Who ROD, please tell us more!!!!

[*Danielle*]

Rod, I just wanted to say that while I am not in Florida we have the same basic initiative coming up as well. I am voting no on 8 and hopefully they do the same there.

 

[Kaleigh]

I hope the amendment doesn''t pass. It is heinous. You and Charlie are an inspiration to me. I think the love you two share is beautiful. One that should be acknowledged. I know how it is, my brother was gay, he died way too young. My parents didn''t get him, didn''t support him. I on the other hand got it, understood it and supported him. He was my best friend, and miss him a lot.

I love reading about where you eat, getting your coffee and sitting under the oak tree. Sounds like a great time!!!

 

[geckodani]

*sigh* I wish the world would remove their heads from their posterier orifices. Amendments like that are just so ignorant and horrid. I truly hope it doesn''t pass!

 

[monarch64]

Whoo hoo--Rod has a Who''s Who thread!!! I am really enjoying reading all about you, Rod. You are such an interesting and wonderful guy!

 

[bee*]

Loved reading your story Rod! I had no idea it was 28.5 years that you''re with Charlie!! You make a great couple!

 

[PrincessDijon]

Wow Rod...you're story is awesome! I too am an ex-clarinet player....lol... (And am in Florida!)

Congrats on you and Charlie being together through all of your ups and downs...what an inspiration!

 

[Rod]

I hope the amendment doesn''t pass too Marcy! I''m glad Marty and you have such a wonderful life together. When two people truly love each other it''s a wonderful thing!!

Hey Danielle......I''m so glad to hear you too are voting against such an awful, mean, devisive, ignorant and prejudiced amendment!! Thank you for doing so!!

Hi Lisa......It''s so nice to hear from you!! Thank you for saying we''re an inspiration. I think we''re just two people who have worked hard to build a livingk, supportive life together. I''m so lucky to have him in my life and can''t imagine what my life might have been like without him. I''m so sorry to learn your brother died too young. I''m sure you miss him terribly. For many parents they don''t get it. The first thing most parents question is what they "did wrong?" If only people understood no one chooses to be gay. It is chosen for us as we were born this way. I don''t know if they will ever find a genetic reason, but I know I never chose to be gay, it''s just the way it is and while I''m not demonstrative in any way, i.e., I don''t go out of my way to rub it in anyone''s face, I''m not in the least ashamed either. And thanks so much for saying you enjoy reading about our eating and sitting under the oak. We may not have an exciting life, but we do have a pretty darn good one! Your friend and fan........Rod

Thanks so much gecko. If only the rest of the world was like you, we''d be so less judgmental and loving.

Well hey there Monnie!! It''s so nice to hear from you. I do keep up with your who''s who and I''m so glad to see that you are doing so well with your new life. Thanks for reading about me and for being my friend!!

Where have you been bee*???? Thanks for enjoying our story. I hope you''re doing well and staying healthy. We miss you on the HLT!!

Wow, an ex-clarinet player Princess?? How cool. Did I know you were in Florida? Where are you? And thanks for the congrats on me and Charlie being together for so long!!

 

[Skippy123]

Rod, do you have a favorite movie? Favorite music?

 

[geckodani]

Ooh- what''s your favorite piece to play? Yay for the clarinet!

 

[Skippy123]

Rod, come on out to Santa Fe and I will be yours and Charlies personal tour guide; I would be honored if you let me

Of course the best part would be to meet you 2 cutie pies!!!

 

[marcy]

We''d be your personal tour guide for Wyoming but we''d have to go to Denver for a some good sushi.

 

[Rod]

Hey Skippy......Hmmmmm, favorite movie? I guess for me, it would have to be Stanly Kubric''s 2001 A Space Odyssey. Most of you are way too young to have likely seen it. On the music front, I have very eclectic taste. During my college years, it was exclusively Classical. Over the years I have grown to encompass many varieties of music from New Age, to Jazz to Fusion. And of course on my iPod is about 7 hours of highly charged "dance" music to keep me moving at 10 MPH on the elliptical!! And we''d certainly love to have the Skippy personal tour of Santa Fe. One day we''ll definitely be out......Promise!

Gecko, I loved playing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. There was a Russian piece I played in concert during my senior year for some reason the name completely escapes me at the moment.........

Marcy, I''m sure we''d love to come to Wyoming. I''ve heard Jackson Hole is just beautiful and I''m sure we could survive without Sushi for a few days!! And thanks for the offer!!

 

[somethingshiny]

I''m 29 and plenty old enough to be a fan of 2001 A Space Odyssey! In fact, it was just on TV a couple days ago. Of course, DH thought I was nuts for wanting to watch it, but it''s just one of those movies I can''t pass up. He s that there''s not much talking in the movie, and he thinks the entire monolith theme is terrible. But, still, ever since I was a freshman, I gotta watch it when it''s on!

So, besides working out, sushi, and coffee, what are some of your favorite things??

 

[marcy]

Rod, I love 2001 A Space Odyssey. Hal is the best. I had a lot of his lines set up on my computer at one time. Jackson and Yellowstone is GORGEOUS. It''s the opposite side of the state from us but we''d meet you there in a heartbeat.

 

[Rod]

I''m so glad to hear I''m not the only 2001 fan (freak???) out there. Charlie absolutely hates the movie, but for me, it was one of those stories that just got to me. Of course long before the movie, I read the book.....over and over and over. But the theme of the monolith teaching monkey''s how to kill to survive, and then over time for man to evolve to the point that we taught a machine how to kill to survive was just such a brilliant concept.

