“I was thinking about a lot of things at that moment, really, and I mean a lot of things. Like the way squirrels in my front yard won't play with me. But more serious stuff too.”

“I've never really apologised to her for that specifically, mostly because I didn't know how to apologise for my brain not working.I can't see girls being cool with... "Hey, sorry about my brain not working right; that things is nuts sometimes. I know I might have confused you, but my brain confused me too. Anyhoo...just letting you know that was why! Hugs!"I mean, I'd be willing to try it once...but just for the story, really.”

“She'll get all wooed by some smart, rich, dumbface, handsome, millionaire guy who doesn't care about money but has a lot of it. He'll probably have a private plane that goes to his private island that probably has dolphins. This means that Jen, on top of being happy and smart and pretty and sweet, will most likely get to name and play with...pet dolphins. You can't compete with dolphins.”

“In my front yard, there are these two giant old trees, which help the porch vibe, obviously, with a forty-foot-tall canopy. It has a very Jurassic Parky vibe, but without dinosaurs. Also, most people on my street are friendly, and I don't live on an island.”

“If I had never changed my mind about what I wanted in a relationship or about what I wanted out of a relationship, do you know who I'd be with? Probably not, but I do:SUSAN: former crush from the third grade.ATTRIBUTES: blonde hair, proficient at reading and writing, great at freeze tag, excellent at all recess and playground activities.RELATIONSHIP STRENGTHS: female, talked to me, shared her fruit snacks with me, didn't hate me.RELATIONSHIP PITFALLS: I like things other than recess now; the qualities I liked in third grade might not be enough for a healthy adult relationship...but having fruit snacks never hurts.”

“I also have a hammock I spend a lot of time in - mostly just because hammocks are awesome and people don't have to explain why they have them.”

“And don't forget to enjoy simple stuff like...being alive, which in itself is amazing news. For me, personally, it means I'm not dead, and I'm a fan of that. Optimism can start small, ya know?”