a little. Surprisingly Erika handled her fear of homeless people remarkably and we cruised the busy streets. After wandering for a whilewWe ended up in Little Italy starving. Meandering down Mulberry St. we settled at Caffe Palermo aka the "Cannoli King of New York. It was pretty amazing, good paninis and even better desserts.

After eating tiramisu, bread pudding and some sort of mocha concauction that blew my mind we decided to venture around some more up in SOHO and then decided to head back to our "convenient" hotel. The funny thing though, was that we were realtively new to the whole subyway thang. All we thought was the different color lines took you to the places we needed. However we failed to understand that there are different trains within the different colored tracks to take you to the various parts of NYC. Unfortunately we learned that the hard way. and I do mean hard. We ended up taking the wrong, very wrong subway into the heart of Queens, just in time for the last train of the evening left. We were stranded, once again in the ghetto, with no more trains to catch. After watching the locals shoot up and deal different drugs in dark street corners, the girls kind of lost their cool. Upon being extremely terrified of the hood, Joselyn had to pee and was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second.

After one attempt of catching a cab gone awry, I rolled up to a pizza joint to ask for directions about getting a cab. The pizza dude was real coi aobut showing us the way to "the best cab co." in New York,which ended up to be down a dark alley, with broken down cars on the sides of the streets, under the subway overpass. We ended up getting a cab, and luckily made it back to our hotel safely. Our cab driver lightened our mood a bit as he could tell that we were not from Queens or NY at all. For some reason he kept complimenting Ryan on his ability to score three beautiful women on vacation. The old italian who was obssessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and tv in general kept us entertained for sure during the trek around Queens to the sweet Holiday Inn. To this day, we don't know how the driver got so confused- for one, how he confused me for a hot lady- I guess his standards are real low, or he is into his women having some serious 5 o'clock shadow. And 2nd, how Ryan could possibly be percieved as that big of a pimp.

Big Apple

2006-12-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

the official day-to-day run down of the trip is coming soon!

the weekend update

2006-11-21T05:54:00.000-08:00

so this past weekend was pretty enjoyable. me and the mrs. took a quick trip up to Park City to get away from the bubble for the night. it was a good change of pace and not very busy, which was also a plus. there was snow everywhere, which abruptly reminded us that it was winter. up and down main street, in and out of little shops and trying not to get too cold was how the evening went. we both endulged on some new jeans, and got our grub on at Main Street Noodle and Pizza Co. the best thing about gettting pizza is having it for breakfast the next day!a funny moment up in park city was this dude that was yelling at his wife/girlfriend for getting his car all dirty. let me paint you a picture: homeboy was in his late 40's maybe early 50's, but definitely stuck in the 80's. he was rockin one of the dirtiest mullets i had ever seen, even more hardcore than billy ray cyrus himself. the girl with him was distraught because she couldn't parrallel park, and mr. mullet was even more distraught by her pathetic excuse for a park job.

saturday was pretty sweet too. i woke up and took in the buggy to get an oil change and then started to clean the bathroom- etrain's orders. in the afternoon i went over to jake's house to watch a lil football. normally i am not much of a sports fanatic or football watcher, but it was good to get with the fellas. we watched the Ohio State vs. Michigan game, and it was just as intense as all the hype anticipated.even papa Katz came in and left Lil Sid Vicious with her mom. BYU put on a good show too, clinching the conference title and defeating New Mexico.

Later in the evening we went over to our friend Trish's b-day party. Not your typical girly party by any means. but then again, Trish isn't a typical girl. the party was themed around the UFC Welterweight Title fight between Hughes and St Pierre. I felt a lil outta place because i was the only dude there who couldn't dead lift 600 lbs. meat-head central, but good guys i suppose. we didn't stay to watch all the fights, but sent our b-day wishes to Miss Trish.

