The continuing story of Professor Sheldon Cooper and his wife, Professor Bernadette Rostenkowski-Cooper. Part 1, meetings, meetings and more meetings.
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Professor Bernadette Rostenkowski-Cooper, head of the department of microbiology at Caltech, arrived at the office of Professor Tom Kariuki, Dean of Biological Sciences, for her 4th meeting of the day.
Kariuki: "Hello Bernadette, what brings you here?"
Bernadette: "Hello Tom, aren't we going to be discussing the new tenured Professors with Professor Thompson?"
Kariuki: "You didn't get the message, Sam Thompson isn't feeling well. He has gone home."
Bernadette: "Evidently I didn't, oh well I have half an hour to catch up with paperwork in my office before my next meeting."
Kariuki: "Sit down Bernadette, I have a free half an hour too, relax for a while, would you like some tea?"
Bernadette sat down and said "sure thing."
Kariuki turned on the intercom "Mrs Patel, could you bring in two cups of tea please."
Bernadette: "Thank you Tom."
Kariuki: "So, how is Sheldon?"
Bernadette: "He is still a scientist, he can do his theoretical physics all day without having to go to endless meetings. I don't know how they persuaded me to become head of department."
Kariuki: "You know how it works here in biological science, all Professors above a certain grade have to take it turns to be head of department for a year. You only have 5 more months to the end of March then someone else takes over."
Bernadette: "I know it has only been 7 months but it feels like 7 years, I don't know how you can keep doing a job like this year in year out."
Kariuki: "Well someone has to do it. Ah here is the tea, thank you Mrs Patel."
Bernadette: "It has been so long since I have been in the lab my lab coat is covered in cobwebs and dust. I keep it on the back of the door of my office to remind me that I was once a scientist and will return to the lab one day."
Kariuki: "How is your research group?"
Bernadette: "You mean how is Andrea's research group. I see the group once a week on Monday afternoons, the rest of the time Dr. Gonzalez runs the show."
Kariuki: "How is that young man from Cambridge doing?"
Bernadette: "James Roberts is doing fine, he is going back next month. Our new Cambridge student Sally Deng will be arriving in the New Year. Our annual exchange of Ph.D students with Cambridge ever since Sheldon and I went there 5 years ago has worked out really well. That was a wonderful 6 months we had in Cambridge, that was the last time I seriously got to do some proper science."
Kariuki: "Good old Cambridge."
Bernadette: "You said it Tom. Thanks for the tea but I have to go to my next meeting. To end the day I have the microbiology finance committee meeting, lucky me..."
