The Life and Times of Jim
Hi, there. I'm Jim. Welcome to my phlog!
This site was written for Las Vegas, then LouisVille. Now, it seems to be about anywhere. In these phlogs, you'll see a lot of my personal notes and pictures. I like to post my observations here to remember life and celebrate it. I'm not religious. I don't pray for good fortune. I'm ecstatically grateful for the gift of life and I think our time should be remembered and not taken for granted. I'm not a writer. I think pictures tell stories so much better than words. I love just about everything in this life, and, I guess that would have to include you. So, if you've seen me, don't be surprised if your picture is in here somewhere. Of all the critters, people are absolutely the most interesting. 
<< 06/2006 < 05/2007 Calendar 07/2007 > 06/2008 >>Sign InView Other Logs
Mon 
06/04/2007 17:37:00
 Jim  Looking for a batting cage or miniature golf?
Good Luck!
There are no miniature golf or batting cages in Las Vegas.
Since Scandia closed, its a thing of the past.
The closest thing to Miniature Golf is located in the Adventure Dome, but if you've been around the country lately, it doesn't even come close to qualifying.
If anyone knows of a putt putt range, let us know.
Mon 
06/04/2007 00:39:43
 Jim  Some instructions
The Joint Account
Pay all the house and condo bills out of the joint account.
Let me know if we get low on checks or deposit slips so I can order some more.
Jim's Account
There shouldn't be any bills for me, except for that UMC bill. I'm not that worried about that one though.
Sun 
06/03/2007 10:01:00
 Jim  Be Quick biz goes to Go Notary (343-2514)
Darren Marlow is the owner.
2006 E Pyle Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89123.
702-232-3211
They have three people working with him.
His wife and a friend work the business with him.
I told him I'd call him again, maybe next week, then maybe we could turn the internet over to him.
I didn't discuss charging him anything.
Sun 
06/03/2007 09:42:07
 Jim  Selling the condo and investing

The condo yields less around a 7.6% return if its constantly rented. Its high mainentance.
Investent Yield Notes
Condo 7.6% 100% Rental. High maintenance.
Treasure Bills 4.6% Safe
Dreyfus Bond funds 5%
Heritage Group (HBOS) 15% Last 2 Years
Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS) 19% Last 2 Years
Tax Sheltered Municiple bonds             4% We don't need a tax shelter.
If we'd invested in LVS 4 years ago, our capital would have doubled.
But saying that is like saying when your gambling, you should only bet when your winning.
Its a matter of timing, faith and patience. It took 20 years for the condo's value to double.
I think the trick is to find investments you can handle emotionally
The condo, is an investment you can actually use, but how you come out involves more calculations than stocks.
Also, you typically don't check out a condo's value every month.
In the 70's, I splattered some coffee on the financial section.
Everywhere a drop hit, I tracked the investment.
The coffee drops averaged out, I think, around 10% 
Sun 
06/03/2007 08:32:26
 Jim  The association is threatening everyone
The condos lost their street parking to a bike lane several years ago. Its really too bad that happened.
They wrote a letter saying condo owners that visitors have to park 3 football fields away (on San Rafael or Mill Valley).
They're preparing to fine violators $100 fines.
So if someone parks behind your garage, they fine YOU, not them.
Because of them, we're selling the condo and taking our profits.
They've yelled at me about what liars and pig the tenants are.
They've yelled at me about what a lousy landlord and businessman I am.
They even said the condos are selling for $140,000 because of the wonderful things they did.
The condo's have doubled in value, because all Las Vegas real estate has doubled.
They're dues are higher than what I paid in Summerlin, and they don't even have security contracted.
The association doesn't have to keep their promises.
They started to put up visitor parking 8 months ago. They cut down a tree. They marked the pad.
Here's the deal - There are over 130 condos in the association.
They each pay $100 a month. Thats $13,000 a month they get paid for mowing the grass, and keeping common lights on.
Click here for their CCRs.
Since we've bought the condo in 1978, they've cut down our tree and removed the shrubs in front of the condo.
We haven't seen the benefits from their maintenance of the grounds.
The bottom line is, don't get involved with associations.
Its can turn into a good deal gone bad.
- They can arbitrarily create the own rules.
- They can tell you what you can do behind inside your house and your garage.
- They can issue fines and they can raise your dues.
- They can even sell your property if you don't pay them.
- AND, they can pick on only you. They don't have to be fair.
