Do you have a job? Yes? lucky you. Even without employment, I’m still in a uniform. Its sweats/yoga pants, a stained shirt i’m too depressed and un-busy to put in the laundry, unbrushed hair, and a permanent pout on my face. I wear this everyday.

Also eyes constantly squinting over Craigslist, the want ads, and idealist.org for possible jobs, a bathrobe with belt-ends I keep accidentally dropping into the toilet bowl while I’m peeing, a halfempty coffee cup with old coffee from when my parents got up and went to work hours earlier that I just keep reheating in the microwave like my grandpa.

I’m actually not quite wallowing in unemployed self-pity just yet. I’ve only been home a week or so, and living rent-free with mom and enjoying a lot of meals other people are paying for, so thats not bad. My resume is getting refined and its natural to have some rejections at first, right? Blargh.

I’ve been taking some advantage of the downtime to do some things I never do, like take care of my health. I’ve been to physical therapy for my knees (curse you Inkan Trail! I hate these inner thigh ball squeezes and trying to engage my Kegels!) and the dentist and the optometrist. I think the dentists should just give up on the whole flossing message. I mean, is anyone besides them really doing it? The only time I think to floss is after corn on the cob or ribs or something. And even then, toothpicks are way more fun, and add a sense of gum-poking danger.

I also have problems with the optometrist. Its the whole “which one is better, lens one or two? One…or two….ONEEE….or….TWOOOO” act that they put you through. I get so nervous I start to sweat, trying to figure out the right answer, aiming to please someone who doesn’t even have an answer, because its all about what is better for me. I have the answers within me, and even knowing that, I feel like I’m failing an exam. So I never answer 100 percent confident, all the lens choices look too similar, and I’m convinced they put in ones that are exactly the same to trick me. My big brother paranoia is reaching new heights. Or lows.

Other fun things I’ve done – I’m working on filling in all the blank spaces in my Itunes Library, ie the song release year, genre, album art, etc. I’m also correcting all spelling and capitalization errors present after years of using Limewire and other computer-killing free music download programs. Its pretty fun. I’m also really into grocery shopping, still amazed at all the beautiful kinds of food in the stores here in the States. You can get anything you want here! Fruits and vegetables have no seasons in the USA. Its incredible to compare Safeway or Whole Foods (good Lord, how I missed Whole Foods) to the hole-in-the-wall tiendas and open stall mercados we bought all our food at for months in Central America. I think I miss the chase of grocery shopping while traveling, walking for blocks and asking twenty people where one could find a diet pepsi, or avocado, and then bargaining for your price. And I definitely miss the CenAm prices!

My family got a Wii Fit for Christmas, and with all my free time, I’m considering getting into shape or something. We weren’t allowed to have Nintendo or Sega or anything growing up, so I’m a little wary of the games, especially with the whole “Wii can connect to other users and the internet” thing, with all my height, weight, name, address, and exercise information stored on it. Its so big brother.

With all my initial hesitation, I am now completely obsessed with Wii Fit. I made an adorable mii, and I disguised her in case big brother is indeed looking around, by giving Mii all my features, and then adding a moustache, mole, and aviator glasses. I also made Mii tall and thin. However, when I went to weigh in, the machine made my Mii chubby! My belly poked over my pants! I think thats kinda mean of Wii. I also don’t like the weird “oh!” when you step on the balance board, like its really saying “oh! my! you’re heavy!” Grrr…

Anyway I loooove the Wii Fit. Although not a snow kind of person, I am killing it on the slalom and ski jump games, and I love to see my Mii in a penguin suit catching fish on a floating iceberg I control by shifting my weight. And hula hoop? It is so fun to watch people do that, and get hit in the head with panda bears and soccer cleats. So yeah, I love the Wii. All the time and points I’m earning on that thing makes me feel like I accomplish something with my days. Sort of.

Its so nice to be back in my car. I feel like I could just get in and drive for days across California, Oregon, Nevada, Mexico, wherever. There’s nothing like the open road, even if I’m a bit more aggressive after the craziness of CenAm bus travel (ive only honked a few times…nothing too serious yet….). Nothing like my favorite road trip mixes, fingers tapping on the wheel, singing out loud with windows down, dancing and clapping along at stoplights, hearing my turn signal click off, the smell of gasoline. So I think I’ll be heading down my favorite coast in two weeks! I’m so stoked for Santa Barbara, four days or so, to celebrate Singles Awareness Day on February 14, see the old newspaper folks, sip Coffee Bean on my favorite beach, bloody marys at the Sporty, etc. Yay! On the road again on the road again I cant wait to get on