B & L's blog

It's been awhile.

2008-04-26T00:18:00.009Z

So here's the latest and greatest in the Riggs' lives:

- Brandon's 2 epidurals were a SUCCESS! For the last several weeks he has had very minimal to no pain in his back and leg! He can sit in his office chair for 8 hours a day pain free as well as comfortably drive in the car. WOOHOO! What a blessing. Let's just hope and pray that this continues for the rest of his life! He's currently back to physical therapy to keep building his core strength.

- I'm still lovin my job! I'm working on 3 projects right now and am having so much fun! I'm working on River Rock Casino in northern California, Marriott's Canyon Villas time share units in Phoenix, AZ and Hollywood Heights Hotel in Hollywood, CA. Carl Ross Design continues to be a fantastic place of employment. I feel somewhat spoiled. :)

Here are a few of the perks I will brag about: Free massages in the middle of the work day once a month. Free catered lunches every Tuesday and Thursday. Lots and lots of free food constantly being dropped off by vendors. Company field trips for further education. (So far we've been to a lighting factory and the Pacific Design Center. Upcoming field trips: Venetian Plaster factory, AutoCAD camp, maybe SketchUp camp for me, and we're all going to Las Vegas for the HD Design Expo.) And let's not forget half day Fridays! Not to mention, all those things aren't even taking into consideration that I really enjoy the work, love the people, love my boss, etc. Yay, go CRD!

Other fun things we've been up to...

- Awhile back Nate and Laura Ridderman came out for an LA visit! We got to take em around town and enjoy their company for the weekend! Good times.

- We ate Ethopian food for dinner with our small group for a friend's birthday. It was a great experience and pretty good food.

- We went to a Jay-Z and Mary J Blige concert at the Hollywood Bowl. We had a blast.

- We're currently enrolled in a wine tasting class. We are refining our palettes and learning how to judge different wines according to their bottle shape, appearance, color, smell, taste, etc.

- Brandon went to a free Flight of the Conchords concert.

- We went to an event with our church called Yelo where we learned our top 5 strengths and more insight into our personalities through taking the Myers-Briggs and Strengths Finders tests.

And I think that's about it... The last 40 days of our lives in a nutshell.

The weather's really nice these days... 75-85 ish. I think we're going on a hike on Saturday and an LA green building tour on Sunday!

Hope you're doing well and thanks for reading.

the tap

2008-03-15T01:23:00.010Z

Put these two photos together... and that's what's happening on Monday.

Prayers please!

Brandon is going to be put under for a spinal tap on Monday 3/17 as well as Monday 3/31. It's a 2 step process. My poor husband! :( Pray that it is successful and will permanently take his back/leg pain away!

Thanks.

Love,
The Riggs

Sense of smell...

2008-03-11T02:46:00.007Z

Yesterday it was 75 degrees out and marked the first day of true Spring weather here in Redondo Beach. It was a beautiful, lazy day. Brandon and I decided to make a trip to the park. We grabbed our blankets and magazines and made the 5 minute trek to the nearby destination. It was so relaxing and refreshing. I greatly appreciated the simplicity our afternoon activity. It was so nice to read a magazine and have good conversation on a blanket out in the warm sun with my husband. Several hours later as we were heading back home, we walked by one of the houses in the neighborhood when I was suddenly hit by a very potent smell. I was instantly taken back to Indiana and was filled with nostalgia. It was the smell of charcoal and lighter fluid. My whole life growing up we grilled our meat on a charcoal grill out on our back porch. That unique aroma overwhelmed me with many fond memories and created a longing to grill hamburgers ("Jevne burgers" as we called them) and to be with family back home. I was amazed at how my sense of smell could stir up such strong emotions and memories.

What unusual scent means a lot to you?

Mammoth Trip 2.08

2008-03-04T05:17:00.005Z

New pictures posted on our Picasa Web Album page! Here's a sneak preview:

For more pictures of our ski/snowboarding trip, visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/Lee10383

By the way...

2008-02-15T06:29:00.010Z

I am working woman these days!!! I've been working for 3 weeks now and have landed the most amazing job. I am a junior designer at Carl Ross Design and seriously couldn't be happier!!! I love love love my firm, my boss, my co-workers, the projects I am working on, etc.

Check it out at: www.carlrossdesign.com

I should be posted under the "our team" tab shortly. I just sent in my photo today, so hopefully I'll be up on the website soon.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I love you all!

Not everybody can get it right the first time...

2007-12-21T01:57:00.001Z

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.

I'm dreaming of a warm Christmas.

2007-11-30T00:59:00.000Z

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.

Greece, Part II

2007-11-08T22:05:00.001Z

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. :)

2007-11-08T22:04:00.000Z

Welcome to Naxos.

Brandon illegally in the arch.

2007-11-08T22:02:00.000Z

The traditional Greek dancing.

Stairs, anyone?

You can barely see the arch on the piece of land in the background.

Riding through the countryside on our moped.

2007-11-08T21:55:00.000Z

Enjoying the beach on our first day on Mykonos.

At the windmill museum. In reality, we were just inside the top of a windmill and that was the extent of the "museum."

2007-11-08T21:45:00.000Z

An overall view of Delos, with Mykonos in the background.

A house from a long time ago.

The guardian lions dedicated to Apollo. It's estimated that there were originall a row of 9-12 of them.

Greece, Part I

2007-10-31T23:16:00.001Z

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.

2007-10-31T23:13:00.000Z

Changing of the guard in Athens. They wear silly puff ball shoes.

We've arrived! The grandiose Parthenon.

Name this capital style... (Answer: Ionic.)

2007-10-31T23:10:00.000Z

Caryatids, female statues that act as columns.

Another ruins site.

Looking out our hotel window... the Acropolis lit up at night.

2007-10-31T22:56:00.000Z

Beautiful Santorini.

You can see how the city's built on the cliffs.

2007-10-31T22:23:00.000Z

2007-10-31T22:17:00.000Z

In the lead already...

Overlooking the red sand beach.

The 600 stairs with it's many torturous switchbacks.

The sailboat we rode.

Part of the active volcano.

Who knows how long...

2007-10-29T17:09:00.000Z

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.

2007-10-29T17:08:00.000Z

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.

My birthday...

2007-10-04T10:29:00.000Z

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! :)

the weekend +

2007-10-01T12:27:00.000Z

Recently the Riggs have been quite busy. We've had plans if not every day, then every other day... but we love it! I'll hit a few of the highlights. On Saturday we had taco night at our place. About 15 people (ranging from ages 23-60 ish) came over and chowed down on lots of yummy food courtesy of Bea. Our place is fairly small so it made for cozy conditions in flat 7 that night. But it worked out fine, and was a fun time. Sadly, we didn't take any pictures during the actual party, but you can see a few shots below of the next morning before the cleanup took place.

Only a portion of the food that night.

On Sunday, Brandon and I went on a hike in West Burton, a one hour drive from Harrogate. It was 3 hours long and moderate on the difficulty scale. Here's the link that talks more about it: http://www.walkingenglishman.com/dales21.htm
We saw the beautiful outdoors of England and several waterfalls.

Very typical Yorkshire Dales.

We even saw a black sheep.

Yesterday, I went to Leeds (30 minute drive from H-gate) with my friends Laura and Patrick to the Asian markets. A first for me; very fun. We decided to make Wonton Soup for the H-gate crew. We bought the goods and began slaving away in the kitchen. It was a long and tedious process, but boy oh boy were the results worth it. Thanks Patrick's mom for an amazing, authentic recipe! The soup was fabulous; I ate two bowls.

Me & Laura with our perfectly pinched Wontons before they were cooked.

Well, that's about it for now. Later.

