Katie and Matt

run fido, run

2012-01-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

Don't get me wrong, I really do love my job. But I just had no idea how INSANE people really are. People are just crazy, each in their own quirky, almost lovable kind of way. Some days I come home and seriously consider making a switch to an all canine patient population. I bet this dog hasn't told his PT the same stupid story about his pain or his daughter's wedding plans 1 million times....

we have arrived

2011-11-27T19:43:00.000-08:00

You may be one of the tens or hundreds of people who get Loudon Magazine, and if you are, you may be flipping through it and thinking to yourself, "that handsome couple semi-featured in the wedding section looks very familiar". And you would be right. It's us! We are famous! Kind of. But this may be the the biggest thing to ever happen to us, so just humor me. Since Loudon Magazine is not a national publication, feel free to view the online version here: http://www.leesburg2day.com/more_a/loudoun_magazine/

We are also available for autographs and/or personal skype sessions for a small appearance fee.

We are the tiny couple standing on a tree, and then the page spread immediately following. You will also notice I am the only bride with sleeves. Modest is the hottest. Literally, we got married in August. In Virginia. Next to a river.

A Wedding, a wedding!!

2011-10-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

So I was looking through some photos I took last weekend at my friend Margo's wedding. I wasn't planning on blogging, but I saw this little photo gem, and decided the world should see it. If you can't quite see why I love this photo, just look at one particularly daring flower girl.

Like a good pair of bridesmaids, Nicole and I had our own photo shoot on the side (oh Margo, we don't deserve you)

The newest man in our lives. Jason, if you do not treat Margo like the Disney Princess she is, you will have to answer to us. Actually, we were all sort of obsessed with Jason by the end of the night, so well done Margo!

Pretty Bride!!

hear me through on this

2011-10-18T20:21:00.001-07:00

Puppies are the greatest things in life. Dogs are a close second with very old, incontinent dogs a distant third. Everything else in life falls somewhere else along the spectrum after that. I can't think of a more perfect afternoon than spending some quality time with my man and my pup. Look at the puppy pictured above. It's just begging you to love it. If it were socially acceptable, and if that was actually my puppy, you would be looking at my future christmas card. I'll leave you with a top 10.....

TOP 10 REASONS WHY PUPPIES ARE BETTER THAN BABIES:

10. you're a weirdo if you try to put a diaper on a dog

9. naming a puppy "thor" or "rumplestiltskin" is cute, while naming it "kevin" is creepy

8. two cups of food in the morning, two cups of food in the evening. done.

7. puppies come out walking

6. the greatest gift you can ever give is a tennis ball

5. you can sell litter-mates for profit

4. puppies can follow one word commands after only a few weeks of training

3. people don't judge you for putting up "lost puppy" posters

2. no need to worry about post-baby muffin tops

1. puppies are soft, cuddly, and always land on their feet (sorta)

Epic vacation

2011-08-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

There's really no nice way to put it: my life was better than yours last week. The Johnson family takes birthdays and vacations very seriously, so we had a serious birthday celebration in the Cayman Islands for my dad's 60th. It was a great week of sandy suits, stingrays, and driving on the left side of the road in a 9 passenger van. Sadly, we came home and the universe decided to remind me that my life really is not that awesome. So before you become green with jealous rage over my fabulous life, I better tell you that I somehow got a cold in paradise and that I was in a hit and run accident on the way to church yesterday. But...I'd do it all again in a second if I could. Hint hint...Turks and Caicos 2012 anyone? More pictures to come from our underwater camera!

Really not a bad view to wake up to in the morning:

My hardest daily decision was to swim in the 85 degree ocean or the 90 degree pool

Just so much sunscreen

Matt getting a little "me" time on the porch

It wouldn't be heaven without an iphone and ESPN.com....

I believe this little lady's name is Blondie

If Matt were to take engagement pictures with a stingray I imagine they would look a lot like this:

REALLY?!?!

What? Posed? No way...

Darn paparazzi always taking pictures of us

We look slightly awkward here, but the water looks gorgeous

I love Uncle Matt

We managed to sneak off to Georgetown for a look at a pirate ship

Princess week!

The Critchfields do Youth Conference

2011-07-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hello blog friends! Here are a few pictures from our trip to Kirtland, Ohio. Somehow people thought that Matt and I were mature enough to pass as chaperones and asked us to accompany the youth. My first order of official, adult business was hysterically calling my mother at 6:00 am asking her to bring sleeping bags to the church because no one informed me that I was responsible for my own bedding. Once that crisis was averted, Matt and I piled onto a bus with awkward, gangly 14 year olds. We then watched such mormon classics as "Mormons and Mobsters", "The Work and the Glory", and "The RM", and before we knew it we had arrived! The trip was really packed and included visits to the Morley Farm, the Johnson Farm, the Whitney store, and of course, the Kirtland Temple. It was a fun trip and I learned a lot about the church and it's history. I also learned, and this is truly important to my future happiness, that Matt can do one mean electric slide. I bet he was just the hottest thing at those Lodi Stake Dances.

Vacations are hard work

2011-07-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Matt and I have been working very hard trying to relax and get tan. We managed to relax but have yet to find the secret of how to get tan while wearing 100 SPF (thank you dermatologist recommended Neutrogena). I had some issues uploading pictures so they are very out of order. Here's a brief synopsis of what happened: We took a 7 day cruise to Mexico, Belize, and Isla Roatan. On this cruise we ate 20 pounds of pizza, 5 tons of french fries, and 60 gallons of soft serve. We also went zip lining over the rainforest, went swimming/exploring in underground river caves, made love to a small monkey, and generally lived it up. Then we stayed for 4 days with our good friends Kevin and Nicole who showed us an AMAZING time that included jet skiing in gator waters, swimming in a natural spring, and body surfing in the ocean (read: getting rocked by waves and wishing I wore a one-piece bathing suit).

