cycles of hunger

Life has interesting cycles.  For example, my cooking habits have cycled.  In junior high I was all about cooking and I actually cooked quite a bit.  Some in High School.  Then I got to college.  For the first year I held my own.  Mostly easy to make boxed meals.  But I ate.  Then I moved home for the summer.  I found myself totally reverting to being completely useless and dependent.  It was pretty crazy.  I made my way through the rest of college and actually ate pretty well with homemade food and lots of leftovers.  Then I moved home again and reverted again.  There is just something about mom making you dinner.  Now I have moved out and have yet to fix a real meal.  I have lived here almost a month.  I eat lots of cereal and granola bars.  Occasionally I make an omelet or have chips and salsa.  On really crazy days I have a quesadilla.  And until my yogurt supply dried up, I was eating lots of yogurt.  Now all that is in my fridge is cheese and milk.  It is going really well.  Any ideas of how long this cycle is going to last?

Oh and I go over to my parents several times a week for dinner.  That will keep up until they change the locks.

More pics

Go here to see pics of my place.  Right before I moved in.  This is the lazy way of posting.

six things

1. Yesterday I moved in. I don't have internet access because apparently the 4 neighbors that have wireless do not like to share. I don't think they passed Kindergarten. I remember sharing and cutting being very important parts of the curriculum in Kindergarten.

2. One of my neighbors came by with her dog to say hi. She told me that all the cars get broken into in our neighborhood. That stinks. Maybe they will just take my whole car so that I will have an excuse to get a new one. I almost killed my car yesterday. Apparently cars need oil. Weird.

3. I refuse to turn my heater on because summer is coming, dangit. So, I absolutely froze while sleeping before/after work last night. I might reconsider the heater thing tonight. If I am really cold. And feel like a human popsicle. Or, maybe if I can see my breath.

4. I have 1 fork, 1 spoon and 3 knives. If you come to visit and expect to eat we either have to take turns or not use proper flatware. Oh, and I don't have any plates. But I do have a lid to a casserole dish that I used to eat my burrito yesterday. I am high class.

5. My dad doorbell ditched yesterday. I wasn't home. He left a couch on my porch. An upholstered couch. It stayed there until after I got home from church today and my brother could help me move it inside. I am officially white trash. So much for making friends in my new place.

6. Pictures to come. Will represent the current state of my condo.

On Saturday I became a professional photographer

So I showed up at my friends wedding and after the ceremony we were all standing outside the temple waiting for the bride and groom to come out, the usual.  As I am standing there, I look around repeatedly and notice that no one has a nice camera but me (I am not a professional).  I kept looking around, and no one came.  Then out came Mary and Jake, and no one came.  So, I very quickly became the photographer.  The day went something like this:

Me: "um, how about everyone on Jake's side get in the shot, then smile"

"ooh, look what they did, lets do that"

"yeah, kissing seems like a good theme, try that again."

Essentially we walked around temple square and stole other people's photo ideas.  It was pretty awesome.  

And, sadly, the temple is crooked in most of the shots, you know, leaning tower of pisa style.  Luckily, they got exactly what they paid for.  Maybe even more because somehow my camera manages to take good pictures without my help.

Here are some of my favorites.  The little kid with the flowers definitely just pulled them out of the ground at the reception.  Then a little girl ran after him screaming about how he needed to give them back.  She got the flowers from him and ran around with them for a while.  It was great.

Preview

I am still painting my condo.  I am a slow painter.  And there are a few colors which makes everything more difficult.  But, I decided I would post a couple pictures so you can get an idea of what to expect when you come visit me.  And, you can weigh in on the elphaba-green room.

We'll start with the good, and move on from there.  I really love my blue wall. I think it is stunning.  My mom loves it.  My dad thinks it is ugly.

My mantle is going to match the blue wall.  It still needs a couple coats of paint.  Right now it has the antiqued look.

The chartruese (?) kitchen is one of my favorite parts.  It is just a fun color.

