Can’t stop the smiles, Kristie. Can’t do it.

Well, I had been working on this lovely little entry in which I detailed all the ways I’m turning into my mom and enjoying it in honor of Mother’s Day, but I lost it, so it’s gone forever and I probably won’t redo it until I’m feeling especially contemplative. 

I love Isabell, but she’s been a little terror recently. She’s super smart in an entirely conniving way. A couple weeks ago she learned how to get onto a stump by the fence and use it to vault over into our neighbor’s backyard. Last week she learned that all she really has to do is stand on her tip-toes and hop over. She did it while our neighbor was out in her yard and actually my neighbor was really nice about it. Initially, she had rubbed me the wrong way because she basically flat out told me not to cut the overgrown branches in my backyard. After chatting with her a little bit, I’ve come to understand that she didn’t mean it in a rude way, she’s just a slightly eccentric old hippie who likes gardening and privacy. She helped me tie a fence of chicken wire up to keep Isabell from leaping over. We had to leave a tiny hole where a branch was, though. The next day Isabell found that tiny hole. SO, I made a trip to Home Depot, got 25′ of plastic mesh, some yard stakes, and indulged in a few flowers. 

I’m not sure I can properly convey how awful the state of my back yard is, but I’ll try. It’s just a rectangle, but the very back of it is a ditch going down into the backyards of my neighbors’. The wind in Boulder is so strong on occasion that it blows our trash and the trash of everyone on the street into this ditch. There, water collects and turns the trash and leaves and mud into a black soup of death. This is why I don’t dare try to pick up the trash except in Winter when the leaves are all gone. I had to climb into this black soup of death to erect the most glorious fence EVER. I am so fucking proud of myself. 

I love being handy! I’m not very good at it, but there’s a special kind of pride that comes from building something yourself and seeing it work. I fixed the gate on our fence when we first moved in and, although it’s only hanging on one hinge, it’s still functioning. =D I’ve also mounted every shelf in this house and am the only person who knows how to get the garbage disposal working when it stalls. It’s all easy stuff, but it still feels good. =) 

After building the fence, I potted my flowers. I also went to Target on a whim and decided to spend the gift card that I got with my xbox. I bought a fire pit and Fable III. Don’t laugh. =P That night (it was the last night of finals for everyone) we built a fire, made s’mores, drank and smoked and had a good time. We’re just waiting for the weather to dry up again so we can actually burn something.

So Emily. I was really psyched because I thought the hardcore flirting meant she maybe liked me, but I’ve decided not to get my hopes up. We went to a party together and she was able to see how awful I am as socializing, so I’m sure that pretty much killed any hope I might have had. Oh well! Like I’ve said before, I’ll be happy if I’m just her friend because she’s that cool. But yeah, most awkward party ever. About 95% of the people there were from work and we just sat in a circle, passed two pipes around, and talked. 

Whaaat else? Nothing really.