puppy training

2006-11-09T23:36:00.000-08:00

we all have mile stones in our lives; our first day of school is probably the most memorable for our parents. well, we have reached that same mile stone with our pup and by request of my wife i will share it with you, while she is in san diego. tonight was his first day of obedience school, and it couldn't have come any sooner. there were a lot of puppies in the class, all different breeds and sizes, along with all different owners. some that stick out are jack the chihuahua and his gay owner, and the three hounds with there hippee parents. buster was all fired up about being around so many dogs and people, which caused a little a.d.d. he kept trying to play with the labradoodle next to him and steal her treats, instead of learn anything. the trainer was really nice. Karen has been doing this for quite some time, i just hope she can help us out with Buster. throughout the session Buster was a punk and wanted to play, not learn.he was used as a "demo dog" by the trainer to learn a command, but got distracted half-way through and tried to wrestle with the three hounds.we have our work cut out for us! plus he was a snob about the treats we had-which made training and positive reinforcement kind of hard. but, we have some homework to do- some commands and getting him used to his new training tool, the clicker. i worked with him when we got home, but he still wasn't havin any of it. anywho, i must go seeing as i have yet another test to study for. and etrain, i hope that was satisfactory to your needs.

tone the grad

2006-11-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

so yesterday was a pretty sweet day. for one, it was about 75 degrees and the sun was shining. i was walking around campus with a short sleeve shirt on- or in my "shirt-sleeves" as my wonderful mother-in-law Mama G would say. school was a normal day, except for one little thing. what?what is it you say. well, i guess you can figure it out by the title of this entry. there goes the suspense.i applied for graduation!thats right, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter folks. it was quite an experience. the spanish department is a joke, and full of rude, unhelpful people. i won't go into details, but needless to say it will be a happy day when i turn my tassel, walk up to the podium, grab my diploma and walk out the door. i will never have to step foot on campus as a student again!

redemption

2006-11-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

some people call me loke, some call me stroke...but i would like to refer to myslef from now on as the "comeback kid." thats right, after last weeks embarrassment and general dissapointment i came back strong with high hopes and full throttle. On friday night, Erika had hoped to be wined and dined and treated like royalty for our weekend date. Much to her dismay, I had planned for us to go out to dinner with the crew to celebrate "jakie-poo's" birthday. Erika had a rough day at school- to say the least- and i am sure she was just hoping to leave the night up to me. friday night was a bit unusual however. Jake had planned to go to the movies with some of who we like to refer as the "replacement friends" at around 6:30 or 7-ish. therefore, we- those friends who care about him most and vice-versa- had his Olive Garden b-day dinner at 4:45pm. Yup, just us and the denture squad. in fact, we had beat the senior citizen rush, if you could imagine. the dinner was fun though: nothing is better than gettin together with amazing people. the katz', francis, jake and the mendioroz's. we shared some pretty amazing laughs, and good food. i think that the quote that will be legendary forever is sarah's classic "Chris would be soo embarrassed!" as we discussed the new trend of nudist colonies becoming mainstream. sorry chris. what a line!

after dinner we went up to the Riverwoods and saw "The Prestige" with Chris and Sarah. it was our second time, and we still haven't gotten it all figured out. what a great flick-i highly recommend it. the first time with ty and jenny left us stumped, confused and wanting to figure out what had happened. the second time, we got most of the plot worked out, but still are lost on a few things. its awesome.

Now, for the whole reason of the new name- saturday was my turn to sing the great Bob Marley's Redemption song as i planned out our night. Erika had been gone all day at school, I didn't have to work, so i focused on "her day." as she was away, i got my domestication on. thats right, i have been known to cook from time to time, yet baking i have not ventured into. My boss made an amazing pumpkin cake thing the other day at work, and i brought a nugget home for erika to sample. if you know erika at all, you know that this is her favorite time of year because pumpkins are everywhere, in every form of edible food and she can't get enough of it. after 2 days of raving about the "punkin goodness" as she called it, i got the recipe and baked it while Erika was off at school pampering jeff.

i also went grocery shopping to put togther her new new favorite dinner- Giatta's veggie paninis- which i made for her hot and fresh when she walked in the door. she enjoyed the panini, but was distracted by the huge pan of pumpking deliciousness. with no hesitation we dove into the dessert and her eyes lit up. jackpot! she loved it.

