well i've been finding excuses all week to not talk to my boss but today i walked into work and i just did it. i told him i'm looking around for other jobs, and we had a good long talk. he offered himself as a reference, we talked a lot about what i'm interested and what options there are out there, he offered to talk to his friends from b-school and find out what they're up to, and while he fully offered his support and help if i decide to move on, he also said he would be happy to try and make some changes around here if i want to stay.
sometimes being an adult is so rewarding.