Note that the plant is still alive, it will not be long before it goes the way of all plants I own.

As we make our way down the hall we immediately notice the glow coming from my bedroom.  I was not exaggerating.  This picture is proof that my bedroom emits harmful radiation.

So here it is.  It looks all cute and fun in the pictures.  I still don't know how I feel about the color.

The doorway into my master bath.

Please notice that in this picture the green is different.  It really does change every second.

So there it is.  I still have to paint some more and peel off all the tape.  Which, by the way, when I started peeling the tape off it peeled some of the paint with it.  So, now I get to fix all the edges.  Woo hoo.

Elphaba green

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I love Wicked.  I have seen it twice (broadway and chicago) and own the soundtrack.  I just love it.  However, I am not take-over-my-life obsessed with it.  So, when we painted my room in my new Condo I was a little overwhelmed when it came out as what I like to describe as Elphaba Green.

Yes, that is the green of my bedroom.  My dad keeps telling me the color is fine (he doesn't want to help paint it again.)  When I painted the first coat I got a migraine.  I am pretty sure that my bedroom glows in the dark.  And probably emits cancerous radiation.  I probably won't be able to sleep at all, because it will be like daylight all the time.  The color actually changes according to the lighting.  Early morning sun makes it bright neon green.  Afternoon sun it is less neon.  And in the evening it actually not too bad, a much darker shade of green.  It is a horse of a different color.  I am trying to decide if I am going to be able to live with the color choice.  I really don't want to spend another $50 on paint, but it is really bright.  There is also the option of texturing with white over the green to tone it down.  I will take a picture next time I am there so that you can get a better idea of the joy that is my bedroom.  The hall glows green if the sun is right.  Boy, is it fun.

canceled

My trip to Israel was canceled. I have mixed emotions about this. Part of me is relieved to have all the money back. The other part of me is just plain sad that I am not going on this amazing trip. Anyone want to go anywhere? I need an adventure. International? US? I am up for anything. Well, almost anything. I really want to go back to Europe. Any takers?

I may be dying

For the second time this week I had a weird medical experience.  I don't really know how to describe what happened in a way that you will fully appreciate what occurred.  Both Monday and again today I have suddenly developed a wide-spread rash.  We're talking, all over my legs and arms and back.  Red, itchy, raised rash.  Today I looked down and my legs were bright red/purple.  Along with the rash comes an intense itch.  Horribly itchy.  It is so bad that I cannot stop itching, literally.  On Monday all I could do was take a benadryl, take an oatmeal bath and then sleep it off.  Today I didn't have that option.  All I could do today was keep on keepin' on.  As in, I was at my Condo painting with my dad.  I told him that I wasn't sure what was happening, but that I might be having an allergic reaction to something.  He told me to stop talking and keep painting.  I said that I might stop breathing if it was an anaphylactic reaction.  He said to stop talking and keep painting.  I told him that I couldn't handle the itch.  He told me to stop talking and keep painting.  He is good like that.  He later said that if I had collapsed he would have just pushed me out of the way and kept painting.  The compassion is amazing.  We Johnsons are known for our compassion and caring.  I can't think of anything that was the same about the two experiences that would have been a trigger.  However, being the medically-minded person that I am, my mind immediately focused on all the horrible things that could be happening.  So, hopefully I am okay after the next spell (if there is a next time).  Otherwise, I will let you know how the hospital stay was.

South Bend and Chicago

I got back last week from my trip to visit my brother, sister (in-law) and nephew.  It was so much fun.  I took about 6.8 million pictures.  So, I will share with you some of my favorites. And, I uploaded them in no particular order, so enjoy the randomness.  I threw in a couple of funny ones to show that it really is straight-up luck that I get any good ones.

Most of these are of my adorable nephew.  There are more posted on The Book of Armaments (sorry if you can't see them because you are not an invited member.  I am elitist like that.

This one, as with all of them, is much better in full size.

He thinks he is funny.  So do I.