Our room steward was very handy with the towel folding. This is a pig. Was he suggesting something?
Impromptu conga line at dinner!
24 hour pizza = matt's nemesis

Another benefit of endless/constant food: free spa treatments

The lounge singer.

Inside the ship.

Love the Liljenquists

The monkey is jumping ship.

A view of what we zip-lined over. If you look closely you can see the wires, and there is the ocean. I felt just like the Bachelorette and even told Matt that I really "felt a connection" with him on our date.

Ready to zip line: who doesn't look good in a splunking helmet and harness?

Happy cruise faces!

So long paradise. What has everyone else been up to this summer?

Wizard Robes, Red Sox and Dr. Critchfield

2011-05-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I took a quick trip to Boston with Matt and my parents to get my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (holy moly I did it). We didn't have a lot of time so we had to squeeze in as much fun as we could. The weather was perfect, the lobster was delicious, and the robes were ridiculous. It was wonderful to see friends from church and school and get to spend more time in such an exciting city (hint hint, let's move back). The incredibly comfortable hotel beds didn't hurt either. Thanks to everyone for helping me get through the past three years...I can't believe it's over! Definitely really missing Boston and everyone I met there.

Fluffy hats are really in this season...

I hate to get mushy, but I'm kind of obsessed with this guy:

And the wonderful people who made all of this education possible:

Another glamour shot by some smart looking scenery:
Love love love these people:
Laughter-the only way to survive PT school
I'm holding a very expensive folder...
More of some of the most amazing people you will ever meet:
Getting ready to make our grand entrance:
Welcome to Boston!
After walking by Fenway every day for almost three years, I'm going to miss it
So maybe the Sox lost this game, but they won the series against the cubs :)

Wonderful ex-roommates!

Does anyone read this anymore?

2011-03-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

Seriously, does anyone read this anymore? I really doubt it. It was never that interesting to begin with and the past 6 months around here have been as active as Father Eli on a Sunday afternoon in the Amish country. Let's be honest though, blogs are totally self-indulgent pastimes that encourage the author to let everyone else in the whole wide world know just how awesome she is while maintaining the facade of some type platform for humble reflection. So, i'll just skip over that last part and tell you right now...my life was TOTALLY awesome last August (and getting slightly more awesome again as springs pops up) when Matt and I went on our honeymoon to puerto rico. And since i have yet to do something to top that awesomeness, i will start there. And shamelessly post some pictures. And i'm ashamed to say i do this with 99% confidence that no one even reads this anymore.

Pictures of the rainforest we hiked through and the luscious waterfall! oooooo

Matt got us an awesome suite with our own butler. When she found out we were on our honeymoon she surprised us one night with candles and a bath (our jacuzzi was outside on our porch. NBD.)

Old San Juan! And we got caught in a downpour...

Our most awesome (word of the day?) hotel

Katie Critchfield! Officially, but not so officially

2010-09-03T13:19:00.001-07:00

Call me Critchfield. Just not in the legal since because I'm hanging on to the Johnson until I graduate. You may have noticed that I haven't been blogging in a long time. You may have stopped reading this blog. You may not even know who I am. Well, it is your lucky day because I am most definitely back in the blogging world, and it's time to get to know me. I have been sort of preoccupied the last few months and I had a crazy summer that ended with a few new accessories (i.e. some rings and a husband).

On August 7th Matt Critchfield and I were married in the Washington, DC LDS temple and then had a little party down in Virginia. All of which was meticulously planed by my lovely mother. No way could I have ever planned such a beautiful day without all of her hard work and willingness to watch me turn into a bridzilla. I guess it takes 6 whole weeks to photoshop my pictures into viewing shape (looks like I overpaid for my hair and make-up), but my photographer sent me a couple pictures to keep me pacified for two more weeks. Thanks to everyone who was part of our wedding. It was perfect and felt so great to be surrounded by so many dear friends and family.

Teeny Tiny bride and groom.

This is the last picture we took at the temple. I may look calm, but I think I was about two seconds away from tearing off my dress and jumping in the little pool. It's hot in August.

I've never been a big fan of kissing in public...but I seem to do really well kissing at the temple

This picture would be cooler if my back actually bent like a normal person's.

Here I am, all alone, just me and my thoughts.

Here is my wonderful family! On the far left are Jenny and Mark champoux with their children Justin and Brooke, then Erin and Kyle Stewart with their new baby Avery and Ellie (on the far right), then Matt and me, then my parents, Page and Woody, and my grandparents Bobette and Glendon. Not a bad looking group. I think Justin had the right idea about nap time.

Is it cheesy to say I think my husband is cute? It is? Oh. Well in that case, my husband is really, really good looking.

Wedding Weekend

2010-04-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

No no no, not my wedding. One of my best friends, Caroline's, wedding! Caroline got married this past Saturday and had a beautiful wedding in Hilton Head, South Carolina at the Palmetto Bluff Inn. The weekend was so much fun and went by way too quickly. Caroline looked gorgeous and was amazingly calm and just plain excited all weekend. She and Mark are great together and I am so happy for them. Besides the nuptials I got to bring along Matt for a miniature vacation and some well deserved time away from Boston. The weekend consisted of pampering and endless delicious food, which was fine by me. Caroline arranged for her bridesmaids to have our hair and makeup done, and I was only teasted mildly by the professional team when my response to seeing my reflection was, "Wow, I'm hot!" Turns out that the secret to looking good is a professional hair and makeup team, a pretty dress, and 4 hours. It was great to see old friends again and have an excuse to party like a rockstar and dance to Lady Gaga's classic hit, "Telephone". Here are a few pictures of all the fun:

The beautiful bride in such a pretty chapel with a great view of the river/ocean

The gorgeous bridesmaids, and then me trying really hard not to look awkward

So hot right now...I think I was attempting a sexy face?

we clean up pretty good.

