Wednesday, October 31st, 2001:
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
BOO!
I think we've finally recovered from our very long weekend. It was
back to work today and a lot of catching up to do. Kind of a quiet Halloween
here in Key West. I'd like to think it had nothing to do with people being
afraid to let the kids go trick or treating, but I have a feeling that played
a part of the reason I didn't see many young people out tonight.
Rodney and I did meet up with a friend from his work tonight, Kenia. We walked
our dogs together and she had made the cutest outfit for her cocker spaniel,
Tanya.
Click on the small picture for a larger version in a new window:
(I think Chen Po was jealous of her costume! hehehe)
Had some great news from one of my sponsors in this evening's email.
KLEPTOMANIAC, that GREAT shopping site, has anew look and TONS of new
merchandise, (including some adult oriented item now! woo hoo!) Spiffy new
look. Easier navigation. Hotter models. Sexy new products. It's GREAT! It's
the new Kleptomaniac! We've always made it our mission to offer you the freedom
to shop. Be it cutting-edge fashions, the finest in queer films or a killer
selection of Pride products, we've always carried must-have gear that you
won't find just anywhere. And, of course, your purchases when you get there
through THIS site, helps support the site and keep it running! Thanks Check
them out!
Kleptomaniac.com.
Clothes, gear and accessories for pretty boys and bad
girls.
Along with the new look, they've also created two new categories:
leather and adult.
You said you wanted a safe place to buy adult merchandise, so they created
KleptoBlue with you in mind. You don't have to worry about pop-ups, spamming
from third parties or strange charges to your credit cards. Their experts
have combed through thousands of adult titles and products to bring you the
hottest adult films out there --
new releases and classics alike.
The shopping and variety is incredible and I have spent a great deal of time
researching and finding companies you can trust. I feel that if they're going
to get business from fans of my site, I'd better have companies who will
fulfill their promise. ALL the sponsors you see around the pages like the
LINKS
page and the
entry
pages of the livecams, fit that requirement. Kleptomaniac is
exceptional!
By the way, if you EVER have a problem with one of these companies PLEASE
email me and let me know. I'll get
personally involved and try and help you as best I can.
And that includes, of course, my own shop
Jay Sheldon
Dot Com Merchandise.
It's getting late here and I'm bushed! November starts TOMORROW...are ya
ready for the Holiday season?!?! Wow! I could use it about now!
(10-31-01) I have updated this and added some more pictures
Tuesday, October 30th, 2001: Hey! There is a TON of stuff from
the last 4 days I have GOT to tell you about, and pictures too....but....I
JUST this minute walked in from driving back from Ft. Lauderdale after the
INCREDIBLE Janet Jackson concert last night and my ass is dragging!
I promise to get this journal updated this evening after I take a much-needed
power nap! I have SO much to tell you about!
Back soon!
Jay
Okay, I'm back. Nothing like a good power nap! Where DO I start?! This was
one of the most unbelievable weekends I think I've ever had!
Of course, the best part of the whole weekend was the very beginning. Friday
morning, right on time, at 9:35, Rodney's plane landed here in Key West.
I had the BIGGEST smile on my face as I watched him get off the plane. Now,
understand, here in Key West if you've never been, we have what's called
the "Key West International Airport". However, it's called international,
only because, I've been told, at one time it flew to Cuba. Well, obviously,
you can't get flights out to Havana anymore, but they still call it an
international airport. While some smaller, private jets can land here, the
runway isn't big enough for regular jets, so when you fly into Key West,
from say Boise, you're gonna wind up flying the last leg of your journey
on some version of a "prop" plane.
The United flight that carried my sweetheart home landed and he was one of
the first ones out the door, and as I watched him walk across the tarmac,
I couldn't help it. My eyes started leaking. But, tears of joy are a wonderful
feeling. We spend the rest of the day relaxing and he LOVED his surprises.
Especially the Janet Jackson tickets. (Thank you a MILLION Charles!) But,
reality had to settle in and he had to go back to work. Since I have the
MOST WONDERFUL BOSS ON THE PLANET, I managed to get Friday off for his "welcome
home". He, unfortunately had to return to work . On Saturday, after he got
off work we got into our Fantasy Fest outfits and headed downtown!
OH MY GAWD! What a mad house! Every manner
of every type of mankind lined the streets. We got there about 9 PM and managed
to catch the last part of the parade. I hope you all got the chance to watch
it on the Fantasy Fest website. BellSouth did a remarkable job with the streaming
video and audio this year. It really was incredible. We drank and got stupid,
which I think is the law during Fantasy Fest. We both had had enough by midnight
and decided to head home. If you want to plan a trip down for next years
Fantasy Fest, NOW is the time to
book
your reservations. The rooms really do book up fast for that week and
it's a bit cheaper now, rather than wait until then. Also, keep and eye on
the Fantasy Fest web
site. It will eventually be updated with pictures from this years
events.
Now, on to the other parts of the weekend. Oh, by the way, I have some pictures
from the weekend, but haven't had a moment to edit them yet, so I'll post
them hopefully tomorrow! On Thursday I got a knock on the door from FedEx.
When I opened the door, there stood the FedEx lady, with two HUGE boxes addressed
to me!
Unbelievable enough, one of my dearest friends I have met through this website
and a regular Jay Sheldon Dot Com fan, Rene from Miami, had told me he was
going to send some Orchids as a gift to kind of celebrate Rodney's return
home...SOME ORCHIDS??!! Oh my GAWD! Inside the box were 12 of the most beautiful
potted Orchids you've ever seen! Unbelievable! Rene works at an Orchid
wholesaler, Kerry's Bromeliad
Nursery, Inc...Thank you Rene, and a big thanks from Rodney too! They
are a beautiful addition to our home.
