2003 - Year in Review

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Dear Family and Friends,

My year started off with my roommate, Hasan Makki, moving in on New Year's Day. It has been interesting to have him for a roommate. We get along well, but in many ways we couldn't be more different, being from two different generations and two different parts of the world (he's from Lebanon). Plus, he's very into fashion and design and all that is artful and trendy. I've learned some things from him, and it's been entertaining to watch some of the drama with his dating and friendships. Hasan recently bought a condo in Phoenix and will be moving out soon - almost exactly a year after he moved in. I have enjoyed the experience, but I'm ready to have the house to myself for awhile.

The year also started off with Ohio State's thrilling victory over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, earning them the national championship. I got to play my trombone in an alumni pep band the day of the game. Ohio State is returning to the Fiesta Bowl again this year, but not for the national championship.

My niece, Kelly, married Shane Johnson on March 22 in Dallas. It was a beautiful wedding - I'm glad I went.

As most of you know, my mother passed away on April 23. I had moved her into the assisted living facility at Eaglewood Village (in Springfield, OH) last November, and she did not adjust well to her new surroundings. But she wasn't doing well at home either, so we really had no choice. It was constantly downhill from there. So while the loss of one's mother is always sad, in this case it was also a blessing, because she was never going to have a quality life again. Trying to tend to her needs from across the country was frustrating and was taking its toll on me, so honestly, her passing was a relief. If I didn't have my aunts and cousins in Springfield, especially Cherie Donnellan, I don't know what I would have done.

The aftermath of her passing was dispositioning her estate, as I was the executor. Throughout the following months, we got her house and car sold, her possessions auctioned off, and most of her investments liquidated. It dragged on for months, and there are still some loose ends I haven't tied up - mostly because I've been busy with all the things that go on in my life, and also because I've frankly gotten sick of it. Ah, well, I should make one final push and get everything finished.

In early May, I got to do something which has been on my list ever since I moved to Arizona - I hiked to Havasupai, an area in the Grand Canyon that has two of the most beautiful waterfall you've ever seen. I went with Desert Adventures, and I carpooled and shared a tent with a really nice guy named Byron. Byron and I ended up spending a lot a great times together and becoming very good friends throughout the course of the summer and fall, until he met someone he fell in love with on Halloween.

Also in the spring, my good friend Thomas Walker and I founded a new sideline business venture: AccelerDate! It's a speed dating service for gay men and lesbians. We launched the business with a booth at the Gay Pride Festival in April. We held several speed dating parties throughout the rest of the year. The business has been moderately successful, but none of the parties have been completely filled up yet, and it's costing us way more than we estimated to advertise and get the word out. But it's fun and we feel we are providing a needed service.

In early July, I enjoyed a week in Provincetown, MA, that was organized by my good friend Mike Nichols from Arlington, VA. He rented a guest house near the tip of the peninsula, and six of us spent a truly enjoyable week. (Start here and page forward) In the days before the trip, I got to finally meet Mark Seeger, a friend of Warren's with whom I had become acquainted through our Live Journals , and spend the weekend in Boston to see the Boston Pops on the Fourth of July. It was a wonderful trip.

Probably the biggest positive story of the year is my eight-week sabbatical! (Intel offers this benefit after every seven years of employment.) Sabbatical Highlights

I started out with a 16-day car trip through California. First, Byron and I had a terrific time at Gay Pride Weekend in San Diego! Then, I visited my brother John and sister-in-law Juanita in Anaheim. Then (Wednesday and Thursday), I drove up the coast of California on Highway 1 with the top down, including spending several hours visiting the Hearst Castle. I spent the weekend with my IGLOBE friends Dave Parker and Jon Shoemaker. I went into San Francisco on Saturday , and Jon and Dave and I toured the Monterey Peninsula on Sunday . On Monday, I drove to Sacramento and, after lunch with some IGLOBE friends, I picked Jim up at the airport and we drove down to Yosemite. Bright and early on Tuesday morning, we embarked on four days of backpacking in Yosemite. . Finally, I made the long drive home.

I spent the next three weeks in total leisure. I only got a fraction of the things on my to-do list done, but I really benefitted from the rest and relaxation (lots of laying out by the pool!).

Week six was truly remarkable! I went on an all-gay Atlantis cruise of the Mediterranean. This was the first time I have ever been to Europe and the first time I have ever been on a large-ship cruise. We started and ended in Barcelona, and stopped at the French Riviera (Cannes, Nice, Monaco), Rome, Naples (including Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii), Mallorca, and Ibiza.

The next week I visited Washington, DC and Pennsylvania to see many of my friends from when I lived there. Then there was one more quick week at home, a weekend trip to Fort Collins, CO, to visit Warren, then it was back to work.

At the beginning of October, I got to go to Minneapolis for the Out & Equal Workplace Summit! It was great. I delivered a workshop presentation called "Embedding Diversity Throughout Your Corporate Culture" to a packed room of about 60. It was well-received.

On October 24, at Intel's annual Arizona Site Multicultural Awards, I received their highest honor, the Multicultural Leadership Award. Needless to say, I felt very special and proud.

December has been packed-full of social events, shopping, card-writing, and so much else. I love it though, I guess I wouldn't have it any other way. I also repainted my living room, as you can see in this photo.
I decided to stay home for Christmas this year. I have traveled for the past 19 years to spend Christmas with my parents, and it will be nice (although quiet) to not deal with airports or highways and spend Christmas in my own living room.

I hope 2003 was good for you, and I wish you a happy holiday season and all the best for 2004! Do stay in touch! If you wish to contact me, my email address is davehughes@nospam@cox.net.
(Remove the @nospam before you send the messages.)

Best wishes for a blessed holiday season, however you celebrate it!
Dave

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