THEDaveHughes.com

My Books

Since 2015, I’ve written nine books.

The first three were retirement planning books. They’re not financial planning books (since I am not a financial planner), they focus on how to live a happy, satisfying life after you retire. Learn more at RetireFabulously.com. There are over 100 free articles about retirement lifestyle planning and other free resources there, too.

Then, I switched to writing fiction. I have written six books in a series called “Gay Tales for the New Millennium.” To learn more about these books, visit AuthorDaveHughes.com.

My Travels

Part of my retirement plan was to travel – not just for an occasional week or two, but for extended periods. That way, we can stay in a place longer and get to know it better. We will also realize more value from the costs of flying across the ocean to another continent by staying longer once we get there.

It’s not practical to do that kind of travel when we own pets and play in numerous bands. Several years ago, my husband Jeff and I agreed that when our current pets crossed the Rainbow Bridge, we would allow ourselves two years with no pets and no musical commitments, during which we would take these extended trips. That time has come.

So far, we’ve taken three one-month trips to Europe, one to Southeast Asia (a cruise) and Australia, and an epic 7-week trip to New Zealand and Australia. Still to come: South America (Chile, Uruguay, Iguazu Falls, and probably southern Brazil), a Baltic cruise, another month in Europe, and Costa Rica.

If you would like to see photos and stories from our travels, please visit DaveandJeff.com.

My Music

I play trombone, steelpan, and electric bass. During the first of our Two Years of Travel, I was “on hiatus” from my bands.

Now, Jeff and I have rejoined our bands (and some new ones), and we will squeeze trips in during the community college semester breaks.

Here are my upcoming concerts:

• October 12, 7:00 (Mon): Chandler-Gilbert Community College Day Big Band @ CGCC Performing Arts Center. Free, no tickets required.
• November 3, 7:00 (Tues): Chandler-Gilbert Community College Day Big Band & Scottsdale Community College Big Band (I’m in both) @ The Nash. Tickets are not on sale yet.
• November 24, 7:00 (Tues): Chandler-Gilbert Community College Jazz Combos @ Outdoor stage next to CGCC Performing Arts Center. Free, no tickets required.
• December 7, 7:00 (Mon): Chandler-Gilbert Community College Day Big Band & more @ CGCC Performing Arts Center. Free, no tickets required.
• December 14, 7:00 (Mon): Scottsdale Community College Big Band & more @ SCC Performing Arts Center. Free, no tickets required.

My Life

After I finished my novels, I decided to write my autobiography.

I suffer no delusions that my life is any more special than anyone else’s. I hope I’ve impacted a few other people’s lives in some positive way. But so have you and most other people. I encourage everyone to document their life in one way or another. We all hold a special place in some other people’s hearts.

Writing my autobiography has been an immensely rewarding experience. I’ve gone through old photo albums I haven’t looked at for 20 years. I’ve recalled many people, events, and vacations I haven’t thought about for years. I’ve gained some fresh perspectives and a renewed appreciation for the rich life I’ve lived up to this point.

Read my autobiography here. It’s mostly done for now, but I’ll probably add more in the future as life goes on.

My Blog

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one, and most of them are full of shit.”

Here are some opinions/perspectives/reminiscences/rants I’ve written. Most of them are several years old. You can decide whether they’re full of shit.