THE HUENEKES DO LONDON

I just returned from my mission to secure tickets for tonight's performance of Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre. I was nervous about doing this because I was warned that many places advertise that they are offering half-price tickets, but are really trying to scam you. So I thought I would ask around quite a bit at different vendors. The tricky part about doing this was a) finding some, b) remembering the quote each place gave me, and c) not getting lost while I tried to retrace my steps to the lowest quoter.

Thankfully, most places told me 30 pounds a ticket (except for the places that told me 33, 70, and 75 *cough cough*). So tonight, we are off to the theater. The only bummer is that I learned Ewan McGregor is not playing the male lead anymore, and apparently hasn't since before Christmas. Perhaps someone should consider taking down all the posters with his face on them that are plastered all over town?

Save only a couple misadventures (e.g., misreading the time of our original London Eye "flight" and missing it by two hours - damned military time - and accidentally paying a whole pound to use the ladies' room at the train station when it only costs 20 pence), we have had a wonderful time here. Staying at the Marriott has been a pleasure; we are very centrally located, and I have even treated myself to a bubble bath for the past three nights. That's more bubble baths than I've taken in the past two years combined.

Friday night, we enjoyed some Lebanese food nearby our hotel and then walked down to Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. Philip was curious to see Piccadilly since it's the British version of Times Square. I told him he wouldn't like it because of all the overwhelming advertisements, and I was right, but that didn't stop us from taking some pictures. Many lanterns were still up from the Chinese New Year celebration that had taken place the week earlier, so that was fun to see.

On Saturday morning, we headed over to the market on Portobello Street. This was probably my favorite tourist stop. The market, located in Notting Hill, went on for miles and provided lots to see - antiques, fresh breads and fruit, clothing, artwork... We bought lunch from the vendors, and my husband agreed to me buying a beautiful, overpriced purse.

From there we headed to the British Museum. I was fascinated by the statues from the Ancient Near East and Ancient Egypt, especially since I recently completed editing a manuscript that talked a lot about ancient cultures in relationship to the nation God was establishing in the Israelites. In the evening, we walked across the Hungerford Pedestrian Bridge, through Trafalgar Square, and then all the way down to Buckingham Palace.

On Sunday morning we visited the U.K. Hillsong Church. What an experience! The music was very exciting, and it was a special week themed "Because We Can." The idea is that we can do our part to make poverty history. They highlighted several organizations worldwide that are rescuing children from poverty and its trappings, and the presentations were very dynamic and heartbreaking. Philip and I both left inspired to take some specific steps toward being more involved.

We had lunch at the Audley, a pub where on Sundays you can order a traditional roast. It was so good, I thought I might pass out. From there we headed over to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the Parliament Houses to take some photos before the sun was completely gone. Then we made our way to Abbey Road and the studios there. We finished our evening by (successfully) riding the London Eye. Well, Philip's evening wasn't quite done. He caught the first half of the Super Bowl in our hotel room, starting at about 11 p.m. The announcers were British! Definitely different.

Philip finishes his work today, so Tuesday and Wednesday are free for us to do more sightseeing. We are heading to Salisbury tomorrow to see its medieval cathedral and neighborhoods, and on Wednesday we will tour Stonehenge.

I'm excited to head out into the country. Philip is enjoying London, but I want him to see the countryside, because I think it will resonate with him even more. The quaint houses and rolling, rocky hills definitely have something on the advertisement-strewn, bustling city streets.

Until later, loves.

UPDATE FROM ACROSS THE OCEAN

Greetings from London. I'm not joking. Philip is here on business, and I came along, because, well, why not? Our lodging and his flight are being covered by his work, so our only large expense was my flight.

So here I am in our hotel room, taking advantage of the wireless Internet. It's a bit like Lost in Translation, minus the karaoke. And of course, Philip isn't wearing ridiculous sunglasses and running around with supermodels, and the only other man I'm spending my days with is a stuffed monkey. I just had lunch at Pizza Hut (again, not joking) and am listening to Imogen Heap, because being in the U.K. just has me in the mood for some blond power Brit-pop.

