Catherine Clark > Quotes

“I hate when I'm an idiot and I don't know it. I like to be aware of my idiocy, to really revel in it, take pictures.”
― Catherine Clark

“Maybe the only reason I like him is because I had a crush on him for so long it became a part of me.”
― Catherine Clark, Wish You Were Here

“nothing exciting ever happens, so you stop thinking it's going to. and then something does happen, and you miss it. completely. ”
― Catherine Clark, Frozen Rodeo

“Where we begin is not necessarily our starting point. Every journey has it’s mileposts.”
― Catherine Clark, Wish You Were Here

“Sometimes it’s better just to think things through than to talk about them all the time.”
― Catherine Clark, Wish You Were Here

“Right. Of course. Well, then that makes sense, I guess." Open mouth, insert sand-covered foot.”
― Catherine Clark, Picture Perfect

“Fling is feeling without the two e's.”
― Catherine Clark, Picture Perfect

“I had this tendency to think things through a little too much, envisioning things in the future while I completely missed the present.”
― Catherine Clark, Maine Squeeze

“I’m all in favor of recycling everything we can, but it’s strange to see your past walking around with a new identity.”
― Catherine Clark, Maine Squeeze

“No I just feel a little dizzy. You know, like when you try to read the newspaper in the car and all the lines start waving around and go blurry?"
"That doesn't happen to me"
"Oh.”
― Catherine Clark, Picture Perfect

“If this is about sleeping on the floor, I'll do it," I said. "Because I don't mind."

"No, but do you want to take a picture of my nest? It's very romantical.”
― Catherine Clark

“this town has no soul. and nobody yields to your love. nobody yields, period.”
― Catherine Clark, Frozen Rodeo

“For some reason, he belonged more in Wisconsin. Because of me, because I was there. Not that I ever managed to talk to him for more than ten minutes, and not that I ever had the nerve to ask him out. But still, I loved him. Deeply.”
― Catherine Clark, Picture Perfect

“Then he said, "Nice bed head," and I knew it was the real Spencer.”
― Catherine Clark, Picture Perfect

“Why was it that whenever I started to not detest him, he did something like this?”
― Catherine Clark, Picture Perfect

“I slid over to the edge of the bed and leaned back, letting my hair fall onto him.
"Ack!" he cried. "Don't scare me like that!”
― Catherine Clark, Picture Perfect

“Besides, I don't really wear much makeup."
"Yeah, well, that's because you got the good-skin gene in the family," Gretchen complained. "You got Mom's golden skin. You're like the perfect Norwegian goddess."
"Excuse me?" No one had ever called me a goddess before, and I was pretty sure no one would ever do it again, either. Could she at least do it while Sean was still hanging around? And in a very loud voice, with the door wide open? Just shout it: Kirsten is a goddess!”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“I don't know what she's going to do when I leave to go home, actually. She's gotten really used to having me around."
"Me too," Conor said. Then he cleared his throat loudly. "You're, you know, kind of blending in here. With the furniture."
"Thanks. I guess." I looked behind me at the tables and chairs. I didn't see any similarities, but whatever.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“I probably shouldn't even be out here this early by myself, but it's the only only way I can get to work and I have to work mornings because this is the only shift I can get at the only job I can get.”
― Catherine Clark, Better Latte Than Never