Ok, time to go back....meet you all there.

I've decided on a puppy

2010-03-06T14:24:00.001-08:00

It was 45 degrees in Boston today. Which means everyone thought that it was summer so the whole city spent the day outside for the first time in three months. It was absolutely heavenly and it's quite amazing how you can convince yourself that 45 degrees is a pleasant temperature. I started the day off with a morning trip to Mike's Pastries for a lobster tail...so good...and then a pedicure with the roomies. Then Matt and I ventured into Harvard Square to soak up some local culture and get lost in the Harvard Bookstore, oh man I like bookstores. At first I wanted to buy the game bananagrams, but then I quickly changed my mind when we passed the most adorable dog I have ever seen. And I want this puppy. Puggles are so 2008. This little baby is a shiba inu and all data from preliminary research suggests this to be the perfect little starter dog. Come to Mama.

Happy Pseudo-Valentine's Day!

2010-02-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

So Valentine's Day is in exactly one week. And if everything goes according to plan, that means that I will be spending Valentine's Day this year with my parents, in a hotel room, high on vicodin. I'm not sure that's exactly the romantic evening Matt had in mind, so we decided to have a pre-surgery celebration. Matt made this delicious dinner that took about 3 hours and clogged as many arteries. If someone had written about is in a food magazine I think it would have been something like this: "Each bit is an explosion of flavor in your mouth. One minute it's like you're on a gondola in Venice, and then next it's like you're sailing the high seas with Johnny Depp". Ok, so maybe it wouldn't include a pirate reference, but it was tasty enough to pillage for. I decided to contribute by making a dessert of some sort. I looked to Martha Stewart for some help, and I made these creme pastry raspberry things. One half burned/half soggy pastry, one pair of jeans, and one cornstarch explosion later, I had the recipe mastered. It was actually really simple, and it was the first time I have ever made cream from scratch. I feel a boston creme pie coming in the near future. Well my friends, this is probably it until I get my surgery on Thursday! I'll try to post something while I'm still a little loopy.

It really was that good

This is how I stand/walk/function these days. Do you see why I need surgery?

Try to look at this picture while imagining tiny angels strum harps and sing softly around the baked ziti

In all of its 1 million calorie glory

All this mess for two little pastries? wow.

don't tell matt!

2009-10-14T18:21:00.001-07:00

I am officially really lame and ashamed of myself. But, I'm going to do this anyway. Matt came out to visit this weekend and here are a few pictures. The first one is actually at the BYU FSU game (we shouldn't talk about that much more). As you can see we are both very proud of being cougars. Since Matt and I were both sick and had to cancel our trip to New York, we pacified ourselves with a trip to New Hampshire to pick some apples and eat some apple cider donuts (the most delicious treats ever created). The last picture came out very squinty, so I had to do some mad photoshop to take out all the crinkles in my face...smooth as a baby's butt. Well, now my roommate is reading this. I'm uncomfortable. Don't tease me for this post.

I'm alive?

2009-09-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know if anyone even reads this anymore. Clearly I don't write on this anymore. But I just wanted to let all my loyal followers, a.k.a mommy, that I am alive and doing well. Nothing interesting to report though. And definitely no fun pictures to put up. Wow, I am seriously boring. I think this blog may be on the out, so kiss this sweet page goodbye. It's been a joy and a pleasure. oh it's also US OPEN time and i've been watching it all day. it's been amazing. and i just saw a ballboy eat it pretty hard. ok, i have ADD...gotta stop talking now.

1st year of a doctorate program? piece of cake.

2009-05-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

I SURVIVED! Booya! (ps why did people stop using this word all the time? it sums up my feelings so perfectly). it is over. i have survived my first year in boston. and despite all the complaining and the dramatic episodes, it actually wasn't too bad. and i even managed to have a little bit of fun. this whole experience reminds me of my first day of kindergarten, minus the nap time but with double the amount of animal crackers. after our last final we wet to our friend's apartment and celebrated the freedom and the idea of finally having a summer. after being in school for two years straight i think we deserve it.

before i snapped this momento of our last final i actually said the words "you guys are going to want this picture one day!" and thus i started to turn into my mother.

Paul and i share a birthday, one which was ruined by studying for neuroscience all day. but if your birthday is terrible that means that things can only get better, right?

seriously. it is this bad.

2009-05-08T13:41:00.001-07:00

This has been a pretty insane week. Well, it's been an insane year. But things are winding down and today I took my second to last final. With 6 finals spaced out in 5 days, a practical final examination the week prior, and terrible allergies to boot, it is no surprise that my body has taken a bit of a hit. I went to bed at 12:30 or so last night and woke up at 6 am to go over my neuroscience notes one last time. I'm 97% sure that when I looked in the mirror this is the reflection I saw (except with blonde hair). I almost peed my pants, I almost started crying, and then I realized it was only me, or whatever creature it is that I have become. Hopefully by this time tomorrow it will all be over and my skin can be introduced to the sun once again.

super duper embarrassing...

2009-04-26T16:14:00.001-07:00

so mom, this one's for you. a few weeks ago my mom seemed really excited by the fact that i wear scrubs to my clinical. i know, who wears scrubs in hospitals anymore? weird. so she asked for evidence. and here it is. and in her honor i tried to be extra sassy with my hips. i figure with finals rapidly approaching there's a chance that i may not return to school, and thus my last time to wear scrubs without total disdain for health professions. sorry but i thought that putting on my badge and stethoscope would be a little over the top, but that picture is available upon request. i'm thinking about starting a calender or something...scrubs of the month or something catchy. but wardrobe aside, i really liked my last clinical and i can't wait for this summer when i get to spend my internship in a similar settting. the only downside about being a physical therapist is that i am constantly called "mean" and a "torturer" by the patients. i guess i am pretty intimidating though...i give the The Green Monster a whole new connotation.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T11:56:00.001-07:00

Good news: I've already eaten most of my easter chocolate and have settled into a good nauseous feeling.