the night did not end there however. after stuffing our faces with pumpkin, and letting our guts settle from such a quality meal, we headed up north to enjoy the highlight of the evening. i took her to see the classic "Man of La Mancha" up in SLC at the Hale Theatre. The cool thing about this particular theatre is that its a "theatre in the round," like Shakespeare's Globe. The drive up was a joke, we almost missed the show. I guess there was some orchestra concert at the E Center accross the street, which caused serious traffic. there is nothing worse than a utahrd traffic jam. But the gods were smiling because the show started late and we were able to make it.
the play really was entertaining, Don Quixote was really good and soo was Dulcinea, but the real show stopper was Sancho.one of my favorite parts was when he sang to a dying Quixote about "this and that." Also the fight against Gypsies was a classic scene. he was hillarious and the production was great. we still have the songs stuck in our heads today.it was good to be enriched with culture, especially spanish culture and it was a great end to a great night.

most important of all was the appreciation and happiness that oozed from erika all night long. i always love seeing her face light up, as she gets treated special or is pampered in any way. its soo worth the time and effort to really show how much you love someone, and then feel the love ten times more right back.

dropping the ball

2006-10-31T06:25:00.000-08:00

so this past weekend was a sad one folks. nothing tragic happened, nothing exciting. just sad. it was sad because i totally let erika down and that is probably the worst feeling that i can have. the thing that sucks is that i was trying to plan all week long a fun date to take her on.it being around halloween there are lots of haunted houses and such to check out. erika loves scary things and its the perfect time for it.i had been making calls all week to get other friends to come along, but it all came down to saturday afternoon and no one could go. sadly, we just went to dinner then went home to watch a movie on tv. i write this because i feel like i owe her an apology, becuase even though our friends couldn't go out, i should have taken her out all by ourselves. besides thats what its all about anyway right?making her feel loved and special. those of you who are married know how much it hurts when you know you have let someone down, even though they claim to not care. for all the guys out there, we should consider ourselves lucky that our wives still keep us around after dropping the ball soo much. at least i feel lucky.

i feel lucky to be in the game still, and have a wife who does so much for me. its the little things ya know? as i sit hear i realize that there are so many little things that she does for me everyday. lots of times i drop the ball and don't recognize them or just fail to acknowledge them.little things like get my favorite ice cream at the store, or taking out buster early in the morning. or paying all the bills on time.i really am lucky to have such a keeper of a wife and that she keeps me around.i am sorry that i dropped the ball snig. i love you.thanks for all you do.

OH SNAP!!

2006-10-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

so saturday was an eventful day for mr loke stroke. i decided to help a brother out-a mr T. Brown- with his car. the car has had issues since he has been up here, so i gave him a tow to the dealership. it was the first time i had ever given anyone a tow, and i must say that the Taco performed beautifully.
everything was going well. there was a little scare going down ty's hill, when his breaks barely worked-luckily he didn't rear end me. but it was a fine trip from north springville to the chevy dealer on university ave. Luckily for us, it was a BYU gameday-or maybe not so lucky-depending on if your a football fan- but the traffic was thick, so lots of stop and go. all this stop and go caused a few jerks when the tow roped tightened up. As we were turning into the turn lane to go into the dealership, suddenly i noticed that my load seemed a little lighter. I looked in my rear-view, and saw ty sitting there laughing his head off.

fortunately for us, we only had to push the blazer about 50 ft into the chevy repair shop. because the rope had gotten tugged at a few times, the knot was pretty much impossible to get off. I had to cut the rope off by using a razor blade for about 20 min of incessant slicing. but i got it off and me and ty still chuckle at the thought of our little adventure.

nothin but love t brown. nothin but.

mr loke stroke at the strokes...

