Strange days

Poor Roby.

Someone said his life is quickly resembling a Steve Martin movie. First there was the treacherous poison ivy he got while landscaping. Then 2 weeks ago he got stung by an ENTIRE nest of yellow jackets-which I might add was the scariest thing I have ever witnessed. Several days later he found a screw in his burrito at a local restaurant...a screw. At least it wasn't a finger, but it's still pretty disgusting. And then just when things seem better and he is recovering from his stings, he becomes covered with some crazy allergic reaction hive type things that the doctor can't really explain. Three shots later he is passed out in bed with hives on his eyelids. I mean really, what's going on here?

Poor Roby.

(since G.I. Joe always taught us that "knowing is half the battle":
yellow jackets are wasps that primarily burrow in the ground. they are nasty little critters that are naturally mad at the world and have the ability to sting you over and over and over, unlike honey bees. oh and they get REALLY incensed when you mow over their little underground lairs. if you get stung by them and feel like you can't breathe...go to the ER!!! they say a paste of baking soda or crushed up aspirin, or mud, as well as ice cubes will help soothe stings...Roby disagrees.)

Speaking of my only TN friends

Elliot and Marley are life savers. I would say orange-flavored. I think I might be out of my mind already if they weren't here to keep me company day in and day out...especially when Roby is away for business. They are adjusting to TN life just fine, lounging out on the screened porch watching the cardinals and blue jays hop around in the back yard. Marley is quite the fattie. It's crazy to think that several months ago I found her shivering and skinny after she went missing for a month in California and now she almost weighs more than Elliot!

Sprawled out Marley

Elliot on the porch

I'm going back to Cali, Cali, Cali...

Finally a business trip worth tagging along for! Accustomed to his 2-week trips to The Great White North that I had no desire to go on, I was delighted to hear Roby had to fly to Orange County. I figured this would be my last chance to travel before Owen arrives, and I desperately wanted to visit all the friends we left behind 7 months ago. We were able to attend Vicky and Casey's son Asher's first birthday party, go to church and out to lunch with Judy and Dave (Shannon's parents), meet up with Roby's old co-workers for some Cuban food, spend mucho time with Andrew and Dannielle and their adorable kids Aidan and Emma, hang out with Jo (with her adorable new pixie cut) and Steinar, and have brunch with Patrice and her cool scruffy dogs (You can visit Patrice's blog at http://www.iblognow.blogspot.com/).

While Roby actually worked during the day, I hung out with friends. Dannielle and Steve's mom Judi, Aidan and I took the scenic route from my hotel back to Trabuco Canyon, ok so somehow we got lost, and witnessed Emma lose her "pink bear" in the mall once again...Vicky and I took Asher out for ice cream, tried to figure out why he started hoarding his food under his high chair and took cute pics of him in a hooded towel...And my former co-workers from The Jesus Film Project even threw me a surprise baby shower! sneaky, sneaky. I was thrilled because I knew I wouldn't have one here, since my only friends are our cats...he he he. How sweet of them...so typical of them though. I truly think I had the best job there, and met the most genuine people = lifetime friends.

All in all, we had quite a jam-packed trip and were sad to leave. It was strange going back...It didn't exactly feel like home anymore, yet TN definitely doesn't feel like it either...yet.

Happy first birthday Asher!

Aidan, Emma and "pink bears"

With Dannielle & Andrew in Laguna Beach

With Jo & Steinar in San Clemente

JFP family on day of my shower

Southern Exposure

Roby and I have taken several trips with Shannon and Steve over the years...from Lake Tahoe/Reno, to Lake Havasu (Lake Heather Sue I dubbed it...although I wasn't happy that they have rocks for lawns), to Oklahoma City, to Houston, to Mexico. This time we drove several hours North to Nashville to see if it really was all honky tonk and smoke-filled bars. Surprisingly, we all enjoyed our stay even though not one of us likes country music :) (Although I must say Willie Nelson seems like one cool cat.)

We got a sweet deal on a hotel in the middle of it all, met up with Shan's aspiring country singer friend Natalie at P.F. Chang's, visited the life-size replica of the Parthenon, took in an art exhibit and 35mm showing of Close Encounters of the Third Kind at the Frist Museum, stuffed ourselves at the Hard Rock Cafe, got lost looking for Music Row and spent the afternoon driving past rich people's homes, searched out the famed White Castle restaurant (please don't let Steve convince you this was the highlight of our trip) and, last but not least, laughed when a bumblebee attacked me in a gas station bathroom...well, they laughed.

Back in Chattanooga we just chilled, reminiscing about our years spent together in Orange County and catching up on this past year. When they moved to Dallas, it was one of the hardest things Roby and I had to face...they had so quickly and permanently become such dear friends and both of their families are now our pseudo-families! Little did we know we were soon to follow their lead and move far from CA. Thanks guys for taking 2 weeks out of your summer to spend with us...we can't wait for our next trip! (you can check out their blog at: http://steveandshan.blogspot.com/)

At the Parthenon replica

If you came upon them in the park at midnight, would you be scared?

Shan & Steve pose at Clumpie's ice cream shop

(which I personally think is a bad name for a creamery)

4th of July in Chat-town

Happily, friends and family from Philly, Dallas, Houston & Atlanta descended on Chattanooga for our second annual 4th of July get-together. (Last year we all flew to Mason and Bindu's in Hotlanta.) The Fourth has quickly become a holiday we look forward to all year. Roby and I were thrilled to have our peeps in town and this big, empty house definitely had some life breathed into it. We celebrated Joyce, Abbey and Roby's birthdays, partook of some local BBQ, enjoyed dinner at the charming Back Inn Cafe overlooking the Tennessee River, visited the Hunter art museum, went to an Outlooks' game, fired up Roby's new grill, watched Batman or War of the Worlds, witnessed amateur fireworks put on by our neighbors in our street & played some basketball in the million degree heat (well the guys anyway :) Sadly, one by one everyone departed for their respective cities...except Shan and Steve who stayed for an extra week! (hence my next entry)

Thanks to all of you for traveling to the Gateway to the South to visit us, your lonely California transplant friends. Tobi has already put the word out that he and Joyce want to host next year's festivities down in H-town, TX. Count us in! (and yes, Binoy, wherever you may end up in 2007, we are there too!)

In our backyard

Southern belles

Heather with Joyce-the birthday girl!

They must be insane to play in 90-degree weather

All new to me

So this is the world of blogging. I figured having a blog would be an easy way to keep our family members and friends updated on what's going on with the Isaacs in TN...especially once Owen makes his much anticipated arrival (only 8 more weeks to go!!!)