Wales

2007-09-26T16:34:00.000Z

Wales was so beautiful and a made for a wonderful weekend trip. I don't know why Brandon and I didn't go there sooner! Go here http://picasaweb.google.com/Lee10383 to see some fabulous pictures we took. I only posted one as a teaser. :)

We drove 3 hours to North Wales Saturday morning. We started out by going on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. http://www.snowdonrailway.co.uk/gallery.html A 30 minute train ride takes you 2000+ feet up the mountain for some incredible views. You stay at the top for 30 minutes and then head back down. It was great; I love trains. We then went to a cool waterfall nearby, and then headed back to our hotel to freshen up for dinner. Later that evening, we enjoyed free entertainment provided by our hotel. It was some Welshman, that I named Sam, singing and playing the guitar. He played a lot of Oldies. I was a big fan.

The next morning we went to the Caernarfon Castle and took a 45 minute tour learning all history and details of the place. FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caernarfon_Castle It was probably the best castle we've been to yet! After the castle, we drove to another little village and got some ice cream and walked around. By this time, it was getting late and we had to head home. First impressions: I think I embrace the Welsh and their home more than the English. Wish we had more time to go back and see more!

T H E . U P D A T E

2007-09-21T16:37:00.001Z

9 days ago we safely arrived in Harrogate. The trip out here was very pleasant. The best yet.

Lots has been accomplished over the past week. The highlights being: curry night at Wetherspoons (a favorite spot in Harrogate), Thai food twice, we went to London for 2 days where we met up with a good friend Nate Ridderman, we walked along Abbey Road and have a great picture to show for it (see our Picasa web albums), attended a BBQ and watched American football with friends, I went to York for an afternoon with the ladies, I shopped at all my favorite stores in Harrogate, watched lots of episodes on DVD of some of our favorite tv shows (The Office, 24, and Friday Night Lights), ate ribs cooked by a vegetarian with a group of 6 engineers + me, played my very first game of darts in which the Rigg team came in second place (out of 3), tonight is game night, and a trip to Wales is planned for tomorrow and Sunday.

There you have. We've been busy.

Works been going well for Brandon, and play has been going great for Lisa.

I'll let you know how the Wales trip is next week; I've heard good things about the place. :)

The fitness ball.

2007-09-17T15:10:00.000Z

About one week ago, Brandon and I were shopping at Target when we decided to buy a fitness ball on sale for $13. It was 29" in diameter and was supposedly unpopable. It was a purchase for Brandon. He wanted it to "strengthen his core" or whatever people do on those balls. Shortly after our return home, Brandon was being consumed by the computer, leaving me pretty bored. So I decided I wanted to play with his new ball. In my mind, it was much more of a toy than a piece of exercise equipment. I had him blow it up for me because I failed in my first two attempts. I started by just bouncing up and down on it... It was fairly entertaining.

Then Brandon asked for a turn. So I gave up the big, gray ball as I watched him do a series of 10-15 situps on it. Oooh, that looked kind of fun I thought to myself. He's good. "Can I try?"

Brandon willingly shared his new purchase. I plopped my butt on the ball, planted my feet securely on the ground, starting out in an upward position as I slowly leaned back. Here's 1... As I attempted to sit up, I realized that 29" was a little too big for my petite size. Instead of my abs pulling me back up, my feet came off the ground, the ball began rolling backwards taking my body with it. Within seconds... BAM! My head just barely missed the desk, but my legs weren't so fortunate. The momentum stopped. I lay there on my back, my neck all scrunched up, legs sprawled up in the air, and my right leg throbbing. Brandon was just staring at me speechless as this all happened. Both of us were frozen, not able to react fast enough. I eventually brought my legs down and was curled up in the fetal position. I shed a few tears before the hysterical laughing came. I couldn't stop. Brandon couldn't tell if I was laughing or crying because the sounds coming out of my mouth sounded like I was doing both at the same time. He went and got me ice as my ankle started swelling. It turned out to only be a minor injury although I was hobbling around all night and the next day.

That night while laying in bed trying to sleep, I kept replaying the incident in my mind and couldn't stop laughing. Meanwhile, my husband is not reacting in the slightest. Not even a chuckle. In the dead silence of the night, hysterical laughing spells kept coming out of me; it was uncontrollable for several minutes. Brandon finally rolled over and said out loud, "I know, I know... you fell off the ball." One last series of laughter came out of me before the sleep took over.

To this day, my leg is still a little tender above my right ankle...

Husband & Wife Dialogue

2007-09-10T06:57:00.000Z

Conversation shortly after my return home from a friend's baby shower.

L: I have a headache.
B: Why?
L: I don't know why. I just do.
B: Maybe you're stressed.
L: No, I'm not stressed. I have nothing to be stressed out about. Why would I be stressed?
B: Maybe you're stressed because you knew when you came home I'd be on the computer reading... I don't know.
L: (Hmmm... interesting thought. I am amused and confused at the same time.)

Conclusion: I truly love being married. Brandon brings me so much joy and entertainment. :)

Haircuts.

2007-09-04T18:40:00.001Z

Curly vs. Straight

Thanks Floyd's, our new haircut destination, we're enjoying your handiwork.

Self-addiction

2007-08-29T21:11:00.000Z

I read something compelling today. Something that I need to be reminded of more often. I decided to share it with you. Maybe you need to be reminded of this truth as well.

The credit goes to Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz.

"The most difficult lie I have ever contended with is this: Life is a story about me.

God brought me to Graceland (the house of 5 guys Don lived with) to rid me of this deception, to scrub it out of the gray matter of my mind. It was a frustrating and painful experience.

I hear addicts talk about the shakes and panic attacks and the highs and lows of resisting their habit, and to some degree I understand them because I have had habits of my own, but no drug is so powerful as the drug of self. No rut in the mind is so deep as the one that says I am the world, the world belongs to me, all people are characters in my play. There is no addiction so powerful as self-addiction."

birthdays + gyms

2007-08-23T16:28:00.000Z

H A P P Y . B I R T H D A Y . B R A N D O N ! ! !

Today is Brandon's 26th birthday. He is now over a quarter century old. I surprised him with cinnamon rolls this morning before work, not to mention he got to open his gifts. ( I like to spoil my birthday boy in every possible way I can think of! August 23rd is one of my favorite days of the year.) For lunch, his co-workers are taking him out to Leo's Mexican food. I'm joining them there. Come 6:45, I am picking B up from work and taking him to dinner in Venice... CA (I wish Italy.) The restaurant is called Chaya Venice and is supposedly amazing Mediterranean/Asian food. I found it in our Zagat Guide and am looking forward to trying it out! The description was, "The immortal cool Venice population gravitates to this chic spot for its modern blend of wonderfully prepared Japanese and Med offerings and excellent wine selection, served by a helpful staff in a beautiful high-ceilinged space." It got very good reviews; I'm sure it will be a winner.

After dinner, I'm not exactly sure what the plan is, but I have some options for B to choose from. There are some cool, chill places we can go in Venice or we can drive closer to home and hang out at the Hermosa pier scene. We'll see. Regardless, it will be a fun night. :)

On a different note...

Last Saturday, August 18th, Brandon and I found ourselves sitting in front of a man named Jason discussing the different options for becoming members of the "club." Prepaid or month to month, do you want to think about it or sign up now for the "point of sale" discount, both of you or just Brandon, personal trainer sessions included or not, do you want to go with the Sport version or the Active version, etc. 45 minutes later we walked away from Jason's desk official members of the 24 hour fitness gym. I know, wow, I, Lisa Rigg, joined a gym. I never thought that would occur in my entire lifetime! And depending on how well you know me, you never would have thought that would happen either. I'm still in shock. The truth is that I am blessed with good genes, and I certainly don't take them for granted. Instead, I use them to their fullest potential. It is a gift that I can eat as much as my 11" taller, 100 pound heavier husband without displaying any side effects. Thank goodnesss!