2006-09-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

boys night out and what did we do? rocked the casbah like it was our job. the night started out a little, shakey...On board with us was Jacob "sign me up..." Melzer, Corporate Marlo, Tyson aka "capitan" Brown and myself. So as we are headin north up to the great SLC Marlo pulls out his ticket and asks us where we got ours. thats when it hit me. MY TICKET!! not in my pocket, my wallet or in my hand, but taped nicely to my pottery barn message center in my house. shoot. but alas, i was not alone, my friends. ty brown also left his golden ticket in his casita. so a 40 min detour later and we we on the road again, pointed in the right direction, tickets close to our hearts. luckily Melzer has premium traffic driving skillz, and we made it up in time.

we met up with the rest of our crew- half the members of the infamous Otters: Joel "i used to date a grandma" Baer and Nate Barnes. Along with them came "philipino Jeremy." the final member of the crew showed up about 15 minutes later...none other than the ring leader himself Zachy James. I am goin to be real honest with you folks...i wasn't exactly thrilled to see mr. james. Zach is one of those kids who makes life interesting- sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way. its a love/ hate relationship with the kid. just like zach himself, its all or nothing. But, Zach proved to swing things for the better this time around and got us all pumped and crazy during the show.

oh the show...one word: Glorious. the music and the crowd anyway. the band- i have never seen anyone as wasted as lead singer Julian Casablancas before. he was trippin on something, but luckily was coherent enough to perform amazingly. the crowd was fun. theres nothing like goin to a show 10 deep with bros. its been a while since i was completely saturated with sweat-most of which was not my own- from head to toe. its kind of amazing sometimes when you are at a concert and a complete stranger all of the sudden becomes your best friend-just for liking the same music and gettin into it. thats how it went down, our crew joined forces with the neighboring groups with camaraderie for the Strokes. its also amazing how fun it is to go nuts, with some of your closest friends.

the best song of the night for me was "Reptilia," or maybe their opening diddy "You only live Once." another highlight of the night was tossing Zach up into the crowd to crowd surf. what a nut. the only bad thing about the show, was that their set wasn't very long.they should have played a couple more, but hey thats rock stars for ya.

other highlights of the night:
going to Chevron for gatorade. as melzer went to pay, the cashier took his debit card and put it down her bra. sick as all get out, but made us laugh none the less.
Del Taco- marlo talking about a movie character "Chinegro"- those of who know, laugh now

Tyson took some sic pics throughout the night so be on the look out for the next update.

a small recap

2006-09-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

this here is my new addiction and release. me and erika tivo scrubs evrynight. its freakin hillarious. But on to more important things. like what was done before, i shall impress you with a hit list of exciting crap that has gone down on the past two weeks.

bustin' my chops...
we have had buster for two weeks now. time flies when you are having fun. our "lil baby bus" as e-train likes to call him is growing like a weed and is one smart cookie. in two weeks we have taught him how to go up and down stairs and he is getting way better at not leaving his special trademark in the house. after two weeks, i would asy thats pretty darn good. i also taught him how to fetch. yeah, he got skillz.

da birfday girl-

Etrain turned the big double duece on the 19th. i can speak for her when i say that she got pretty hooked up on her special day. mom and pop etrain were in town for the weekend and they treated us right.thats fo sho!! erika spent the day with her mom, doing "girl stuff" was pampered by yours truly--a special breakfast on the big red plate, some amazing gifts, a foot massage...we had a party in her honor too. it was good to see such good friends all in one place. we seriously have the best friends in the world. highlight of the party was watching erika light up like a four year old when she asked people to sing "happy birthday" while she blew out her candles. man she's cute! a special shot out to all you who hooked her up- you know who you are. she seriously was stoked off everyone's interest and love.

NYC...
some exciting news is that we are goin to the big apple in december! we found a sweet deal and gave that to each other for our x-mas present. we will be goin to NYC with yeen and jose-aka ryan and joselyn- erika is extatic. she has never been before, and has been dying to go. we can't wait.

ok,ok. so i lied. my life is not as exciting as anticipated. but i love it. the past two weeks have been busy with work, school and taking care of our child. i am not one of those crazy dog persons who thinks their dog is all there is in life, so don't get any crazy ideas about me calling buster our child. BUT, it is a big responsibility to have a pup, he keeps us on our toes and i am glad he is ours.

here is some more scrubs for you to nibble on...

the man, the myth, the legend...

