Economy better, but return of conspicuous consumption is not good news

Am I the only American who's disappointed the economy's getting better?

I know it doesn't make sense -- I myself have been so underemployed these last two years it makes me nostalgic for the soul-sucking sales job I hated so much I wanted to chew off my arm to get out. (It turns out all those relatives who lived through the Depression were right -- that was a good, steady job.) So you'd think I'd be sending love notes to Timothy Geithner at the news of unemployment holding steady at 9.7% while retail sales increase.