Wake up, Caitlin, Mr. Lensing had said. But what he didn't under­stand was that this dreamland was preferable, walking through this life half-sleeping, everything at arm's length or farther away.

You own a Tic Tac. Gum is just borrowed. - Esther

Not for the first time, I wished both of us could just say what we meant. But that, like so much else, was impossible

Call it crazy, or just chicken salad.

D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Austin... and you. I'll be there soon.

I was bored. Sad. Lonely. It was only a matter of time before I cracked.

If something doesn't work exactly right, or maybe needs some special treatment, you don't just throw it away. Everything can't be fully operational all the time. Sometimes, we need to have the patience to give something the little nudge it needs.