2006-09-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

sometimes pictures speak louder than words...

mr. & mrs. N1X0N

2006-09-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

so this weekend was pretty fun. we hung out with ty and jenny brown saturday night and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. the browns have been away in AZ for the summer and now have graced the p-town bubble with their presence. we went to our new favorite joint- the happy sumo and exposed them to some quality japanese food. the service sucked, and our waitress was a complete moron, but she did give us free drinks and appetizers because she struggles at life. so that was cool. it was definitely good to hang out with ty and jen again- they are kinda like cartoon characters... especially ty. seriously hillarious. we were able to finally give them their wedding gift. its always fun to see how people react to presents. its more exciting to give than to recieve in my opinion.we had an awesome time, and spent like 40 min on ty's mac photobooth- here are some of the highlights:

puppy news: our lil pup comes on tues at 12:00. we are both goin nuts with anticipation. the name is still up in the air. we are waiting to see him, and hopefully it will just come to us. we went to petco. on thursday and got all this puppy stuff in preparation for our lil guy.

mr. metro is still in full effect. i got another facial on saturday- this time a chemical peel and an oatmeal mask. in true spirit of mr loke stroke, i snacked on the oats as e-train put them on my face. not quite like quaker oatmeal- needed some brown sugar and honey!

provo madness- so today was the stake regional conference in the bubble. translation: pres. monson came and spoke at the marriot center. it was mayhem. took us 45 min to get to the marriot ctr., then by the time we got parking, the place was filled to capacity and they had to turn people away! only in provo, my friends.

we are glad to find out that clint and jess finally finished their maiden voyage and returned to san diego!

a new addition...

2006-09-07T05:50:00.000-07:00

so i have been seriously slacking on my posts. so sorry to disappoint. the last couple of days have been busy so i will fill you in on what's been goin on... Leno style.

the top 10 reasons why my life is cool are:

10.- Yoga. i am harnessing my chi like you would not believe. a new unlimited monthly pass has got me hooked. yesterday i did head stands and binding!

9. ear candling- if you have not done it, and think your ears are clean, guess again. i almost wretched in my mouth after seeing how much wax was removed from my melon.i can actually whisper in erika's ear and she can hear me!

8. homemade Carne Asada- mr loke stroke strikes again in the cocina. fresh bajio tortillas, fresh guacamole, salsa fresca,refried beans, succulent steak...(wipe the drool now)

7. the last good-bye: sending clint and jess off on their maiden voyage to o'side. if you haven't seen the mayflower yet, you're in for a treat!the pics don't do it justice.diego's mop- lil diego kicked it with us again.he is much bigger and his mane is off the chain. did you guys break a bottle of bubbly on the bow of the boat before your trip?

6. first day of school- what? wait a minute. school makes tone's life sweet? must be a typo. it is. provo is back to full capacity- full of clueless freshman, provo all-stars/burn-outs trying to swoo the women-folk, and even more bad drivers. so the twist is, only one more semester here! that is why my life is sweet.

5. mr. metro- clint and jess described me as the "ultimate metro" because i get facials, wax my nose hair and eyebrows, get back treatments. thats what happens when your wife is an esthetician and you have hairy mexican/spanish genes. a smooth tone means a happy e-train. besides, have you had a facial from erika? you are missin out my friend- magical hands, magical. Also the recent discovery of Yoga and my vegetarian meals are tip offs. don't worry friends, mr loke stroke could never call it quits to meat.

4. pork barbacoa salad-oh yes, the rio my friends. on monday night we celebrated our labor day with "manuel labor" and our latino friends at cafe rio. nothing like it, nothing. thats the one redeeming factor of the p-town bubble.

3. melzer- seeing jake in his "first-day corporate attire" to impress his professors and colleagues. let me spell it out for you; a white button shirt-good. solid red christmas tie- decent. black nautica "sweater vest"- looked like something jamie foxx should wear. more of a shirt than a vest really. now for the "melzer flare"- bright red dickies shorts. i could literally see him across campus. i think he caused a few wrecks on east campus drive with those ones. haviana sandals- viva brasil! his mop of Jewish locks on his skull. some sweet versace glasses.(they really are pretty dope)and to finish off the look, a dirty goatee. you da man melzer!