Last week at General Conference Elder Holland gave a really beautiful talk about the atonement and Easter. The church has made a little video about it and put it on their homepage so you can easily find it by going to www.lds.org

This talk really stood out to me last week during Conference. Over the past year I have been "privileged" to feel more alone than I ever have in my life. It's been a crazy 12 months of moving to a brand new city and starting a new life surrounded by people that don't share my beliefs. I've complained more than once about being lonely--something I had honestly never felt in my previous 22 years on this earth.

But despite my complaints I have had the support of family, friends, classmates, and roommates. And I knew that they were all supporting me even if they were not physically with me because I could feel their love and prayers. And most importantly, I have maintained my relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

So it seems almost silly to me now that I am ever capable of feeling lonely because it is impossible for me to be alone. I can feel the love that President Monson and his Apostles have for each person on this earth, and especially for me as an individual.

I can't imagine what the Savior felt before he died. Before this experience I thought I knew what it was like to be alone. Now I know what it feels like to just merely think that I am all alone, while still benefiting from the love of others. If it's possible for me to be sad despite all of the blessings and support I receive, I cannot fathom the strength that our Savior must have had. One reason that I am grateful for the atonement is because it means that I will never experience true loneliness.

The video is good, it's only like 5 min., and you can eat your chocolate bunny while you watch it.

total guilty pleasure

2009-04-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

So sometimes I watch the food network (and espn, i promise). And i've recently discovered that the FOOD CHALLENGE is on Sunday nights. This show is amazing. These people make the most outrageous cakes. My inner creative genius as well as my inner fatty both identify with this spectacularly tasty program. Just look at the cake above. THAT'S A CAKE, NOT A DRESS!! Plus, that dress is gorgeous and i wish i could wear it. and then i'd always have a little snack with me (i need to keep my blood sugar up, people). and at the end of the day, when i will have eaten my entire dress/cake, i'll be naked and covered in frosting. and if that doesn't get me a date with prince charming, i don't know what will. wow, somehow this post has derailed and i have no idea what i am talking about anymore. so cakes.......

I should work at Hallmark

2009-03-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MARCH MADNESS EVERYONE!

So I had a brilliant idea today as I was walking to class. And I think I should pitch it to Hallmark and make millions of dollars off of it. So here's the idea: as many of you know, the end of March signals the beginning of spring and it is a time of hope, excitement, and dreaming. But no one cares about baby chikadees and wobbly-legged lambs when the country's elite collegiate athletes are competing in the NCAA basketball tournament. And these athletes carry with them the hopes and dreams of all the wanna-be collegiate athletes out there, all the accountants buried under W2 forms, all of the now slightly overweight blue collared workers that haven't touched a basketball in decades but continue to yell at the TV because they KNOW that they could have made that shot at the buzzer and ushered the team to the final four.

Hallmark gets a bad reputation because it tends to capitalize on the female gender's desire for intimacy, sincerity, and frivolity. This reputation is perpetuated by the unfortunate males that are forced to purchase cards, boxes of chocolates, and teddy bears that wear shirts saying things like "i love you berry much!" Most men (certainly not all) do not like these things, and instead of taking girls out to a fancy vegan dinner, would much rather be at home eating buffalo wings and watching a game. But men continue to support this tradition with grumbling attitudes and the hope that some new red lingerie will be in their near future.

So why shouldn't Hallmark create a holiday that is devoted to allowing the women to show their love and appreciation to men. Why not support their love of sports and greasy food? And yet, somehow make it classy. A lot of girls I know do not like march madness because they feel left out, or feel that the men in their life would rather watch basketball than spend time with them. But if Hallmark could create a card saying something like "I simply go MAD for you in March" then girls could somehow get involved in this whole thing. Girls could, essentially, create a Valentine's day geared towards men. Instead of a teddy bear, why not give the man a pizza that comes in a box shaped like a basketball? This way, the girls dont feel left out, everyone gets to watch the tournament, and I make millions of dollars. Plus, I truly don't think we give guys enough credit for suffering through Valentine's day.

SPRING BREAK!

2009-03-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

I finally have time to write on this stupid blog! Yippee! So, I am on spring break, and loving it. I can't believe I went so long without one of these things. I spent some excellent time in VA and basically sat on the couch and ate tons of mint brownies. It was awesome. And my family and I got to do some fun things like going to the national gallery and stalking Angelina Jolie (for all intents and purposes, I saw her). And, Margo comes in two days!

Other than that, I have no exciting news to report. Sorry. I should really adopt a baby or something.

You know you go to Boston University when...

2009-02-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

..you receive a text message from the BU Police saying, "there is police activity in the area of 705 Commonwealth Avenue. Please stay clear of the area and await further update".

..you walk into the lobby of the gym to find scattered information booths, all of which are covered in uniquely colored and flavored condoms.

..your school has two baseball teams. The Red Sox and whoever those other guys are.

..all of your conversations hit upon the "nice weather" if the temp. rises above freezing.

..you are never more than five minutes away from a coffee/bagel shop, and never more than three minutes away from a Dunkin' Donuts.

..you secretly think that Comm. Ave. Guy (pictured above) is your best friend. (Actually, that might just be me)

that's all i got for now. i started this little list today when the first two things happened within hours of each other. turns out that the police were responding to a report of someone carrying a clip and a bullet. and as for the safe sex buffet, i can't say that i took the time to figure that one out.

my money's light green....

2009-01-29T18:15:00.000-08:00

Do yourself a favor, and please look to the right of this page. You will see a little box that says YouTube. In the search field please type in (or cut and paste) the following: "young jeezy, my president is black". click on the first video, or any that strikes your fancy. and then enjoy the following song. i hope it brings as much joy to you as it has to me on this cold winter's eve in new england.

