lokestroke is now aerodynamic

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

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

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.