However, circumstances in my life have caused there to be a need to not only be thin, but to be strong, specifically my legs. As most of you know, I injured my knees about 2 years ago, and I'm still trying to let them heal. Part of my recovery process is physical therapy and 2 sessions a day of 11 exercises/stretches that I'm supposed to do at home. But seeing as how I am anti-exercise, it has been difficult to do my daily "homework." When it comes to working out, my motivation levels are loooooow. Well, to cut to the chase, going to the gym helps me accomplish my physical therapy work that I can't seem to do when I'm just sitting around at home. So we go to the gym 2-3 times a week and while Brandon works out, I do my stretches and exercises. My legs are definitely getting stronger and hopefully this will allow my knees to fully heal. I've done 8 of the 12 physical therapy sessions and will soon be on my way to hiking Mt Everest. Just kidding.

So there you have it. The big news of the year (at least in the Rigg household) is that we are not only gym members, but also gym attenders. Don't get me wrong, the gym is still my enemy, but is maybe, just maybe, slowly coming around to being my friend.

I'll leave you with this random quote that I read yesterday and felt like sharing with someone... "Dying for something is easy because it is associated with glory. Living for something is the hard thing. Living for something extends beyond fashion, glory, or recognition. We live for what we believe."

Inovus Design

2007-08-19T21:54:00.000Z

Well, the job search is over. After tons of research, lots of phone calls and emails, many interviews, and too much driving, I've decided on a firm.

I accepted a job offer about 2 weeks ago at an Interior Design firm called Inovus Design. It's located in Culver City which is about 13 miles north of us. It takes about 20-25 minutes to get there without traffic, but we'll see how long it takes during rush hour. I'm estimating 40-50 minutes. Depending on how torturous the commute is, a move might be in order.

Check out the website at: www.inovusdesign.com

I'll be starting October 22nd when Brandon and I return from England. Although it will be a big change from my current schedule, I know I can handle it. In fact, I'm kind of excited to start. In the meantime, I'm soaking up my final days of relaxation and freedom.

Just wanted to share my employment news with whoever might still read this blog. So now that I'm officially employed as a designer, no more of this free consultation stuff. I'll now be charging $200 an hour for my expertise knowledge and skills. Just kidding. :)

Later.

photos, school, + job

2007-06-21T01:01:00.000Z

I now have 5 of the 6 albums up on our Picasa Web Albums
(http://picasaweb.google.com/Lee10383) from our Australia trip. And it took me forever to sort through and post all of it so make sure to check it out!

Also, as some of you might know, the reason I suddenly have so much free time to be able to some of these fun things I've been putting off is because...

I AM DONE WITH SCHOOL!
Okay, so no, I haven't graduated yet, but I am done with all my classes, and I've turned in all my work. So that's all that really matters. The only thing left to make me an "official" graduate is the graduation ceremony on July 14th.

But in the meantime, I am working on other things... like getting a job, for example. Yes, it's true, the job search has finally begun. Here's an honest assessment on that topic...

Frankly, I'm not so thrilled about it. Getting a full time job signifies a lof of things in my life: namely, that my college days are over. And the college days meant (besides finals week) a flexible schedule, nothing consistently consuming 40 hrs of my week, not having to get up at 6 or 7 or 8 am, having time to do things like cleaning the house/errands/laundry, and dare I mention laying out at the pool during the day. Basically, I feel like the freedom that I have so thoroughly enjoyed over the several years is soon coming to an end. Furthermore, I feel like a job truly marks the beginning of Lisa finally facing the "real world." Yes, I've already done that in many ways, but this is the last straw. Ugh.

On the other hand, the idea of practicing what I've been learning in school for the last 5 years is fairly exciting. The thought of my creativity and designs no longer just landing on a piece of paper, but actually being implemented into the city around me is really quite amazing. I could get into that. Interior design is one of my loves in life so I guess I should count myself fortunate to be entering into a profession that I'm passionate about. Not to mention, the paycheck aspect of a full time job is especially rewarding! And perhaps a job will create a more extensive network in LA and allow me to meet some new friends.

So anyway, I thought I'd share my feelings on the end of one phase and the beginning of another in my life. There's things I'm looking forward to and things I could do without. But I guess that's life, huh.

Right now I have about 20 potential Interior Design and Architecture firms that I'm interested in. They are all within a 15 mile radius from our apartment in attempt to avoid the LA traffic and the 1 hour commute. In the next few weeks ahead, I will be contacting some of these firms, setting up interviews, and making some big decisions. Yikes! It's a crazy time in my life. I'll let you know how things are developing in the near future.

Until then, thanks for reading.

2007-05-24T19:29:00.000Z

Slowly but surely I am getting pictures posted from our Australia trip. Here's the site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Lee10383

The first album is of our 3 day sailboat cruise in the Whitsunday Islands. More to come later...

love.

Here in Alice!

2007-04-30T04:26:00.000Z

Hey everybody!

I'm here in Alice Springs right now writing from an internet cafe. I don't have much time, but just wanted to post a quick something so you knew I arrived safely and am having a WONDERFUL time!!

Australia is so amazing and we've taken approximately 250-300 pictures so far over the last 3 days. In about 30 minutes I catch the shuttle from the center of town to the airport. Brandon was on a different, earlier flight so he has already left for our next destination. We are heading to the city of Melbourne and will meet there at around 8 pm tonight. Our next 2-3 flights we get to travel together; I'm excited about that!!

So quick updates on our trip this far: Everything is going WONDERFUL!!! I LOVE Australia and I really really LOVE being back with Brandon. We've had a great 2-3 days so far and there's much more fun ahead. I don't have tons of time to go into many details about our trip, but... I will just tell you that about 4 hours ago I held 3 lizards and a SNAKE in my very own bare hands! Wow, it was scary at first but really exciting. The snake was really big and long and hung around my neck just like you see on tv. Don't worry, B took lots of pictures.

Yesterday we hiked to the top of Ayres Rock. It was awesome of course, and my knees held up perfectly! Hooray! :) We took a million pictures and like 4 videos that we will share with you when we get back home. The weather is hot hot hot and very dry. I'm going to return home one tan lady if the great, sunny weather keeps up. The flies are really bad here in Alice and they love to swarm your entire body. Nasty! More stories to share on this later...

My time is limited and so I'm trying to think of what else I should say real fast! Uh, like I said before we are heading to Melbourne next. That's where our friends from Purdue are missionaries right now. So we're staying with them and it'll be fun to get to spend some time with them.

Anyway, I've got to run now, but maybe if we get a spare hour in the next couple days I'll try to do another post. If not, then I'll be doing lots of blogging when we get home. We arrive in LA on May 14th if you were wondering.

Well, love you all and talk to you later.
G'day mate!! :)

2007-04-16T18:09:00.000Z

Today is Monday April 16th and the official countdown is as follows: 10 more days until I get to see Brandon and 8 more days until I am get on a plane and head to the "land down under." I must say, what an interesting time these past 41 days has been. First of all, it's incredible to think that 41 days have already passed and there's only 10 to go! Wow, it went by fast. (Thank goodness!) The whole experience has been so incredibly different than I expected. Looking back on what has been going on in my life during this period I can say that it has totally been a God thing. Some of you might be thinking... "Oh please Lisa. Don't turn it into a 'God thing.' What did God have to do with any of this?" But trust me, I'm not over-spiritualizing the situation. I don't throw God's name around lightly. Too many people do, and so I take extra precaution before I wrap God's name with a situation.

Seriously though, I can tell you that God did in fact work through this trip. It has been very evident to me these past 5.5 weeks. If you want more details on what's been going on just ask, but I don't feel like getting into right now. I'll just tell you that I know that the whole Brandon having to leave for 7 weeks had a purpose and I saw God at work during this time. I saw His plan being carried out and it was exciting.

