an aggregate of all things Johnson

You already saw Travis’ photo with Santa when he was just a cute little babe… so I felt compelled to show mine. While we were home for the holidays I took the opportunity to scan a few old photos. Above is my Santa shot from 1981. Below are 1982, 83, and 84.

Our expressions are pretty great. Somewhere between “how do I look? and “what the heck is happening?” Also, I think I am wearing a sweat suit in 83.

For reference, here is a photo of me and my brother, Seth, this Christmas. There’s no Santa, but we look about the same.

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On Thursdays, I take a photo of myself with my morning beverage of choice and upload it to the Mugshot Thursdays Flickr group. Above are my photos from today. Crusher did not want to cooperate. (Also, please don’t report me to the authorities as a hoarder because of all the junk in the background. I swear the rest of the apartment isn’t that bad!)

I realized today that I have been doing Mugshot Thursdays for over two years! My first one was in June of 2009. It is a little kooky, but Mugshot Thursday was just something that my internet friend, Jennifer, and I started doing on a whim. Then we invited others to join us. It is still a small group, but YOU are welcome to join us – just add yourself to the group and then upload a photo each week with your mug. Or cup. Or water bottle. Or, really, anything. There are no rules, just weird, silly fun.

Two years ago, when I first got Photo Booth on my Mac, I had grand plans of taking a photo of myself every day. Just for fun. Well, and also so that I could make one of those time lapse videos that would show me aging over time. Anyway, every day is too much… but once a week is perfect! Mugshot Thursdays forever!

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Have you heard? Hurricane Irene is coming to New York City!

The storm is supposed to get here over-night tonight, and right now they are saying it will be a Category 1 hurricane. I am not too worried, but I got a little more concerned when Mayor Bloomberg announced the MTA (public transportation) shutdown and the mandatory evacuation of the low-lying areas. Those two things have never happened in this city before! The city is taking Irene seriously!

Believe it or not, Travis and I headed out with Team In Training for our group run this morning. I am glad we did. The rain hadn’t started and I am glad I got a workout in before the storm starts in earnest. I also took it as an opportunity to take some pre-hurricane photos. We ran from prospect Park, over the Brooklyn Bridge, through lower Manhattan, and then up the West Side Highway. The sky was ominous, with fog covering the tops of the tall buildings, and it was very humid, but there really wasn’t any wind.

Above is a shot looking south-ish from the Brooklyn Bridge to Governor’s Island. (There was supposed to be a huge, 3-day Dave Matthew’s Band concert on Governor’s Island this weekend, but it was cancelled.) The sky looks stormy, but the East River and ocean seemed quite calm.

This is the the Hudson River. We ran along the West Side Highway once we got to Manhattan. I had anticipated rocky water and waves, but the water was completely calm. There were lots of exercisers out on the path, but less cars than usual on the road.

I really didn’t notice much hurricane prep. A few shops were taped or boarded up like the one above, but the vast majority were not. We saw some families packing up cars to leave the city, but no one seemed panicked. All of the restaurants and bodegas were still open. I stopped at Walgreens to get extra water (for the run) and there was a long line. People were getting snacks and drinks and toys for their kids.

Once we got back to Brooklyn, it started to rain. (Actual hurricane water touched my skin! omg!) The rain didn’t seem to deter Brooklynites, though. Our blocks were crowded with people shopping, getting coffee, and generally just hanging out. I don’t think many will be leaving the city. We walked past this official evacuation center on our way home. (It is the high school on 7th Avenue and 4th Street, by the way.) The police were just hanging outside the entrance, as calm as could be. I think they were amused when I asked if I could take a photo of the sign.

Travis and I are taking the storm seriously, but not buying into all the frenzy and hype. We have plenty of food and water, and we moved things away from the windows. We may lose electricity, but I really think that is the worst that will happen. I think the city is over-reacting about how much damage the hurricane will do, but I understand that they have to play it safe. As Travis keeps repeating from Mayor Bloomberg’s press conference: “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”

We will be safe. I’ll report back after (and maybe during) the hurricane.

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My little brother, Adam, got married yesterday. It was an awesome day! I’ll definitely be writing a full review of the whole event soon, but for now you can check out my photos on Flickr.

I was sad to leave Kansas this morning. Travis and I are headed to New Jersey for a half marathon tomorrow, but currently we are stuck in the Charlotte airport waiting on a delayed flight. The bright side is that it’s given me time to upload about 200 photos from my trip!

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As is the tradition, Travis and I traveled home to Kansas for Christmas. Crusher came with us and even got to ride with us in the plane cabin in his carrying case. We had planned to stay for about nine days, but the winter storm in New York delayed our return. The extended stay put us behind on our work, but meant for extra family time. Here are some highlights:

Chelsea and I love posing with our dogs because they are so darn cute. She has two Boston Terriers, we have Crusher, and my parents have two dogs… which makes for a lot of dogs!

Speaking of which, it is a good thing that Travis has come to love dogs because they love him!

Although, Crusher really loves my dad the best. That is dad protecting him from the big, bad outdoors when we took a trip to Roundrock (my parents’ country property). Crusher has grown to be something of an urban dog…

The Lamble holiday break can basically be summarized by three things: Diet Mountain Dew, Snickerdoodles, and the board game, Sequence… which was actually slightly more exciting than this photo would have you believe.

Speaking of Lambles, here is Adam with our new family addition, his fiance, Nina. They are deep into wedding planning and I am thrilled to be helping them with their invitations. (I’m even more thrilled that I get to be a bridesmaid!! Thanks, Nina!)

We did the traditional Christmas morning at the Johnsons, and this year the girls had matching pajamas. (Thanks, Chelsea & Nicole!) My ultimate goal is to have every single family member in matching pajamas next year!!

On Christmas Eve, Travis’ family hosts a big family night. It is always a good time and we get to hang out with the younger cousins. That is me and my cousin (sort of) Gabe striking a pose. Christmas needs kids!

On Christmas Eve, we also played a trivia game that was centered around the classic stories told by Travis’ grandma, Isabella. Isabella is one of my very favorite people. I admire her upbeat attitude and the love she shows for everyone she interacts with. The game was a fun way to get to know her even better.

Travis’ Grandma Johnson (one of my other favorite people) made each of the Johnson families these incredible family history books! I haven’t even been able to read it all yet because it is so thick, but I already treasure it. What an awesome gift! (Please ignore my morning face…)

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So, that gives you a good idea of how I spent my holiday… It really was a wonderful time — full of tradition, relaxation, and food. I wasn’t as active with my camera as I would have liked, but I have a few more photos in my Winter 2010 Flickr Set.

How did you spend the holidays? What are your yearly traditions?

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