3 States 9 Cities 5 Days

The Religious Room
Originally uploaded by MariGerard.

So Christmas Vaca was a Blurrr this year. I did a lot!! Saw a lot of people...and got very little sleep...but it was awsome! Here are the highlights:

Sat Dec 23rd: FLy into National Airport @ 10:30pm eastern time. Picked up by Kevin and taken to Woodbridge Va where we got to a Bar and shoot pool and get prominently drunk with his fiancee Song.

Sunday Dec 24th: 10am drive to Rt 3 outside of Fredricksberg Va and meet my stepbrother who takes me to Richmond to see my Step Mom and my Nieces and Nephews. I stay there till 5:30pm. Then my brother drives me to the interstate to meet my Mother who then drives me back to Fredricksberg...to hang with the fam and get ready for Chirstmas.

Monday Dec 25th: I got lots of really cool presents!! I made a Ninja Movie with Lawton and Beth. Watched MacGyver, and Ella Enchanted, and a good dinner. Also we played a really cool Urban legend game I got the fam for Christmas.

Tues Dec 26th: Boxing Day- loaded the car and drove to Annapolis for Lunch at Uncle Johns on the river, with my Grandma, and Great Aunt, and Aunt CA. Good visit, good food and good beer. then after 5pm we loaded up the car again and drove my great Aunt to Baltimore. then back to Fredricksberg Va for an evening of munchies and Movies.

Wed Dec 27th: SHOPPING DAY!! We went to the Fredricksberg Mall and went SHOPPING!! I got a bunch of stuff with my gift card from my uncle at Macy's. It was fun!! Then we hit the OG (Olive GArden) for a lovely dinner, and then I tried top catch an Amtrack to MD but it was WAY late and I decided to scrap it and get on the AM train in the morning. So I returned to my moms and watched Second Hand Lions before crashing out.

Thursday Dec 28th: Took the Amtrack to Alexandria to the Metro into Chinatown in DC to eat with my Step Dad Tony. Back on the Metro at to Larel MD by . Hung at Heathers house for a while. Then Eric arrived Late (after 10pm) and we went to the Rams Head stumbling distance from Heathers and listened to an awsome BAND, and I drank many Blue Moons and a few shots of Irish Whiskey. Got back to Heathers at like 2am.

Friday December 29th: up at 7am. on a Marc train at 8:00 to New Carolton. Metro from there to Vienna VA (about 55 min on th metro) then a cab to Chantilly to see afriend and her Baby. Then a cab back to the metro and another 55 min ride to Silver Spring MD..(please keep in mind I am schlepping my lugage all around the afor mentioned journeys). Joe picks me up in Silver Spring and takes me to his home where I finally meet his fabulous wife and awsome baby girl. We visit for a few hours and then its back on the metro for 55 more min of fun to get to National Airport. Check a bag, and get on a 7:45 pm flight to Chicago. Lands at 8:45 pm Chicago time, and then its 50 min on the L to get home. I litterally walkd in- dropped my lugage, threw down my coat and flopped on the airmattress where I woke up this morning.....

I had to work today- 10+ hours cause we are short staffed over the holidays....but it was a good day and I can't complain cause I love my job.

Tomorrow I work till 8:30pm then Jason and I are co-hosting a swaree at his place/My place where we will partake in fireworks from the rooftop deck of our building. HAPPY 2007 y'all. Hope your Vaca was more restfull than mine! But I hope it was equally as awsome!!

Are you threatening me?

Are you threatening me?
Originally uploaded by hotdoughnutsnow.

SO, most of you reading this got an email today from me asking you to sound off on a few questions I had about a situation that got out of control. Many of you asked for details, and asked if I was ok. I thank you deeply for your concern and I thank all 25 of you I emailed today- for responding. I sent it to so many because I figured only half would write back, but all of you did and that makes me feel good, to be cared for by so many.