Anyway, my life over the next week+ is pretty planned out and straightforward. I have a midterm the day before I leave and so I will be keeping plenty busy with school. I also have plans with friends for every single night for the next 7 days. So I'll probably not do anymore posts before I take off on the 24th.

Make sure to check back in about a month or so because when we get back from our vacation, you know I will be blogging all about our time in AUSTRALIA! I can't wait!!! Until then... lovelove.

2007-02-28T06:41:00.000Z

Hi Peeps.

So I haven't updated this in awhiiiiile... And I don't really feel like doing an entry right now. BUT if you want to see what we've been up to recently, check out my new Picasa Web Albums at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Lee10383

Yes, it's true that this is the lazy way out, but school's back in session, and therefore I have much to do with my time.

Peace out.

The final four days...

2006-12-07T18:10:00.000Z

Saturday was a day of R&R. We had had a crazy couple of days, but now needed to regain our strength. Lazy Saturdays are my favorite! Although the day wasn't wasted... We made a trip to Bolton Abbey, a 12 century church that is now in ruins. The abbey is pretty cool itself, but what really makes this site so spectacular is the location. It's surrounded by the most beautiful scenery as you will see in the pictures. In the summer, it is highly populated with families and picnic-ers, but I think it is just as beautiful in the fall with all the changing leaves. Saturday night we took mom to Rajput, a popular Indian restaurant in town. Few people know that next to the not so good, bland British food such as bangers and mash, Indian food is one of the most popular cuisines in England. The Brits just absolutely love curry! So naturally, Mom needed to experience it.

Sunday we went to Knaresborough and checked out the usual attractions (the bridge and the castle) and did a little shopping. Next, we headed to York. We walked along the city walls, went to the Minster, and checked out the center of town. That evening we finally made it to Graveley's where Mom had her first British fish and chips. I believe she greatly enjoyed it... as did Brandon and I. That's the one food the British DO know how to cook. :)

On Mom's very last full day in England we went shopping in Harrogate. Brandon had to work, so it worked out perfectly. We covered all the best stores in town before the closing hour of 5:00. That evening we had a home cooked meal and finished off dinner with some pumpkin pie. Might I add, it was the first pie I've ever made in my entire life, and it turned out pretty good. I was excited for that evening's dinner since it's typically a rarity for me to cook for Mom.

We took Mom to the airport the next morning and she safely returned home 10-12 hours later. The 7 days absolutely FLEW by, and I was sad to see her leave. But I was so grateful for the time I did have with her and we certainly had a ton of fun!!! Well, that wraps up the visit. Thanks again, Mom, for coming all they way to England to see us and our temporary country of residence. It was a trip we'll never forget. :)

Love you all.

2006-12-07T17:43:00.000Z

Look at all the sheepies!

We're approaching Bolton Abbey.

We successfully walked a short trail to get this magnificent view.

This has got to be one of the greatest pictures of all time! I love it.

Not too shabby of me and B either. :)

2006-12-07T17:26:00.000Z

The infamous Knaresborough bridge.

What a view.

This picture was taken in memory of our last guest. :)

2006-12-07T16:58:00.000Z

Mom's showing off York as we walk closer to the center along the city walls.

Beautiful fall scene.

A dark picture of mom and B in front of the York Minster.

Now we're in the York Minster.

London!

2006-12-04T16:10:00.000Z

After we met up with Brandon, around 11 pm, we taxi-ed our way to the hotel. We stayed up sharing the many adventures over the last two days and eventually fell to sleep.

First thing on Thanksgiving day morning was to head to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. We had the best view yet out of our 3 different trips there. Next, we showed Mom a few of the major spots in London such as Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. We then made our way to the river cruise meeting point and enjoyed the next 45 minutes floating down the River Thames. It was a new event for the Riggs as well and we all agreed it was a great, educational overview of London. Immediately after our cruise we hit the London Eye. As you can see, we didn't waste much time! Mom was loving all these activities and new experiences just as much as we loved taking her around. We then went to Trafalgar Square, a must-see stop in London. We made a quick stop into the National Gallery (it was free) to see the highlights (Van Gogh and Monet) and then rushed back to the hotel to freshen up for our evening. 30 minuts later we were out the door and heading to our dinner reservations. We went to Gaucho, one of our all time favorite restaurants, which is known for their AMAZING steaks! There was no traditional turkey consumption involved this Thanksgiving, but frankly, it was okay. I was very happy with my Rib Eye. The last event of the day was our wonderful show, Mary Poppins. It was over 2 hours of sheer joy and entertainment. The talent and entire performance was spectacular! By the time the show was over, we had packed enough in ONE day to last a whole week and were quite tired. We retired to our hotel and rested our traveled bodies. It was pretty much one of the greatest and busiest days ever!

Friday consisted of: touring the Tower of London, going to the British Museum, and ending our time in London with a trip to Harrod's. We shopped the 7 floor, 4.5 acre site for a little over an hour. This department store has over 1 million square feet of selling space including 28 restaurants. It's also just so happens to be the only place in London that you can get Krispy Kreme doughnuts. While at Harrod's, Brandon commented that he loved being with the masses and a part of the the hustle and bustle shopping atmosphere. This was music to my ears because I too (as well as Mom and Amy) love the energy and excitement of shopping during the busy holiday season. In fact, Mom made a similar comment to me only minutes later. What a great fit Brandon is with our family.

Our full bellies made our way to the train station where we departed London at 8:00 pm. In typical Rigg fashion... we made our train with only 4-5 minutes to spare and had to rush, rush, rush to get there in time! We dropped Mom off at the train station platform while Brandon and I sprinted as fast as we could to pick up our luggage. Although, to our credit, we did plan plenty of time to get there early, but had a mix-up at dinner that slowed things down. Then because of the huge delay in getting our dinner, we received dessert on the house. And even though we were already running late, who could turn down free chocolate tiramisu! I mean seriously. I'll take a free dessert with a little running anyday! Thankfully, it all worked out and we made our train. We were back in Harrogate that night.

Mom was such a trooper in hanging in there and dealing with our very busy schedule we planned for her. It was definitely a fast-paced first four days of her vacation, but when you only have 1.5 days in Paris and 2 days in London, you have to be speedy. You'll be happy to know, however, that at this point of her trip, things slooooowed down and we made sure the next 3 days of her time were just as fun, but very relaxing. It was time to kick in the laid back schedule. In conclusion, we had an awesome time in London! I'll wrap up the last part of Mom's trip next time.

Ich liebe dich.

2006-12-04T16:01:00.002Z

At Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard.

The band marches by...

2006-12-04T16:01:00.001Z

2006-12-04T15:53:00.000Z

Me and B in front of Buckingham Palace, where the queen lives.

A typical underground sign with Big Ben in the background.

Standing in front of Westminster Abbey, the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs.

2006-12-04T15:44:00.000Z

Ahh... you can't get a more classic London picture. You can even see the popular, red double decker buses going by. Big Ben and a small sliver of Parliament are on the far right.

The Tower Bridge. It's WAY cooler looking that the London Bridge. Ironic that the ugly one with no character is also the famous one.

2006-12-04T15:38:00.000Z

We're on the Westminster bridge making our way to the London Eye located directly behind Mom.

Finally, a picture of the three of us! We're enjoying our 30 minute ride.

2006-12-04T15:31:00.000Z

The Tower of London with a view of the water gate called "Traitors' Gate." This picture was taken on our river cruise as we sailed down bank of the River Thames.

We're at Trafalgar Square, a site in central London that commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

2006-12-04T15:08:00.000Z

The theatre M.P. played at. This is right after we got out of the show.

