Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! I will use many of them: schedule regulation, rules, excersize, running things past a trusted friend. (ComicGeek...I will try to avoid licking chalk : )

Christina~no I typically dont, but I can get so hyper I annoy people (i think); like super chatty and too energetic. I also don't totally know the line between hypo and full mania other than psychosis. I DO get psychosis on the depressive side, but I don't think I do on the hypo/manic side. I have never thought that I have special powers or anything like that...but I do get VERY spendy. This is the first hypomanic episode that I have ever had where I have acknowledged my DX, have been sober (though an occasional glass of wine), and have the intent to take my mood swings seriously so that my family and I may have a better, more predictable life. So I guess I feel like I am trying to "meet" myself for the first time and I want to know how to deal with the up-side. My fear about going full blown manic, is that my depressive side recently was off-the-carts bad, and I didn't know if that increased severity would also be reflected on the upside so I want to learn to control things as much as I can.