I make good money. I�m fully aware of this. However, I didn�t get to a point where I could buy a house at age 24 because I did things like blow $600 on airfare. And no matter how good it would be for my mental health, I knew I couldn�t part with it.

After talking with a great agent at Continental in Houston, we came up with a great way to get around stuff. So now I�m on a $200 ATA flight (plus almost as much for Hambone�s fare) and have a $200 credit toward a later Continental flight.

Hold me back for a moment... Charging $150 for Hambone to fly with me is absolutely ridiculous. I have a friend willing to take care of him, but I�m not going to leave that responsibility with my friend for an entire two weeks. Ham is my cat and my responsibility. If I was gone for only one week, I�d have no problem with said friend being inconvenienced. (As I�d do the same for him...)

So let me get this straight, airlines... I can bring a screaming kid on a plane for no extra charge, but to put a sedated cat under my seat costs a minimum of $150?!

I�ll take a cat over a screaming kid any day of the week.

But all is said and done. I have the perfect flight to and from my destinations. I have a rental car reserved for the short amount of time I�m in Houston. My head and heart feel so much better knowing that I have my best friend since the fifth grade so excited that I invited myself to stay for a rather sudden and extended trip.

I get multiple emails from all over the world. I get three-hour long calls from a friend in New York. I get a box of feel-better-soon oranges from ooh-la-la locations. I get guestbook entries wishing me well. Friends pick up the phone while watching movies with their boyfriends, packing for an international move, and with two rambunctious children in the background.

How friggin lucky am I?

And then I wonder about Benito and how men don�t really reach out to each other and how it�s also not his style to seek help. I feel for him. (A little.) He -- and most of the world -- doesn�t have half the support group I�ve got.

I�m constantly amazed by the number of people I have figuratively following me around with GO JO! signs.

I�m heading home for a ruby red grapefruit.

Thank you, all.