Nostalgia and procrastination

2009-01-24T09:41:00.001-08:00

I can only spend so many hours doing neuroscience homework. And since my computer is just sitting here on my desk daring me to touch it, I often find myself wasting a lot of time on it. Today is no exception. I started going through my pictures, and then I started going through my pictures of my study abroad in Europe. So now I'm procrastinating and wishing I could go back in time. Even though I was only gone for a few months, it was such a treat to leave my whole life behind me (i.e. my cell phone). Why was I so fortunate to have a life that consisted of traveling through the oldest and most amazing cities, studying and learning about incredible art, eating delicious food, and all the while being surrounded by the most amazing and inspired individuals. Ya, I was pretty lucky. Anyways, here are a few things I miss:

"The Kiss" by Rodin. You can see a picture of something, study it, talk about it, even fall in love with it from what you read in a book. But there are some things that have the power to make your heart stop when you walk into a room and there it is.
I miss reenacting significant events in history, like the destruction of Pompeii, and being the obnoxious Americans.
I miss the intensity.
I miss the random old man from Empoli who I decided to share a bench with. He only had about 3 teeth, spoke Italian, and he was 93. I don't remember a lot of conversations I've had, but I think that one will stay with me.
I miss cobblestone. I miss Brugges, Belgium. The coolest city I've ever been to.
I miss the people that know exactly what I miss.
I miss the forced romantic moments.
I miss the creativity, the movement, and the genius.
I miss the quiet moments and stray dogs.

I said brrrr, it's cold in here!

2009-01-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

It's a little chilly here! The town is beautiful when it is all covered in snow. And to be fair, I appreciate the beauty for about 30 seconds before I start complaining of the fact that I have to take the bus to church because my car is under a foot of snow. And I have to trudge through snow covered Harvard Square another 3 blocks to actually get to church. And let's not forget the fact that I have to dig my car out of the snow....BUT it's beautiful. It's also starting to get a little lighter here earlier!! YAY. I still left for school in the dark and came home from school in the dark...but I was also there from 7 am to 5:30 pm. But during my last class I could see through the door that it wasn't getting dark until about 4:45! YAY. And there were only scattered flurries today. Not bad, not bad!

My home all covered in the snow

I took this picture of my street after I came home from church...but in the morning the street wasn't plowed at all and it looked really pretty.
This is what I usually wear to school. I'm pretty sexy these days. Showing just enough skin to keep 'em guessing.
This is my car. Well, there's a good chance that it is my car.

who stole the sun?

2009-01-13T15:14:00.001-08:00

So I have a small confession. I traveled back to Boston yesterday after my wonderful 3 1/2 week vacation in Virginia and Utah. I guess the vacation really took a lot out of me, because I was exhausted this morning. I woke up at 9:00, ate some cereal, and decided I was still really tired (plus, I have a cold). So I went back to bed and finally rolled out of bed at 2:00. Uh oh. Does it count that my body still thinks it was noon? Anyways, by the time I got out of the house at 3:00, there was only about an hours worth of sunlight left in the day. Mr. sun, sun, mr. golden sun, please shine down on me!

How to stay warm in Boston...

2008-12-24T12:49:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, you may often find yourself asking, "what in the world is a puggle". Animal, vegetable, or mineral? Judging from the wittle bitty paws and smushy face, I'm inclined to go with animal. After a quick google image search reveals hundreds of adorable creatures like those pictured above, the next logical question is, "How have I made it 22 years without one?". And unfortunately, I can't think a good reason as to why I do not own this puppy. It is adorable. it combines the zest of a beagle with the slothfulness of a pug (minus its snortiness and short respiratory tract). Now all I would need is a small monkey to ride my puggle through the streets, and all my life's dreams would come true. Oh, and merry christmas eve! (see what happens when I have too much time on my hands...)

Generic End of the Year Post!

2008-12-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

(look how cute my parents are!)

Merry Christmas Everyone! I can't believe another year has already gone by. Even though I am studying for finals just like a 2 year old Chinese toddler trains for the Olympics, I wanted to take a small break and say hello. Besides, one can only spend so many hours learning about cancer before she needs to bring some cheer back into her life. So, this has been the craziest year of my life. A year ago I was still applying to graduate schools and reigning my kingdom of Provo. Now I have been living in Boston for seven months! And there are so many good things that have come out of it. So bear with me while I make a little list of all the things I love and everything I'm grateful for.

1. There is a church and ward anywhere I live.

2. My wonderful family and their generosity. (and i'm not just saying that because December 25th is ten days away. but it is....)

3. Getting an education, no matter how much it hurts at the time. (like vaccines)

4. The feeling that I get when good things happen and I know it's a result of my hard work and everyone else's prayers.

5. My car. Materialistic as it is, she just makes me happy.

6. Knowing that there's more to life than Provo and McLean.

7. Chocolate chip cookies.

8. Having amazing friends all over the world, and my new friends here in Boston.

9. That feeling you get when you wear new shoes for the first time. Heaven.

10. Being happy :)

Well, I guess it's time for me to pick up the old cancer notes again. Thanks for letting me bore you for just a little while. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Taking a study break

2008-11-11T08:15:00.001-08:00

This weekend I went to my first NHL game! Go Bruins? The evening started off in the classiest of manners by heading over to my friend's house and eating bries and playing mariokart (I'm living the high life now, baby!). Then it was off the to the game where we mingled with the inebriated fans, well, more like my inebriated friends mingled why I tried to figure out how people can skate backwards so fast! Afterwards we headed out to Fanuel Hall to laugh at all of the awkward New England white boys and their sweet dance moves. And of course, no night is complete without the obligatory street vendor hot dog, regardless of the hour of consumption. Last night I attended my first official pub crawl. My college organized it so there were about 70 kids all wearing the same ugly green t-shirts...we kind of stood out on a Monday night. I was peer pressured into attending, but I actually had a really fun time and sampled all of the finest diet cokes around town. Plus, I got to put "DANGER" on the back of my tshirt (although in hindsight, "sober" would have been more appropriate). Like I said, living the high life.

