Sunday my old roommate's roommate had a car because her mom was sick. She took advantage of the opportunity to pile us in and show us the wonders of Tennessee Valley over in Marin. I had never been before. It's just a short drive to a short walk to a little cove of a beautiful beach. Once you are there, another short yet very steep walk gets you up on a cliff with classic California cost line views.

As soon as you leave, you'll be ready to come back.

Sometimes you've got a plan all planned out. Then the internet comes along and changes everything.

Due to a little serendipitous web browsing I stumbled upon the most perfect house. A charming Art Deco place from the 30s... with a gorgeous ocean view and an awesome garden that is amazingly right on the tip of our price range.

Of course there's a catch. This dream home is located in Nelson, New Zealand. That not only isn't in the United States, it's very very far away.

When we first talked about moving, we seriously considered leaving the country. All the trouble of Visa's and the expense didn't seem worth it. All of a sudden there's some reconsidering around here.........

Sometime during all that sickness, my five year anniversary here in San Francisco came and went.

At some point during my later teen years in St. Louis, I looked around and wondered how there could be so much stuff - and yet absolutely none of it was for me.

I still haven't completely forgiven this slighting.

Shortly after arriving in San Francisco, I looked around in amazement at how much stuff there was - and couldn't believe that a considerable amount of it was for me.

I still greatly appreciate how much of San Francisco is created out of shear enthusiasm.

Now days I look at all the stuff and I mostly manage a "Meh".

I don't entirely know what "for me" means anymore. I think in many ways it means anything and nothing. I'll always love San Francisco. Which has nothing at all to do with no longer needing it.

It's hard for me to imagine needing anywhere.

As I said before, moving has a lot to do with wanting to own a home. It's easy to see that as a commitment to a place. "I want to live here because this is the place for me." I don't so much consider it in that way. For me it's less about place and more about time. Renting is inherently temporary. A home helps eliminate that sort of future concern. It means less distraction from the present.

Assuming of course that I avoid the temptation of constant "home improvement".

Devil's Court Appointed Advocate: It also represents a considerable attachment.

How true.

It's easy to get caught up in the counting of potential forward and back steps... Looking for whatever rights and wrongs relative to a future that never existed. In the end, none of the modifiers matter.

Only the step it's self.

Since I didn't go to college, I missed out on learning a few things. Most notably how to drink beer and coffee. At this point, I don't think I'll ever enjoy the taste of either. I also won't be able to handle the concentration of caffeine that comes from brewed coffee beans.

This theory was put to the test on our way out of SFO to Vegas. Centrally located in the "B" gates is a Peet's Coffee. Now I don't normally visit Peet's... So I can't say if it was an accident or if it's the way they do business, but I can tell you my Chai Tea had coffee in it. Not a ton. There was still soy milk and your typical sweet Chai mixture. I didn't even notice it at first. The Chai tasted bad... but I can drink a bad Chai no problem*. I was half way through it before I realize what the problem was.

Then the caffeine kicked in. All of a sudden I felt like a Fifth Grader in the middle of a math class. I wanted to do anything other than be there. Except there wasn't anything else to do. I sat there quietly grinding my teeth. Trying not to embarrass Lane by running down the tarmac so fast that my cloths would disintegrate. And wondering how I could possibly need to use the bathroom for the fourth time in 45 minutes.

I'll never understand how people get work done after drinking that stuff.

* Excluding that powdered crap Chicago calls Chai, but is clearly a baby formula created by the CIA to produce morally indifferent fighting machines.

I'm feeling considerably better. I haven't had a fever for days and I have very little aching. Mostly when I do, It's my own fault.

Like at lunch today. After almost a week of barely solid and simple foods my stomach was in no mood to see cheese. I sternly informed it that "Moods are things for cattle and love play". At which point it fought at the best of it's ability. I lost handily. Never has defeat been so tasty.

On the more successful front, I went outside for the first time in what seemed liked forever. One and a half blocks (each way!) to drop the Netflix in the mailbox. The sickness hit me as soon as we returned from Vegas, so I was already 3 days removed from seeing San Francisco. Add seven more for sickness and that's 10 days of no SF. It was starting to become a distant memory. For all I knew, it wasn't there anymore. Lane tried to reassure me to the contrary, but she's a sweet girl. She'd lie about that sort of thing in that sort of situation. Not this time though. There I was marching down good ole Guerrero street. A drizzle on my head and a cold damp wind filling my worn out lungs. Tomorrow I may wake to find I have pneumonia.

But tonight I celebrate by sleeping on my own accord! No Nyquil. No sir. Not even the knock off Walgreens Wal-A-Quil. I'm going O'Natural baby!!

While watching Bladerunner the other night something very disturbing happened.

You know Zhora? ...The replicant who has the misfortune of dying in a neon splash of future mall display window glory, while wearing a see through plastic top? Of course you do. Well, she's played by none other than Joanna Cassidy. AKA: Margaret Chenowith from Six Feet Under.

