Panoply, Pippa, and Privacy Fences

Well, here I am, writing a long overdue post which I'm sure you've all been anticipating. I feel like I'm constantly apologizing for not writing on the blog. I'll blame it on a series of things which are...

1. I haven't felt like writing anything

2. I hate logging on to a computer in the evenings

3. Life hasn't been too interesting

4. I don't think anyone but Erika reads this blog and I can just call or go out to dinner with her

I'm sure there are other reasons too, but I'm sticking with these four for now. I'd like to promise I'll do better because I feel guilty when I don't write anything; but let's be honest it's probably not going to get any better until I get out of this funk. Moving on....

Last weekend wasn't too adventurous. I did manage to venture out to Panoply with my friends Lauren and Margaret Anne. We went to listen to the Indigo Girls. They sounded great and the weather was nice and it was an all around lovely evening until the lesbians in front of us started making out towards the end of the show. It was at this point that we packed up our belongings and decided to head out. As we started leaving, the fireworks began so we stood by the pond and watched the fireworks and then went home. Other than my outing to Panoply, I really didn't do too much. 

Pippa has discovered that the fence is no match for her prowess. When I first got her, she found some holes in the fence between my yard and my neighbor Tina's yard and she would scoot under the fence and run over to Tina's (usually when Tina was outside). Tina sealed up some holes by stacking up bricks and I sealed off others by sticking bamboo in the ground where the holes were so Pip couldn't run through. So, for over a year, she hasn't bothered with trying to escape. 

Well, apparently she must have gotten bored or mad while I was gone on vacation because she discovered a hole in the back of the fence and also a way to open up the back gate. So, I got a lock for the gate so that she can't maneuver it open and my neighbor Mary Beth put some chicken wire and cinder blocks around the hold in the back. That worked for about five minutes until Pippa discovered she could just push the fence and crawl under it. So, I drove some stakes in the ground where there were other holes and loose spots.

Then she discovered more holes in the fence between my house and Tina's and is again escaping through those. I drove stakes in the ground along that side of the fence too and she got out again! So, basically she's either confined to the leash while in the back yard or I sit in the backyard with her and yell out every time she gets close to a weak spot which is basically every 30 seconds. 

All of this to say that I now have two companies coming out to provide estimates for a privacy fence. This is about the last thing I want to spend money on at the moment and I certainly don't have the funds to pay for it at the moment. Both companies have financing options so when the sales guys come out I will be discussing the financing options with them and then will probably cry after they leave because of the enormous expense of a privacy fence and there go my hopes of getting a new couch any time soon. Seriously, what 38 year old has a couch with giant holes in it? Me, that's who! My large chair is heading that way too. So, I'll have to gather my senses and remember that a privacy fence will add value to my home, it will look nice and it will allow me a moment of peace while Pippa runs around in the back yard and I enjoy silence. 

I'll keep you posted on how it all turns out.