The weekend wasn't over yet though, Rodney and I finally got the chance
to meet, in person, another pair of friends we've met through this site,
They are the craziest, couple you've ever met. (and a TON of fun!) Seriously,
Jim and Ron, whom I've mentioned before in the journal, I believe
have been together for about 7 years and they are just sweethearts.
On Sunday we all met up for a delicious lunch at the
Banana Cafe on
Duval Street. I hadn't been there before, but they have the most marvelous
crepes and lot's of goodies.
They say "officially", Fantasy Fest isn't over until the fat lady sings,
and sing she does, at the Atlantic Shores t-dance Sunday evening. We got
an invite for dinner at friends of Jim and Ron's. They are another couple,
Bob and Jim and live on a houseboat (an absolutely beautiful place!)
Sunday evening, pre- t-dance. Great company, great people, great food,and
got the chance to make new friends.
You can't beat that to wind up a perfect weekend. T-dance was packed and
at the 11 o'clock last call, sure enough, like every year, Key West's fattest
drag queen, and for the life of me, (forgive me!) I can NOT remember her
name, lip sync'd to Kate Smith's "God Bless America"! What better way to
end Fantasy Fest Weekend?
Well, guess what? For Rodney and I, it WASN'T over yet! Remember that FANTASTIC
BOSS I told you about? Well, as you know, my good friend Charles had passed
on the tickets to Janet Jackson Monday night, and I had arranged, with Rodney's
WONDERFUL boss, Bertrand, (thank you Bertie!) for Rodney to have Monday
off too.
So, yesterday morning, we drove to Ft. Lauderdale and had decided to get
a room and stay over since the show might go on until too late to drive
back.
We
stayed at the "Westin" which is a beautiful hotel in FTL, and were there
early enough to do a little shopping at the
Sawgrass Mills
Mall. (Oh yeah, twist our arms!) Almost 2 miles of more than 400 name
brand stores! (Heaven!)
We had a delicious dinner at
The CheeseCake
Factory (YUM!- about 1 million calories!)
Then on to the show. As usual, no cameras were allowed anywhere near the
show so I can't put up and pictures for you, but believe me, this was one
incredible concert. The seats were perfect. right in front of the first balcony
off the floor. I actually think, other than front row center, this is one
of the best places to watch from. You're high enough that you can see,
level with the stage, but not "moshed" in with the crowd on the
floor. Janet
looked beautiful as always, that incredible smile and she sounded FANTASTIC!
The show itself was wild! She did all her new stuff and some older songs.
While we were waiting for the show to begin we were ogling the cute
guys that walked by, we notice another couple of guys in front of us doing
the same. It was SO funny, at one point this ADORABLE guy walked in front
of all of us, on the floor and all four of our heads turned and watched him
as he walked by. At that point I said out loud, "you know, all four of our
head just turned in unison!" so, having identified ourselves to each other,
that made the rest of the wait for the show to start much more fun. One of
them was from Ft. Lauderdale and the other from Homestead.
This concert was Janet's last one in the American part of her concert tour,
and just before the show began, right in front of us, walked in Janet's MOM!
She was seated about 20 feet in front of us, in the VIP section. It was great
to see her, no Micheal, (we were all hoping) but it was really neat to get
to see her mom!
The show lasted until about 11:30 and after a couple of encores, it was over.
Since this WAS the last concert for the tour, Janet took some time at the
end to introduce most of her cast, crew and band. they had a few jokes and
surprises for her at the end of the show. She really was great. Rodney had
the BEST time, which was MY hope, and of course, I did too.
Don't ask where I got this from! hehehehe:
Requires Flash
It's now about 7:30 Monday night, I am dead-assed tired....the weekend FLEW
by, Fantasy Fest is over for another year, the start of "season" begins to
open up in Key West, Halloween is tomorrow, and the best part of all,
........RODNEY'S HOME!
It just doesn't get much better than this!
Wednesday, October 24th, 2001: As I sit and write this it's exactly
9:00 PM here in Key West. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia it's exactly 9:00AM Thursday.
and Rodney's flight is just lifting off. Can I just say a few words about
that now?
"Yessssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Okay, I'm better now. Actually I called him at 5:00 this morning,
(his time) as he requested, to make sure his ass was out of bed so he wouldn't
miss the flight. I was SO tempted to tell him when I called that I'd screwed
up and I forgot to call him and it was like, 8AM or something, but my sense
of "self-preservation", beat out my practical joke side! It would have been
a sweet one though! LOL. He's on his way back to me and I'm a happy camper!
I can't stop smiling! I have a bunch of surprises planned for him, some of
which I already told you about, some of which I won't. I guess it's time
I told about the webcams this Friday and Saturday.
I started this web site almost 6 months ago and ever since it went up, except
for one or two, short technical problems, these cameras have run 24/7 without
blinking. I've been caught butt-ass naked getting dressed for work, and in
various stages of dress. You've shared some incredible great times with me
and incredible sad ones too. I said from the beginning this site was my
experiment into living my life, such as it is, on the web for whoever might
be interested to see and read about, as you're doing now. I have shared almost
every detail of my life as it happened, good and bad.