2. arrested development season 3- if you haven't seen the show, well then that sucks for you. season one and two have blessed my life with laughter for years to come. buster, gob, george-michael and maybe...tobias. i have only seen 3 episodes of season 3 and already am addicted. who knew little opie griffith would grow up to make soo many people laugh.

ladies and gentlemen, drumroll please......the title of the blog, the newest addition to the mendioroz crew, the tiny ball of fur that makes Erika melt like ice cream on the 4th of July

1...the one, the only- PUPPY!!a 1.1 lbs. short-legged jack russell terrier. we still haven't picked out a name yet so how 'bout we take a vote. here is what is on the ballot: jack, buster, rico, dino, bean, kepa, peanut.

breathe, bend, be

2006-09-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

so its been a few days since my last entry, but man some interesting things sure have happened! Thursday night i got my pamper on- Erika took me into to her school where she gave me the most incredible facial i have ever had. yes, folks mr. loke stroke is now a facial and wax junkie, getting the hook up from the mrs. The hour and a half long european facial is something that everyone needs to indulge on. a lil trimmage of the eyebrows was also on the menu- something Dad could use, according to mom. the facial totally knocked me out, and i went home and fell asleep at 10:00. it was off the hizee fo shizee...as far as the menu for thursday- Bajio Grill. I got a break from the kitchen.

Friday- was a cool day, because i was able to reflect on some very important counsel from Ty and Jenny's wedding. I took notes from their sealing and reread them. Ty, if you read this, your sealing was amazing! After that, i was able to hit up the bidnay course with Francis and Melzer. Not our best game i'd say- i will leave out the scores so as to not embarrass anyone. except that jake beat chris the day before with a bumb knee...thats embarrassing enough. We attempted to kick off that round as our tour starter, but it was my first game back in a month or so...the tour is pending at the moment. We determined that empty bellies was the reason of our off game and hit up del taco to refuel.

Oh yeah, for dinner i made hawaiin haystacks. E-train was skeptic at first, but ended up loving it. I impressed myeself cuz they tasted just like mom's!

Later that day, Erika and I hit up a round of minigolf with Chris and Sarah- all cheated our brains out...Erika is definitely entertaining to watch in any competiive environment. those of you who know her-laugh now. The golf was brutal for everyone, but at least we all got a hole in one at some point of the night! After hitting up the links, we did what every other person in provo does- Got ice cream. did you know that provo is the #1 seller of ice cream in america? quick sociology tid-bit for ya. that and diapers...mormons- who knew? A great time had by all.

Saturday-- my favorite day of the week so far! we started off the day gettin the mind, body and soul flowing through Yoga. Thats right, yoga! i fell in love with it. It really was an eye opener for me, of how strong you have to be and can get through yoga. Erika is gnarly and pretty much dominated. she has been goin to it for a couple months now and can do all sorts of crazy poses- from head stands to binding/balancing- she's ripped! chris and sarah also attended with us, so i wouldn't be the only amateur on the mats. i look forward to goin more and getting better. its relaxing, but a really good work out at the same time!

saturday night we spent with Erika's old roommate and her recently returned missionary. we went out to the Happy Sumo and ate some amazing japanese food. it was really good. Chong's chicken is definitely a good plate, for those of you who know the place. sooo scrumptious! It was entertaining to watch Preston the new rm interact with people. i could relate to his awkwardness and "deer caught in headlights syndrome." All in all, he is a cool kid, and i think he enjoyed himself.

this blog is already creepin and way too long, so i will end the suffering. I will keep you posted on my yoga progression.