Dress up? Yes please!

2008-11-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

So I was reading my friend Amy's blog and saw her tribute to halloween. And I realized that Halloween is the ideal time to dress up and act like an idiot without being judged for it. Then I reflected on the other 364 days of the year that I dressed up like an idiot and was absolutely judged for it. But you know what, I'll take my cheetah prints and bedazzled jacket over that smug attitude and khaki pants any day.

a little BYU parade...go cougars!

I am a cupcake. And that's my nana's nighty. PS I'm surrounded by the best girls in the world
I can even squeeze in dressing up at a flea market in Paris.
I think it's a genetic thing.
My engagement pictures.
Nothing says "I'm cultured" like a peplos.
random pile of rubble + spring semester + black tanktops = WWII reenactment?
May I present, the cheetah skirt.

The things we do...
Preppy Sunday. Who says dress up can't be classy?

The not-so-classy side of dress up. But I would hire us as secretaries.
God Bless America.
Lewis and Clark have so much to learn from me.
Ok, not technically dressed up here, but we are wearing sorority jackets and goofy smiles.
This one needs no explanation.

careful! this one's messy

2008-10-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Do you see what I have to deal with these days? Pictures like these really don't bother me that much anymore after cadaver labs and dissection classes. But here's the part I don't like. I don't like having to go to class at 7 am...yes, 7 am, so that I can sit and watch picture after picture after picture of fracture repair. Open fracture, open reduction internal fixation, external fixation, primary healing, intermedullary rods....I thought I was becoming a physical therapist so I wouldn't have to learn all this. Just good old fashioned massage with a smile. Boy was I WRONG. I think I want a refund. I've also come to realize that medicine is oh so different from what I see on Grey's anatomy. (Which we all know to be an accurate portrayl of how all young, hot doctors live). Sure I can tell you about fractures and cardiopulmonary surgery and how to treat and rehab them, but what about Meredith. Will she and Derek build their house together?! And will this be on the test next week?

BONUS POINT: $1 to who can tell me what body part this is.

told you so

2008-09-27T10:05:00.001-07:00

Seriously?!?! I always knew that I hated girls with bobbed haircuts, but I never knew why. Now it's all starting to come together. This may also, incidentally, explain my magical powers. But I'm not sure if those two have any correlation at this point. It could just be caused by the nuclear waste I used to play in as a child. Now, where's that darn mirror of mine....

friends, it's been too long

2008-09-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

SO IM BACK! I'm sorry that I have not been faithful in updating my blog. It turns out that I just have not had any big "EUREKA" moments. I thought a month would be sufficient time, but it turns out that I have just stopped having creative thoughts. Sorry. I'm upset too. But, creative thoughts aside, I can still appreciate pictures, and I bet you can too! So I thought I'd show you a little big of what I'v been up to. There are a couple pictures of me around Boston with some friends from my DPT class, and also some pictures of the DPT family in New Hampshire. I'm not being funny or flip when I call these people my family. We are seriously connected on some crazy level and even though I've only known them since May, I feel like it's been forever. There's no way you can survive gross and functional anatomy and not form the kind of friendship you see in those band of brothers HBO series. They survived Normandy, we survived myotomes.

This is a picture of me and my fellow DPT family members canoeing at Sargent Camp. We drove up to New Hampshire and spent two days in nature getting back to our roots, bonding, and learning to love each other. I think the point of this is that we all basically stare at each other with as little clothing on as possible, and you want to make sure you are friends first...or at least have dinner together once.

These are some quality people enjoying the bonfire made by Kathy. BYU bonfires don't include alcohol, yet I still think people at BYU are way more dangerous around an open flame.

If you can avert your eyes from all the camel toe in this picture, you will notice that this is a few of us posing while we were doing the high ropes course. I learned how to overcome fear, trust others, and chaff my inner thigh.
Just to show you that we are not really all that hideous looking (only while camping) here's a picture from this past weekend when we all went out to fenway.
Earlier this summer I visited The Minuteman Trail. I basically only came here because my Nana told me that I had to see the Minutemen statues because they had "nice butts". So Nana, here ya go! I must say, it was nice, almost like it was made of steel or some other hard metal substance.

So one night we were eating at the Union Oyster House and then all of a sudden like 50 red coats came in the restaurant. One sat down by us at the bar and ordered a Sam Adams. Only in Boston is that kind of thing not only normal, but expected.

i have a disease...and the only prescription is more cheerios

2008-07-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

I think, nay, I am certain that I have a serious problem. I have eaten three bowels of honey nut cheerios today. Darn you General Mills and your delicious whole grains and sweetened goodness. Ordinarily three servings of cereal might not be that bad. But the only other things I've had to eat today besides honey nut cheerios are cookies, a bagel, and diet coke. Wait, does water count? To make matters worse, I've practically memorized the entire back of the cheerios box already. Everybody knows that while you eat cereal you are obligated (and privileged!) to read the cartoons and/or complete the activities on the back of the box. For some reason I get some sick satisfaction out of being able to find the 5 hidden objects without having to cheat and look at the bottom of the box for the answers. Yes, I am getting a doctorate. But I'd rather just exercise my brain by helping Buzz find his way through the maze to the beehive on the other side! That seems like such a better use of my time. After all, if Buzz can't get to the honey, who will help support my ever expanding cheerios dependency? Speaking of which, Buzz's face on the front of the box looks a little too cracked out for me. It's kind of a glimpse into my future, say about 2 days from now, when I run out of cereal...Anyways, since I've completed all the activities, mealtime seems more like a chore than a reward. Maybe tomorrow I'll go try to diversify my diet and buy some lucky charms. Lucky always has some fresh, new activities for me. Anyways, I guess the moral of my story is that I'm in desperate need of a steak and I wish I could have a career focused on studying the back of cereal boxes. Someone sits around thinking those up all day...I could be that someone! Oh, I forgot...I also had a handful of raisins.