Now, for my first exception to my rule. (Hey, I made 'em up, I can break
'em and I KNOW you will forgive me) On Friday, when Rodney returns, I am
going to shut down the cameras until Saturday night. I don't think I need
to explain myself here, but a little privacy when he returns, I think, is
appropriate. It's more for him really than for me. You have no idea what
it's like being "on" 24/7. It's not a bad thing, it's just a "thing" and
for the first little bit until we readjust to our life. I'm turning them
off. The site will still be here, but them cameras will be down. You'll
survive without your daily "dose" of Jay! and we'll BOTH be back here after
Saturday night!
In the meantime, I STRONGLY encourage you to do one of two things.....
1- Shut off the damned computer, COMPLETELY. cover it with a bag or
something...spend the time with someone you love, go find someone
to love, go out and remember what the fresh air smells like.
2- If you just CAN NOT seem to pull yourself away from this damned
machine, Go to the
Official Fantasy Fest
Website, on Saturday night and watch the Live Parade from the famous
Duval Street in Key West! Who knows you might just see me and Rodney! It's
gonna be a BLAST! The Live Cam, if you have a fast internet connection has
streaming video WITH sound! For you slower connections, there are other choices.
It's new for this year from
BellSouth,
and it is incredible quality!, just short of live television! Great job
BellSouth!
I have had a long and often difficult time, I haven't had someone I cared
about so much, be so far away from me, for so long. Thank you to all the
people who took the time to email me
and a few close friends who called to tell me that "it won't be that long",
and "it'll be over before you know it". I didn't believe you of course, but
you were right. It really did mean a lot to me to get your emails and thoughts.
I don't want to stretch the drama here, but it's 1 day 12 hours 2 minutes
and 34 seconds. It's nearly over. and I think I survived!
This has been a busy week in Key West, Fantasy Fest week is well under way.
The Pet Masquerade & Parade was tonight, People dressed up their pets
and themselves to look alike. It was WILD! Always an incredible show and
the proceeds go to the local animal shelter. This year some of the proceeds
also are being donated to a fund for misplaced animals as a result of the
September 11th tragedy. Great show and a great cause! The rest of the week
just gets crazier and crazier right up until Saturday night and the BIG
parade!
See you there. I'm not sure if I will have the time to do another update
until probably after the weekend. I'm spending the rest of tonight and tomorrow
trying to get the house back into shape for Rodney's arrival and preparing
some surprises. Have a GREAT weekend and I'll talk to you Monday!
Tell, and show, the people that mean the most to you how much you love them
, right now, and every single day....
Life, as I know it ....is GREAT!
Sunday, October 21st, 2001: Whew! This is a HUGE Journal update!
I can't believe it's only 4 days, 15 hours, 23 minutes, 7 seconds until Rodney
gets back! Honestly I know those of you who emailed and messaged me saying
"It'll be over before you know it" will all now get to say "I told you so!"
but "you told me so"! We still talk every day. (Gawd, the phone bills to
Malaysia!) and that has made the distance seem not so far. Oh!
BIG NEWS! At the end of this journal entry,
I have some secrets to reveal! So.....keep reading! <evil
grin>
My weekend? Well.....this is the actual start of Fantasy Fest and this weekends
big events were Goombay.
It's a Caribbean festival with live music, food, drinks and a huge party
atmosphere at various locations in Key West. The food and music was incredible!
I ate much more than I should have but everything looked and smelled so good
I had to sample almost everything. I know, my "Brad Pitt Abs" are going to
suffer for it, but hey, I'll just have to work harder at it I guess. I was
worth it!
The music was great and lot's of friends showed up it was fun time!
This is the poster from last years Goombay, since I could get a decent shot
of this years!
I did, however manage to get some great shots of some of the happenings.
I love these pictures. It's real Key West local flavor!
Click on the thumbnails to open a larger shot in a new window
There were also a bunch of last minute events for the King and Queen of Fantasy
Fest. It's a contest around Fantasy Fest which raises money for "Aid
Help" a local organisation. It's a great group and I always try and support
them whenever I can. The ROYAL CORONATION BALL - A gala, star-studded party
to select the illustrious couple who will reign over Fantasy Fest 2001,
was held at the Hilton Key West Resort & Marina.
I'm going to put a link here to a
schedule
of the events so you can see the kind of fun and excitement Fantasy Fest
is all about, but if you really want the inside scoop.
Check out the Official
Fantasy Fest website!
Oh! By the way, just so you don't feel left out of the action, in case you
can't make it to Key West for this year's Fantasy Fest. The Official web
site has LIVE web cams, which will be broadcasting (or web-casting) on Saturday
night from all along the parade route! I decided last year NOT to attend
the big parade and watched it from home on my computer. They really do a
great job with the webcams and this year, keep an eye out.... You might just
see Rodney and me "gettin' crazy" on Duval Street! I'm not sure how we'll
be dressed, I'm still deciding on the outfit, but some of the masks people
wear for these events (altho not required) are incredible! and PRICEY! SOme
of them run above $500.00!
Check out the "Official
Maskmaker of Fantasy Fest"'s website. There are some beautiful
creations!
Okay, the "secrets" I told you about at the beginning of this journal entry?
While Rodney and I have been able to chat thru instant messages and emails,
apparently THIS website is not able to be accessed in Malaysia. Don't ask
me why, but several people in the Malaysian chat room where you'll sometimes
find Rodney and me, have also said they can't get this site to come up. It's
not a "404 error" it's just that the entire site is not available. I'm thinking,
since Malaysia is predominantly Muslim country, maybe they block access to
certain websites that contain "key words" like "gay" or whatever. I don't
know, except that the government there is VERY different from the government
here. There are only 7 independent Internet Service Providers, and your choices
are limited. I've asked a few of my REALLY computer/internet nerdy friends,
(and I mean that in the NICEST way, since I'm kind of one myself!) and they
said it IS possible to "block" some site from being accessed.
