Fall Fun in Absarokee

Softball is becoming quite the climber. I found him this morning a meter or so up our front door. And a few days ago, he was on top of the 10' section of our front yard fence.

The foliage this year was awesome.
We took advantage the other day for some family fun in Hawkins Park.

Hmmm. . . . A lot of things to think about.

When will the Blackburn Rovers be back in the Premier League???

Until then, I have to pick. . . dun dun duhhn. . : : A New Team!!! Shocking.

A dog and his dad.

Our house, as seen from Hawkins Park. 

Who said carbon footprints aren't dangerous?

Career Posting

I GOT A JOB!!!
Back in my career field too, teaching. I can't wait to be back in the classroom, and on the pitch- since I'll be coaching PE.
Thanks so much to Yokie and all my M'sian friends who helped out a lot in this process. And thanks to all who posted references for me. I owe you guys one. Thanks again.
I'll post more details soon. For now, we're busy getting everything ready. We're leaving in mid-December. Rose will be going to a great international school. She is very excited, about going to school, about moving back to Malaysia, and about this school in particular.
In fact, we're so happy about it that we're preparing for a much longer trip this time. Every bought a one-way ticket? I haven't, but I'm about to, and it's a little freaky! But we're really pumped up about the opportunity.
See you in Malaysia!

Softball Johnson: The Newest Johnson

If that face doesn't scream JOHNSONS, then my name ain't Jebediah Hucklesmith.

We've been going through a transition period, and it's always tough on the kid in the house. Poor Rose has been a bit bored lately. Then, the other day, we are cleaning out the garage, and Kip, Rose, and I are out front in our driveway. The neighbor's dogs start going crazy. Crazier even than normal. Freaking out. So I go to check, and even Kip is on edge; he's almost pointing like a hunting dog at the fence.
There, on top, with Kip inches in front, and a snapping and yipping pair of dogs inches behind, is a teeny little gray kitty. He teeters for a bit, and then falls right onto Kip's front feet. Kip looked at me like, "WTF do I do now?"
I ran up and grabbed him. We took him in. We still had food left from Pele, and he seemed hungry, so we fed him. He ate and ate and ate.
We tried to let him back out, but he was having none of it. So we asked around town, and nobody knows anything. Here we are a few days later, stuck with a delightful little counter top raider.
Rose named him. Here he is. Drum roll please. . . . . SOFTBALL JOHNSON:

These guys have been getting along great. He came at a perfect time;
Kip had been developing an unhealthy curiosity about cats. 

I've even seen Softball go visit Kip lately. And sometimes they sleep together. Too cute.

Beaver Creek area. Tons of deer. And nothing else.

Absarokee at Dusk. Seen from Beaver Creek hill.

Sunrise from our front yard Rose Garden.
It's true: God's a Broncos fan.

E shifting: a rEal rEvolution, Eh?!? gEt IT?

After seeing more of what's out at this years Bike Trade Shows (Automatic systems{!!!}, SRAM E Wireless, Campagnolo E, and Shimano XTR Di2 {for MTB}) I'm afraid eShifting is coming to a bike near you. I say afraid because as a mechanical purist, I'm not into the idea.
Having said that, Eshifting will always work better with a certain improvement. The one we invented. So, as more of these ideas come out, it becomes more and more likely that people start to license or copy a similar idea. We'll see. . .
Either way, cool times to be a biker.

The Dragon's Den, by Rose Johnson

Big Picture Digital Save

One of the reasons I blog is to preserve all these memories of the golden years. When I was going through our files the past few weeks organizing everything to apply for jobs, I found a lot of pictures that are getting old, and that I don't have copied at all. So I uploaded a bunch of them. It's amazing how beautiful Yokie is!!!!!!
From Jesse's (my brother's) wedding in SoCal, 2006:

Gale and Yokie

Me and My Mom

YOUNG LOVE!!!

The Montana Johnsons and the Albuquerque Johnsons

Happy Family Oreo Cookie

Continuing the Wedding Theme, some pictures from our dating back in the day:

In Steamboat Springs before a rare date circa 2008-2010 (ah raising a baby!) Thx Mom for the babysitting.

And thanks Mom for one of my favorite pictures of us as a couple. On the slopes of Steamboat.

Thanks Uncle Mike for this one. 

Somehow, for such as smart girl, she couldn't figure out how to get away from me. Eventually, I proposed; we tried to go up to Avalanche Lake, nearby Quake Lake, got snowed out and ended up instead near Red Rock Refuge area, at a cool lake we drove to in Yokie's old black Honda.

At Quake Lake

I'm a super super super lucky guy! She said Yes!!

After I proposed, we celebrated with a bottle of wine and got ready to cook dinner. I went to get the stuff from the car, and two swans had come to this same remote lake to . ..  ahem. . . hang out. Such a cool coincidence.

Then we had our legal US Wedding, in Bozeman in 2002:

I wish I could travel back in time, and tell myself to tuck in my damn shirt. 

Lastly, some pictures from our Malaysia Wedding, starting with the most beautiful woman in the world:

The Happy Couple. This was easy for me. I read a whole book this day. Yokie's costumes were harder to change. Mad respect for models after watching all of this:

We had a lovely honeymoon in Malaysia, and we took another one in the Keys years later. Love that place. Yokie worked there for a while too. She loved it. Great times in 2006!

Eventually, it ended up here: with Rose being born in this house,in Pueblo CO:

This was early; the house still had grass. Obelix looks great. And how about the Pele photobomb!!

Man, has she grown up quickly! So tall now, tough to even remember this girl:

Snow ANGELS ROCK!!!

I'm a really lucky guy to have those two girls as the center of my world! Here's some more cool finds from the depths of the file cabinet:

24 Hours of Moab Bike Race Pits

David Liboy, mon ami Belge from my senior year at Del Norte '96.
That shirt became my lucky shirt. Still is. 

My first classroom! FFCHS '05.

Chefing it up: Chef at MSU '99, in front of Museum of the Rockies. Best burger ever. Seriously.
I'll punch you in the face if you have a problem with my burgers from that year.

The Most Handsome Man in the World.
Portrait drawn by my French Club kids in Seri Omega '12.

My first badass bike: Giant AC Air2. This thing rocked. Bozeman. France. thousands of miles.

You could argue I used to doodle too much in HS.

Nickname drawings from Seri Omega Year 6. I did this one of Monkey, one cool kid.

I did this one for one of my favorite students, also in Year 6.

In Noelle's dorm room in Montpellier during our year abroad.
France '01.

On my way to a dinner party with Geneseo State students in Montpellier '02.

Me, Justin, and my $200 Chariot Johnny on the Spot, on Lamme Street, Bozmean, around 1999.

I hate Hippies. Even the ones that ski. Even me.

The Coolest Cat Ever, A pearl amongst the swine: Rico.

One of the best road trips ever: Lee, Rose, Obelix, and Utah sunshine. Around 2008.

Family Chinese School. Melaka Malaysia. Fundraiser day. I played a lot of chess.

I Love you Yokie!

Senior Picture in Malaysia

The first meeting with the potential in-laws.
Thank God I got chopstick skills, or this could have gone OK Corral from the get go.

Yokie in Albuquerque.Such a cutie. Love you girl!