Please think of Ike's most vulnerable potential victims

The Houston SPCA is ready to help strays and pets who find themselves lost, soaked, or injured as a result of Ike with a lost/found hotline and emergency foster care. To come to the aid of those with fur and feathers, they need everything from medical supplies to bottled water to rabbit pellets. And this costs money. Please click here and help with a donation.

I know I've been begging a lot lately … what with plugs for Windows of Hope to help hundreds of children left behind when the Twin Towers fell and the Louisiana SPCA as they prepared for Hurricane Gustav. But that's because giving can be such a great deal. In exchange for the few minutes you spend keystroking your credit card number in on a website, you'll get instant relief from the frustration you feel when you see such sad stories on the news or in the paper. AT LEAST YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING! That thought can really comfort you. Honest!

DAY 12 -- September Fitness Challenge

Not working out today because I simply don't feel like it. It's gray, it's rainy, and I have become quite attached to the contraband heater that's warming my feet.

So let's look at my nutritious lunch, instead: small cup of clam chowder (not great, I know, but it's got protein, at least) and grapes and, for dessert, blueberry yogurt. I have maintained my candy moratorium for another day!