bad habits

We all have bad habits, or weird things that we do. Some are actually a problem, others are just stupid and/or annoying. Me? Well, I happen to chew on the inside of my lip/cheek without really thinking about it, and then there's this rough surface that makes it easier to repeat over and over... Yeah, not exactly a crisis of national proportions, but I recently saw myself on tape and realized that, yeah, I do so a lot and, yes, it is obvious.

So, I've decided to do something about it, that is, to quit. Really, I mean it this time. A good friend of mine has decided to quit smoking this week, and I figure that if he (and scores of other people) are able to quit using a phyisically addictive substance, I might be able to handle this. And so, I'm mentioning it here, because if I actually commit to something outloud (or in writing, even if there only 2 people reading), I'm more likely to stick to it. And I'm also considering the classic parenting/teaching strategy of a point system - keep track of how many times I catch myself chewing, and each infraction is worth X amount of money (maybe $.10 to start) to be donated to a charity of some sort. I think I need to toss a pack of gum in my bag. Or ten.

Feel free to laugh and/or look quizzically in my general direction...

being the newbie sucks

I'm one of the more junior members of the group in which I work, both in terms of age and experience in the field. From time to time, I feel like I'm still a student or kid amongst the "grown-ups." This is one of those times.

(edited to remove some details because I'm paranoid, and because the situation settled/clarified itself)

Coming soon: from the other extreme, an attempt at personal reflections about Grandma