2006-08-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

so its now 4 days into my week of improvement, and i must admit i like the new me. i have to confess i did not do anything physical yesterday(wed), but everyone needs a break right? speaking of breaks, my super wife needs to take a break from her running for a lil while because a festering heel problem hasn't gotten to be unbearable. it has now started to swell, and really affects her in everything she does. curse those 26.2 miles in Moab of self abuse and torture!! A marathon is a cool thing to say that you accomplished, but man it sure beats the crap out of ya. No worries though, yoga is there to keep her busy. speaking of which, thats my activity for saturday. can you picture mr loke stroke, on a yoga mat all twisted up like a pretzel? I am in for humiliation for sure, but at least i won't be alone. Erika scored some free passes for me, Chris and Sarah to go. i can't wait to see Francis get his zen on!

so last night i surprised myself again with my amazing cooking skills. I went old school and busted out a traditional spanish tortilla. man, it took me back to my preachin days in the mother land. this was the best tortilla i ever made though, because i actually had the time to make it good. the trick to a good tortilla is low heat. the lowest possible...so at that rate you could cook one for nearly an hour! needless to say, i didn't have time to kill as a missionary. so half of the tortilla was filled with roasted red pepper, and the other galf bacon(potato and onion throughout the entire thing of course). Erika approved as i showed her how to eat it like a true spaniard- we had to have fresh baked bread. along side the tortilla i made a fruit salad-strawberries, peaches and bananas. E-train is lovin the not having to cook bit. i am enjoying my cooking experience as well.

So yesterday i met up with Chris and David at a favorite spot of ours in Orem. Maria Bonitas is a little mex joint that me and Dave frequent for lunch when we have the time. We discussed important matters of life over beans, rice, tacos and enchiladas. One thing that was discussed was the Francis' plans for winter. turns out they are gunna load up the credits to be done in december, then move back to Ca to avoid a Utah winter. as sad as it is to not have them here, its a good move and one that they will hopefully be happy with. selfishly i want them to stay, but i know that if i was in there situation, i would choose san diego over provo any day.

another important matter discussed was a bidnay tour. a trip out to g-rides with the bidnays on hand is somthing to look forward to. no official plans or dates yet, but when it all falls down, it will be posted.

team discovery

2006-08-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

so as you know, i have taken on the challenge of getting back into shape...monday started off with a quick run, but tuesday involved something a little more tolerable. like usual, erika started her day with a run. the nice guy that i am, and keeping to my promise i joined her. this time though i wised up and decided to ride my bike along side her. ahh yeah...eat your heart out mr. armstrong!Unfortunately, my bike tire was running a lil low on air, and i had to ride Erika's bike...which incase you haven't seen her bike, let me paint you a picture: a women's beach cruiser (sized for someone about 5'5), spearmint green with white detail, and a white basket on the handle bars. NICE!! so me and the e-train ran/rode down through south provo on 900 e and state street...good times, good time. Oh yeah, the bike also has a bell on it, that i rang as we passed fellow joggers.

i felt pretty good though. awake and much happier than after my run. the rest of the day pretty boring...but i did get my haircut- prepped to grow out a dope shag.some people say i look like foo fighter's own dave grohl with a shag, what do you think? you be the judge until next time...

run forrest, run

2006-08-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

today marks an interesting day in the life of mr loke stroke...why you ask? well, today is the day that i was officially brought to the pathetic realization of how weak sauce i really am. after discussing with Erika, we decided that we needed to do more things together. well, things that don't involve tivo and food. so we deicded to take an "easy" run togther. for those of you who don't know my amazingly fit wife, she tends to dominate in all areas of life. she just aced a final exam at school (1oo% kids), she is a star chef, and enjoys "extra curricular activities" as she likes to call it: running each morning, pilates, and yoga to name a few. so our run-- if you can call it that-- consisted of 2 miles, and erika dragging me along, yet always encouraging me with "youre doing great" etc..after our 30 minute stroll, we came back to the house, her just perked up and ready to take on the day. meanwhile i passed out on the couch, ready to go back to bed,

with all that said and done, I have decided to take my wifes advice and get back into shape. i have come to the harsh reality that i am no longer the anatomical specimen i once was in my summer days of surfing. so, i hold myself accountable for trying to get some life back into my veins, keep the heart rate up and be able to keep up with the lil mrs. E-Train. with all this said i done, i now have no excuse, and will be looking to you, to keep me in check. capiche?

