snow and other catastrophes

Okay, so it was actually just the one catastrophe. But what a!

We drove to my extended family's cabin over the weekend - just us 2. We thought the dirt road leading right up to the cabin looked packed down enough for us to drive down. Right.

Error in judgment=a couple of hours spent pushing, digging, revving, and spinning out.

We did finally, however, get the car to move out of its icy groove. After the ordeal, we decided to park at the designated, plowed area. Insertion: the designated parking area is just a short distance down this road that Clint is standing in. We hiked in to the cabin and still had a cozy overnight stay.

The next day, we also had fun sledding, flopping, and making snow angels.

I usually don't have much praise for the snow, but after a couple of months of scary-dry winter, it was actually pretty fun to be able to play in fluffy white stuff.

A trip to the Leonardo

...revealed the inner artists in both Clint and myself.

This self-exploration station was found on the 2nd floor of the Leonardo museum in downtown SLC. I had never been before but thanks to a nifty Groupon Clint found, now I can say I have.

I thought our self-portraits were honestly and legitimately 2 of the best. Can you pick us out?

Want to know how we did it? What you did was you sat at this table with a pen and scratch paper, but you couldn't look directly at your paper. You looked straight ahead into this device utilizing mirrors that showed your face overlaying the scratch paper. You then traced your face onto the scratch paper only looking straight ahead into the mirror device.

The result? A profoundly abstractish, subtley revealing self portrait!

I thought it was cool anyhow.

Are you a Book Hugger, too?

I am DEFINITELY a hardcore book hugger. (And not just because I coined the phrase.)

If you think you might be a book hugger, too; then you might want to read my official definition on my book club blog. And join it - my book club. That's the most important part. I haven't yet gotten nearly the participation I was hoping for. Just sayin'.

I'm getting a new job!

Yes, that's right. The return of the Sammer Hammer to full-time work.

I knew when I took my current freelance SEO article writing job that it was mostly an entry level SEO job. I was still thrilled to get my foot in the door. However, whether it's because I'm the oldest independent child in my family or because I just picked up the trait from my dad - I am not one to sit still for too long. The time arrived for me to move forward again.

I will be a SEO Copywriter, but working full-time as part of a marketing team. I'm super excited.

Don't worry - I am still working on my book and I am definitely entertaining my hopes and dreams of seeing my name on a best-seller bookshelf some day.

In fact I recently received a jolt of excitement that is moving my story-writing process forward with a bit more...urgency. I call said Jolt: The Mortal Instruments series - including City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass. Just when I thought the whole paranormal movement was becoming cheesy and overdone, I found my obsession again. Thanks to these books. Join my magical book club if you want or just read my reviews if you are looking for an engrossing series to take your mind off the bleak weather.

Hum diddy dum. Ok, back to work.

Lately

I don't know that I have that much to post about, but I feel like it's been a while so here is some gibberish that's been on my mind lately.

• First of all, has anybody seen the reality TV atrocity called "Toddlers and Tiaras"? Oh. my. freaky. I clicked on it out of curiosity one day and I couldn't believe the lengths that some (mostly hickish) moms will go to to steer their literally toddler aged daughters into being airheaded beauty/drama queens some day.
• Anyway. I'm also getting over my fourth cold of the season. I feel better, but of course I still have a persistent cough that makes the usual activities somewhat uncomfortable.
• Do we need to start praying for snow? After several mid-Winter weeks of feeling like it's really March or April, I'm starting to feel a little concerned about what this will mean for my beloved summer season.
• Job searching. Again. It's like a yearly ritual or something. You'd think I can't get enough of it. Except this time, my freelance writing has given me a foot in the door with marketing companies and things are looking... sunny.
• My car coughs disturbingly when I turn on the ignition. It's due for an oil check, and I'm hoping that is the only reason why my car is making sickly noises.
• I'm reading City Of Bones for my online book club and loving it. Clare is a good storyteller. It's a magical and totally engrossing plot, plus the characters are fascinating.  Seriously. It's giving me ideas. And hinderig my productivity.
• On that note, my own story writing efforts are coming along. I caved in and did some outlining, eventually realizing that I could write myself in circles without a plot chain to help steer me.
• I am proud to report that Clint is enjoying his new Christmas shoes. I was hesitant about giving him not just 1, but 3 pairs of new shoes for Christmas. But he needed them. I'm always happy to see him wearing a new pair of stylin' shoes picked out by his wife!
• I also caved and finally took down my Christmas decorations. I just felt too weird with it looking like April outside.

Finally, Happy Martin Luther King, Jr day!

catching colds during a warmish cold season

I'm pretty sure this is the fourth time during the past 3-ish months of this season that I have gotten a cold.

 The kicker is, it hasn't even snowed since November, and the snowfall was pretty weak even then. Obviously something is wrong with my immunity.

I've been keeping the cold symptoms at bay each time with vitamin C drops and ColdEez; however, I'm starting to wonder if I should let one of these colds run its course so that it can finally leave my system for good.

The positive news is:

• At least Clint hasn't seemed to catch it from me
• working from home means jammies and relaxing while still getting work done

The bad news is:

• my running legs (and lungs) feel like Frodo trying to climb up the last mile of Mount Doom

So is there a secret to boosting immunity that I am just not getting?

Anway, sorry to take up an entire post complaining about illness. I just never realized colds could be quite so chronic. If you have any tips in this area, do share. Because according to WebMD.com I am simply not meditating or sleeping enough or something. Whatev.

a poem about opening up

Hi. I haven't posted a poem in while, have I? Here is a poem I wrote about how embarrassing it can be to open up to people... at least for us shy souls out there! :)  It's about how insecure we sometimes feel after we think we have maybe said too much about ourselves.

opening up

i come before a hill of ice, a downward slope, and without thought i step.
i plunge and slide, feet skidding out from under me, hands grasping
at the slippery air - like words come tumbling from my mouth -
a deluge of privately held cares i had been holding back, until
the first false step - onto the icy slide, the spiral down -
no place to stop until i land at the bottom
sore and cold -
clumsy words stretching behind me -
a long and obvious trail -
words have placed
me here.

Happy new 2012!

January? What's that? Looks like March outside to me.

I'm fine with the sunshine as long we don't get any stinky inversions. As far as I'm concerned, Snow missed its chance in December. Once Christmas and New Year's are over, I don't much care for snow on the ground anymore.

But anyway. I haven't blogged for a while so why don't I start off January 2012 with a couple of my New Year's resolutions that I'm willing to share? :) (Because you don't necessarily need to know how many pounds I would like to drop.)

Sam's (and Clint's) Goals for 2012 

• Run another half marathon, set new personal best
• do Trek with our stake (Clint and I have been called to be a Ma and Pa)
• finish at least the first draft of my story (Sam)
• keep up Sam's Magical Book Club, reading and reviewing at least one book a month (Sam)
• personal reading goal to read about one book a week, or for really long books, one a month (Sam)
• be more patient and kind and happy (Sam)
• take some painting classes, finish reading book on painting, and complete an original piece of Sam Paintasticness for house decoration (Sam)
• do better at budgeting and spending money
• paint at least one or two more areas in the house (I've slacked on that one for at least a year now)
• help Clint work on our backyard, at least to finally get some grass
• finally hike either Lone or Twin together (also for Sam's first time ever)

How's that for a busy year?

We had plenty of splendid adventures in 2011 and I'm excited for 2012. We also plan to visit Seattle some time during the year so I can see where my cousin and dear friend Emilie is now living with her husband, Todd. Plus I think Seattle sounds beautiful.

I'll try to keep y'all updated on our new 2012 adventures! Happy New Year. :)