Okay, enough of that, the bottom line is, everything I've written in this
journal since he's been gone, every little hidden note I've put in here and
around the site to let him know how much he means to me, has been wasted
until he gets back and can read what I've written since he's been gone!
However, it ALSO means I can tell YOU guys about a couple of surprises I
have planned for him NOW, before he gets back. I've been dying to tell you
about it, but didn't want him finding out before I spring them on him.
Now, JUST IN CASE, through some wrinkle in the fabric of space and time:
RODNEY! If you are able to read this there in Malaysia, and you have
ANY sense of self-preservation... STOP READING NOW!...turn back....danger
ahead!...
DO NOT READ THIS NEXT SECTION OR I WILL KICK YOUR ASS WHEN YOU GET HOME!
(there! ....think I scared him away?) Actually, I'm about 99.9% sure he won't
be able to read this until he gets back which will be too late!
Okay, now that it's safe to talk. I have several things planned to welcome
him back, a few of which I will NOT reveal to anyone, except him, not here
now now, not ever.
But I arranged for a couple of special things to welcome him home. The first
is one of the kewlest gifts. I bought him a star! If you're in the market
for an absolutely unique gift. Check out the "Name-a-Star" people. You may
have heard about this before, but just in case...There are, as Carl Sagen
would say "billions and billions" of stars which have been plotted but because
of the sheer number of them, they don't actually give them all names, only
assign them numbers. This group let's you actually rename a star to whatever
you wish and it officially registers the star with your newly given name
in the official record.
Well, henceforth and forever more, as the certificate says, "Star number
055-341 with the celestial address of 02 hrs. 11 Mins. 33.77 secs. and a
Declination of +33° 10' 26.9"Epoch 2000, in the constellation of Triangulum
shall be known by the name "Kah Choong Loke-Sheldon" (That's Rodney's real
Chinese/Malay name combined with mine)
On the certificate I wrote, "Forever among the stars, forever in our hearts...
A star, the closest thing to heaven I can give you." It is really the neatest
thing!
Here's a shot of the certificate
and it comes with several charts
so we can find the star with a telescope.
Click on the picture for a detailed shot.
Okay, enough mushy....on to the BIG news! (...and
seriously Rodney, if you're still reading this I really AM gonna kick some
serious ass when you get home!)
<is he gone?.....okay>
On Monday night October 29th, I GOT TICKETS TO
JANET JACKSON!
"WOO - Freakin' - HOO!" Rodney is the biggest Janet fan and I'm in
a close second place. I tried, but couldn't get any decent seats other than
nose-bleed section to get to this show. Then the show, at the
National Car Rental
Center (very kewl website by the way!) was postponed about a thousand
times and I finally gave up, after several valiant tries.
Well, it just so happens that one of my dear friends CHARLES from New Jersey
was going to be coming to Miami and Key West, but cancelled his trip at the
last minute. He wrote and told me he had tickets and would I be interested
in them! OH GAWD! Long story - longer...I have the tickets, they are FANTASTIC
SEATS, and we are on our way to the show Monday Night!!!! Thank you Charles,
I owe you BIG TIME! You are a sweetheart! Believe me, we BOTH appreciate
it SO much!
So, that's part of the surprises my honey has in store for him when he returns.
I think he's be happy to be back! (smirk!)
Let someone you love know how much they mean to you everyday. You don't have
to buy them stars or tickets to great shows, it's more than that. It is with
Rodney and I and I hope it is with you and yours. Just 3 simple words, a
hug mean more than any material things. Tell then and show them every single
day.
Until next time.....I have house cleaning to do, and LOT'S to do to get ready
for Friday. All this and Fantasy Fest too! What an October!
Tuesday, October 16th, 2001: (looks down where
Brad Pitt-type Abs
should be) "Hmmmmmm...nothin'!
Okay, so maybe it's going to take a bit longer. The work week is going
along at a snail's pace. Not much new to report there.
Okay, okay....I know I said I wouldn't bore you with these thousands of Bin
Laden things, but I have to make a couple of exceptions, first of all here's
an email I received from my crazy friend Lin:
"South Florida's biggest asses, Paul Castronovo and Young Ron Brewer, invite
you to pull down your pants in public as a show of support for the United
States of America as we shoot our moons toward Osama bin Laden. We're
creating the World's Largest Mooning, and we need your cheeks. Get your butt
out this Saturday morning (October 20th) in the parking area surrounding
the Sunrise Musical Theatre (corner of Commercial Boulevard and Nob Hill
Road). The event begins at 9 a.m., with a pre-mooning party, including food,
beer, music on-stage from Releese, Paul and Young Ron broadcasting live,
and some butt-tightening exercises led by ZETA's Toast.
It's a free event, and proceeds from food and beer sales benefit the Clear
Channel Relief Fund; no ifs, ands, or butts about it!
Keep it on Zeta for more information and for details, contact Paul and Young
Ron, 6-10 a.m. this week at (866) 949-ROCK.