in better news, i have decided to tackle the kitchen this week. unlike my struggles in the p.e. dept. i am an excellent chef. today on the menu was vegetarian paninis-packed with italian flava. tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, grilled zuccini, eggplant and red onion, fresh basil, and pesto sauce. bon apetit! until next time kids, wish me luck!

its all about the fam

2006-08-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

so i am glad that some of you have checked out my little nugget and left me some feedback. i am glad i can inspire from afar for some of you as well. kudos to me i guess. but miq, my wise, oldest sister made a good point about representin the fam! where is the love you ask? don't worry folks, its in full effect whether you have equal representation or not...but for today its all about Los Mendioroz!! (and the Provosts and Erickson)

Carribbean Cruise August '05

Jonathan James
Miss Jules
Mini-me..Drewseff

Good times guys.good times.

who could forget the e-train?!!oh the fam...thanks for the inspiration, the suppport, the laughs, the cries and the love. each of you have contributed to my life more than you will ever know. i am forever in debt to you and what you have given me. i hope that i have been able to give back or some day will- as a son, a baby brother, an uncle, and a husband. os quiero
-t

2006-08-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

freshman crew...may hall...2000-2001

marlo, the admiral in his glory, stroke, jo-jo, cap'n nike, tuff cookie, zach james...snowboard squad '00.
the canyons...our battleground and sweet escape from reality 3-5 times a week. who wouldn't want that reality?

melzer, katz, giles...2001

.dorm life- is there anything sweeter? hmmm, what you don't see is francis' creepy as all get out roommate in that shot. where are the poker chips and blender? scoreboard anyone?

mr. francis and the accountant himself. marlo has always been serious.

Jacob Porter Melzer...need i say more? well yes actually. above mr melzer is trying his best to pull of a lil hugh heffner action. that or quite possibly is prepping for his corn rows...yes kids, corn rows.

notice the wall of amazing behind jake's head. oh glorious wall of amazing!

admiral jorgenson and his sweet, sweet lullabies. hey, matt's part of it!

mr. tyson craig brown...a night to remember and probably the only thing that zach james was ever good for. thats quite a smile on your face ninja.

bruthas from different muthas

2006-08-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

i was driving down 7th east yesterday to go pick up a monstrous philly cheese steak sandwich from IP when i noticed a mr. t brown's blazer drive by. i thought about just keepin on keepin on, but turned around to chase him down. i pulled up beside the blazer to say hi, and to my surprise it was not mr. brown, but the the new mrs. jenny brown rolling around provo. we chatted for the time it took the light to change and drove our seperate ways. she told me that ty would be up tomorrow and they were excited to chill again.

which got me thinking...i have probably the coolest friends anyone could ask for. honestly, they are the most solid, funny, smart, talented and down to earth kids i know. one of the coolest thing about this little group is most of us are married now, and all our wives kick it too. no drama. so, from me to you, i feel sorry for whoever is not friends with them...the 32 crew, the brittany 190 adventure crew, the la costa boys, the coonahs... much luv fellas. you da man. (collectively) bidnay anyone?

welcome to blogville

2006-08-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

so this is the first time i have ever created a blog and posted anything. i never thought that i had anything cool to say, inspiring, or just plain funny. but then i realized that i have fans everywhere. i may not be a man of many words, but what i do say carries a lot of weight apparently...or so i am told.

i just got back in provo from being on vacation in ENC for a week...man i can't wait to move back to california. its glorious. the only problem was the traffic- which is cliche to say, but the del mar races really know how to clogg up I-5. but thats all compensated when you are scarfin down a two pound bean/cheese/rice/guacamole burrito from the infamous Rico's. i owe my life to that place.

the other problem i guess was being away from my hot wife. she's hillarious. just being back with her makes me realize how much of a keeper she is. not like i doubted it before, but being away i forgot about all her little quirks. she is amazing. for those of you who know Erika, i hope you consider yourself as blessed as i do.

well, i think thats it for now. if any nuggets of inspiration drift my way, i will post them.