The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Day 3/90 – Phoenix Public Library

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 3 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? The Phoenix Public Library!

    Only in Arizona do they have to tell you to check your gun at the library
    Only in Arizona do they have to tell you to check your gun at the library

    The public library may be the most under-utilized resource in the community. Thousands of books and movies are free for your borrowing pleasure! I’ve started using it on a regular basis in the last few years and I love it.

    Through the Phoenix Public Library website, I have an online account that contains my lists of books I want to read and movies I want to see. When I want to borrow something, I simply reserve it and they ship to my neighborhood branch where they set it aside with my name on it. I can swing by on my way home from work and pick it up – and be in and out in less than 5 minutes.

    When it comes to movies, a lot of people ask me, “Why don’t you just get Netflix?” No offense to Netflix, but why would I pay $8/month for something I can get for free? I’d rather put that money towards my next pair of running shoes.

    I never got into movies as a kid. I was too busy with school and gymnastics – so now I’m playing catch up on my cinematic education thanks to recommendations from listening to Profiles with Malone and Mantz, my favorite podcast about movies.

    Lately, I’ve been checking out 3-5 movies a week. It’s too hot to spend much time outside in the Arizona heat, so the summer is the best time to catch up on movies. Today I checked out American Sniper, The Book Thief, and Jerry Maguire.

    Summer Lunch Program at my branch of the Phoenix Public Library
    Summer Lunch Program at my branch of the Phoenix Public Library

    When it comes to books, I generally only buy them if a friend is the author or if I’m going to a book signing. Otherwise, I start by borrowing the book from the library and then buy it if it’s something I’ll want a copy of on my shelf to re-read. When I did my big minimalism clean-out project when I moved into my condo, I set aside a box of books and labeled it “Read Me.” Any books that are still in the box at the end of the year will be given away. Because of this deadline, I’m working through these books instead of the library’s.

    I want to give a huge hat tip to the Phoenix Public Library, not just for lending me awesome books and movies, but also for offering a summer lunch program to help families who rely on school lunch programs to feed their children.

    Bonus: Did you know that the library has cultural passes? You can check them out to visit local attractions like the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Art Museum for free!

    In case you missed it: Day 2 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Rosie Goes Where I Go!

  • Day 2/90 – Rosie Goes Where I Go

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 2 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? Taking my dog everywhere with me!

    Typical Day for Rosie at the Office
    Typical Day for Rosie at the Office

    I adopted Rosie from the Arizona Basset Hound Rescue a little over three years ago. She completely changed my life. My schedule is based on her needs – especially now that she has glaucoma. I smile every time she wags her tail or puts her head on my knee. I love this dog.

    Rosie goes where I go. The backseat of my car has a washable seat cover for her and she has a car harness so she can be secure on the road. When I joined Venjuris, I negotiated her into my contract so she can come to work with me. I have to make sure the baby gate across my door stays closed otherwise she’ll get curious and start wandering around the office.

    Rosie went to work with me today. She spent most of the day sacked out on her plushy bed while I worked on clients’ projects. One of the challenges with taking her to work in the summer is the hot parking lot at the office. She doesn’t like wearing or walking in her booties. Instead of making Rosie wear her booties, at the end of the day I’ll pack up my stuff, put her in her car harness, load up my stuff into the front seat, open the door to the backseat, and then carry her 65-pound body the fifteen feet from the front door of the office and load her into the car without her feet ever touching the black top.

    We stopped by the Toyota dealership on our way home today. I forgot to bring my coupon yesterday and I wanted to see if they’d apply it retroactively. I parked near the dealership door and before I let Rosie out of the car, I stepped out of my sandals to test how hot the ground was. The rule of thumb I heard is if you can stand barefooted on the ground for seven seconds with being uncomfortable, then it’s safe for your dog. One of the sales people saw me do this and said he liked me just for that.

    It was so cute to see the Toyota employees gush over Rosie. She plopped herself down on the cool tile and graciously let them rub her belly.

    Now that it’s getting warmer, I’ve been brushing Rosie every night with her Zoom Groom brush to help her shed her winter coat faster. She loves it.

    In case you missed it: Day 1 of the 90 Days of Awesome – New Engine Mounts!

  • Day 1/90 – New Engine Mounts

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 1 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? New engine mounts in my car!

    I <3 My Car
    I <3 My Car

    My car’s name is Lily. (Yes, I named my silver car “Lily.”) She gets me where I need to go. She’s completely paid off – and Toyota can stop asking to buy her back because I’m going to drive her into the ground. It’s a great car for Rosie and me.

    I take my car to the dealership for regular maintenance where I only work with Ed. Ed gets me. He and I have an understanding that he’s not allowed to up-sell me on anything. We talk about what my car needs and what extra maintenance we can put off until the next visit. He probably understands that I’m a bit high strung so he does what he can to get me in and out of the dealership as fast as possible. I hope Camelback Toyota understands how freakin’ awesome he is.

    Last winter, Ed told me my car’s engine mounts were wearing out, which is why my car shuddered a bit at stop signs. Today was 5,000 miles later so I bit the bullet and remounted my engine. It was a pricey fix, but given that I plan to drive this car for another 200,000 miles, it was worth it.

    I have a very happy car – purrs like a kitten.

    I’d say this is good start to my summer.