• Undeniable Recap of 2012

    Ruth Carter, ABA Legal Rebel
    Photo by Don McPhee Photography

    It’s been an incredible year! Looking back, so much has changed and so many wonderful things have happened for me this year – personally and professionally. I never could have predicted so many good things happening. Of course, I didn’t get here alone and I want to thank all the friends, family, and colleagues who helped make this year fan-fucking-tastic. It was hard to pick the top five events from this year, but here you go!

    1.  Carter Law Firm Opened!  I opened my own law practice on January 4, 2012 and I’m happy to report that I’m still in business and haven’t been disbarred. It’s been an amazing year creating and building my own business with all the trials and tribulations that go along with that. I love my work and I’m so lucky that I get to build the professional life I’ve always wanted as the approachable geeky lawyer who wears t-shirts and does awesome work. I love that I’m building my niches in social media and flash mob law and being invited to do things like speak at major conferences.

    ruthcover smaller2.  My First Book  I wrote and self-published The Legal Side of Blogging: How Not to get Sued, Fired, Arrested, or Killed. I’ve always wanted to write a book and all the pieces fell into place to make it happen. The book has been well received so far and appears to be opening the door for more books. Special hat tip to ePublish Unum for teaching me everything I know about self-publishing.

    3.  ABA Legal Rebel  I’ve always looked up to the American Bar Association Legal Rebels, but in my wildest dreams I did not expect to be picked to join this illustrious group only months after becoming a lawyer. I’m tickled that they chose me because of my work in flash mob law.

    Rosie!
    Rosie!

    4.  I Got A Dog!  Adopting Rosie from the Arizona Basset Hound Rescue was probably the biggest life changing event of this year. It had been years since I had a pet and because of her we go walking every day and I’m on a more structured schedule. She can melt my heart with one look and it was so hard to leave her at the kennel for a few days. I love the way she looks when she runs and how she howls at the phone.

    5.  Half Marathon Personal Record  This may seem petty, but it was a big deal to me to finish the race under two hours. I was blown away when I heard I finished the race in 1:52. I’d never run that hard for so long before. It was a great experience to do so well.

     

    Celebrity Encounters in 2012

     

    Firsts in 2012

    • handstand bean1st trip to Chicago where I leave the airport – included my 1st ride on the L Train and my 1st visit to Cloud Gate (The Bean)
    • 1st trip to the Electronic Frontier Foundation
    • Bought my 1st Powerball ticket
    • 1st time using Survey Monkey and Mail Chimp
    • 1st time at Phoenix Comicon
    • 1st time owning a pet that wasn’t formerly a family pet
    • 1st business trip to San Francisco
    • Sent my 1st DMCA Takedown Notice
    • Put up my 1st yarn bomb
    • 1st trip to the ABA TechShow
    • 1st YouTube channel

    In Memorium

    • Peg Grucky
    • David Malcolm

    This has been an incredible year. I’m excited for what’s to come next!

  • Visiting the Hat

    It’s the holiday season and everyone has their own traditions. Some people send cards. Some people bake. Some people give to donations to charity in lieu of gifts. I visit a hat.

    Helen Louise Carter “Grandma Lou” 1924-2003

    My grandmother, Grandma Lou, was a beautiful woman – on the inside and out. She had the most generous and loving spirit that lit up a room. She had a closet filled with beautiful clothes and she never left the house without “putting on her face.” As she aged, her hair started to thin. Not letting that stop her, she invested in various wigs, head wraps, and hats to wear on the days she didn’t have time or desire to meticulously curl and fluff her hair. She became so well known for her hats that at her funeral, her 17 grandchildren walked up the aisle, each wearing or carrying one of her hats, and placed them on her casket.

    Grandma Lou was a prolific sender of cards. Her calendar was filled with reminders about birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and special events. She never forgot to send a card. She was a frequent flyer at her stationary and gift store called Write Ons. She was there so much she became family to them, and was even invited to the staff’s holiday party. She adored them and they adored her.

    When I moved to Phoenix, Write Ons became my card store too. In the first year after Grandma Lou died, I would walk into Write Ons when I missed her and just burst into tears. The women there understood.

    Grandma Lou’s Hat – 2012

    In her hat collection, Grandma Lou had a Santa hat. Her rule was she couldn’t wear it under “double-digit December” meaning December 10th. When Grandma Lou died, we gave Write Ons her Santa hat. If you turn out the white trim, you can see traces of her make-up on the white faux fur. They placed the hat on an angel and added it to their Christmas display.  They start decorating the store for Christmas in November, but the angel and Grandma’s hat doesn’t come out until December 10th.

    I make a year trip to the store in December just to see Grandma’s hat. This year I happened to be there as they brought it out. The hat doesn’t smell like her anymore but the inside of the white trim is still stained with her foundation and powder.  I hugged the angel and carefully carried it through the store to its spot on top of the highest shelf. It’s comforting to know that the joy she added to the holidays is still with us.

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  • What’s Up with my Bear Necklace?

    Photo by Sheila Dee

    Over the last 15 years, I’ve lived in 4 states, earned 3 degrees, had more jobs than I can count, went from a size 12 to a size 4, and dyed my hair almost every color of the rainbow. One of the only constants in my life for all that time is my bear necklace.

    I got my bear necklace as a high school graduation present from my aunt and uncle. The card in the box said it was a symbol of wisdom and courage. I’ve been told it’s from the Hopi tribe. I fell in love with it immediately. I have worn it almost every day since. The only times I don’t wear it when I leave the house is when I’m working out or going to a function that requires different accessories – usually formal attire. I look through my pictures tonight and the only times I wasn’t wearing my bear was at Pride when I wore my rainbow beads, my sister’s wedding, running races, and at paintball.

    Photo by Don McPhee

    All my family knows not to get me casual necklaces because they know I won’t wear them. They don’t get me anything gold either because it will clash.

    Some people mistake it for a tooth or chai symbol. When I say it’s a bear, they can see it.

    There have only been a few occasions when I would have worn my necklace and I didn’t.

    Photo by Jeff Moriarty

    One time was the day my clasp broke. I went running to my grandmother’s fancy jeweler – one of those places where the door’s locked and there’s an armed guard. I’m sure my necklace was below the value of anything they sold in the store, but I trusted them to fix it.

    The other time I didn’t wear it was the day I lost it. I was devastated for the 6 hours I couldn’t find it. I thought I’d lost it at the gym. I was so heartbroken I sincerely considered getting a replica of it tattooed somewhere on my body. I was so relieved and overjoyed when I found it under some clothes on my bed.

    I can’t tell you why I love my necklace…I just do.