I don't go looking for typographical errors... they find me. I see them in everything I read, from text messages and e-mails (the worst offenders) to newspapers, magazines, Web sites, product labels and books -- places where even professional proofreaders are messing up.

As we've long-advised in our publications, my mother diligently carries a list of the medications that she and my father take in her wallet. That came in handy when my father recently checked in to the hospital for a brief bout of pneumonia. When I stopped by the hospital after he'd been checked in, I reviewed his status with the nurse, including the instructions in their computer system for his care. What I found:One of his medications did not make it into their system -- an oversight that could have caused serious problems if not caught since they would not have given it to him.

Slowly, slowly, I'm losing my bad habits. Some of this has been self-motivated while others have been imposed upon me for health reasons. For example, while a teen, I figured out on my own that excessive sunbathing was not a good thing. That one certainly paid off -- I'm 46 years old, but people usually guess me at least 10 years younger because I have so few wrinkles. I have no tolerance for alcohol -- even the smallest amount puts me right to sleep -- so I've never been a drinker.

Last week, I had the privilege of touring the factory of the Chabaso Bakery (http://www.chabaso.com), which makes delicious Artisan breads. This was a perfect tour for me... I love finding out how things are made (ever see 500 pounds of bread dough in a hot tub-sized mixer?)... and I love, love, love fresh bread. I was at Chabaso's as part of my membership in a business group I'm part of, Vistage (http://vistage.com), an organization that provides business and peer coaching to business owners, presidents and high-level executives. It's kind of like group therapy for business people, where the facilitator prods us to confront the most pressing and strategic issues in our businesses, and fellow members provide their insights and advice based on their knowledge and experience. Few business leaders have people who really talk back to them because subordinates are too afraid of being honest for fear they'll lose their jobs. And yet constructive disagreement and challenge are critical. One good idea will more than pay for a year's membership, and it has for the longer-term members in our group.