“Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”

The Movie: Stuart Saves His Family, 1995 (Al Franken, screenwriter, from his book; Harold Ramis, dir.)
Who says it: Al Franken as Stuart Smalley, the twelve-steppingest man in America
The context: This is how Stuart ends all of his “Daily Affirmations.”
How to use it: To boost your self-esteem. Really.

I woke up this morning to discover that my air mattress had sprung a leak overnight. Dizzy and I were sunk deep into the middle of it, with the sides caging us in. I still haven't figured out where the leak is. I miss my own stuff; the movers say they'll be here sometime the first week of December.

Yesterday was a bright sunny day, and I met my friend Anna's parents, Mary and Jerry Maschino, for lunch at the A-1 Diner in Gardiner. The A-1 has a cook who's worked there for 50 years, for three different owners who ran the place under three different names. It's a traditional-looking place -- a converted railcar -- with an unconventional menu. For lunch yesterday, I had gorgonzola risotto cakes, and Mary had a mushroom-tofu fricassee. (They have normal diner food, too: Jerry had fish and chips.)

Today it's gray and rainy, and there was even a bit of snow on the ground this morning. Dizzy paid no attention to it, although he's never seen snow.