The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Day 58/90 – Playing Hooky

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 58 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I got to play hooky from work . . . sort of.

    IP16 cropped
    This is how playing hooky feels! Photo by Patrick McLeod from Ignite Phoenix 16 (Creative Commons License)

    It’s probably more accurate to say work played hooky from me.

    Today had a good start. I got to the office early and cranked on some client work, had a few networking meetings, . . . and then our file server went down.

    No worries. As long as I have the internet I can get work done.

    And then the internet went down.

    I looked over at Rosie the basset hound and said, “Well, we’re out of here.” I loaded her up and headed for home. The internet was still working at home so I could still get some work done. It reminded me of how I worked when I was running my solo shop – I only went to my office a few days a week and I often got to leave by early afternoon when my work was done.

    My therapist suggested that I need a vacation. I snickered sarcastically at that. He’s probably right. Rosie and I got out of dodge for a night last summer and it was immensely helpful for recharging my batteries. I think I might work from home tomorrow, have a more unstructured day, especially if the file server at work is still down. I can go for a run, do some errands, and work in pajamas if I feel like it. I think breaking up the monotony would be good for me.

    I’ve actually been thinking about the concepts of time and how we as a society divide our time. How did we decide that we would have a 7-day week where we have a 5-day work week and a 2-day weekend? Why do we work 9am-5pm? I’m not sure this norm is necessarily the best thing for me. Don’t get me wrong – I need some structure to keep me on task, but it might be time to re-think my schedule a bit.

    In case you missed it: Day 57 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I love when my work brings me joy.

  • Day 41/90 – Rosie goes to the Vet

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    Ruth Carter

    If you want to feel small, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and look down at the water and see how big all the cables are compared to you. If you want to feel helpless, get a sick dog.

    I didn’t have anything planned for Day 41 of the 90 Days of Awesome, which turned out to be a good thing since Rosie and I spent over two hours at the vet this afternoon.

    Poor Rosie Doesn't Feel Well Today
    Poor Rosie Doesn’t Feel Well Today

    This morning Rosie didn’t have much of an appetite and she was panting and peeing like it was her job. I thought she might have a urinary tract infection. I hate seeing her uncomfortable. I don’t think she slept all morning.

    Thankfully our vet was able to get us in the same day. I love that they’re open seven days a week. The vet diagnosed her with an ear infection in both ears and they collected samples of her blood and urine for additional testing. They are testing her for a urinary tract infection, diabetes, and Cushing’s disease (which can result from her glaucoma meds). We could have results from those tests as early as tomorrow.

    They sent us home with two different ear drops which are making her significantly more comfortable. She still has no appetite, but she isn’t peeing as often, and she’s sleeping comfortably on the floor of my office as I write.

    Was today awesome? No. However, the part that was awesome was I was able to see that my baby needed help and I was able to provide it with the help of her medical team. I thought it was very sweet when they took her in the back to draw blood and urine, I could hear another vet and I think some techs gushing over Rosie. They remember Rosie from earlier this year when she was in a lot for her glaucoma and eventual eye removal.

    In case you missed it: Day 40 of the 90 Days of Awesome – AA Meeting Under the Stars.

  • Day 21/90 – Resetting my Priorities

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 21 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? Resetting my priorities after watching Saving Mr. Banks!

    I love this dog.
    I love this dog.

    I thought I was going to tell you about my hyper-productive day. I often call Sunday “Susie Housewife Day” because it’s when I do laundry, clean house, and do prep cooking for the week. Today was it clearly productive; I went running, finished grades for the class I taught this past semester, and washed Rosie’s car seat cover on top of my regular Sunday tasks. (I’ve been accused of being a “human doing” rather than a human being.)

    At dinner time, I popped Saving Mr. Banks into the DVD player, thinking I would watch it for maybe an hour before getting back to work. Based on a true story, the interactions between Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson as Walt Disney and P.L. Travers was captivating. In their own ways, they each used the story of Mary Poppins to process their own life experiences with their respective fathers. How apropos that I watch this on Father’s Day.

    At the end of the movie, Rosie started poking her nose into the blinds by the sliding glass door. This is her way of saying she wants to go outside to lay out and smell the smells of the neighborhood. I looked at my dog adoringly and said, “I can do one better.” I grabbed her leash and took her out for a bonus walk. I sat on the grass and she plopped down next to me, rolling onto her side for a belly rub. Watching Saving Mr. Banks reminded me of my priorities, including my promise to make Rosie’s life awesome.

    Following this story was mesmerizing, even though I knew the ending. Their separate but mutual love of Mary Poppins was enchanting. I had to watch the whole thing.

    Here’s a random thought I had while walking Rosie: My nurse says I have a touch of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder); my friend Peter Shankman has ADOS (Attention Deficit – Oh Shiny); Rosie has ADWTS (Attention Deficit – What’s That Smell?).

    In case you missed it: Day 20 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I Love to Ride my Bike!