new blog.....

since i use friendster a lot already, i have decided to move my blog to there......please follow =)

http://tdprestridge.blogs.friendster.com

and now it's out of my hands.....

the deed is done.......and now I patiently (okay not so patiently) await the final decision......I had my interview with NSMT on Wednesday and met with Jon and Julie to talk about the job with them. Both interviews went really, really well and when I spoke to Carolyn she said they were only considering myself and Matt the PR intern. UGH! I feel somewhat guilty about potentially stealing the rug out from under this guy when he is already interning there, but I suppose you gots to look out for number 1 right?...part of the interview was to take a position profile and edit it for NSMT and write a cover letter back the search firm who initially put it together. I think I really rocked out on it, but I'm afaid to get to excited......on paper I really think I have he background and education they are looking for.....not to mention my existing connection to the staff......but for all the signs that seem to point in my direction, I get that much more nervous....almost like a too good to be true thing.....and they could absolutely choose Matt too because they said that they were impressed with both of us! He must be a great guy too.....sigh....

so for all who may read this.....please keep your fingers crossed for me.....they will make a decision around Wednesday of next week.......i'll update when i find out......

"i can see the light of a clear blue morning....."

so there seems to be some light coming thorough my job gloom and doom.....i'm not being overly hopeful at this point because a few places are now at interview or pre-interview stages, but at least it feels like things are moving now....below are the current opportunities and their advantages/disadvantages......keep your fingers crossed all!

#1 Merrimack Repertory Theatre - Box Office Manager - I have an interview with them on Friday of next week. (March 25). Honestly, I am a little nervous about this job for many reasons. For one, the company doesn't have the best of reputations when it comes to employee relations. I've heard that people are kinda bitchy and rude. Aside from that, the company has been facing some major financial issues of late. Earlier this year they let go their Managing Director to free up funds. They issued a statement in the Globe that said if that didn't work they would be forced to raise ticket prices or ultimately close their doors. Do I really want to step into a situation like that? Especially when their programming is not something that typically appeals to me? The money would be better than Suffolk and it would be good managment experience, but is it worth it?

#2 American Repertory Theatre - Asst. General Manager/Human Resources Officer - This one I feel is kind of a long shot. While I feel that this position is great and one I could learn a lot from, I'm not so sure that I am qualified at this point in my life. The money is amazing and it's a wonderful company, but I'm just nervous about my background, etc. I was sent a pre-interview questionnaire the other day (along with 30 other people) so that they could screen more specific experience and then decide who to bring in for an interview. I should hear by next Wed. or Thurs. if they would like me to come in for an official interview. I am definitely going to pursue this one with full force, but it has it's drawbacks too. I can't say that A.R.T's programming is my speed either, and I have heard from a lady who works their that they are less than friendly at times too. Very snooty, etc. Again, is this the kind of environment I want to work in?

#3 North Shore Music Theatre - Producers/PR Assistant - This is the job that I am most interested in. And of course it's the one that pays the least. Go figure! This would entail me working in Kimbell and LaRock's office and then assisting Julie and Mike on the side with PR. I feel like I have the best shot at getting this job. I mean I know everyone there, I have ties to the theatre already because of Derek, and Jon K. told me from his own mouth that they are big on hiring couples there. He is already afraid of losing Derek, so I feel like that is on my side. If they feel like that can get a good employee and keep Derek too that would be in their best interest. I will have that interview sometime next week. Carolyn sent me an email to say she would call and set that up soon. The main drawback to this job is the pay. But I love the organization and its programming and feel like I could learn a lot from Jon and Julie. It's EXACTLY the type of organization I would love to work for and be affiliated with. Deep down, even though the pay is lowest, I think this is the job I want the most. For so many reasons. Derek told me last night though, that there were A LOT of resumes sent in and that Matt the PR intern had applied as well. Pray! =)

