Despite my greatest efforts, my job offer at Inovus Design officially fell through yesterday. Thankfully, I can say I wasn't fired; just unhired. Ha.
It was a combination of things that turned the deal sour. The company's explanation and what I know to be true, interestingly enough, contradict each other. My best explanation is that my trip to England with Brandon delayed starting at their company... and the gap in time was just too much for them to handle. A lot can change in a few months. The worst part of the whole situation is that so much time was wasted in hearing back from the company (I've been waiting since mid October) and in the end I walked away empty handed. I must say, I'm a bit disappointed.
It's too bad Inovus Design let a really hard worker and a really good interior designer slip through their fingers. Honestly, what were they thinking?
Sadly, I continue to be unemployed and am back to the job searching. I know the right company is out there, I just need to find it... and I need to be patient in the meantime.
Nov 30, 2007
I'm dreaming of a warm Christmas.
The Riggs have been up to some fun over the past couple weeks. Check it out on our Picasa web albums:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Lee10383/HolidayFestivities
Love you.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Lee10383/HolidayFestivities
Love you.
Nov 8, 2007
Greece, Part II
On October 17th, we departed the beautiful island of Santorini and took a ferry to Naxos. This island was much more laid back and quiet. It was a nice break compared to the craziness of some of the other islands. We started our activities by going to a famous landmark, the temple of Apollo aka Ariadne's Arch. The temple is mostly in ruins and the arch is the only part remaining. Brandon, being the die-hard tourist that he is, had to take the famous photograph of standing inside the arch. This all took place despite the fact that the area was roped off... meaning do not enter. Little did they know, no chains or ropes could stop my husband from getting his photo! Our tour book said it was a must do. We also went to an archaeological museum and then concluded our evening by attending a traditional Greek music and dancing event. It was very entertaining. Our second day on Naxos consisted of renting a moped and driving through the countryside. So pretty! Our final destination was another temple... I don't remember the name, but it was fairly preserved and had a neat history. We then putted our way to the beaches, and eventually had to turn in the moped and catch our ferry to the next island.
Mykonos is the crazy island. It's where the cruise ships dock and the tourists pour out. During certain seasons there's probably more Americans than Greeks! The first day there we rented another moped and made it to the beach for a couple hours. The rest of the time was spent wandering the island, window shopping, going to the windmill museum, etc. Our second day on Mykonos we took a 45 minute ferry ride to the island Delos, one of the most important historical and archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. The island was abandoned during the Roman era which allowed it to remain "unspoiled." Since 1873 the French School of Athens have been excavating the island and an entire beautiful, preserved city was uncovered. The 2001 Greek census reported a population of only 14 inhabitants on the island of Delos. In other words, it's really only good as a day trip with a return ticket back to Mykonos. And that's exactly what we did. Not a whole lot of other activities occurred during our time on Mykonos; just relaxing and soaking in our final time in Greece.
The last portion of our trip was one final day in Athens. We went to the National Archaeological Museum which is supposedly "the best archeology museusm in the world." It had some very fascinating things in it such as ancient pottery, jewelry, weapons, utensils, an amazing Zeus statue, and some famous wall frescoes (paintings done on plaster or walls)... but my museum excitement level was dwindling at this point in our trip so we only spent 1.5-2 hours there. With only hours left, we did a little walking around, some shopping, some gelato (Italian ice cream) consuming, and then headed to the airport.
At this point the rest is history... a few minor complications occurred such as a one hour delayed flight for the 3rd time in a row, some lost luggage, the closed airport storage place where our other bags were being held, etc. But before we knew it, those annoyances were sorted out and we were back home in LA. Home sweet home!