The Sunrise Musical Theatre is located at 5555 N.W. 95th Ave., Sunrise,
FL 33351
(Having worked in radio for 20 years....I miss this kind of stuff! LOL)
The other one , again from a radio station
(Rock 103 - Memphis)
is one of the most poignant memorials I have seen. It's a VERY large movie
file (.swf) and if you don't have a very fast connection to the net, I wouldn't
suggest trying it. It will take forever to load for you. If you DO however,
it's very much worth the time. It is incredibly well made and very
special.
Click Here for the link
This is a strange time of year In Key West. It isn't quite yet "season" but
it's not the dead summer months either. Some people are starting to trickle
into the Keys and the excitement of another
Fantasy Fest is
looming on the horizon. Everyone's getting ready, making, in some cases the
most elaborate costumes. It's kind of weird, Some people celebrate Fantasy
Fest by putting on layers and layers and tons and tons of clothes and masks
and feathers and sequins...Other people celebrate by wearing damned near
next to NOTHING! Body paint or a VERY small piece of dental floss, meant
to cover absolutely nothing and that's about it! I'm not sure which
I like better.
I'm also not sure what I'm going to wear out to the parade this year. Maybe
I'll let YOU guys pick. Actually, Rodney is getting back the day before the
big parade, so neither of us will have a lot of time to think about or create
something. I guess, as is usually the case, I'll throw something on at the
last moment and just have fun. After all, that IS the idea behind it.
I have this leather sleeveless one piece jumpsuit, which I LOVE and it doesn't
look THAT bad on me. hmmmmmm Whadodya think?
Maybe with the handcuffs thru the belt loops? I'm starting to get a great
visual here.....See?!... This is how ideas are born! :)
Okay, now I have a few ideas starting to ferment...
next idea:
This one has loops for a leash! (DO
NOT get ANY ideas Rodney!)
I'm thinking I'd better stick to the sleeveless leather jumpsuit! Wouldn't
want to scare the HELL out of the locals OR the tourists! Besides. people
might be trying to eat!
If you're planning a trip to Fantasy fest this year,
Let me know!
More later.....remember to tell the people you love how much they mean to
you....often and RIGHT now!
Sunday, October 14th, 2001: 12 days, 13 hours, 51 minutes, 0 seconds,
as I sit here Sunday night and update the journal. Ouch! My abs hurt! I just
got done using this stupid "Ab Roller" machine that Rodney brought over the
house when he moved in. Now I know why I've been avoiding it. I've used it
a few times, but tonight I REALLY crunched myself! OUCH! This damned thing
better be worth it! If I don't have
"Brad Pitt
abs" in a day or two, I'm gonna sue!
Okay, back to reality. This was "Wedding weekend" in Malaysia and I haven't
had much of a chance to spend any real time talking or chatting to my love.
He's been going crazy with all the wedding events. I did get a chance to
talk to him on the phone for a few minutes this morning and he was out late
partying and had about 3 hours sleep and was about to jump in the middle
of some strange Chinese wedding tradition involving the bride, her female
friends and them trying to prevent the groom from getting to his new wife!
Don't ask me, I don't know much about it, but it sounds like a cute tradition.
he, as the brother of the bride, has to be involved in this somehow. On 3
hours sleep, he should be GREAT!
Thanks to everyone who keeps writing me and telling me how fast the time
is going by and how soon it will be until he gets back. .....'cuse me, I
love you guys who write me with word of encouragement, but can I just say
one thing here? .....BULLSHIT!
The time is dragging so damned slowly, I'm thinking they've passed a law
and put an extra few hours in each day!
I went out with Martin and Alan on Friday night to Bourbon Street Pub. It
was actually fairly crowed. We had some beers and watched the dancers on
the bar. One really cute dancer guy who apparently thought I was, not only
a tourist, but a rich one, kept shaking his "groove thang" in my face. Can
I just say one thing here? If I don't return the stare,...if I don't SEEM
the least bit interested,....LAY OFF!?! Honestly, I know these guys have
their jobs to do. Truth be known, a few of the regular dancers are actually
friends of mine. I guess I'll chalk up the fact that this guy was first of
all, new, and secondly looked about 18. He has a bit to learn about the business
I guess. Don't get me wrong, he WAS cute! but when I tried to ignore him,
he wouldn't quit. (I can hear you thinking-"We should ALL have this problem!")
Sorry, another tirade.
On to more fun! I've made an arrangement with a kewl new website:
Kleptomaniac.com to be an outlet for their merchandise. They have the kewlest
stuff! Clothing, books, videos, etc. It's kind of like the "gay" version
of Amazon.com! Check it out here:
I've ordered from them before. They're reliable and fast and really take
some time and look around the site. They have a TON of different items in
all kind of categories. Including the newly released DVD and Videotape version
of ALL the American
Queer
As Folk Videos and
CDs
! And, if you order through these links and the ones I put around
the website, I made some money and am able to keep the site running and will
cause me to be VERY nice to you if we should ever meet!
Just kidding, I'd be nice to you even if you didn't buy something! Tomorrow
it's back to work. The weekend's over for now. and in about 12 days, life
will be back to it's almost normal condition around JaySheldon Dot Com. Whew!
I CAN'T WAIT!
Tell someone you love that you do....today, now....and often.
I know I do, every chance I get!
Thursday, October 11th, 2001: First off, I want to start things out
by doing my part in celebrating "National Coming Out Day" which is today.
I'm Gay!
Now, That having been said.....
I also, on a serious note, want to take a moment, as I'm sure you either
have or will sometime today, and remember what occurred one month ago today.
Remember the lives lost and say a prayer for them all.
