things you should know about tim johnson -

tim is a consummate gift-giver.

no, not just good.

penultimate good. defies superlative good.

freaking irritatingly good.

yoplait yogurt girls at a table good.

example:

when we were first dating, i mentioned to him that i loved fashion photography. we had purchased our first piece of art "together" (that critical step when you go from being people who happen to have stuff in the same apartment to people who have to hammer out their aesthetic differences and pick something as a couple), a herb ritts photograph of vladimir the acrobat from cirque du soleil. i was working at an ad agency, and thinking about my future, wondering where to go with things, and had thought that fashion photography would combine the best of all worlds for me. fashion. photos. art. fun.

that christmas, i bought tim the most beautiful moss green gucci cashmere coat. it was like a pelt, like snow in weight, with a lining that shimmered like the underside of a magnolia leaf. it was perfect because he tried it on, but had done the whole "it's too much" thing and handed it back to the salesperson.

i pounced.

xmas morning, he hands me a box. inside is a full nikon camera system, with lenses. elaborate, technical, and completely baffling. i looked up at him blankly.

"well," he said "i remembered how you said you loved fashion photography, and i want you to be able to follow your dreams, really explore your potential, so i got you this system, and nine weeks of personal camera lessons. so you can decide if you want to really follow this."

uh huh.

so I was like:

"here. i got you a coat."