Hope you enjoyed reading about our trip and maybe something exciting will happen in the next few days or weeks ahead and I'll write more then. :)
Mykonos is the crazy island. It's where the cruise ships dock and the tourists pour out. During certain seasons there's probably more Americans than Greeks! The first day there we rented another moped and made it to the beach for a couple hours. The rest of the time was spent wandering the island, window shopping, going to the windmill museum, etc. Our second day on Mykonos we took a 45 minute ferry ride to the island Delos, one of the most important historical and archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. The island was abandoned during the Roman era which allowed it to remain "unspoiled." Since 1873 the French School of Athens have been excavating the island and an entire beautiful, preserved city was uncovered. The 2001 Greek census reported a population of only 14 inhabitants on the island of Delos. In other words, it's really only good as a day trip with a return ticket back to Mykonos. And that's exactly what we did. Not a whole lot of other activities occurred during our time on Mykonos; just relaxing and soaking in our final time in Greece.
The last portion of our trip was one final day in Athens. We went to the National Archaeological Museum which is supposedly "the best archeology museusm in the world." It had some very fascinating things in it such as ancient pottery, jewelry, weapons, utensils, an amazing Zeus statue, and some famous wall frescoes (paintings done on plaster or walls)... but my museum excitement level was dwindling at this point in our trip so we only spent 1.5-2 hours there. With only hours left, we did a little walking around, some shopping, some gelato (Italian ice cream) consuming, and then headed to the airport.
At this point the rest is history... a few minor complications occurred such as a one hour delayed flight for the 3rd time in a row, some lost luggage, the closed airport storage place where our other bags were being held, etc. But before we knew it, those annoyances were sorted out and we were back home in LA. Home sweet home!
Hope you enjoyed reading about our trip and maybe something exciting will happen in the next few days or weeks ahead and I'll write more then. :)
Oct 31, 2007
Greece, Part I
Saturday, October 13th: We departed Harrogate at 10 am; 16 hours later we arrived at our hotel in Athens. Seeing as how it was 2 am, we crashed. Sunday: We saw the Greek version of the changing of the guard, ate our first authentic gyros, and spent the remainder of the day at the Acropolis, where the Parthenon is located, as well as 4-5 other sites around the city. The architecture and history there = AMAZING! Monday: We caught the 7:30 am 5 hour long ferry ride to the island of Santorini. We explored the city of Oia, took lots of pictures, watched a beautiful sunset, ate dinner, and went to bed.
Tuesday was the most eventful day: We caught a bus in attempt to see an archaeological excavation, but when we reached the destination we discovered it was closed. Boo! (A British guy was killed at the site 2 years ago and it hasn't reopened to the public since.) So instead, we walked to the red sand beach and made some American friends on the way, Vanessa and Paul. After the beach, we went back to their hotel for lunch. Several hours later, we had reservations for a sailboat cruise and headed to the "old port" where we were supposed to meet. The tricky part was that the old port was waaaay down at the water level compared to the entire city which was built up on the top of tall cliffs. So in order to get down to the port, you had to either walk down 600 stairs, catch a cable car, or ride a donkey down. As usual, the Riggs had budgeted JUST BARELY enough time to make our boat's departure. We were aiming for the cable car ride, but the forever long line forced us to do otherwise. This is where the fun comes in. Our trusty tour book said the 600 ankle-breaking cobblestone stairs (where you have to avoid heaps of donkey dung) take approximately 20 minutes to get down and well, we only had 10. So the running began. I couldn't keep up with Brandon so he told me to go at the fastest pace I could and he would sprint down and hold the boat for me. He took off and was immediately out of sight. I was flying by the normal, walking people and was probably at the 400th stair mark when I heard a voice say, "And there she goes!" I looked back and saw our friend Paul. He and his wife were going on the same boat cruise and seeing him was enough of an excuse to stop running and catch my breath. I walked down the rest of the way and we made the boat just in time. :) Somehow, amazingly, Brandon ran down all 600 steps in 8 minutes. Wow. What a way to start our activity! The boat took us to a nearby active volcano where we got out and hiked to the top. In certain spots, you could see yellow smoke oozing out of the ground, which was cool, but other than that it just looked like a mountain made of black rock. Next, we motored over to some natural hot springs created by the volcano in the Aegean Sea. We had to jump off the boat (or dive if you're Brandon and lower yourself down if you're Lisa) and swim through freezing cold water to get to the hot springs. It was definitely worth it though. Shortly afterwards, we arrived back at the port and had to go back up. This time we opted for the donkey ride. It was crazy. These donkeys were very aggressive and literally raced each other to get to the top first. They rammed each other so as to not get passed, and with a pack of donkeys going down and a pack of donkeys going up at the same time there was a lot of traffic jams and road rage. It was so insane! My donkey was really fast and passed a whole group of people. We ended up being the head of the pack and were the first ones at the top. First place for me! :) We have some great footage on the whole experience that I will be sure to post. After we showered and cleaned up we met Vanessa and Paul at their place for some appetizers, wine, and a stunning sunset. We all went out to eat together and then made our way to bed.