The basilica at Notre Dame.  It is gorgeous, and has a giant gold-leafed Mary on top.  Very cool.

I was supposed to get some good "family photos".  I like this one.

One of my faves.  He almost has the "who is this lady who won't stop taking my picture" look.

I don't know why, but this one speaks to me.

Although naturally very cute, this picture proves that I am not always able to capture that cuteness.  It is still good, just with funny eyes.

Check out those eyes.  I wish my eyes were bright like that.

More proof that I am not that good.  Or, maybe I am really good since I caught a face like this.  I fully expect to use this as blackmail at a later date.

Loving the slides.

This was about 30 minutes after they picked me up at the airport.  He still isn't sure what to think of me and my camera.

Good sun exposure.

Chicago was so great.  The weather was surprisingly mild.  And, as much as I love the boy, it was really nice to just have us girls and no stroller.

Since no one is allowed to touch my camera, especially random strangers, we have separate pictures at Wicked.

I let my sister-in-law touch my camera for this one.  She can count herself very lucky.  That is her coat, too.  I chose not to bring mine.  I almost chose to take this one home with me.

So, there it is.

And, by way of really simple review: Wicked in Chicago is excellent, but a slight step down from Wicked in NYC.

my estimated age is quickly decreasing

On the flight home from Chicago I had a great seat, aisle with an empty chair beside me.  The conversation that followed went something like this:

Flight Attendant: "Are you travelling alone?"

Me: "yes"

F.A.: "Would you like to sit in the exit row"

Me: "sure" (you usually get more leg room in the exit row)

F.A.:"Wait, how old are you?"

Me:"25"

F.A.:"Okay, great.  Follow me."

At which point I followed the flight attendant to the exit row.  And this other guy joined us on the exit row, and he took the aisle, so I had the middle seat.  And the seat was excrutiatingly uncomfortable.  So much so that I had to lean forward during the whole 4 hour flight.

While sitting in the exit row, I grabbed the little booklet to see how old you had to be to sit in the exit row.  15.  Not 18, or 21 or anything even remotely close to my age.  The flight attendant lady seriously thought I was quite possibly younger than 15.  Yikes. I was dressed well, minding my own business.  I was not acting like a teenager or a pre-teen.  Yet, even at my best, I look younger than 15.  Awesome.

25ish

The missionaries came over today.  They wanted to ask the bishop (dad) about people in the ward to visit.  So, I sat in for the discussion.  At the end we had a little do-you-know... fun.  As in, oh, you lived in Riverside, so did we, do you know ___?  It went well, as it always does.  Then one of the missionaries asked me how old I am.  I said 25 (my birthday was last Monday, p.s.).  He was very surprised, and with the tact of a 19 year old boy, said "really, I thought you were in the last year or two of high school, like 16-18".  Hmm.  No.  Off by almost a decade.  Thanks though.  I am not sure if he was trying to test out his chances with me after the mission, or what.  I think I managed a "yeah, people usually think I am younger than I actually am".  So, if anyone knows any nice 19-year-olds, send them my way.  Apparently that is the age group I am attracting.

speed racer

I went here and did the typing test.  My results:

You type 385 characters per minute

You have 69 correct words

You have 2 wrong words

I type 69 words per minute

I know that really isn't that great, but it is better than I expected.  What can I say, I just don't type that quickly, especially under pressure.  Typing from my head is much quicker than copying words on the computer screen.

What about you?

Giving in

A: Attached or single: Single, so very very single 

B: Best Friend: I have lots of "BFF"s.  But not really one Best Friend.

C: Cake or Pie: I am not really into dessert.  I do like rainbow chip cake with rainbow chip frosting, though.

D: Day of Choice: I like most days.  I guess mid May is pretty nice.

E: Essential Item: Underwear

F: Favorite Color: It used to be pink, but I have gotten past that.  I like green.  And a lot of other colors.

G: Gummi Bears or Worms: Sour Gummy Worms.  Those are the best.