Okay, Update time! I speak with Rodney every chance I get (of course). He's
doing fine in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is where his sister will get
married this weekend. He's keeping busy spending his time cleaning his Mom's
house and decorating, and shopping and helping his sister with all her last
minute plans...sounds like fun, huh?!
Actually he says it's a pain in the ass, but I know how much he loves his
only sister and I know he's just, sort of, kidding!
I also know how much I wish I were there with him. It's 2 weeks from today
he'll be back here in Key West and the time is DRAAAAGGING at a deadly
slow pace!
So let's not dwell on that. I do enough of it for ALL of us! Suffice it to
say, I miss him, I can't wait for him to get back, and I love him...MUCHO
MUCHO!
I finally remembered to bring the camera to work with me and got some pictures
of the giant "flag on the trash heap" I told you about.
Here's a little piece of the article in the
Miami Herald:
"An enormous painted American flag has emerged on Key West's ``Mount Trashmore,''
a dormant landfill that is the highest and most visible land mass in the
Florida Keys. Two Key West residents, landscaper John Mumford and artist
Rick
Worth, decided the grass near the landfill's summit, 91 feet above sea
level, was the perfect canvas for a 160- by 60-foot flag on Stock Island.The
effort, completed Saturday evening, required nine people wielding spray guns
for almost eight hours."
Click on the thumbnails for a larger shot.
This is Mt. Trashmore The view from my office
The best angle I could get of the flag itself.
I know it sounds bit silly, but it really IS impressive!
I spend some time trying to get prepared for all the Fantasy Fest 2001
festivities to come! By the way if you, like hundreds of thousands of others
are planning on coming to Key West for Fantasy Fest this year, please
drop me an email and let me know
you'll be here! Maybe we'll have a "Jay Sheldon Dot Com Fan Club" get
together!
Work is going well, nothing juicy to report there. My mind is half way there
and home, and of course, my heart is in Kuala Lumpur!
More soon!
Tuesday, October 9th, 2001: Wow! I have to start paying attention!
Before I know it a whole weekend flies by!
I'm kidding of course! This time with my sweetheart so far away is dragging
like HELL! But I promise not to obsess, (at least not here - more than I
already have!) You'll just have to forgive me, I'm hopelessly in love with
the man of my dreams! There! I did it again! Okay, I'm addicted... Is
there a 12-step program for cute guys named Rodney?
Rodney and I have been able to chat and speak almost daily, his sister's
wedding plans are going well. He's busy helping with all the arrangements.
There are actually two ceremonies. I'm not sure I'll get this right, but
there is a regular Christian church wedding and then because of their Chinese
heritage, they have a more traditional wedding banquet and there are all
kinds of ceremonies and events linked to that. The whole deal takes place
over two days this coming weekend. So there's a lot to prepare for.
I've had some interesting emails lately, including one from a guy I haven't
heard from in what must be ten years! It seems these are days of re-connecting
with old friends.
When I was in Connecticut, In addition to radio, I was involved in some
television too. One of the hosts of another show "found" my website and thought
when he saw my picture that I looked familiar, then after reading around
these pages realized it WAS the guy he used to know. ANyway he wrote and
sent me a picture. I'm not sure if he'd appreciate my posting it here, but
I'll ask and if it's okay, I'll pop it in here soon. It was SO strange to
hear from this guy after all these years. And as it turns out, our lives
have taken some similar routes. He's moved to Scottsdale AZ, with a couple
of dogs, had an end of a long-term relationship, but overall, Life Is Good!
It's great to get back in touch with old acquaintances.
I also received an email which was VERY much like thousands of emails I have
received and I'm sure you have too. They are the tributes to the victims
of the September 11th attack. However, something about this particular one
caught my eye and I went to the link and checked it out. It's a "Flash" page,
so if you don't have the "flash" software in your browser, first of all GET
IT! You're missing SO much out there on the net! and secondly, here's the
link to the site. It's a fairly large file if you have a slow connection
you'll have to be patient, but I wouldn't post this if it weren't the best,
most touching one of these I've seen yet.
Please don't send me a thousand more of these things. Honestly, I get so
many, it's to the point, not to sound cold, but there's no possible way I
can look at them all. Each one , in it's own way, is beautiful and of course,
we should all do what we can to remember those we lost in the tragedy. Including
giving 'til it hurts.
Apparently we made the statewide papers this week because of our garbage
here in Key West! Let me start by explaining that this island is, of course,
at sea level and very flat. The highest point naturally occurring I think
is a bump in the road on Truman Avenue just before Duval Street! However,
if you include man made "bumps" then on the next island up from Key West-"Stock
Island" and right next to MY office at the Sheriff's Headquarters, is the
local landfill recycling plant. There is a HUGE, mound of what basically
amounts to trash, It's covered with grass and plants and if you didn't know
what it was you'd think it was just a naturally occurring hill. Well, someone
took it upon themselves to paint a GIANT american flag on the side of the
"hill". It's actually quite nice, but you have to forget about the fact that
underneath it, is Key West's trash! I'll get a shot of it from my office
window tomorrow and post it then! and yes....my office window faces the TRASH
HEAP! Thank you!
Damn! I just got my phone bill. 10 minutes to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia for
$35.00!!!!!! WHAT?!?! Okay, time to buy one of those international phone
card thingys! Damned good thing I love him so much! hehehe
One more thing before I close for now. I got an instant message on my AIM
program last night ("JaySheldonKW" - if you want to add me to your buddy
list and say hello!) from a guy who I really don't want to identify much,
but he was 21 years old, going to college and "thought" he might be gay.