I guess it all boils down to, do I go for the money or do I go for the organization I like best? I never want to take a job that I am going to hate just for money. I've been miserable in this job at Suffolk long enough to know that a bad workplace environment is unhealthy and miserable. I don't want to spend the next couple of years in that type of situation. And who knows, none of these jobs may work out. It's not like I am batting a thousand lately. Any insight would be appreciated! =)

"How did I come to this...This should have been my time..."

so before I start ranting about the few small things that are not quite how I want them to be in my life let me begin by saying...i'm happy....i really am....there are just a few things I wish were working out a little differently for my life....and maybe now that I am seeing them....I can work to fix them.....

job....still at suffolk....enough said.....still waiting to hear about NSMT.....only been a week so I am still hopeful....

derek.....things are wonderful....i love him more everyday and everyday I am more convinced that marrying him is the right thing to do.....despite our issues of finding a location for said wedding....that being said.....i really miss him....he is working soo much now that Marty has left.....he hasn't had a full day off in forever.....he constantly works to keep things going in the Education Department.....and I sit at home watching movies and eating on the couch.....that's another reason why I am semi-hopeful about this job at NSMT...even though I would not be working directly with him.....i would have the chance to see him occasionally if I really wanted too.....and that would help....

friends.....lord knows I have them......and they are all amazing......but it seems that the ones I truly care about and enjoy spending time with......are all miles away.....i spent the early part of my life making friends across the U.S. and now when I have chosen to settle down.....my friends are scattered across states and no where near me......it makes being alone when Derek is working even harder because I really don't have anyone here in Boston that I can just pick up the phone and talk to, or go visit, or grab a drink with, etc.....Is it my fault.....I'm sure.....I haven't taken the time to make friends or put myself out there and make friends.....it's easier to sit at home with take out chinese food and watch Big Business for the millionth time...*grin*......okay so I know it's an issue......and I'm the one that has to fix it....i'm working on it.....

so now with all that being said......again.....let's talk about more exciting happy things.....

I did get to see my friend Jamie the other day! He stopped through Boston at South Station and I was able to see him, give him a big hug, chat, meet his best friend Kevin, and spend a few minutes with him before they had to leave out again for Portland, ME. I have to say that Jamie is probably one of the coolest people I have met in a really long time. He's shy as all hell, but when I really need to talk about something, no matter how strange or bizarre it may be.....he let's me ramble and then gives me advice and makes me feel better by the time it is all said and done. Within the next month Jamie is supposed to move to NYC.......sigh.....that makes me happy......finally maybe we will be able to hang out in person more!

I talked to my Mom for a few minutes the other day....it's always amazing to hear her voice.....I miss my mother so much......she is quite possibly the one person who has always been there for me.....even when I didn't deserve it......living so far away from her is so hard sometimes.....i am so excited for her to come up here for her birthday and for my wedding......she can finally see the place that Derek and I have put together and spend more time with him......she sent him a Valentine's Day card this year along with mine and wrote in there "Thank you for making my son so happy".......don't you love her......

so as you see....life is good.....i'm happy....and things are going well.......i just need to ramble about the same things over and over.......

a myriad of topics........

Tuesday I officially applied for the job at NSMT.....I sent Carolyn my resume/cover letter and she said she would make sure it got on top when she passed it on to Jon and John.....I have no idea what will come of this, but like everything else, it's worth a try....something has got to give eventually.....I can't continue to merely exist at Suffolk.....there's nothing for me to do and no room for me to grow......it's quite depressing at times......all keep your fingers crossed that something good comes out of this NSMT opportunity.....

My trip to DC was great.....it was so good to see everything and everyone.....and the weather was beautiful.....I finally met Kevin's boyfriend Darek.....and he's wonderful.....handsome, funny, intelligent.....Kevin did really well.......the only downside of our trip was Bill......he is so not the guy I first met so long ago.....I blocked out his chronic lying, but when we were there this weekend he just bellowed over with lies.......I guess he doesn't realize how involved I am in theatre and how much I keep tabs on shows, tours, etc....but he knew nothing of what was going on and tried to lie to me about it......one thing I cannot abide by is someone lying to my face just to look good......drives me crazy....