We were navigating through the tube system when we ran across this.

2006-12-04T14:56:00.000Z

Mom and Brandon outside the British Museum.

Mom liked this building because she thought it represented London's look.

2006-12-04T14:52:00.000Z

Me and Mom standing outside of Harrod's department store, our last stop in London!

World AIDS Day... Do the (RED) thing.

2006-12-01T12:53:00.001Z

Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. How many of you knew that? How many of you know what the (RED) campaign is? Or further more, who Bono is?

This blog entry is dedicated to filling you in on the above questions. It's important, and you need to know about it. If you're already aware, read on just for good measure.

In short: (RED) was created by Bono, an anti-poverty campaigner who just happens to also be the lead singer of the band U2, and Bobby Shriver, Chairman of DATA, to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund by teaming up with the world's most iconic brands to produce (PRODUCT) RED-branded products. A percentage of each (PRODUCT) RED product sold is given to The Global Fund. The money helps women and children with HIV/AIDS in Africa. In January 2006, The Gold Fund determined that Rwanda as the first country to receive the (RED) funding.

Products such as Gap t-shirts, Converse shoes, red Ipods, a red American Express card, and red Razrs and Slvrs are being sold. Perhaps you can support the cause by purchasing one or more of these products. The Riggs are proud owners of two (RED) products.

But the (RED) campaign goes beyond just selling merchandise. It's absolutely exploded!

1. MySpace and Dazed & Confused magazine have joined forces to support World AIDS Day and (RED) by encouraging people across the globe to submit still images, illustrations, or animated sequences themed on the colour red. Visit www.myspace.com/dazedandconfusedmag to experience this 24-hour broadcast!
2. A new (RED) commercial is being launched in the UK this week.
3. American actress/model Veronica Webb is signing copies of Gap's Individuals book on Friday, from 6-8 p.m. at Besame Mucho in Key West, Florida.
4. Etc, etc, etc.

RESULTS: So you may be wondering what this cause has accomplished. Here are the facts.

(RED) product sales in the US in the first six weeks since launch have raised enough money to do ONE of the following things:

• Provide more than 40,000 men or women with ARV treatment for a year
(Note: These treatments are only a small portion of a person’s overall treatment and represent just one year of lifelong treatment.)
• Provide more than 2 million peer educators with HIV training
• Provide a year’s worth of school materials and daily hot meals for more than 86,000 children orphaned by AIDS
• Provide more than 1 million Rapid Tests which detect HIV and deliver instant test results.

The last thing I want to share with you is an excerpt from a speech given by Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General.

"Accountability -- the theme of this World AIDS Day -- requires every President and Prime Minister, every parliamentarian and politician, to decide and declare that “AIDS stops with me”... But accountability applies not only to those who hold positions of power. It also applies to all of us... And it requires every one of us help bring AIDS out of the shadows, and spread the message that silence is death. I will soon be stepping down as Secretary-General of the United Nations. But as long as I have strength, I will keep spreading that message. That is why World AIDS Day will always be special to me. On this World AIDS Day, let us vow to keep the promise -- not only this day, or this year, or next year -- but every day, until the epidemic is conquered."

To conclude this entry, I thank you for reading, I encourage you learn more for yourself (http://www.joinred.com/), and lastly, ask that you would support the campaign in any small or large way you feel compelled.

Do the (RED) thing.

The (RED) Campaign by Bono himself.

2006-12-01T12:52:00.001Z

This is a very cool video. Please watch.

2006-12-01T12:08:00.000Z

Paris!

2006-11-30T11:39:00.000Z

Mom arrived safely with no complications on Tuesday Nov. 21st. We had just enough time to go back to our flat, freshen up, and catch our breath before we were on our way to Paris! The journey consisted of MANY modes of transportation to get from point A (Harrogate) to B (Paris). You will be amazed...

First, we took a taxi from our flat to Harrogate's bus station. Then, we rode the bus to Leeds Airport where we flew into Paris. Next, we took a bus to get from one side of the airport to the other where we caught a train called the RER which we rode for 30 minutes. When we reached "Gare du Nord," we hopped off the train and got onto the underground Metro system where we made two connections before we got off at our stop. We proceeded to walk about 3 minutes and finally arrived at our hotel. What a journey! With the use of mom and my brilliant minds, a few maps, Brandon's pre-travel help and paperwork, and a nice Canadian girl that was going in a similar direction, we made it there problem free. There was only a minor hold up at the train station in Paris, but we figured it out eventually and overall it was a very smooth operation.

By the time we checked in, it was already 6:30 pm. Dinner was the first thing on the agenda. We went to a recommended restaurant called Chartier. Surprisingly, there was not an English menu, but our waiter did his best to translate a total of 3 meal choices. We both went with the "beef in sauce" option. :) It was pretty good. By the time dinner was over, all the attractions and stores were closed so we just did a little window shopping. We finished our evening with a visit to the Eiffel tower. At night, it's all lit up and a very different feel than in the daytime. I wanted Mom to experience it at both times.

The next morning we again headed to the E. Tower. This time, we went to the very top. What amazing views! We then hit up the Louvre where we saw the original Mona Lisa in addition to many other pieces of artwork. (Note: It's a given that shopping was sprinkled in between all of these activities. :) We would have it no other way.) We next went to the Arc de Triumph where the world's largest roundabout is located, and finally ended our time in Paris with shopping on the most famous stretch in the city.

At 7 pm we did the route in reverse order and got back to the Paris airport. This time, however, we flew into Luton, London instead of back to Harrogate. After an hour bus ride that took us into the heart of London, we found a handsome, familiar face that belonged to Brandon Rigg. We successfully pulled off the plan. Hooray for us!

Now, some people may have the impression that Paris is not a "friendly" place. That the people can be rude, mean, and possibly even somewhat anti-American. Well, as with any place, I am sure there is a percentage of such people. But I am here to tell you that Mom and I encountered so many nice people during our short stay in France! (One that was a bit too friendly.) I'll share a few stories that we experienced. A kind man carried mom's suitcase up a long flight of stairs. A random lady directed us to the escalators that we didn't know about because she noticed we were carrying luggage. A French lady complimented me on my purse. Our first waiter at Chartier was practically my best friend. And even though I had no clue what he was saying, his proximity and body language was telling me enough. (That is until I told him I didn't speak French. At which point he acted very disappointed, but couldn't do anything more but get the English speaking waiter.) BUT... the story that tops them all is about a French guy at the train station in Paris on our way out of the city. He saw us standing at a map and came over to ask if we needed directions. He proceeded to help us for the next 20 minutes! He led us all over the station, talked to people in French for us, helped us buy tickets, etc. We kept telling him he didn't need to do anymore and could be on his way, but he kept saying "Oh, it's no problem," and insisted on assisting us until we made it to our platform. Who gives 20 minutes of their precious time to help 2 American strangers you may ask? Apparently, the kind French do. Anyway, it made me happy to experience the opposite of the stereotypes we often here about.

Stay tuned to hear about the next part of our adventures. Two full and fun-packed days in London.

Byeee.

2006-11-30T11:08:00.000Z

The amazing tower.

2006-11-30T11:06:00.000Z

Giving credit, where credit is due.

Look at how little the people are! Helps you realize the scale of the tower.

2006-11-30T10:59:00.000Z

Views from the Eiffel Tower.

2006-11-30T10:46:00.000Z

Mom standing in front of one of the largest, oldest, and most famous museums in the world, the Louvre.

Some monument nearby the museum that has very important significance, I'm sure.

The main entrance into the Louvre.

2006-11-30T10:45:00.000Z

Arc de Triumph, a 165 feet tall monument that sits in the middle of the world's largest roundabout.

Looking down 1 of the 12 connecting streets of the roundabout.

