After I got my Civic fixed at the dealer today (Honda issued a recall for headlight wiring), I drove out to Santa Monica, enjoyed the view as I walked amid the homeless lying in the sun on Ocean Blvd., and browsed the shops at 3rd St. Promenade. Then I did what no jobless person should do in good conscience - I bought a three-dollar latte at Starbucks. Bad me! Trying to find a balance between being responsibile and not killing yourself for boredom when you've been out of work four months is harder than it looks. My punishment was the hour and forty-minute drive home on the 10 freeway.

But let's put things in perspective. The news I listened to on NPR en route to Glendale was, in typical form, horrifying. It is really pretty incredible that for me and for most of the people I know, things are as good as they are. So I am going to try to stop complaining so much.