Well, this concludes the first portion of our trip. Up next, Naxos, Mykonos, Delos, and a final day in Athens.
Tuesday was the most eventful day: We caught a bus in attempt to see an archaeological excavation, but when we reached the destination we discovered it was closed. Boo! (A British guy was killed at the site 2 years ago and it hasn't reopened to the public since.) So instead, we walked to the red sand beach and made some American friends on the way, Vanessa and Paul. After the beach, we went back to their hotel for lunch. Several hours later, we had reservations for a sailboat cruise and headed to the "old port" where we were supposed to meet. The tricky part was that the old port was waaaay down at the water level compared to the entire city which was built up on the top of tall cliffs. So in order to get down to the port, you had to either walk down 600 stairs, catch a cable car, or ride a donkey down. As usual, the Riggs had budgeted JUST BARELY enough time to make our boat's departure. We were aiming for the cable car ride, but the forever long line forced us to do otherwise. This is where the fun comes in. Our trusty tour book said the 600 ankle-breaking cobblestone stairs (where you have to avoid heaps of donkey dung) take approximately 20 minutes to get down and well, we only had 10. So the running began. I couldn't keep up with Brandon so he told me to go at the fastest pace I could and he would sprint down and hold the boat for me. He took off and was immediately out of sight. I was flying by the normal, walking people and was probably at the 400th stair mark when I heard a voice say, "And there she goes!" I looked back and saw our friend Paul. He and his wife were going on the same boat cruise and seeing him was enough of an excuse to stop running and catch my breath. I walked down the rest of the way and we made the boat just in time. :) Somehow, amazingly, Brandon ran down all 600 steps in 8 minutes. Wow. What a way to start our activity! The boat took us to a nearby active volcano where we got out and hiked to the top. In certain spots, you could see yellow smoke oozing out of the ground, which was cool, but other than that it just looked like a mountain made of black rock. Next, we motored over to some natural hot springs created by the volcano in the Aegean Sea. We had to jump off the boat (or dive if you're Brandon and lower yourself down if you're Lisa) and swim through freezing cold water to get to the hot springs. It was definitely worth it though. Shortly afterwards, we arrived back at the port and had to go back up. This time we opted for the donkey ride. It was crazy. These donkeys were very aggressive and literally raced each other to get to the top first. They rammed each other so as to not get passed, and with a pack of donkeys going down and a pack of donkeys going up at the same time there was a lot of traffic jams and road rage. It was so insane! My donkey was really fast and passed a whole group of people. We ended up being the head of the pack and were the first ones at the top. First place for me! :) We have some great footage on the whole experience that I will be sure to post. After we showered and cleaned up we met Vanessa and Paul at their place for some appetizers, wine, and a stunning sunset. We all went out to eat together and then made our way to bed.
Well, this concludes the first portion of our trip. Up next, Naxos, Mykonos, Delos, and a final day in Athens.
Oct 29, 2007
Who knows how long...
