the update as promised

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


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

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

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

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

school of hardknocks

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

tagged like the rest of them

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

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



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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

strokes of genius

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the Etrain's B-day wish list

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

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

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

NIca continued...

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

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

recto, recto, recto...

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

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

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