"You've got the part, Paul"

There's a scene in the movie HELP! where Paul overacts all over the place. The Lads are riding bicycles in hot pursuit and come upon red footprints painted on pavement. Paul hops off his bike and presses his ear to the ground, pretending the print is speaking to him.

"Passing this way, hot foot, many moons to the temple," he says sagely.

Unimpressed, George says, "You've got the part, Paul."

That's what I feel like saying to Michelle, the woman who has replaced the Chocolate Covered Spider. She's so eager to impress, to make her mark, to make good that she exhausts me.

I appreciate her enthusiasm and her commitment to building a relationship with me. Especially since the Chocolate Covered Spider's MO was so defensive and exclusionary. But I wish she would dial it down. I know about her "hellacious" breakup with a separated-but-still-married man and she mentions being "single and 40" in almost every conversation. I sense she views this as bonding, and I am touched by her loneliness, but it feels more than a little needy and desperate.

Oh well. She's only been with us two weeks. She's smart and shows a great deal of potential. Here's hoping she calms down a bit when she hits her stride.