Yours truly,

Iron Deficient in Boston (But definitely not lacking in fiber. Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber. Thanks Buzz!)

*all profanity in this article should have been removed. sorry to offend any readers.

some pictures...

2008-07-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are just a few pictures. I wandered over to the MIT side of town and took some pictures along the river of some of the Boston skyline. It's not the best view, but I hadn't seen it yet so that's where I went. Better pictures of Boston would also be posted below, but in true Johnson fashion my battery died and I had to return home defeated. So, you will have to live with these until I find more time to go on picture adventures and take close ups. (Sorry they really aren't that great and don't do the city any justice)

a tale of two tank tops

2008-06-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

It was the prudest of times, it was the sluttiest of times, it was the age of FHE, it was the age of pubs, it was the epoch of self-confidence, it was the epoch of humility.

It's come to my attention that i haven't written anything about boston yet. opps. there is more to this city than my car, as much as i hate to admit it. Sadly, after an intense 4 week course in anatomy i still haven't had a lot of opportunities to go out and explore this city to the fullest. But, i am definitely getting used to this place and learning to love all of its quarks and eccentricities. The longer i live here, the more i realize that this is actually one of the smallest cities in the world. It has EVERYTHING (and then some...) in it, but in actual size, this place is pretty tiny. they try to confuse people by renaming every other block as a different city (cambridge, allston, watertown) but they can't fool me anymore because i'm a local.

You know how everyone calls provo "the bubble"? Well, i would say that it's more like a different planet. these two places have nothing, absolutely nothing, in common. such as how my class required me to wear a tank top to class. but it's all cool and exciting, and scary as hell. but there is one thing that i am really enjoying about boston that utah never had, and will probably never have. In utah it is pretty easy to talk with members of the opposite sex and innocently flirt, maybe toss the hair, and hopefully get asked out for a sweet date to coldstone for a frozen treat. I have found that in Boston flirting will get you a lot more than ice cream. Not to say that all i do here is toss my hair at construction workers. Only when i need something. It didn't make sense that people in Boston would respond better to flirting than the people in utah. and then i made the connection. In the world outside of utah, i guess sex is always an option? and as far as i can tell, people seem to be willing to go that extra mile for sex when a double scoop of mint chocolate chip just doesn't cover it.

case in point: this morning i was driving to school and needed to turn onto a road that was randomly blocked off for construction. i rolled down my window and asked a couple of the guys if there was another way to get onto the road. the older construction worker (clearly realizing that no action on his part would earn him sex) just yelled "go around". however, the middle aged and slightly plump construction worker leaned over, and said "oh no problem, ill just move these cones and barricades for ya". wonderful man. but maybe he was just a nicer man than most. but people in utah never moved barricades for me.

sorry, i realize this was nothing about boston. i'll do something super this weekend and put up pictures of the city.

a minor fetish...

2008-06-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ode to Superior Craftsmanship and Engineering:

I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it! I have never been more in love with an inanimate object than I am with my new car. Sometimes I just stare at her from my window. Other times I'll go sit in the car just to make a phone call. I love it! It smells so good. The brakes work (always a plus), it can accelerate (also handy), it is the smartest, sexiest, fastest, most beautiful thing I have ever owned. If I could, I would make sweet sweet love to it. I'm not a big crier, but this wonderfully made automobile moves me to tears every time I step into it. When I go to get in the car I feel this little tingly sensation as I realize that, oh yes, that's MY car. Plus, I've been getting a lot of admiring/jealous stares from fellow commuters. There better be bmw's in heaven, or else count me out.

A time to pout

2008-04-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

It's actually happening, somehow I have convinced BYU to give me a diploma. I guess, if you want to get technical, I can't graduate until I take finals and pay that fine for streaking through the library. (Don't worry mom, I don't think I will have any trouble passing my finals). But as this season is upon me, I am feeling cheated out of my exit experience from BYU. Let me illustrate: times listened to greenday's "Time of Your Life" =0, number of novelty mugs purchased at the bookstore as a keepsake =0, number of slideshows watched that highlight my escapades in happy valley, which are designed to incur the maximum amount of nostalgia =0. I am sensing a pattern here. Not only have I missed out on these time honored traditions of self-inflicted sadness and introspection, but I didn't even realize that I've been missing it! Tuesday was my last day of classes at BYU. I was sitting in my cell bio class chatting to my group whiel we waited for our professor to come talk to us. We weren't learning anything that day, just meeting with our groups. Then my friend asked me how I felt on my last day of BYU. I hadn't even though about that. Thanks a lot for reminding me, Chad. But this wasn't just my last day, this was my last class. Well, when this second thought jumped into my head I panicked and screamed "EDUCATE ME". That drew some unnecessary attention. But it did not merit a powerpoint lecture. So that was it. My last class here ended with screaming and embarrassment. Actually, that does seem about right. Back to graduation.... Don't get me wrong, I am very excited to move on to something different...a new page in my book of life, if you will. But I'm sad to think that this whole experience is ending without my real acknowledgment, nonetheless without my permission. So, goodbye BYU. You will miss me. I have been wonderful to you. And I guess I will miss this place just a little bit too. Now, if you excuse me, I have a souvenir keychain that plays BYU's fight song to purchase.

NOTE: This picture was actually taken in England after realizing that I had just stood like a human sardine for 45 minutes to see the Queen, but I was on the wrong side of the building. But the same feeling applies to this situation today...and that's overwhelming patriotism.

