“But the day I can't shrug off a twinge of self-pity, is the day I'm washed up for keeps.”

“It was such a lovely day I thought it a pity to get up.”

“Only a teaspoon of self-pity, girl. Every day give yourself a teaspoonful, but only a teaspoonful. Fill it up full, but only once! Don’t let yourself have more. You can’t live off it. But just a bit of it is like a tonic.”

“Every day after I wake up, I think, 'Wait... this can't be real; I'm still going to wake up.”

“Don't be ridiculous! You waste less time than anyone I know.''You don't know, sweetie. For years I've had down days. Days I just can't cope. Can't get on with anything. Can't get up and out or at it or whatever.''Not enough to keep you from being invaluable politically.”

“Anyway, all I'm saying is that there was this time--maybe it was a day, maybe a few days, I can't remember now--when everything seemed to have come together. And so obviously it was time to go and screw it all up.”