SS., some of my favorite things. I''m really fairly boring. I work, I workout, I eat, I drink coffee, I sleep. Now, if I didn''t have to work and I suddenly won the lottery, my life would be different for sure. I love to travel. Charlie and I have been to Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, Paris, Hawaii (8 times), several Bahamian and Caribbean Islands. If I were rich, we''d travel the world. Italy is high on our list of must go to countries. Of course we traveled when we made way more money than we do today. I Like to shop and buy nice things. I love cars and over our 28.5 years together, we''ve bought so many cars, it''s almost embarrasing. Friends once asked if we had joined TCOTMC (the car of the month club).....LOL

Thanks Marcy.........Someday we''ll take you up on that offer to meet us in Wyoming for sure!!

 

[PrincessDijon]

I''m in Central Florida (tourist trap) Orlando.....

 

[somethingshiny]

Rod~ I didn''t realize you''ve traveled so much, you should put some of your favorite photos on here! And, DH says you should put some photos of your cars, too!! LOL to TCOTMC!

 

[Rod]

SS.....most of our travels were pre-digital camera (BDC) days ,if you can imagine a time BDC, LOL!! Some day, we''ll have all our pics scanned in digitally, but for now, we have boxes filled with pictures. I''m glad you found TCOTMC funny!

 

[zoebartlett]

I''m glad to hear your story, Rod. It''s great to read about someone who I admire -- you''ve done so much for others in the HLT, myself included. I love reading about how dedicated you are to self-improvement.

Thank you for sharing your story of life with Charlie. I can tell how much he means to you, and I''m glad that you found someone to spend your life with. It makes me so mad to hear how people STILL aren''t given the same rights and opportunities as others. I believe there will come a time when no matter who a person chooses to love, male or female, it will be accepted by the majority (government included). It makes me angry that that time isn''t NOW, but I do think it will happen. It has to.

Anyway, thank you for sharing your story thus far. It''s a pleasure getting to know you!

 

[Rod]

Oh thank you Zoe. I''ve never considered myself politically motivated in any way, but I do think the day will come when we''ll be recognized as equal in the eyes of the majority. As I type this I''m watching a show on the LOGO Channel (which is a channel for and about gay entertainment and news) and that in itself is an amazing thing. To be able to turn on TV at any hour and find programming devoted to gay and lesbian issues is something we would have never thought possible a few years ago. Charlie and I have never experienced discriminiation. That is somehting for which I am deeply grateful. Anyway, I''m babbling......Thanks for your kind comments and for being a friend and supporter!

 

[steph72276]

Rod, I really enjoyed reading all about you! Thanks for sharing a bit about your life. I am so proud of your "Rebuild Rod" effort. You are an inspiration as well as a great support on the HLT thread. You are great, my fellow Floridian friend!

 

[Rod]

Oh thank you so much Steph!! I don''t about being an inspiration, but the HLT has been such a wonderful place for me to hang out, if "Rebuild Rod" has been of benefit to anyone along the way, it''s just an extra bonus for me. I''m glad you''re an HLT friend too and I always enjoying reading about you and Adam and Andrew too!

Hey Princess, I didn''t realize you were in the Orlando area. Steph.......please meet Princess and Princess, please meet Steph.......you guys are close to each other!!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I''m rarely over here, but glad I popped in! Cheers to our favorite fit guy!

Sharon

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 11/3/2008 8:11:31 AM
Author: steph72276
Rod, I really enjoyed reading all about you! Thanks for sharing a bit about your life. I am so proud of your ''Rebuild Rod'' effort. You are an inspiration as well as a great support on the HLT thread. You are great, my fellow Floridian friend!

I agree!!!!! I have not seen 2001; I will have to watch it sometime. You have to be one of my favorites; I just adore you sweetie pie!!! What classical do you like? I am a huge fan of Beethoven. Oh gosh, I would love to give you a tour of SF and anywhere else here! hehe Hugs dear friend!!!

 

[Rod]

Hey Sharon......it''s nice of you to pop in. Thanks for reading my story. I always enjoy being your friend on the HLT!!

Oh Skippy, you''re such a sweetie and you know how much I adore you my friend!!! We will find a way to visit SF sometime and it would be so much fun if you did show us around!! I''m a big fan of Russian, French and German Classics. Beethoven is and always will be a favorite and someone who wrote some of the most magnificent music of all time. He was such a genious and to recognize he wrote his last and considered by many his greatest symphony (the 9th) completely deaf, is beyond amazing. Maybe genious is too shallow for what he did for the world of music!

It''s election night and Obama appears destined to be the next President of the United States. I''m pleased about that as I just couldn''t bring myself to vote for the McCain/Palin ticket. One big disappointment tonight though. That awful amendment that is pure and blatant discrimination has passed in the state of Florida. It''s just so sad to me to believe that 62% of all who voted in this state could have passed such a heinous thing. It does make us wonder if we can stay in Florida long term.

 

[Skippy123]

Oh Rod, that is awful. I am sorry.

 

[steph72276]

Hey, Rod. Sorry about the proposition passing. You know, the wording on the ballot was really tricky, I''m wondering if some people got confused by it. What does this mean now, will it be on the ballot again in 4 years? I hope it is changed so you guys can stay in Florida.

 

[geckodani]

I''m so sorry Rod.

 

[Linda W]

Rod, I am so sorry about that awful prop passing. Prop 8 in California passed. We are so upset here too.

It isn''t fair and it is disgusting. I told Rick people can''t help who they fall in love with, plain and simple as that!!!!!!! How would straight people feel if we were told we could not marry a straight person?? I am on my soap box here, but I really am upset. Even my 82 year old mother voted NO on prop 8!!!!!!

I am sending you and Charlie a great big hug.

 

[dragonfly411]

Rod - I''m sorry about what happened. I hadn''t heard it passed in CA as well... wondering what Ellen will be doing about it. I was disappointed to see it. I do hope you won''t leave Florida.