So I'm supposed to meet my friend Jamie for coffee later today. He is on his way through Boston to Portland to visit his family. I will finally get to meet his friend Kevin too that he has told me so much about. I haven't seen Jamie in probably 6-7 years so I'm excited to see him and catch up, if only for 30 minutes.....hopefully he will be moving to NYC in April so I will get to see him more often as Derek and I make trips to see shows and such....

headed to DC....a trip in the past....

Tomorrow I leave for a mini-vacation to DC. It has been over a year and a half since Tricia and I packed up our shit and moved to Boston from DC. We decided that we would take a weekend and spend time seeing old friends and visiting the places we used to hang out in DC. I am really excited to see Kevin, Bill, Polone, and Dan and have a drink at JRs and step back into the world that I left in a quite unhappy state. I know I am going to miss living there once I visit, but life here in Boston is treating me very well and I am happy and progressing well in my life and career....for the most part.....The one sad thing about going to DC is that I won't get to see Jim D. I'm really sad that we lost touch so easily once I moved....

On that note I was talking with Carolyn (who is head of HR at NSMT) and she gave me the inside scoop on a job that they would be posting soon. She sent me the full PD and after looking at it I really think I would like it. I know the people I would be working with very well and I feel like it could be a great opportunity and I would finally be working with professional people in a big professional company. That has been my goal for quite a while now and it's where I want to be. The trick is now bridging that gap of being friends with those people and getting them to hire me now as an employee of the company. And Derek works there as well, but I talked to him and he said that he would not feel invaded and if that is what I needed to do then to do it! So we are gonna keep our fingers crossed and hope this works so I can get the hell outta Suffolk! =)

a weekend in the city.....

i'm very glad that I was able to go to NYC this weekend and see The Gates in Central Park.....it was a very cool experience to see them....especially against the backdrop of the remaining snow.....derek and I took lots of pictures and had a great time seeing this amazing Christo exhibit....

we also got to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Little Women, and La Cage aux Folles......all very good shows, but Little Women was really good....especially if you like the weepy family stories.....Sutton Foster is a really great performer and well deserves any of the accolades that she gets.....

but now i'm back at Suffolk University.....trying to make it through the day......sometimes getting to do really fun things has an adverse effect......shows you how little fun you have during a normal day.....that's my goal....to find ways to enjoy the mundane tasks of my day......

shooting for the stars.......

screw fear......screw that i am not qualified.......screw the hurdles......i'm going to at least try!

there was a job posting today for an Assitant General Manager/Human Resources Officer with the American Repertory Theatre. This is normally not a job that I think I would be qualified for, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it does fit with my background and my current education and it's Human Resources, a facet of management that really interests me....so I sent my resume....and what's more....i'm trying to get my current boss (who has mad connections with ART, including a book she just wrote about it's past Artistic Director) to put in a good word for me to see if that will at least get me a foot in the door.......i mean....this is my career....my life......be foolish not to at least try, huh??......

it's really the small things.....

so my boyfriend and I bought the EXACT same card for each other for Valentine's Day........being in sync is kinda cool.....and to make the evening even better he brought home chocolates for us to eat and let me have all the caramel ones =)

tonight i was on break from class and discovered one of the most stressful things......it's that moment between pressing your selection on the vending machine until the "snack" falls safely to the bottom.....i stop breathing and wait with tense shoulders to make sure that everything goes okay and that my food makes it safely to the tray.......hmm....

frustrated and anxious....