He wanted to chat and ask some questions and said when he found my web page
I seemed like a "real" person and a nice guy...(awwww) and so we chatted
for quite a while actually about his life and my life and what it was like
for me when I came out, etc. At one point he said he was sorry be bothering
me and asking so many questions and taking up so much of my time. Bottom
line is when I was in his position, I WISH there was someone I could have
talked to about what I was feeling. Someone who didn't want to
"preach" to me, or try and "fix" me, or color my
feelings with their opinions. When I set up these pages and put here,
ways to get in touch with me online, I made a vow to always be available
if someone anted to talk about things like that. I'm keeping that promise
as long as I'm able. It makes me feel great to be able to help someone, even
if all I can do is listen and offer a shoulder or a story about what happened
to me and what my experiences have been. By the way, he sent me an email
with his picture attached..... Listen guys, if you're looking for an absolutely
adorable guy! I've got one for ya! hehehe. Honestly he's cute as a bug!
So, "J", if you're reading this, keep the faith, remember what we talked
about, and please keep in touch!
Wow! This has been a long-assed journal update! I'm
sitting around waiting for my sweetheart to show up for a chat, ...from 7000
miles away! Ya gotta love this internet thing, huh?! LOL! And it won't be
THAT long until he's back in my arms again!
Remember to tell someone special to you just how much you love
them....everyday!
I'll talk to you again soon and have some pictures for you tomorrow!
Friday, October 5th, 2001: Is it REALLY Friday already? Could this
week BE any longer! Well, let me catch you up to date on life in Key
West....
I MISS MY HONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have concluded that "I am the weakest link!"
I've had about 5 hours of sleep in the last 2 days. I made the mistake of
finding an internet site that let's you track airline flights with the same
kind of software they use on the actual planes. If you've ever flown on one
that has the GPS tracking screen. It shows you where the plane is on a map
and your airspeed and altitude. Well, I was able to track Rodney's flight
all the way from Miami to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
On one hand, it was great to be able to see the plane as it crossed around
the world and I knew he was safe inside. On the other hand, it was HELL to
watch as he got further and further away from me. He called from Miami, and
L.A. then the long leg of the journey began and finally last night (my time)
about 2:40 AM he called having arrived safe and sound at his Mom's house.
We were only able to talk for a little bit, but he said he'd call again "this
morning". Well, the time difference makes that all relative! My "this morning"
is his 'this evening and visa-versa. Malaysia is 12 hours ahead of us here.
I'm still awaiting his call and I don't think I have any fingernail left...lemme
check.....
Hmmmm, nope, not a one! He's doing well, and says it was great to see his
family again. I added a new page which is linked from my webcam pages. It's
called the "Rodney Clock".
Check it out! :)
It's going to be a long 20 days. You know, you always hear about people saying
"You're always on my mind" well, let me tell you something. I know truely
know what it means. Never before have I felt this, in my life. Yeah, I got
it bad. No matter what I've done the past few days. Work, home, updating
webpages, driving in the car...I constantly think about him. I don't mean
to sound too obsessive, but it's true. He really is "always on my mind".
But that's a long way from a complaint. I wouldn't want it any other
way
I miss you my love. Be safe and come back to me soon.
In other news, Key West is gearing up for Fantasy Fest 2001! "Secrets of
the Zodiac Revealed" It's gonna be a hell of a party!
Heard from my friend Martin tonight. He's doing well and wants to take me
out for a drink. I really should get out of the house tonight and get my
mind off of things, but I think, for a little bit I'm gonna be a homebody.
I'll get out there, just need a day or two. (GAWD! I'm bad!)
Tell someone close to you that you love them, ...everyday....
I'll talk with you again soon... Enjoy the weekend!
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2001: As I'm writing this, it's 5:14 PM. I
watched Rodney's plane lift off from Key West a few hours ago. I will miss
him so much. If it weren't for the fact that I know he'll be back in 23 days
from his sister's wedding, I'd be a real bowl of jello right now. It was
VERY difficult watching him get on board that plane at the airport. He had
a window seat and there's a spot along the beach at the end of the runway,
where I told him I'd be parked and watching his plane take off. He called
when he got into Miami and said he actually saw me from the plane as I waved
goodbye to him! Awwwwwww!
But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
(Flashback to last night-insert dreamy music here)
Rodney had called from work and wasn't going to eat the meal they were offering
at the hotel, so I made him some spare ribs and other goodies, wrapped it
all up and brought it to him in a picnic basket. It was a nice surprise,
but I had other surprises planned for later in the evening.
I picked him up at 11 PM and told him we weren't going right home....
As a surprise, I took him to the first spot we went on our first "official"
date. It was an incredible full moon and millions of stars at the very end
of a dark quiet pier. I had prepared another basket with champagne, a portable
CD player for music and a gift I had bought for him to take to Malaysia to
remember me by. We sat under the full moon in each other's arms and sipped
champagne. He open the card and the gift. He loved it. A sterling silver
bracelet, which I put on his wrist and told him he wasn't allowed to take
it off! (hehehe). Then I told him I had prepared some special music for the
evening, and I had brought along a computer speaker for the portable CD player
so we could have music. Well, the speaker didn't work very well, so I had
to hold onto the portable CD player in one hand, the speaker in the other
and then hold him tight while we danced to a special song of ours. I must
have looked a bit silly, but it was so special!
