So I'm sitting in the waiting area at an office on the 19th floor of the Bank of America building downtown.

Just a few minutes ago.

This door opens and these two guys wearing firefighter jackets emerge, their faces covered in perspiration.

They look like overworked draft horses.

There didn't seem to be any sort of emergency. So I guessed what they were doing.

Did you guys come up the stairs from the first floor?

One of them nodded. "Third time," he said.

He went on to explain that there was some sort of competition coming up in Seattle.

"We're training," he said.

The guy with him concentrated on catching his breath.

I asked if they were firefighters. The one guy said they were.

I thought about mentioning that I often take the stairs at work, but thought better of it and wished them well. 

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