So here it is: A company member of my theatre company The Storytellers had a falling out with another member. They could not reconcile their diffeneces and he made it very clear to me that "He couldn't stand her, and you can not make me like her". I took this to mean he hated her, and could not be in her presence. (today most of you made me realize that there is in fact a difference between hating someone and not standing them, and that the latter is often a lesser offence) I however told the person that couldn't be stood that the other person had voiced his "hatred" for her and did not want to be in a company with her. I wanted to know if they could live with this knowlege of each other and keep it out of company buisness, and they both agreed they could. So I let it go.

But then that person who "Couldn't stand " the other person then had a disagreement with me, and then contacted other company members and tried to get them to oust ME out of my own company saying I was a pathalogical liar because I had said he "hated" that person when all he actually did was say he "Couldn't stand her". (this is the abridged version of couse) Needless to say nothing came of that, I am still in my company, and I let it go as it was useless drama.

Then on Monday I had a disagreement with a close friend of his who was still a company member, who overreacted to something I said and went to him in tears about the way she felt she was treated by me instead of confronting me about it. All I had done was ask his friend to take responsibility for a script deadline she had been given and to recrut whomenver she needed to to get this done. But this was apperantly to much for the girl and it brought her to tears. HE then picked up his phone and left a message on my cell phone in a very Agressive and mean tone that "Making ____ Cry Had to stop! If you continue to make ______ Cry there will be hell to pay, I kid you not!" then it is here that it gets hazy- I heard him say something like - I wont hesistate to kick your ass..or I will let ____kick your ass...or maybe I was so angry with rage at this point I thought that's what he said next but maybe he didnt. I am a woman I can admit that when I get super angry my listening skills often go out the window...but at anyrate I felt threatened and was not going to let any man speak to me that way.

So I called the cops. And filed a report. And they called him on 3 way with me and he denied threatening me and admitted to saying there would be "hell to pay "which I guess isn't a crime or a threat in the eyes of the CHPD- but the cop did say on the recording that for a man who was innocent, he knew exactly whom he was calling about before he could even get my name out. Someone who had done nothing wrong would not be expecting a call from the cops now would he??

At anyr ate- the bully is out of my company. The Cryer has resigned, thought I have asked her to reconcider and work with me on comunication issues, as I feel she is agreat talent who did not mean for the bully to call me she was just emotional and venting to him. She did not expect him to take action of any kind, he did that on his own.

So I am fine, my company is fine, and I now have a formal complaint on record with the Chicago PD. Good times!

I'm home for the holidays in two DAYS and I can not wait!!

Sunrise

sunrise
Originally uploaded by MariGerard.

On Monday I took Chris to the airport- at 5:45am. Normally I'd just be cranky about being up that early, but then I get home and outside my window, the sun is rising over the lake. It was stunning. I never get to see it cause I am always sleeping at dawn. So I guess I have to thank Chris for that.- Getting me out of bed so I could see this...I would have used my digital camera (would have been a better pic) but the batteries were dead. Enjoy the pic anyway.

Chillin'

Mo Mari
Originally uploaded by MariGerard.

in my apartment is awsome..we have had a few days of bitter cold, and snow, so I have been in a lot, and I have to say- MY APARTMENT ROCKS!! Its a pretty cool place to stay warm...and I still haven't had to turn on my heater really. I live on the 9h floor, and there are 10 in the building. So Im getting 8 floors of heat topped off by the 10th floor as a way for holding the heat in. Say hello to LOW electric Bills this winter!! : )

Lets play a quick game of eye spy: can you spy the following in my picture? (you can click the pic to go to flickr and view the photo larger if you need to)

a) a pillow

b) a Magnet strip

c) an afghan (the one my grandmother made me)

d) A hand towel

e) a bra

f) 3/4ths empty liquor bottles
(LEFT OVER from my BYOB party Oct 21st...I have a coctail every once in a while and I still can't kills those bottles....they are apparently bottomless...they will always be 1/4th full...)

g) a tatoo

h) Refridgerator Magnets

Your score:

All 8 items: YOU ROCK HAWK EYES!

7 Items: You can't find the Bra can you?

6: you are kidding? What else can't you find? The Magnet strip?

5: ok if you only found 5 things you have your eyes closed.

1-4 things: You obviously do not understand the meaning of the words for the things I would like you to look for. Seek out a translator, and try again.

Thanks for Playing! Have a great week all!