Brenda's Mom is not at all the voice I was expecting to come out of the stripper who just finished a show with a genetically engineered snake.

It still gives me the willies.

The Flu and before Vegas, Mary & Eugene made their triumphant return to San Francisco for a little holiday visiting.

Most of the time was spent hanging out... Back when they were my roommates (along with Aaron Fagerstrom and the offsite roommate Goldman) we spent a considerable amount of time sitting around the living room, drinkin, smokin, listening to music, and generally acting retarded. While we still saw each other regularly after they moved out (and before they went to Chicago), Aaron was M.I.V.* - It wasn't quite the same. But not anymore. It was a ton of fun to have everyone back together again. Especially now that Lane is in the mix.

The highlight would have to be the break-dancing competition. The lowlight, Goldman refusing to leave at 3 in the morning.

^*Missing in vagina

All of my Vegas photographs.
All of Lane's (much better) Vegas photographs.

I just added "vegan" to MacOS's built in spell check. The only possible explanation for it's lack of inclusion is conspiracy. If one were to follow the money, you would quickly find that those Atkins fuckers are loaded. Has Job's started hitting the hamburger without the bun? Will Windows run on the new MacBook Pro, if you put two strips of bacon in the cdrom drive??

The truth is out there...... If you want it.

My fever has subsided, but I can't sleep. Even with a half a dose of Nyquil in me.... I think it's because I finally managed some good resting this afternoon.

Last night, when I was waiting for the the Nyquil to take me away, I tried to think of deserts that best represented people I know. I didn't get very far before passing out. Tonight me and Lane came up with a much longer list:

• Goldman - Raspberry Zinger
• Aaron - Oatmeal raisin cookie (sugar free of course)
• Erin - Iced mocha with whipped cream
• Case - Vegan date bar
• Ozlem - Dark chocolate truffle with a creamy milk chocolate center
• Jerry the dog - Any birthday cake for a 5 year old
• Eugene - Biscotti
• Flack - Red Vine (candy cigaret was a very close second)
• Ninnian - Banana's and strawberries dipped in chocolate fondu
• Jana - An affordable yet delightful dessert wine
• Julayne - Sour apple jolly rancher (lane knows all the ladies with hard to spell names)

That is not the whole list. I think it was twice as long. It's all I can remember right now.... If your not on it, It's nothing personal. I'm sure your delicious too. It's just that I'm sick and everything I do these days is sorta incomplete.

My copy of iLife `06 arrived today. I haven't looked at it much... but I did play around with the new iMovie. On the surface, It doesn't look like much is different, but it's a considerable improvement. All around it's much snappier and easier to work with.

While checking it out, I threw together this short film I like to call An Evening at Jason Goldman's.

• Amy's No-Chicken Soup is the proverbial bee's knees.
• Ricola Natural Honey Lemon with Echinacea throat drops - Get Echinacea to boost your immune system while soothing your throat.
• Emer'gen-C vitamin supplement. Mixes in water to give you all the vitamin C you need for a day of sickness.
• Dreyer's whole fruit bars have a fair amount of sugar (which weakens your immune system) but nothing tastes better when you have a scratchy throat and a fever. Nothing.
• Yogi Lemon Ginger Green Tea gives you all the health benefits of green tea and ginger. Plus, with a little added honey, it's incredibly soothing to a sore throat.
• March of the penguins. Baby penguins!@#$%

That was the official reading from the government sactioned thermo-meter.

I'm now making my face available as an all natural and organic alternative to microwaves for warming up food. Rates are $20 per hour or $60 for monthly unlimited usage.

Please contact my assistant, Cupcake Lane Collins, for further details.

I woke up this morning feeling like an 80 year old man who's a long shot for 81. ...Sore muscles, sore joints, hot flashes, cold flashes, and a deep chest cough.

I think I have the flu.

Lane suggested that maybe I really am 80.

Either way, it sucks.

I've spent the evening sequestered away in the bedroom while Lane and a flock of art school girlies get all art school dorky in the living room about an art show they're putting on soon. If you had asked me at age 13 what my biggest fantasy was, this right here is it.

Except I wouldn't wish whatever I have on anyone. So quarantined it is. All I get is a little giggle heard through the door now and again.

They've already been here for 4 hours. It's only a matter of a really short time before they play spin the bottle.

I may cry.

I've tried going to sleep. It doesn't work so well. I just drift between fever induced memories and ideas till I'm so sore I need to sit up. Then I sit till I'm so sore I need to lay down.

Tomorrow I'm going to have a cough like a coal miner. I can feel it down in my throat. Just waiting there all sinister, like the sinister son of a bitch it is.

Tomorrow is going to suck too.

It was outstanding.

Now it's off to Vegas and a dirty circus...