“Are we just going to stand here all night quoting each other?" Conor asked. "I mean, not that the material is bad, but I was kind of hoping we could get beyond that.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“You don’t want to date anyone else, though?” she asked. “No cuties in your class?”
“Cuties?” I wrinkled my nose.
“Cuties, hotties, dudes. Whatever,” she said. “Isn’t there anyone at home that you like?”
“No, not really. There aren’t that many guys I’d want to date. And the ones I do like, usually like Emma first. Or . . . eventually.”
“Yeah, I had a friend like that, too.”
“You did?”
Gretchen nodded. “Her name was Ashley.”
“Her name’s not still Ashley?” I said.
She glared at me. “You’re such a smart ass. No wonder you don’t have a boyfriend.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“But I got this picture of me with my skis crossed, butt up, face down, in the snow. Then, the next day, Gretchen and I sitting on the sofa, side by side, staring out the picture window, waiting for something interesting to happen, for someone to fall on their way past. Spring would come and we'd still be there, immobilized, and both on diets . . .”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“Conor," the cashier, an older woman, said in a weary, warning tone. "More bagging, less commentizing."
"Commentizing?" Conor dropped a loaf of Italian bread and a package of thin spaghetti into a new plastic bag. "Mary, you are making up new words every day."
"I have to do something to amuse myself," she said. "You sure don't help."
"Help? Did you say help?" Conor cleared his throat. "Yes? Okay. I'd be glad to help you, Miss," he said in a loud voice.
"Miss?" I repeated as I followed him out of the automatic doors, past a bunch of giveaway newspapers in wire displays and a collection of carts and baskets. "Since when am I a Miss?"
"What do you want to be? Ma'am?" He quickly wheeled the metal cart toward the door.
"How about just . . . how about you let me carry my own bags?" I said.
"We have a rule here. Two bags' worth, and you get me," he said.
"Remind me to shop lightly next time, then," I said.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“We learned some things anyway," I said. "Didn't we, Brett?" Like how nice it is to skate with Sean and how he's the perfect height for me. "Until we got a little on the frozen side. Then it wasn't so fun."
"Kirsten, you never wear enough clothes," Gretchen said.
"Oh, really?" Sean smiled at me, as if that fact weren't necessarily a bad characteristic to have. "Actually, I did notice that when she ran outside in her pajamas the other morning."
"And then she wonders why she's never warm enough," Gretchen said. "What do you think? Maybe she's cold-blooded. Does that mean she's cold-hearted, too?"
"Oh, yeah. In fact, not only am I cold and unfeeling, I'm a reptile, basically. Thanks, Gretch."
"Well, you did fall through the ice when you were two," she reminded me—not that I had any memory of the event, just of this story being told every year at about the time everyone was asking, "Is the lake frozen yet?" I was like the poster child for waiting for a deep freeze before venturing onto questionable ice.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“I've never really done much cross-country skiing before. I tried telemarketing once—"
"Telemarketing?" Conor burst out laughing. "Did you say 'telemarketing'?"
"What," I said.
"I think you mean telemarking."
I grinned. "Oh yeah. That sounds better."
And everyone at the table starting laughing at me, and both Sean and Conor were laughing, too. The one time they agreed on something, and it had to come at my expense.
"Yeah, that's the worst kind of skiing," Conor said. "You have to hold the phone to your ear while you're going downhill. There's the do-not-call list, and then there's the do-not-fall list," Connor added.
"Very funny," I said. But I couldn't stop myself from smiling, because it actually was.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“As we eyed them over our hot cocoa, we all immediately, without discussing it, started talking a bit more loudly about where we were going for lunch. Yeah, we can be kind of immature when we want to be.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“Because we're the best: we use all organic.”
― Catherine Clark, Truth or Dairy

“So, are there, ah, lessons or classes or something?" I asked instead.
Sean smiled. "In broomball?"
"Sure. That, or skating in general."
"I don't know. I mean, sure, probably—for kids. That's what you mean, right? For Brett here?"
"Uh . . . sure." I smiled. "For Brett."
We both knew they were for me, but he was nice enough not to tease me.
"I could, you know. Show him a few things."
"Really?" My voice squeaked as I said that, and I cringed at the sound of my inner flirt. She needed practice. Badly.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“Don't forget to check your rearview mirror," Gretchen said, peering over her shoulder as I backed out of the parking spot at the mall.
"Gretchen," I said, trying to keep my composure, "I've been driving for a couple of years. You know that, right?"
"I know, but this is city driving. It's different."
"Yes. Very different. At home, we just back up without looking," I said. "We smash into other people's cars and that's how we figure out when to stop. Every parking lot is a demolition derby, basically.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake

“When I emerged, there was a boy standing behind me, staring at me.
Not just any boy, either. The one who'd returned my lost hat at the lake the other day. The cute one with short auburn hair and green eyes. The one I'd fallen on top of.
They were coming out of the woodwork. Or the ice. Or somewhere.
He was wearing an apron with the store's name stitched over the pocket. Unless his name was Zublansky's, Your One-Stop Shop.”
― Catherine Clark, Icing on the Lake