When we were done, we wrapped up all the props for our evening and headed
home, but when we got there I had other surprises waiting for him! (Hey!
You know me! Can't leave well enough alone!) I had placed a TON of candles
in every corner of the room, and a path of rose petals all over the floor
leading to the bed. The bed itself was covered in rose petals and in the
middle of them was another little gift for him. If you are ever looking
for the perfect gift, I found the most amazing one. It is so special. Rodney
and I have this thing for giving each other flowers, even for no reason other
than to say "I love you". I found an actual long stemmed rose, which has
been dipped completely in 24 kt gold. It is very beautiful and really special.
That's the gift that was waiting in amongst the rose petals. It was one of
the most romantic night....incredible.
This morning, I was awakened by a kiss on my cheek and Rodney had made me
the most wonderful breakfast in bed. It was such a special surprise! I don't
think anyone has EVER made me breakfast in bed before! Seriously! Wow! Omelet
and bagels and bacon and coffee. He is such a sweetie!
We got some last minute things done and then headed for the airport. Since
I work, of course, as a law enforcement officer we didn't have as much delay
getting through as some might, and eventually it was time for him to board
the plane. 7000 miles is a very long distance to be away, especially when
even ONE mile is too far for me! When I got home a little bit ago, I opened
a card which he had made for me. It made me cry. You may have seen it before,
It's from 10% productions they donate 10% of their profits to non-profit
groups. The card has a guy standing buy the shore, he's drawn a heart on
the sand and a plane is lifting off in the distance.
It says "Let's not call it 'missing' each other...", then inside it
says, "Let's call it 'saving up' for the next time we see each other"
I will do exactly that....
I know you'll be reading this when you get to Kuala
Lumpur Rodney, so a special note to you. I've written this in special,
invisible ink that only YOU can see, no one else will be able to read it!
Thank you for everything....for loving me, for being there for me, and for
making my life complete. I can't tell you how difficult it was to watch your
plane fly away from me today, as I stood there and waved goodbye, with tears
in my eyes.
You are my universe, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Until you're back in my arms again.... you are in my every thought and dream....
goodnight my love....
Sorry about that blank space there readers....must have hit the 'enter' button
a bit to often. ;)
I can't tell you how much I already miss him.
Now, how about some brighter news to lighten up the mood a bit? When I got
home today, I opened my email and found a REALLY nice surprise!
Jay Sheldon Dot Com won a 2001-2002 Golden Web Award!
It's given out for excellence in website design and content
.
Here's a copy of the
email: 
"Congratulations!
Jay Sheldon Live from Key West has been reviewed and chosen to bear the 2001-2002
Golden Web Award.
As a recipient of the prestigious Golden Web Award, you join your fellow
webmasters and designers in over "130" countries worldwide, by becoming a
respected
Professional Member of the International Association of Web Masters &
Designers"
WOW! I'm very proud of this! It's not a public voting type award, this is
given out after the site is reviewed by a panel of web designers and specialists
from around the world!
I feel like a proud father!
Well, I've written enough for the moment. I'll let you know about the happenings
around here as they unfold. Fantasy Fest is only 3 weeks away. Rodney will
just be back in time and I'll keep you up to date.
You'll find the official
Fantasy Fest 2001 site here!
Until next time.......Let someone you know, how much you love them......right
now!
Monday, October 1st, 2001: Welcome to October! It's Fantasy Fest month
here in Key West so there's going to be a TON of things to tell you about
and I'll try and keep you as up to date as I can. I'll also get as many pictures
and post them here for you see the happenings as they get underway. There's
an "official" website for Fantasy Fest 2001. That's another great way to
keep on top of events and on Saturday night of the big event, it's Webcast
"Live". I'll have it linked up here for you too! Last night before Tea Dance
we went to a little soiree at our friend's house Travis and Tony are
the sweetest couple and we had a great time. Made some new friends who were
visiting from Charlotte, N.C. Great party and a lot of fun, then we went
and danced our butts off at Tea Dance at Atlantic Shores!
Travis and Tony have
their own
website. While we were there Travis took a picture of
Key
West's cutest couple!
I'm sitting here at the moment, trying desperately to forget about what's
going on behind me as I type.
Rodney is packing for his trip back to Malaysia for his sister's wedding.
It is VERY difficult to see him packing his things for the trip. He'll be
gone for 23 days!
I'll be seeing him off at the Key West airport on Wednesday afternoon, and
I going to lock myself in a cave for a few hours after that to recover.
We're planning on keeping in VERY close touch through the internet, and of
course he has the luxury of "looking" in on me whenever he wants. We're hoping
the Netmeeting software will work on his computer while he's there and we
can at least see and speak with each other, beyond phone calls.
I am going to miss him SO much. Please bear with me if I get a bit veclempt
(sp?) now and then in the next 3 weeks. He just called me over to look at
one of his bags! Oh Gawd! It's stuffed with kisses! He's packing 4 HUGE bags
of Hersey's Kisses and little bottles of bubbles with butterflies on top
for the wedding. They're adorable! This is going to be quite a wedding!
I can't tell you how much I wish I could be there, but things being what
they are, I wasn't able to arrange the time to be able to join him. Kuala
Lumpur is a long way away from Key West. I can only be thankful that the
net will keep us in touch daily.
I know, one day, I'll get the chance to meet his family, but for now, I'll
keep the homefires burning and although he'll be 7000 miles away, he'll always
be as close as my heart.
I love you Rodney, a safe trip on warm winds and a quick return into my
arms.
God's speed....
