The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Day 68/90 – Walking Rosie on Mill

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 68 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I took Rosie for a walk on Mill Avenue tonight.

    Rosie on Mill Ave. - Patiently waiting for her share of my ice cream.
    Rosie on Mill Ave. – Patiently waiting for her share of my ice cream.

    Rosie and I both seemed to be a bit antsy tonight. It had been raining off and on for a few hours but the weather had cleared a bit. I wasn’t in the mood to be super social so I grabbed Rosie’s leash, loaded her into the car, and took her to Mill Avenue for a walk.

    (For readers who are unfamiliar with the Phoenix area, Mill Avenue borders Arizona State University and is where many people in the area go to hang out and drink.)

    I love taking Rosie to Mill – lots of interesting smells and people who are excited to see and pet her. Rosie is the bell of the ball when we walk on Mill. It’s so cute to see everyone gush over her. Rosie and I also stopped at Sparky’s Creamery and shared a cup of French vanilla ice cream with raspberries in it. I tried to snap a picture of her sitting in anticipation of ice cream goodness, but you can’t expect a pup to hold still when ice cream is imminent.

    Rosie was so tired by the time we finished our hour-long walk up and down Mill. When she got back in the car she laid down immediately and stayed there for the entire drive home. Now she’s sacked out on the cool tiles in the condo. She’s going to sleep well tonight.

    In case you missed it: Day 67 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I celebrated 11 years of sobriety!

  • Day 67/90 – 11 Years

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 67 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I celebrated 11 years of sobriety!

    That's My Chip!
    That’s My Chip!

    Holy fucking shit – how did that happen? In so many ways I feel like someone who is fairly new to the program, sitting in one of the “paranoid seats” at the clubhouse with my back to the wall. But when I think about it, I’ve come a long way from that scared, desperate, lost, nearly suicidal person I was 11 years ago.

    So many things have happened since then – amazing joys and terrible sorrows – and I throughout all of it, I haven’t had to take a drink or a drug to manage my feelings.

    I am so grateful for my Recovery Family who have trudged the road with me. This is absolutely a program of one addict helping another. I am especially grateful for my sponsor. I’ve been with him for over 6 years. He is the person I count on to tell me when things are fucked up and when I am seeing things as they are.

    When I asked him to sponsor me, he told me one of the expectations was that I would call or email every day. I couldn’t believe it. How could he asked that of me? I was nearly 5 years sober. I didn’t need to check in every day. However, it’s over 6 years later and I still call or email just about every day, and I look forward to telling him about my day and how I’m feeling.

    Something about this sobriety anniversary feels particularly special and surreal, maybe because so much has happened in the last year – new home, new job, and big personal developments. I find myself spinning my chip between my fingers with a big grin on my face.

    I feel like I’ve come a long way, and I know there is much work to be done in the future. I’m looking forward to it.

    In case you missed it: Day 66 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I’m wearing KT Tape to manage my leg pain so I can keep running.

  • Day 66/90 – Living in KT Tape

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 66 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? Wearing KT Tape on my foot and leg is keeping my pain under control and allowing me to go running.

    My Leg in KT Tape - I always prefer Black
    My Leg in KT Tape – I Always Prefer Black Tape.

    I didn’t expect it to happen so soon, but I’m back in KT Tape.

    I’ve been running more lately to get in shape to train for a half marathon this fall. I found a new 4.2-mile route through Papago Park that I love, but it has more hills that I’m used to doing. Even though I’ve been diligent about my running form, my feet and legs hurt – especially on my left side. When I roll the golf ball with my foot or roll The Stick across my lower legs, the pain is a 9 out of 10.

    Last night I put the shin splint and plantar fasciitis applications on my left leg. They’re making the pain much more manageable. This morning I did a 4-mile run on a flatter route and the pain wasn’t as bad. Every day now I stretch my calves and arches multiple times at work and every night I use The Stick and foam roller on my lower legs. Thank goodness I’m a masochist because this stuff hurts.

    The only downside of living in KT Tape again is I can’t be barefoot except when I’m in the shower. I wear socks all the time to help keep the tape in place longer – even when I’m sleeping. The upside of living in Phoenix is it’s so warm at night that I don’t need covers in bed so there’s less of chance of snagging my tape on my sheets.

    I hope stretching and running on flat ground for a few weeks will be enough to bring my pain under control. KT Tape is awesome, but I prefer not to live in it full-time, especially with my race being 4 months away.

    In case you missed it: Day 65 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I’m falling back in love with singing and serenading myself in the car.