2006-11-30T10:35:00.000Z

A funky looking motorcycle. (This picture was taken with Mike Martin in mind.)

The famous shopping street in Paris, Champs-Elysees. Mom and I, of course, had to spend some time there!

Brighton & Portsmouth

2006-11-20T13:55:00.000Z

November 3rd through 5th we went to a town called Brighton about 5-6 hours south of us. It's located on the coast and in the summer time is a huge tourist attraction for the Brits. Brighton is often referred to as the "London-by-the-sea." Thankfully, we went during the off season and it was much more chill and relaxed. We only had the weekend to spend there so we tried to fit in as much as we could. On Sunday we traveled one hour west to the city of Portsmouth. We had enough time to just barely check the place out before we had to hit the road for home. Brandon had a dinner meeting back in Harrogate at 7 pm and we got back with 15 minutes to spare. :) The pictures will tell you what we did in these two great cities. Brighton was worthy enough for Brandon's famous words: "Man, we've GOT to come back here!" (He says that about 70% of the places we go, haha.) So maybe someday we will revisit the town that many people claim to be one of the greatest cities in England.

On a different note, visitor #2 is arriving here in Harrogate TOMORROW! I'm soooo excited; the next 16 hours can't go by fast enough! Visitor #2 just so happens to be my mama! :) We already have lots of fun plans in store for her as you can imagine. She'll be here from Tuesday the 21st through Tuesday the 28th. We hope to show her the best of England and more in only 7 days! (And have some down time for some rest and relaxation of course.) First thing we're going to do when she gets here is head straight to Paris. Just mother and daughter! (Thanks to the funding of the husband.) We're there for 2 days before we fly to London where we'll meet up with Brandon. Let the adventures begin!!!

I'll tell you ALLLL about it in a week or so.

Au revoir!

P.S.- Did anyone become a fan of Sufjan that had never heard of him before because of my last post? Or did anyone listen to the clips and enjoy new music they hadn't heard before? Just wondering.

2006-11-20T13:54:00.001Z

Me and B in front of the Royal Pavillion where King George IV lived.

We arrived at the pier and are about to head to the carnival.

Check out that crazy ride!

Out on the pier looking across the city of Brighton.

2006-11-20T13:49:00.000Z

This actually doesn't look a whole lot different than California!

Looking across the "beach" at the Brighton pier. Notice how they use rocks instead of sand.

2006-11-20T13:48:00.000Z

We traveled to Portsmouth where they have a ton of big, cool ships.

Brandon standing in front of HMS Victory, a 104-gun ship of the Royal Navy, built between 1759 and 1765. She is the oldest naval ship still in commission and the only remaining ship of the line.

What kind of name is Sufjan, anyways?

2006-11-15T09:49:00.001Z

Some of you may know that on Nov. 2nd, 2006, Brandon and I had the privilege of seeing Sufjan Stevens in concert. We bought our tickets on Ebay, drove 2 hours to the location of the show, Manchester, and had a great time. I enjoyed myself so much, that I wanted to share the experience with you. If you haven't heard of Sufjan before, prepare to be enlightened. His music has been described as folk, rock, and blues. One of my favorite things about his music is how people of all ages are embracing it AND how it includes many atypical instruments such as the trumpet, trombone, banjo, violin, and saxaphone. When's the last time you could get people from age 12 to 60 to appreciate the same type of music?

Listen to the music provided below and see what you think. If you're an existing fan, enjoy the clips.

(P.S.- We actually forgot our camera the night of the show, so I found the videos provided below online.)

Here's a review on one of Sufjan's albums, Come on Feel the Illinoise.
"Sufjan Stevens, the singer-songwriter behind the endeavor, is an earnest and whimsical young man who aims to record an album based on every state in the union, though this is just his second attempt since 2003's Michigan. Lavish praise has been heaped upon this precocious twenty-something, who weaves personal recollections, historical narratives, and strange facts together to create lush portraits of Midwestern life."

"Casimir Pulaski Day"

2006-11-15T09:47:00.000Z

It seems as though the 3 awesome video clips of Sufjan that I recently added to my blog for you to view are now unavailable. My source has failed me. So, you'll just have to go to this website below and check it out yourself! It's just one click away, give it a try.

http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/artists/SufjanStevensSong.html

Also, you can find a 7 minute, 40 second interview of Sufjan on that site.

I provided you with some different clips below, but they're not as quality. So if you're only going to watch one video, go to the site above! :)

"The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts"

2006-11-15T09:00:00.000Z

"The Dress Looks Nice on You"

2006-11-15T08:58:00.000Z

Last but not least, part three.

2006-11-13T12:46:00.000Z

Brandon got Friday (Oct. 20th) off work and we didn't waste time heading out on our 4 hour journey to London. The whole weekend was full of exciting, action packed events as you will soon discover.

Friday night was our big night in town. We went to the most amazing restaurant called Gaucho. It won the best steak restaurant award in 2006 and steak is precisely what all 3 of us ordered and devoured! We all agreed that it was the best steak we've ever eaten in our lives. After our delicious dinner, we went to the much anticipated event, The Blue Man Group. The show was wonderful and we were thoroughly entertained! If anyone gets a chance, definitely go see it.

Saturday we went to the Tower of London where the Crown Jewels are displayed. We took a tour and had a beefeater, a ceremonial guardian that lives in the Tower of London, as our guide. All 36 of the beefeaters are retired from the British armed forces and must have at least 22 years of service with good conduct, at the rank of, or equivalent to, Sergeant Major or above.

Another highlight of the trip included the London Eye, the largest observation "ferris wheel" in the world. The ride is for soaking in London's skyline. It goes nice and slow, taking a total of 30 minutes to make a complete circle. It is 443 feet high and originally was only going to be around for five years, but was then made a permanent attraction . Here's a picture of it lit up at night.

On Sunday we went to Buckingham Palace, where the queen of England lives, to watch the changing of the guard. It is a must-see activity and was fun, as always. Our time in London concluded with a stop at the British museum. It contains over seven million objects from all over the world and although we did it in 2 hours or so, it certainly can be an all day event! We headed home Sunday evening.

That was our London trip in a nutshell. On Monday Brandon had a 1/2 day of work and in the afternoon we went to the Black Sheep Brewery where we were enlightened and educated.

Before we knew it, 12 days had passed, and Bret had to leave for home Tuesday morning. Although, of course, we had to fit in one more fish and chips dinner before his departure. So that occurred on Monday night.

If you couldn't tell from the last 3 entries, we all had a blast and were so happy for Bret's visit. Many great memories were made and I know Bret had fun seeing where we've been living for a total of 8 out of the last 18 months. He learned a lot of new phrases like "hiya" and "mind the gap" that he's taken back to the U.S. and did a handful of "firsts" in his life. Thanks again Bret for coming to see us; we had a great time. 3 cheers for visitors. Hip, hip, hip hooray.

That's a wrap for this entry. Take care.
Love, L'n'B

2006-11-13T12:39:00.000Z

We went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard.

The London Eye.

2006-11-13T12:37:00.000Z

Rainbow in sight.
Looking at our neighbor capsule.
West.

2006-11-13T12:31:00.000Z

The Blue Man Group!
With our ponchos on to protect our clothes, we're ready for the show to begin.
They kindly posed after the show for their fans to get photos.
I've been blue-manned! (One of the guys "made his mark" on me.)

2006-11-13T12:20:00.000Z

The British museum.
Looking at pieces of the Parthenon that somehow ended up in England. Abd although Greece is demanding to have the precious artifacts back, the museum refuses to give them up!
They're coming for you!
Bret and the "Beefeater" at the tower of London.

Bret's visit: Part two. Really funny stories, a must read!