let's face it.....i'm a secretary.....a administrative assistant on a busy day......but that's all.....that's all my job at Suffolk University is......and for that reason I hate it...(okay if I'm being honest I hate it for many other reasons, but that's a big one).......I'm in my second semester of graduate school for arts administration and I can't help but feel that I am incredibly over qualified for the job that I do now........and it's just not the education that makes me say that.....its the jobs that I've held in the past......I've done much more than what I am doing now......so you may ask......why am I still here?.......you got fucking me......no...wait.....i'm here because this was how life/fate/destiny/God (whatever you call it) got me to Boston and engaged to Derek.....so for that I am extremely grateful.....but now it's time to go......it's time for me to find another job that can take me to the next step in my career and get me that much closer to my goals of upper administration in New York.....there's only one thing.....THERE ARE NO FUCKING JOBS HERE IN BOSTON.......sigh....

weddings and red wine.....

so derek and i have finally set a date......August 20th......having an actual date makes the whole thing so much more concrete than it has been....in a good way.....i can't believe that in about 7 months I will be a married man.....legally......i would have never believed it would ever happen.....

we also started looking at honeymoon destinations over the last few days....we had initially thought we would to Tuscany and vacation around various Italian cities.....but after looking into vacation packages on gotoday.com and other sites it seems that Italy may be a little out of our price range.....so our second choice (and equally exciting) is London......that seems to be much more into our price range.....although I did tell him that we would not be seeing that many shows while we are there...one or two at the most....i'm not spending my entire honeymoon seeing shows....the foot has been put down......but otherwise the prospects are very very exciting....and I had my Mom send me my birth cert so I could get my passport soon !!! =)

i saw a really great movie this last weekend....Sideways.....i highly recommend going and seeing it if you haven't........i can't really describe why I like it so much except for the general comments like...it has a well written script with great moments and wonderful characters, etc......but i think my connection to it comes through the side plot of the experience of wine tastings and the characters love of wine......in the last couple of years i have really fallen in love with the experience of drinking red wine......i love the taste....the fun of opening a new bottle.....the slight sophistication you feel.....everything.....and seeing that lifestyle portrayed in the movie made it that much more endearing to me.....

sigh....sometimes i fear i have become a slightly boring person in the last year or so.....

random smiles.....

i'm walking in the common yesterday and of course the snow is piled everywhere..........when i get toward the middle where the big hill is there is a group of about 3 parents with at least 6 small children sledding down the hill and laughing......i couldn't help but smile.....i like things like that.....random smiles are great.......

i got my new palm handheld yesterday.....can i tell you how much fun this is to me??......it's color and i can download documents i am working on to it......and it lets me color coordinate my schedule and keep track of addresses and phone numbers........god i'm such a dork.....

too much time apart....

isn't the time period when you are engaged supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life??.......yet here I sit.....with my boyfriend stuck in Indiana while I am here locked in the apartment due to the blizzard.....and if that is not bad enough....i find out tonight that between his work and my class.......i will see him only one night a week......and then he will have to work most Saturdays he said......sigh......i'm not really blaming him......for the most part it is totally out of his control.........but I can't help but be really sad about it all.....i'm 26 years old and engaged.....i should spending tons of time with him and we should be planning our future and making memories.....yet for the next two months, i'll be reading for class and writing papers, he will be rehearsing and teaching weekend classes.....and hardly ever the twain shall meet......so what am I doing about it??.......saying nothing of course...ranting about it here.....and having another Jack and Coke for spite.......i know i should really talk to him about it, but it makes him very sad and upset too.....and I feel like if I let him know just how much it bothers me that it will only make him more sad and make the situation worse for us both........so what's a boy to do?.........

when did life get so complicated?.......i remember just a few years ago when the only thing i really had to worry about was if I was going to get cast in the next show and if I would get a C in my History class so that I wouldn't have to retake it.....and then all of a sudden....here I am........

a sip of coffee....a moment to breathe......

the last few days have been kind of a whirlwind.....complicated by the fact that it feels like 12 below zero right now........no joke.......but I digress......yesterday was the beginning of classes where I work so every student and professor was yelling my name yesterday needing this and that to where I just wanted to crawl under my desk and hide......but at least the day passed quickly....then I had to start my grad school classes at BU last night......starting with Legal Issues....sigh.....that's gonna be a hella class.....today again things are crazy at work but for a moment I sit here, take a sip of coffee, and take a moment to breathe.....

my boy is sick right now.....makes me kinda sad......but it's great to have him home again and as a whole, life is very good right now.....

i like soup......

what goes well with "The West Wing".....ah yes.....a nice Merlot....

well surely you didn't think i was going to say Chardonney....

