Boston Mass

I just got back from a business trip to Boston, Massachusetts. It was a wonderful but quick trip. I went to attend a Lab Design Conference. As I'm new to the lab industry and especially trying to design it, I wanted to get exposure to people and products of the industry. I succeeded. But there was a particular segment of my trip that I'd like to dwell on unmercifully today. It has to do with what I thought was a talented architect. Yesterday afternoon the conference bussed us to various labs throughout the area. I was bussed to MIT (very cool college--I'm already asking for applications for my children ha ha). After that I went to Novartis, which is a Swedish Laboratory company. They bought a Necco candy warehouse and converted it to a beautiful laboratory. And it just so happens that the architect who spearheaded the project came in yesterday morning to do a glorious presentation on how he accomplished this project. I was so impressed with the presentation that I was very excited to go see the warehouse/lab that afternoon. The architect, in his early 50's was there to do the tour. Then along came 20 something Jennifer in her tight fitting dress and high heels. The great architect that had such potential only a moment ago was now in the undeniable control of Jennifer. I don't know if she knew he was a perv in action or not. But everything that I thought about this architect went right out the window. I could almost see saliva collecting on the corners of his mouth, with his hands flittering in a little greedy motion of "bring me the bait". What could have been a potentially educational and visually stunning tour (I know, I sound like Lilleth from Cheers) turned into predator seeks prey and I had to watch it unfold. He was asking her if she was married, all the while our little group is straggling along behind them, waiting for the glory of the tour. I checked to see if he had a wedding ring and didn't see one. I at least wiped my brow on that. I pity the woman who ever did marry this man. Here we are, a group of professionals, around 7 of us and Hormonal Hal the architect is busy with eyes just for Jennifer, who incidentally just got married in May as she CLEARLY stated to kind of put a halt to his oogle eyes. But it didn't stop the intense attention. And we were left to salvage what was left. You see, the architect was supposed to give us the tour. But instead he just walked us down a hall, probably so he could promenade with his potential victim a little longer. We heard no factual information, no points of interest, nothing. I guess he figured our ride in the elevator was jovial enough and that was that. So why do I write this in my blog? For one, it gives all those of you who wonder what I do insite into my work life just a little minus the pervy architects of course. And second, it was the school of hard knocks for me. I guess I wouldn't expect something like that to happen with a group of professionals but it's a fact--these sex crazed animals of the world exist in every walk of life and in every profession. I knew that all along but to see it unfold is something of a different animal, and an animal he was. As we came back down to the lobby, 10 short minutes later, miss Jennifer exclaimed in all her naive innocence that it was the shortest and easiest tour she had given. And I'm thinking...oh so you give tours...let's get back in there and get the real deal this time. But alas, I'll have to live off the embers of the presentation and pictures that I took. My children and my husband picked me up from the airport last night. Evan gave me a big hug, Aedyn had made me a sweet card, Grant told me never to go away again and Laura said Daddy did a bad job on her hair. She looked like David Lee Roth on a bad day. It was nice to be away and do a little self retreating. But it was great to be back and be told I was missed. Rob told me never to go away again because it's hard to take over everything when I'm gone.