“How ghastly for her, people actually thinking, with their brains, and right next door. Oh, the travesty of it all.”

“I was thinking of how sometimes, trying to say the right thing to people, it's like some kind of brain surgery...”

“Think before you speak. Take a deep breath, people suggested. Count to ten. Count sheep. Oh, wait, that was for sleeping. Even in her own head, her tongue ran ahead of her brain. It propelled her into all sorts of absurd situations. Elopements. Scandals. This.”

“How the hell would she support herself and her mother if Agua Dulce’s new owner built one of those mega service stations right next door? Or worse yet, right on top of them.”

“Only ignorance! only ignorance! how can you talk about only ignorance? Don't you know that it is the worst thing in the world, next to wickedness? -- and which does the most mischief heaven only knows. If people can say, 'Oh! I did not know, I did not mean any harm,' they think it is all right.”

“Oh my gosh, she'd cracked. Her mother was right. Too much Wonderland and sugar had finally rotter her brain.”