Derek left for Atlanta on Friday so I have the weekend to myself....while the prospect of having time to myself seemed like a grand idea, the execution is not quite what i had in mind.....i have come to the realization that I really don't like being by myself for longer than a day.....i get bored really easily.....and i don't like being alone....i like having people around in my life....even if we aren't doing something together...i would rather have someone in the apt with me to talk to if we so choose....or to share a funny story with if one comes along.........

but alas.....tonight....it's just me.....so i will go back to folding laundry, watching season 3 of the West Wing....and finishing off a bottle of Merlot.....

wasted time, lunch, and guiding someone's future......weird

Legal schmegal.........i tried to go to the bookstore today and get my books for my Legal Issues class......did they have them........no......very anti-climactic......find out later that they don't sell them in the store, we have to buy them in class......sigh......i hope they aren't too expensive....

went to lunch with Jennifer today......we went to the Beantown Pub on Tremont.....not bad....good hamburger.....i'm was glad to hear that she is taking Financial Managment in the Spring....she is at least decided to get her master's certificate if she doesn't go through with the full degree which I think is great......

i've agreed to be a mentor....me....i can barely make decisions about my classes and future for me, much less for some incoming guy/girl in this program this Spring.....but I will do my best to give good advice and help out in any way that I can.....truth be told I am kinda excited to do it and flattered that they asked me to do it since I am still a first year too.....who knows....maybe I will take over the Career Development Committee when Deb leaves too......could be fun.....

planning a wedding.....

eloping isn't such a horrible thing right??.........As we were lying down for bed last night Derek and I started to talk about wedding details and finally started the conversation about where, when, who, etc......and after a good 30 mins or so had come up with absolutely nothing....i just want to get married.....i don't care where.......and i want my Mom and my friends to be there......and I want a few people from each side of our lives to say something.........and I want Briga to sing........other than that.....I have no care about the details.......i need a wedding planner....where's J. Lo?

classes on the horizon....

one week......that's all i have left before i have to start back to BU for grad school......and such a daunting semester too.......by all reports from 2nd year friends, i am looking at the most work heavy semester of the program.......that is not something i want to hear before i begin....although with classes titled Legal Issues in Arts Administration and Managing Performing Arts Organizations, i can't say that i am all that surprised......so life gets back to the norm....work, class, study....that's it......as long as i keep telling myself that it will all be worth it in the end, i'll be okay......

i'm bored.......

stolen pizza......

My fiance ate my last piece of pizza........i'm not his friend today.........

overwhelmed by it all.......AND I MET MY NEIGHBORS!

Last night Derek's doctor (Tim) and his partner Glen threw us a HUGE engagement party at their beautiful home. Now when I say huge, i mean huge.....there was a full spread in the dining room with a huge flower arrangement in the center on a nice burgandy cloth table complete with the most amazing salad, swedish meatballs, tortellini, breads, ham, turkey, cheese, etc.... around various other tables there were appetizers of sushi, cheese and crackers, nuts, homemade salsa and chips, and then there was a fully stocked bar with anything you could want....needless to say this in it self was enough to overwhelm a boy from Alabama who never thought he would get married in the first place.....

Then after everyone had eaten, Dr. Reese passed out champagne to everyone and Derek's brother Gabe gave a surprise toast about our engagement. I and many other people in the room got a little teary about it all. After the toast we were led to the room that had been off limits adjacent to the dining room and inside was a cake (DELICIOUS) for us complete with bourban whipping cream to top and a groom groom kinda thing happening that was really creative and funny.....

Everyone kept coming up to us and telling us how incredibly happy they were for us and that they could be a part of such a big thing for us and for society as a whole with us....was quite overwhelming and one of my favorite nights that I've ever had......

