"Terrific! Lightning. Murphy was on a roll."
After arriving in Charleston, Shepard experiences the first bumps in the road, referring to Murphy's Law that whatever can go wrong will go wrong: He is lost, cars are speeding by, and it looks like there is going to be a thunderstorm when he has not yet found a place to spend the night. Therefore, the quote emphasizes that he had a rather pessimistic outlook that night.
"I like the way Garnier Fructis’s active fruit concentrate penetrates my roots and fortifies my rebellious, frizzy hair, enhancing its natural curl and shine."
While taking a shower at the shelter, Shepard is the only man who uses a conditioner. The quotes taken from the shampoo advertisement are such as stark contrast to the filthy bathroom at the shelter that they do not just create a comic effect but remind the readers that while the conditioner may be an everyday item for most of them, it is an item of utmost luxury for a homeless person.
"On a smaller scale, don’t a lot of us have similar problems? The guy smoking a cigarette while chewing a stick of Nicorette gum; the adulteress going out with other men, justifying that it might help her become a better mate to her husband; or the obese man ordering a diet soda to go along with his bacon double cheeseburger combo meal. What are we justifying, really? Do we even want help? Are we trying to kid ourselves into thinking we care, or do we know, subconsciously, that the fact is we really don’t care?"
At the shelter, Shepard meets many people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Most of them are in some kind of rehabilitation program, but only a small fraction actually want help. However, he does not judge the ones who prefer a short-term high to a long and tedious rehab effort. Instead, he points out that many people have a similar mindset even though they are not addicted to drugs.
"And everybody always had at least his two cents to put in. Usually more."
With only two TV channels and no opportunities to let off steam (fights lead to a ban from the shelter), the homeless men often quarrel and argue on all kinds of topics. The quote illustrates how lively the conversations were, and that the inhabitants enjoyed sharing their opinions even if they fall on deaf ears.
"Rainy days sucked, but they made us appreciate the sunny days even more; bad tips made us appreciate the good ones; carrying a piano or a Trinitron TV made everything else appear feather-light."
This quote is an expression of Shepard's optimistic way of thinking. Not only does it mean that bad things do not last forever; it also emphasizes that bad experiences are necessary because they amplify the feelings we get from positive ones.
