california dreamin

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

vs. this-

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

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

42'' of freedom

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

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

let there be light

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

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

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

all i want for christmas is...

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

me...i want a hoola hoop.

are germans mexican?

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

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