H: Hometown: Murray, UT.  I used to claim Riverside, CA, but stopped claiming it when I was about 15.  I lived in Provo, UT, but have never claimed that as my home or hometown.

I: Indulgence(s): Hmm, traveling.  It is an expensive indulgence, but an indulgence nonetheless.

J: January or July: May or September.

K: Kids: None to speak of, but I feel like I have hundreds of kids because of work.

L: Life is incomplete without: friends

M: Marriage Date: May 23, 2010

N: Number of Siblings: 4 brothers, 2 sisters-in-law

O: Oranges or Apples: Oranges, except they are so darn messy and sticky.  You can eat an apple without getting covered with sticky juice, but it is very difficult to do so with an orange.

P: Phobias or Fears: I hate hate hate hate spiders.  And I am afraid of dogs.  Especially big dogs.  Weirdly, I am very okay with jumping out of airplanes, but little 8-legged creatures make me flee the room.

Q: Quote(s): I can't think of a good quote right now, so I will use the quote of the day on my iGoogle page: I know a lot about cars.  I can look at a car's headlights and tell you exactly which way it's coming. Mitch Hedberg.

R: Reason To Smile: Breathing.

S: Season: Spring.  And I really like oregano, in case this question was about that.

T: Tag Six: Nope.  Won't do it.  I have a general rule that I don't do things like this, and now I am, but I will not be compelled to "tag" anyone else.  If you want to do it, feel free.

U: Unknown Fact about Me: My life is generally an open book.

V: Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: I wish I was a vegetarian, it would be a lot more healthy.  Instead, I eat lots of meat.  Last night I had a dream that I needed to get out of bed to let the cat out (I don't have a cat), and instead of getting out of bed to let the cat out I just kept hitting snooze on my alarm. So, I guess I am an oppressor of animals.

W: Worst Habit: Computer time.

X: X-Rays or Ultrasounds: X-rays never hurt, whereas ultrasounds can be rather uncomfortable.  I guess for that reason I am going to have to go with X-rays.

Y: Your Favorite Food: This is apparently a problem I have.  I don't know what my favorite food is.  I couldn't even think of something I really wanted for my birthday dinner.  I am cool like that.

Z: Zodiac: Pisces.  My horoscope (from astrology.com): "Teamwork is the word of the day and wherever you find yourself, there should be give and take between you and the people you work with.  You are an incredibly valuable member, even if your efforts are low-key"  I think that just said I am a slacker.  Hmm.

explorations in photography

I took a bunch of random pictures with my camera today.  I am no expert, I just played around with it.  Here are some of the best pics I got.  They are really rather stunning full size.  My camera is great, I am hoping to figure out how to use it well soon.

This first one is of dead sunflowers from last summer that are on the side of the house.  I really enjoy taking close ups.

I was playing with the contrast of focusing the foreground and blurring the background.  It makes for an interesting shot.

This picture looks a lot better full size.  My mom claims that the fruit on this tree used to be apples.  They look like berries to me.  Little wrinkly berries.

I just plain got lucky with this one.  I just love that the background is so muted and the branch is so vivid.  I honestly got lucky with every one of my photos today.  When it comes down to it, I have no idea what I am doing, but I am having fun pretending.

crazy me

I unfortunately really have no idea how to use my new computer or camera.  However, with the help of my brother, James, I have learned to do a few very important things.  For instance, I now have all my music on my computer, I can upload my movies (if I want) onto my computer to be viewed in FrontRow, and I can take pictures with my icamera.  That is the most important thing.  I can actually spend quite a bit of time taking crazy pictures of myself with the camera.  Here are a few of the recent pics.

My bank account is crying

My bank called me a few hours ago. They wanted to make sure I was actually as crazy as my purchases indicate. Yes, I am.
Yesterday I bought this:

and this:

and this:

and four of these:
and this:
and this (it was free because I bought so much other stuff):
and a couple other random things. It was a busy and expensive day. And fun too.