2006-11-07T11:20:00.000Z

Come Monday morning Brandon had to return to "real life" and head back to work. Fortunately for Bret and I, however, the fun continued. The first day of the week was devoted to Harrogate. We spent a good amount of the day shopping and exploring the town. I took Bret to my top 3 favorite stores. "Welcome to the world of modern, top notch (and top dollar) interior decorating." I soon discovered that Bret is just about as good of a shopper as his son. Which is saying a lot because Brandon sometimes out shops me! We had a great time and it was very fun to show Bret things that he's "never seen anything like before."

Tuesday through Thursday consisted of traveling to 3 different local cities. We first hit up the town of Knaresborough. We walked along a public path that we thought would lead us to the castle, but instead, it took us through the neatest little residential area. Bret was very fond of Knaresborough and said he could easily live there. Eventually, we made it to the castle as well as the center of town with it's various stores. There was one store in particular that caught Bret's eye. He insisted on making a stop there and we spent the next 30 minutes going through pages of different tattoo designs! With a picture selected, Bret was ready to go for it on the spot! Talk about spontaneous. Unfortunately, the man behind the counter informed us there were no more openings available that day and Bret walked out unbranded and disappointed. Although that wasn't necessarily the end of the Bret's aspiration, he told the owner that we just might be back in a couple days...

Wednesday was devoted to Leeds, one of the biggest shopping areas around! It's known for many amazing restaurants, the shopping, obviously, and a major night life scene. Bret and I walked around absorping the overwhelming atmosphere for a few hours and then headed home. I think we only made it into 3-4 shops that day. There are literally so many stores that you don't even know where to begin and it's so vast that feel like you can hardly get any shopping accomplished at all! However, one especially fun thing came of this day. Bret experienced Pret a Manger for the first time. It is a very fresh sandwich shop that all should go to if they have the chance. (Side comment: The Riggs have similar feelings towards Jimmy John's.)

Our last stop of the week was in Fountains Abbey, a ruined Cistercian monastey, founded in 1132. See below for further pictures of the beauty. 2 hours after we explored the place, we were on our way back to the car. By the way, I drove us to the abbey in our manual Ford Focus! Props to me, for continuing to keep my father-in-law alive. :) Anyhow, we chose to go a different route back to the car and ended up going through one of the abbey's trails in the deer park. The 360 acre park is currently grazed by 500 Red, Sika, and Fallow deer. We ran into tons of them! We probably saw a total of 20 deer during our short half mile walk. I have never been so close to a deer in my life and was a little apprehensive seeing how there were no fences. Not to mention the fact that the lady that we bought our tickets from warned us, "Don't go between the male and female deers! It could be dangerous." Thankfully, we safely made it back to the car.

But our Thursday adventures didn't stop here! See, what I haven't told you yet, is that after we came home from the tattoo parlor on Tuesday afternoon, Bret started getting online and doing some research. He found the image he was ready to have as an addition to his body and was preparing to return to the quaint town of Knaresborough to get the task accomplished. Early Thursday morning, he called the place and made a 4:00 appointment. At about 3:40, we entered the store once more. This time with the knowledge that there was no turning back now and that Bret wouldn't be walking out in disappointment, but rather, in joy and in a little pain.

This, my friends, is the image that is now permanently affixed onto my father-in-law's upper right butt cheek! Although Bret offered to take a real life picture and send it to me in order to post it on this blog that you are currently reading, I decided to spare you and posted the image only. Sorry Bret and you're welcome all the other people of the world. :) Maybe my next blog will be rated PG-13. But if you ever happen to run into him, I'm sure he'll gladly show it to you. Me taking my father-in-law to get a tattoo is something neither of us will ever forget. And as supportive as I was trying to be, and as much as I do love to take pictures, I had to pass on the job of being the photographer. :)

Well, I know it's almost impossible to top that story, but I have one last thing to share before this entry comes to a close. Thursday night is Curry Club night at a pub called Wetherspoons in Harrogate. It's good Indian food for very cheap. Brandon and I partake in Curry night quite often, and wanted to take Bret there as well. The only problem: Bret doesn't like Indian food. Hmm... How are we going to get around this? My solution was simply that we don't need to take him to eat food he doesn't like. Choose a different restaurant in consideration of our guest. Brandon's solution: Trick his dad into eating food that he doesn't like and force Lisa to play along with the plan! So that's what happened. We went to Wetherspoons and Brandon went straight to the counter and ordered all 3 of our meals (without Bret knowing it) while Bret and I took a seat. We got our drinks, and were chatting away, when Bret asked, "Well, are we ready to order our dinner?" Brandon smoothly responded, "Oh, I've taken care of it already." Bret inquired, "All three of ours?" Brandon answered, "Yep, the meals should be here any time." Bret seemed satisfied with the answer and even thanked Brandon for "taking care of it." Meanwhile, I'm just sitting at the table dying. I'm so worried that Bret will be upset for being tricked, hate his food, etc. I can't handle any tension or confrontation and was so worried about what was going to happen. Minutes later, our food was brought out, and three orders of Chicken Tikka Massala were placed before us. I don't remember Bret's exact words, but it was something like "Huh... What's this?" Brandon had a huge smile on his face that he couldn't wipe off and I was just sitting there lowering my eyes, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. Brandon answered his dad saying, "It's curry. Indian food." To my surprise, Bret took ahold of his fork and started to give it a try. In the meantime, I'm shoveling food into my mouth wishing the meal was already over. Bret commented, "Hmmm! This is delicious." And to my relief, there was no tension or sending back of food at all! The man LIKED Indian food and my anxiety withdrew. The rest of the meal was heartily enjoyed by all and I was relieved that Brandon's plan was a success. Apparently, Bret had never tried it before and didn't expect that's what Indian food would be like. Not being a Chinese or Thai food fan you can understand why one would think he wouldn't like Indian. But that was not the case. Phew! :)

The final 4 days of Bret's journey are soon to come. Thanks for reading. Cheers.

2006-11-07T11:15:00.000Z

Bret's very first train ride in his whole life is the mode of transportation that took us to the quaint town of Knaresborough.
I took this picture from when we were visiting the town last summer. There weren't near as many leaves or boats when Bret and I were there. A major difference when compared to one of the pictures below.

2006-11-07T11:09:00.000Z

We've made it to the castle and are enjoying the view.
You can't miss the police when they're coming down the road in these neon colored vehicles!
This store has great significance. To some more than others though...
Looking back at the bridge from the castle.

2006-11-07T11:02:00.000Z

The main street for shopping in Leeds.
One of our very favorite lunch stops! Very fresh sandwiches/salads with natural ingredients and affordable prices. Joy, I knew you would appreciate this picture.

2006-11-07T10:56:00.000Z

The hustle bustle of Christmas shopping has already begun.
One of the many indoor malls in addition to all the hundreds of street stores.
It's like a magical illusion.
Bret was a fan of the red telephone booths.

2006-11-07T10:52:00.000Z

A funky looking tree we discovered along the way.
Fountains Abbey.
The future monks of Britain.

2006-11-07T10:45:00.000Z

Repetition is one of the seven principles of design.
The mini monks scurry up the hill.
The leaves are changing...
We have arrived at the water garden.

2006-11-07T10:40:00.000Z

The stepping stones across the water is a classic feature to be found at a British abbey. Good thing Bret didn't fall in the water like the dog right after him did.

Deer, deer everywhere!
Whatever you do, don't get in between the male and female! It was what they called "rutting" season.

