Miss Pink turns

Remember her? Miss Pink Post-Doc?

I showed up at teleconference this morning, my first since coming back and was happily greeted by everyone. There have been some changes during my time gone, mostly project changes I am scrambling to keep up with. I don’t have to scramble too hard since my two hours a week on the project for teleconference are purely for consulting. Still I try to keep abreast of what is going on for other tasks on the project.

After 1.5 years of being a post-doc here, Miss Pink has become Mrs Black. Yes, she did get married.

So either marriage has killed her cheerful pink nature, or it is work. She no longer hauls her 4 year old (minimum) pink cell phone with her dog’s picture on it to teleconference. Nor her big pink plastic water bottle. Those pink fake nails are gone - likely due to performing real work in the lab. And you know… she wasn’t wearing a spot of pink today. Black shirt, black pants (camel toe remains) and black shoes. Demeanor likewise.

A revelation hit me this morning. She fits in.

Apparently too well. Her last day is Friday.

I was saddened by this. I actually grew to like her over the last year. She is smart, helpful, pleasant to be around, even if she does giggle at the most inappropriate times.

Then my savage wolf side kicked in and I was no longer sad. I, at least, made sure she was happy (alright, that she was fine) about her move to a private analytical chemistry company probably making less as a staff member there then she did as a post-doc here. Then I jumped in there with the two other wolves vying for a bite of her (not by choice) abandoned project. The competition… ‘tis fierce!