I'll admit it, I was sad to leave England this time around and got all nostalgic our final days in Harrogate. I walked around town trying to capture fond memories and favorite scenes in a little under 50 photographs. We said goodbye to Harrogate for who knows how long... years and years I'm sure. Harrogate will always have a special place in our hearts; Brandon and I spent a total of 9 months of the first 3.5 years of our marriage living in that town. I've picked some of my favorite photos to share with you. Enjoy.
Soon to come, our time in Greece.
Soon to come, our time in Greece.
The train station that we RAN to a few too many times.
In England efficiency isn't necessarily taken into consideration.
When will we see Smart cars on the 405 freeway?
Best fish and chips in my life...
One of the main streets.
The Royal Pump Room Museum.
The stray, 200 acres of land that exists for picnics, local football matches, etc.
The Turkish baths.
Lastly, our place of residence. We were in Flat 7, rockin out on the 3rd floor.
Best fish and chips in my life...
One of the main streets.
The Royal Pump Room Museum.
The stray, 200 acres of land that exists for picnics, local football matches, etc.
The Turkish baths.
Lastly, our place of residence. We were in Flat 7, rockin out on the 3rd floor.
Oct 4, 2007
My birthday...
The fun started with lunch at Betty's (famous for their tea) with my friend Laura and a surprise guest, Brandon. He took time off work to join us at the restaurant.
Then, Laura and I got manicures... nothing like a little pampering on your birthday. :)
Afterwards, I came home to these beautiful flowers from Brandon.
That night we had dinner plans with another couple that live out here, Jack and Patty. So I celebrated the remainder of my evening over at their place. It was fun; I enjoyed their company. But it doesn't end there... Brandon still wanted to take me out for a special dinner just the two of us. So Thursday night was celebration dinner #2. We went to 'Chino Latino' in Leeds.
"It is a modern pan-asian cuisine with a latin cocktail bar. Chino Latino has forged the reputation as one of the 50 best restaurants in Europe. It has perfected the art of a sophisticated and cosmopolitan dining experience."
Here's us ready to go eat:
The food was amazing. One of my favorite dining experiences in... a long, long time. We ordered 4 dishes because they are smaller portions and meant to share among your table.
Asparagus and spinach in a sesame sauce
Seared marble beef with crispy garlic and yuzu vinaigrette
Black Cod tempura with citrus glaze
Tannki roll tuna- salmon and sea bass with avocado and spicy tarragon miso with tempura crunchy
This was the black cod tempura... yummy! I wish we had pictures of the other dishes though because they were even a more impressive presentation.
I also must mention all the love that was sent my way from friends and family back home. Thank you guys for making my day special. So there you have it. Who said getting another year older was so bad...? I love birthdays! :)
Then, Laura and I got manicures... nothing like a little pampering on your birthday. :)
Afterwards, I came home to these beautiful flowers from Brandon.
That night we had dinner plans with another couple that live out here, Jack and Patty. So I celebrated the remainder of my evening over at their place. It was fun; I enjoyed their company. But it doesn't end there... Brandon still wanted to take me out for a special dinner just the two of us. So Thursday night was celebration dinner #2. We went to 'Chino Latino' in Leeds.
"It is a modern pan-asian cuisine with a latin cocktail bar. Chino Latino has forged the reputation as one of the 50 best restaurants in Europe. It has perfected the art of a sophisticated and cosmopolitan dining experience."
Here's us ready to go eat:
The food was amazing. One of my favorite dining experiences in... a long, long time. We ordered 4 dishes because they are smaller portions and meant to share among your table.
Asparagus and spinach in a sesame sauce
Seared marble beef with crispy garlic and yuzu vinaigrette
Black Cod tempura with citrus glaze
Tannki roll tuna- salmon and sea bass with avocado and spicy tarragon miso with tempura crunchy
This was the black cod tempura... yummy! I wish we had pictures of the other dishes though because they were even a more impressive presentation.
I also must mention all the love that was sent my way from friends and family back home. Thank you guys for making my day special. So there you have it. Who said getting another year older was so bad...? I love birthdays! :)
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