Is this progress?
June 13, 2007My office for my new job is in the University of Washington’s Health Sciences Building, the same building where I spent several years as a graduate student. That’s not the weird part, though. The weird part is that, although I’m now in a completely different field, and although Health Sciences is an enormous structure (a third of a mile long and, in one part, 16 stories high), I’m stationed just down the hall from the lab where I did my graduate work. I go up one floor to the hospital cafeteria for mid-afternoon salads, just as I used to. Sometimes I park at the bike rack I used to use — although my bicycle is nicer now, my helmet and lock are the same — and sometimes I run into my old adviser there.
One obvious difference is that, although I’m once again on the negative-1st floor (or the 0th floor, depending on your numbering conventions), my new boss’ office is on the 13th floor. At the start of a recent meeting with him, I casually mentioned that all the stair-climbing might help me prepare for my next event — “a 100-mile race with 18,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain.”
“Oh, are you doing Western States?” he asked with an equally casual tone. “I once had a rotation student [Carol O’Hear] who ran that one. Her first time, the medical staff made her stop at mile 97. She was really upset about that.”
A boss who is familiar with and unfazed by 100-mile races? That’s different, too.
My Track Record 
I think you have quite a good find in that boss Greg! Although I have to admit that I'm a little skeptical of ANYBODY that is unfazed about a 100 mile running race… 🙂
Wow Greg! That Boss interaction is priceless. Lucky you. Taper well..I'll be rooting for you.Greg Loomis
Welcome back (?) to HSC bldg. Just returned there myself (from R&T) but at the other end of the 1/3 mile. It feels more like 3 miles when I have to go to your end. And not surprising about your new boss – they are out there somewhere! I'm lucky to have gotten a new one just as cool! Good luck at Western States!