(I'm working on uploading this picture, just imagine me pouting)

Another day, another life lesson

2008-04-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Something blogworthy happened to me on Monday as I was walking to my pathophysiology class. As per usual I was running just a bit late, which translates into a power walking madwoman. My thighs are ridiculous, by the way, but those things of beauty deserve a whole post to themselves. As I reached the top of the ramp (if you didn't know, BYU is on a hill, so every journey to class is a small cardio adventure) I heard a weird banging sound coming from the JSB. Usually I just keep power walking through the distractions, but the noise sounded so weird that I had to stop and find where it was coming from.

I didn't have to search too long. It was a woodpecker. Growing up in Virginia I've heard and seen my share of woodpeckers, but this one was special. Instead of putting his talents to use on a tree, this bird had decided that the JSB needed a small hole about one foot below the roof. I crossed the street so that I could stand under the building for a better look. Amazingly, and not surprisingly, the woodpecker had made no effort whatsoever in his endevours to remodel the JSB.

But that did not stop my little friend. He just kept pecking, and pecking, and looking around nervously, and then pecking. You get the idea. This was a pretty incredible thing to behold, and the noise he was making was all but impossible to ignore. When I first started looking for the source of the noise no one else was paying him any attention. There were lots of people around, but no one was looking at this little bird practically break off his beak to no avail. However, after about three minutes of me just standing on the sidewalk and starring at this phenomenon, I noticed that the other people around me had started to look up too.

It made me realize how easy it is to power walk through life without taking the time to look around. Granted, this approach results in sculpted thighs and a tight butt, but so does pilates. I also realized how dumb this animal truly was. When I finally decided to go to class I ran into a friend of mine. I told him about the bird and he responded that he had heard the bird at 10 am. At that time, it was 3 pm. FIVE hours of pecking and nervousness.

That's just ridiculous. I can admire the bird's ambition, but you've got to learn when to call it quits. There are some things in life that you just can't change, no matter how noble your intentions, or how hard you try. You just have to realize that your beak will break and crack before the brick and cement of the JSB does. So, to all of the woodpeckers out there, just make sure to analyze the cost benefit ratio of whatever it is you're doing. Maybe you will eventually put a dent in the building, but is it worth it? Doesn't that tree right behind you look just as nice? If you find yourself pecking without any results, just stop and find a new tree. (That last bit was metaphorical...ya, I'm fancy.

It's springtime in Provo

2008-03-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

The birds are chirping, the snow is melting from Timpanogos, and girls have pulled out that scandalous pair of capris that show a hint of calf muscle. It can only mean one thing: spring has finally arrived in Happy Valley. There are some definite perks to this season, one of which is that people are generally happier. The other is that each passing day of sunshine means more and more students are slowly beginning to emerge from their winter nests (apartments) and into a sunshine filled haven. So here's the equation so far: Springtime = Happy people beginning to remember life before hot chocolate and long johns.

As I've wandered through campus the past few days I've noticed an alarming trend. There is an abundance of couples at BYU. Can it be? Is it true? Can even more people be starting to date? The answer, my dear friends, is yes. But I'm glad to see that you were puzzled at the dating increase as well. Where are these new couples coming from? BYU already leads the nation in couples/marriages/creative dating stats. And then it hit me. The answer was starring at me like a band geek who forgot to get off the field before kick off. Wait, that guy actually is a band geek. And I wouldn't mind him looking at me if he wasn't also simultaneously kissing his girlfriend outside of the library.

I forced the image of The World's Soggiest Kiss out of my mind and focused on the madness overtaking BYU's campus. The culprit behind this new love craze? Springtime. I believe it's time for a disclaimer. Lest I look like a bitter girl about to graduate BYU without an MRS degree, i should clarify that I am an avid supporter of love and dating. That being said, the level of love on campus makes me want to throw up. Springtime = Katie's breakfast on the sidewalk.

Here's my gripe with Provo's pastime of procreation. Most of the guys are running around excited to be doing something besides playing nintendo, so they ask out just about anything (including some very frightened statues). Girls, being nice, and sometimes in need of a meal, say yes. Before the week is over the two are a couple and proclaiming their mutual infatuation in the form of back rubs, neck rubs, and thigh grabbing during my classes. I'm glad that lifelong band friends have finally taken the plunge into band lovers, but there's no need for me to see it. So, as a desperate plea to all awkward Provo couples, I ask you to keep your kissing/touching/groping to a minimum. I should not have seen four people's tongues today in other people's mouths. That will probably take weeks to recover from, so I hope your extended salutations were worth the trauma they inflicted.

Better late than never

2008-03-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new method of attention getting. I realize that blogs are somewhat "old hat" by now, and that I'm a bandwagon blogger, but something happened to me today and I want to share it. You're probably asking yourself "what could have possibly happened to Katie that inspired her to make the bold move of blog creation?" Possible reasons: stuck her fist in her mouth, had lunch with Cecil Samuelson, won a fight against a three legged poodle. But those are all wrong.
Today, I used a bone saw to open a cadaver's skull and remove the brain. Technically the brain is still attached, but the left hemisphere is coming out next week. But the important thing here is that I used a bone saw. I can't decide if that makes me like McDreamy or Freddie. Maybe McReady? That sounds too much like a prostitute on a value menu.
Needless to say, I'm really enjoying my anatomy. The human body is truly the most fascinating thing I have ever studied. It's incredible that something so essentially perfect actually exists. We can't even create an engine that runs even close to the efficiency level of our muscles and metabolism. Except for possibly Optimus Prime. He's a pretty sick machine/robot/car/symbol of testosterone.
Here's a quote about the body that says everything I am trying to say with a little more grace and tact.

"The marvel of our physical bodies is often overlooked... Your body, whatever its natural gifts, is a magnificent creation of God. It is a tabernacle of flesh - a temple for your spirit. A study of your body attests to its divine design." Elder Russell M. Nelson