I am surfacing just briefly to "blog" before I have to jump back into another editing project. My editing "career" has really taken off, a direct answer to prayer. I have completed four projects in the last two months, which is about twice as much work as I did from January to October 2004.

But of course, as I am the kind of person who struggles to be content with her circumstances, I am questioning if I really want this much work. What is wrong with me? I am just feeling a) too busy, and b) like writing has fallen completely off my radar.

I am also working a couple days a week at Barnes & Noble. The purpose of joining the bookseller ranks was to get out of the house a bit (being alone at home all week long gets one a bit stir-crazy) and to develop some friendships outside of my church circles. No offense to all you Christian friends, of course. So that adds to the fullness of my schedule.

It's give-and-take, I guess. Becoming a retail worker and having 40+ hours of work a week total, in a lot of ways, has made me happier. I feel less lonely and more like an actively contributing member of society, not to mention like a more equally contributing member of my household. But time with my husband, my friends, and my writing has all suffered as a consequence. Not like I was writing much when I had all the time in the world anyway... (Sidenote: Being around thousands of books at B&N is both inspiring and intimidating. As I hold a nice smooth paperback in my hands, I think, I could do this - write one of these. I should be doing this. But the reasons why I don't are varied and reveal a lot of my insecurities and shortcomings, and honestly, I just don't want to get into it again right now.)

Anyway, finding a nice balance in life and a strong sense of purpose in my relationships and work is something I think I will always be striving after - in other words, I don't think I'll ever fully attain either. Sometimes the fulcrum is closer to the middle than others.

Over Christmas, the fulcrum was waaaaay far to the side, as too many hours at B&N, two editing projects, a party we were planning, Christmas shopping, and my grandfather's illness had me virtually spinning and feeling close to a breakdown. My husband got pushed pretty far down on the priority list, which definitely put a strain on our marriage, not to mention hurt him, which is the last thing I ever want to do.

Now, things are not nearly so stressful, but I still feel like I want life to slow down. Nevertheless, I am breathing sighs of relief that our pace looks nothing like it did back in December. I have so much to be thankful for that it's a bit overwhelming when I stop to think about it. I love being married to Philip; we have so much fun, and the security and intimacy of being this-side of the wedding with him is something so precious I can't even really describe it. Our apartment is truly a haven and a personalized home, which is something I feel that I'm wholly experiencing for the first time since I left for college eight years ago (eight years ago??). I am feeling more and more at home in Orlando, as I build friendships and slowly define my roles in our church and in my work. Living downtown helps also; the area fits much better with my sensibilities. And of course, we are healthy and well provided for; we can travel, and we have a lot to look forward to.

So that is life in a nutshell ("No! This is me in a nutshell: 'Help! I'm in a nutshell! How did I get into this bloody great big nutshell? What kind of shell has a nut like this?'") I'm sorry for being absent from this blog for so long. Now that I feel that I have you a bit caught up, I'll try to be on here more frequently, and consequently, make the entries shorter and easier to digest. (smile)

Cheers.

AN EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Since Erika bought me Michigan by Sufjan Stevens in 2003, I've been a big fan of his. My best friend used to listen to Danielson Famile a long time ago, but I never connected Sufjan with Daniel Smith and his family.

We listen to Sufjan a lot. Yesterday, while reading through a few blogs, I came across the most amazing early Christmas present. Not one, but three Sufjan Christmas albums. These aren't released records, that I know of. If someone knows different, let me know.

Sufjan Stevens Christmas Albums

In case you missed it, here is Sufjan's NPR special.

NO MORE TV TRAYS

After searching all over for a table to break bread on, Erika and I have finally made the big purchase. I'm very pleased with it's construction. The next time you come over to our apartment for food, we won't be sitting on the couches.