Emirates, Here We Come!

That's right, Ladies and Gentlemen: my husband is the best husband ever and he managed to get us two tickets to Wednesday's Carling Cup Semifinal between Arsenal and Tottenham! I cannot tell you how excited we are!!! Full report to follow-

Where have we been?

Sorry we haven't written in a while, but we've been busy! The big news is that as of February 2nd, I (Jamie) will stop temping for a while. YAY! The production company I've been directing showcases for since May of last year has asked me to produce them as well. That means more money, not as much as temping, but enough to make the leap. I have started taking over producing responsibilities while temping full-time, so my schedule is pretty full. I also have a few theatre projects in the works- nothing definitive yet, but enough to fill in what free time I have left. I may have to go back to temping in the summer- when there are no showcases, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now- I am making my money as a theatre professional and that makes me pretty happy. AND the best part is that I get to go on my first official business trip- to Manchester! I'll be directing showcases there in March, September, and November. I will actually spend my 30th birthday in Manchester for a showcase. Don't worry- John is going to take the day off and come up with me. Aw, how sweet!

To help me deal with my newfound crazy schedule, I've decided to start taking Yoga classes. There's a beginner's class every Tuesday at our gym and today was my first time. I never thought I'd be able to focus in a class like that, but let me tell you- when you are trying to balance your entire body on one bent leg while holding the rest of your body perfectly parallel to the floor, you can't really think about anything else. And when it was all over, I still managed to feel relaxed. I think I'm hooked.

In John news--his boss was in town last week and he found out that his company is expanding and he will soon be responsible for an office in Paris. All I want to know is how soon will he need to visit and how long can we stay?!

Lest you should worry that our lives have become all work and no play, here's a summary of some of the fun we've been having:

We signed up for the British version of NetFlix and started watching LOST from the beginning. We are almost at the end of Season 1.

Two weeks ago we saw a production of Sam Shepard's Savage Love and Motel Chronicles at Theatre 503. Savage Love wasn't much to talk about. Motel Chronicles stood out for two reasons. First- they chose to do it in American accents, which is risky for a low-budget studio show with no dialect coach. Secondly- one of the actors was AMAZING! He didn't just have a great accent, but we actually thought he might be American. He stood like someone from the Mid-West, he walked like it, he had the rhythm of the speech. It was the best "American" I've seen here. Unfortunately, the other two actors weren't nearly as good. And onstage with him, it was painfully obvious.

This sunday started off with the two of us taking a Spinning Class with our neighbors Andy and Lindsay. Have you ever taken one of those? Let's just say it is Tuesday and my legs are still sore!! After the class, we went to Myke and Drew's place for Sunday Roast. We ate delicious food, drank (mostly) good wine, and played cribbage. Good fun was had by all- Myke even let me play Eminem toward the end of the night!

There's lots more to tell, but I don't want to ramble. They say it snowed in areas of London today. I think they lied.

Oh no, Becks, don't go!

Okay- so he won’t technically be leaving England- since he hasn’t played for the national team since the World Cup- but it will still be sad to see him go. For those of you who aren’t up on your soccer news, David Beckham is leaving Real Madrid this summer for the LA Galaxy Major League Soccer Team!!! People cannot believe it! They thought for sure that he would head to another European or Asian club, but America? The truth is- it was inevitable. He just couldn’t resist the pull of Hollywood- the stars, the glitz, the glamour, the £130 million pounds over 5 years! And, of course, Victoria is dying to live closer to her new BFF, Katie Holmes!

To be fair- Becks says he is making the move because he wants to inspire American children to continue playing soccer past the age of 10 (or something like that.) Being a newly inspired soccer fanatic, if that is even a part of his reason, I say, “Thanks, Becks!” Whatever his reason, I think England will be sad to see him go. I know I am! And I don’t know what I’ll read until we return to the US when I will again be able to bask in the cover stories about his and Victoria’s glamorous parties, their incredible fashion-sense and her ever-shrinking body!

Start the countdown, Americans, you are in for a treat!

Ho Ho No!

UPDATED: PICTURES!
Christmas
New Years
What a whirlwind 2 weeks!

The Fonz was amazing. Apparently the show we saw was not true Panto, but closer to Musical Comedy according to the reviewer. However, I felt that breaking up the story of Peter Pan with a bawdy rendition of the 12 days of Christmas and the Indians dancing to Eye of the Tiger/the Final Countdown was more akin to insanity. And who could forget the heart wrenching end of Peter Pan where a comedian comes out in a giant kangaroo suit and makes the audience sing along to the Kangaroo bounce song? Ah, J.M. Barrie would be delighted at this "riddle of existence."

Our flight home was jam packed with excitement. First, we used our miles and were able to snag the last two upgrades to Premium Economy. Simon Schama sat next to Jamie - he's only our favorite BBC History documentarian! When we landed, a drunk Englishman was hauled off by two of Newark's finest. OK, they got him as far as Upper Class (strangely vacant since we were asked to remain seated) before his pants fell off and then pissed on the aisle. I agree with Simon who said, "He bears a striking resemblance to the Earl of Essex, who lost his head in 1592 for being a troublemaker." Oh, the tears of laughter are indeed bitter sweet. Actually Simon turned out to be a regular guy who was pretty cool.

3.5 Hours later than planned, we made it to Stillwater, a bar on E 4th. Kudos to those who had a show and stayed up late enough to say Hello/Goodbye! After much catching up we moved onto 119 where we continued to revel and rejoice in each other's company. I did spend too much time messing with some tool who tried to sign me up to his new "Internet based band marketing site - rejected.com!" I convinced him that Dave was a respected independent music reviewer. Fun, but too time consuming - I missed out on good friend time. One breakfast and cab ride to hoboken later, we crashed at 7 Am.

Off to the out-laws! A wonderful weekend that was of course too short. I met Brady and Mona for the first time. Jamie and I were asked to be the God parents of her newest cousin - who I also just met, Emily! Mark, I'm sorry, but God says I can't let her be a Cowboys fan. I checked the bible- It is a moral obligation. It was great seeing the newlywed Flo and Keith and their parents. And it was wonderful seeing the family. Again, not enough time visiting everyone, but a wonderful Christmas morning.

Christmas afternoon was spent with the Ramsburg's. The Eagles gave us one of the best Christmas presents with a victory over the Cowboys. Boxing day was a lot of fun - we saw Rocky and partied with the Mathews and the Giovincos. Wednesday Susie & Jeff visited us, along with the newly engaged Josh and Regina! YAY! But as always seems to happen, we had to leave too soon.

We got bumped up to Upper Class on the way back. Oh bother! A fast flight thanks to the fold-out bed and comfy "flight suit" we made our groggy way back to Clapham. I worked on Friday which was a gentle shock.

New Year's Eve saw us on the HMS President, a 1918 vessel moored to the Victorian Embankment. We partied until three with multiple South Africans and 3 Antipodeans. A lovely South African couple asked us to join their book club - we agreed. It now totals 4 people! Hopefully they will return our calls... Jamie and I danced, but not all night. We relaxed in the Piano bar below decks after watching the fireworks and calling those people the London Mobile network would allow . We met even more South Africans - one of whom is a huge Michael Vick fan. Go Hokies! Some Rufies' curry later, Jamie and I were fast asleep by 5 Am.

New Year's day was spent watching Family Guy - thanks Mike! - and just getting our energy together to join the workforce on Tuesday.

All in all, a fantastic if exhausting trip.