And as if that is not enough, many who know us, know of the saga of the people who live next door to us on the second floor. Derek and I have been convinced since we moved in that they were gay, but we had yet to meet them to completely confirm that assumption. So we are at our party last night (Tim and Glen had invited people they knew too) and we start talking to these guys who ask us about how we met, where we live, etc....and we answer Wakefield. They said, oh cool, we live in Wakefield too, where in Wakefield? We respond wiuth our street......to which he replies, OH MY GOD....we are 29....I said...we're 31!!! The mystery solved in an instant! By a twist of fate our neighbors who we have spied on for months are at our engagement party! We had a great time getting to know them and honestly I didn't want the night to end.....

I can't thank Tim and Glen enough for last night......was something unlike anything I've ever had.......

Searching for the perfect shoe....

After a wonderfully relaxing and beneficial trip to my chiropractor I decided to walk over to Filene's in hopes of finding a new pair of brown dress shoes to wear to the engagement party Saturday. (Derek's doctor, a friend of ours, is throwing us a very big and extravagant party at his home Saturday night to celebrate...should be good times) I searched and searched until finally I found them....shiny, brown, and more than I wanted to pay.....but did I do it anyway?....of course I did....gotta look great if you are the party's focus right? So much pressure...

I'm going with Deb to have dinner and then on to the Huntington to see The Rivals tonight. It's been since undergrad since I have seen or read that show, but it should be good times, especially if the Huntington is producing it. It will also be cool to catch up and hang out with Deb. I'm sad she and I will not have class together this spring, having her and Katie around made things more entertaining......

I'm struggling to understand why I'm sitting at work, not really doing anything. I have been back at work for a solid week and everything I needed to do could have been accomplished in 2 maybe 3 days max. Yet, here I have sat for 8 hours this week with nothing really to do. Granted, I'm getting paid for it and I should probably stop complaining, but when I think about those West Wing and Golden Girls episodes that are waiting for me at my apartment, I start to feel a sense of longing...

Walking in the snow......

There is something really cool about walking to work in the snow. I mean granted, it's cold and wet and kinda irritating to an extent, but then you walk by the Boston Common and suddenly the snow is magical and looks like nothing you remember. You can't help but stop and stare for a little while and smile!

Now having said that.....It's fucking cold in New England and I miss Alabama weather......

I think I am slightly OCD when it comes to certain aspects of my life. Mainly I think it applies to the tracking of packages from UPS and Fed Ex. I was fortunate enough to get some money from my Dad and stepmother and I decided to buy myself an Ipod for Christmas. Well I have been checking the tracking system like 10-15 times a day and watching its progress from Shanghai, China to Anchorage, AK to Indianapolis, IN to Boston, MA and finally it is on the trip being delivered to my work today. How excited am I? I feel that it should arrive with stickers on it from all the places it has visited. I like that my Ipod has traveled, gives it a little character...

At the request of others......

At the request of my dear friend Jamie, I have decided to at least attempt to make regular periodic updates on my life with maybe some deep thoughts, political statements, or any other musings that may inspire me to type....

So where am I now? Well I am recently engaged!! Whoo hooo.....god how wierd is that? me...engaged....whoda thunk?.....Derek is a wonderful man who makes me extremely happy and I said yes without a second thought....of course I'm scared as hell about the future (for gay marriage is new and gay relationships are sadly unstable more often than not), but we are extremely happy and I feel we can weather any storm that may come near us!

So I'm living up here in Boston, Massachusetts, (well, Wakefield) planted here from Alabama by route of Washington DC for a year or so......and I must say.....I really love it! NYC is a short drive so I get to go and see many new and exciting shows and exhibitions, Ogunquit, ME is a great vacation spot only an hour or so away....and there is so much beauty and culture here in New England.....I couldn't be happier....well okay...if my Mom was here I would be happier, but alas she is happy and content in Alabama so I will deal! =)

Okay, I think that's a good enough start......