Bret's visit: Part one

2006-10-30T16:58:00.000Z

Bret safely arrived in Harrogate on Friday, October 13th. The good news is that he did make it here. The bad news is that it wasn't the smoothest journey. His first flight, the connection to his international flight, was running late. (Hmm... sounds familar.) I believe he said there was running and worrying involved on his part. (Yep, I remember going through that.) But thankfully, he made his flight with only MINUTES to spare! (Deja vu!) But this is where our stories differ. Then, due to heavy fog in England, his plane couldn't land. This allowed Bret to unexpectedly travel to an additional country that day. The plane made a quick trip to Ireland to refuel while they were waiting for the weather conditions to improve. Amazingly, Bret traveled to 4 countries (the US, England, Ireland and Scotland) in one day! Eventually, when the fog cleared, he landed in Manchester, England where Brandon was waiting to pick him up. Since we were already running behind schedule, we didn't have a moment to spare. Bret showed up to our flat and we were out the door and on our way to Scotland in no time.

It was a 4 hour drive and we made it JUST in time to get to our ghost and ghoul tour that started at 8:00 pm. (Unfortunately, there was more running involved.) It was a lot of fun, and our guide was very entertaining! Our second day in Scotland included the Edinburgh castle, a whiskey tour, lots of shopping, and LOTS of picture taking. We saw William Wallace, a musical performance by a bagpiper, and a grim reaper! See below for the pictures. After a full day of activity and excitement, we headed home.

On Sunday, we traveled to our second destination, York. It's about 45 minutes east of Harrogate. (This is where Brandon and I went on our 1st year anniversary when we were here last year, if anyone remembers.) We went to the must-see York Minster where Bret and Brandon climbed 275 spiral stairs for some amazing views of the city. Maybe if my body wasn't falling apart I could have gone too. I sadly had to stay behind and wait for their return. But it's okay. I was able to go last year... back when I was young and healthy. :) York was a blast as always. As Bret will tell you, each place is very unique and has something special to offer and different things to see. We traveled back home and went to Graveley's for the best fish and chips in the country! I'm pretty sure Bret can testify to that because I think he just about had fish and chips at every restaurant, heehee. :)

Anyway, that covers the first 3 days of his time here. Because there's so much to tell I have to split his visit up. This officially ends part one of three.

I'll write more later. And trust me, you won't want to miss out on what's soon to come! Catch ya later.

2006-10-30T15:23:00.000Z

Our first night in Scotland.
We had just started our ghost and ghoul tour when Brandon volunteered Bret out of the crowd for our guide's first demonstration. Poor Bret and the random guy beside him received 30 some lashes on the back of their legs! Yikes!

2006-10-30T15:05:00.000Z

Even though it was Friday the 13th Bret and Brandon don't look very scared to me.
Our guide was a very good story teller. And boy could she keep a straight face!
In the "haunted" vaults under the city streets.
On our way to the castle, Bret met William Wallace, picked up a random bloody sword, and joined him in battle!

2006-10-30T14:41:00.000Z

The three of us standing in front of the massive Edinburgh castle.
Father and son sitting on a cannon. :)
Once you're in the castle, the whole city is before you!

A cannon that they shot off while we were at the castle.

2006-10-30T14:39:00.000Z

2006-10-30T14:32:00.000Z

Watch out; he's looking right at you!
A cool Gothic building in the middle of the city.

A bagpiper playing in the streets of Edinburgh! Turn your head and enjoy. :)

2006-10-30T14:29:00.000Z

2006-10-30T14:05:00.000Z

Bret sure did get his fill of fish and chips while here. I believe he had it at least 4, maybe 5 times! This picture is his version of the meal. He passed on the "mushy peas" and usually handed them over for one or both of the Riggs to eat. :)
Moving on from Scotland, this was our second stop, York.
The amazing York Minster. Day and night shots.

Trust me, it's quite understandable to get dizzy on those steps. I certainly have.

2006-10-30T13:44:00.000Z

2006-10-30T13:28:00.000Z

Bret's saying, "What's 275 narrow spiral stairs? Piece of cake!"
Another angle of the gothic cathedral.
The view is worth climbing up all those steps to get to the top!

I'm a busy girl, what can I say.

2006-10-27T16:37:00.000Z

Hello all.

Sorry about the slacking in writing an entry this week. I've been a bit preoccupied with various things. As you probably know, Bret was here visiting us the past week or so. He had to go home on Tuesday and we've been catching up since then. We had a WONDERFUL time with him! For now, due to time, I am just writing to say hi and tell you a quick update with what's going on.

Some news in the Rigg household: I got a new camera for my birthday! So this week I've been pretty absorbed with reading the manual and going out to try some of the new techniques I've learned. Although the weather hasn't really been cooperating; the rain has spoiled some of my outings. I'll post a couple of my favorite photos I've taken so far. And of course, all of my pictures are copyrighted, so don't even THINK about saving, downloading, or printing them without my permission in addition to sending $100 (per picture) my way! :)

Well, that's about it really. The biggest recent event was Bret's visit. So you can look forward to hearing all about his time here and all the adventures we had early next week.

Cheers.

2006-10-27T16:29:00.000Z

I call this piece "Headlights."
The coffee table in our flat.
Soaking in the atmosphere down Coppice Drive.

2006-10-27T16:23:00.000Z

Fall has arrived and I am excited to capture its beauty.
Brandon was a good model for practicing on.
Japanese maple, my favorite!

2006-10-27T16:17:00.000Z

I used the rain to my advantage to add a cool element/texture to some of my pictues. Although, it was quite difficult to hold to camera, my umbrella, the bag, and try to focus the lens at the same time!
An old car parked on the side of the street. I found a recycling bin at the end of someone's driveway.

The Six Stage Progression:

2006-10-12T17:19:00.001Z

Beware: This blog is overdramatic, quite unimportant, and rather ridiculous. It is by a girl that has nothing to do with her time today. I find the whole thing quite amusing and a bit out of control really. :)

As some of you may have noticed, there has been a lot of visual changes around the Rigg household recently. Well, I specifically am referring to the lady of the house, for there hasn't really been any changes regarding the mister.

For my entertainment, (and hopefully yours too) I am going to do a quick observational study on the last 3 months of my life. There will be no “soul searching” involved, however. Oh no. This study is nothing even remotely close to something so deep and meaningful. It is rather, a reflection on my haircutting habits.

About a year or so ago, I began living by the motto: “Just say no to haircuts.” I’m not sure where it came from or what brought it about, but for some reason it came into my life and I stuck by it. An occasional trim here or there occurred, but as far as a hairCUT, I didn’t believe in it. That is until July 2006.

When straight, my hair had reached half way down my back and was the longest it’s ever been in the 23 years of my life. Some days it was nice, but overall, it was too much for me to handle. Frizz, flatness, and frustration were all a part of my daily hair life.

2006-10-12T17:14:00.000Z

These are some of the better long hair days. :)

2006-10-12T17:12:00.000Z

So I decided I had had enough, and it was time to chop it all off. I had become aware of a good hairdresser that attended my church and was ready to try her out. I went to the haircut appointment (sometime in late July) ready for a big change. I was prepared for something dramatic, daring, and bold. I wanted a total different look. I came out with a LOVELY haircut, but unfortunately, it was only 2-3 inches shorter, with some layers, and was remarkably similar to a look I’ve had many times before. Nothing at all against this wonderful hairdresser, she did a great job. It just wasn’t what I was looking for, and I was disappointed.

2006-10-12T17:10:00.001Z

Phase 1 is the original long hair and phase 2 is the first cut.

On my way to

England

, I made a quick stop in Indy and had the pleasure of staying the night with my mom. Knowing her to be a great hairdresser as well, I asked her to make it a little shorter. On August 8th, another 2 inches came off, and waa-lah, this is phase 3. Hooray, it was much shorter now and I was so happy! Well, at least for awhile. The problem was that it STILL wasn’t that completely new look I was going for. I felt that I was halfway there.

2006-10-12T17:10:00.000Z

Haircut #1.

2006-10-12T17:05:00.000Z

Haircut #2.