Sat 
06/02/2007 21:14:50
 jim  Vegas,NV-Jen,Becky,Mustang
Sat 
06/02/2007 12:03:36
 jim  Vegas,NV-Condo
Fri 
06/01/2007 21:40:06
 Jim  Loan fell through, but thats a good thing
- All the papers were signed at the title company.
- Everything was supposed to be a done deal
- I was actually waiting for the wired transfer.
When I was supposed to get paid, the loan company backed down.
I'm relieved. The loan kept getting uglier and uglier.
I don't want to do business with a loan representative that is flakey.
- The loan should have taken 1 week, not 6.
- I was supposed to get $40k, not $20k.
- The loan was supposed to be $800 a month, not $1k.
- It was supposed to be a stated income loan
- They ended up getting my corp papers, real estate papers, and bank account.
- In the end, they added a nasty prepayment penalty rider.
That all sux.
But, I never needed the money anyway.
Fri 
06/01/2007 21:15:52
 Jim  The tenants are moving out
The tenants are moving out...and the condo's going up for sale on Monday.
The tenants don't want to stay there if the association is going to hassle them.
I'm giving the tenants an extra $200 for showing the condo, plus they get their deposit money back.
I think is a good thing that they are taking everything so well.
Fri 
06/01/2007 20:17:12
 Jim  GMa has a heart attack?
Thats what I heard anyway.
Jennifer told Becky that Grandma was having a heart attack.
We hit the road for Grandma's place.
Becky told Renee.
Renee who was so upset, she started crying.
She was sent her home from work.
Renee called Paul.
Paul called me.
I told Paul, all that I wasn't sure of anything.
Jennifer told Becky something about GMa's heart.
Then Becky told me something about GMa's heart.
And that I'd find out the truth, then get back to him.
The truth was, GMa was at a luncheon.
There was no heart attack.
Fri 
06/01/2007 17:50:36
 jim  Skip Leblanc has left the building (3/24/44 - 6/1/
David Leblanc, Jr (Skip) was my step brother.
He spent most of his life hustling pool, golf, and bowling, and tending bar. I worked with him when he managed the construction of Calvert City Golf Range and Putt Putt. Many people didn't approve of his lifestyle. I admired it. He was truly a free individual who lived life on his own terms. Skip was married twice and had one son, who died shortly after birth. He knew a lot of celebrities.
Skip was probably one of the best pool players alive.
He played Minnesota Fats, and toured several countries playing professional pool. I learned a lot from him, and I owe him a lot.
In 1972, he gave me his old clothes, and I started to get girlfriends. He also gave me pointers on driving a car. Skip lived most of his life in San Fransisco (where he tended bar).
He followed Mom, Terry, Dave, Allen,and Kelly from Paducah,Ky to Colorado Springs, Co, and Las Vegas, Nv.
He lived with me for one year.
If I hadn't gotten a contract in Louisville Kentucky, he'd be alive today.
The last time I talked to him, he said "Jimmy...I want to come home".
He jumped a week later. I miss you Skip. Sorry I let you down.
Fri 
06/01/2007 05:49:29
 Jim  Tandem Technical Documents
Thu 
05/31/2007 11:07:29
 Jim  Grady can sell the condo and Be Quick!
He's taking a class for business brokering, and he said he'd be ready by August.
As far as the condo goes, he wants to know if he can put a lock box on it.
I think the tenants would be okay with that, especially if we give them some a break on the last month's rent.
He was shocked about "Be Quick".
He named it, after all!!! Brian said either he could sell it, or he'd be happy to get someone else to broker it.
Cool. I told him, "I want you to sell it for me. I rather wait for quality service".
Brian liked that.
Thu 
05/31/2007 05:20:26
 jim  Frontier-Looking for Tunnels
Wed 
05/30/2007 22:18:33
 Jim  Grady to the rescue!
Just when everything was going great, I've got to ask the tenants to leave
I can't evict them. They didn't do anything wrong.
The association has been yelling at me and my tenants about the cars parked behind the row of condos.
They aren't my tenants cars.
The association has been bugging me about the tenants working on their cars in the alley.
Once again, my tenants aren't doing it.
They are the people's cars that live in 5024, not 5034 Mtn Vista.
The people in 5024 visit the people in 5034.
The association assumes they ALL live at 5034.
So the association rep (who I've know for 30 years) has been yelling at me.
He's telling me my tenants are liars, they work on cars in the alley way, and he thinks they kicked down a broken wall.
I told the rep, he shouldn't yell at me just because we're old buds, and he shouldn't make accusations he can't back up.
AND, he should calm down and consider the source of his information.
I really like my current tenants. They are decent people.
But they shouldn't have let the people in 5024 come over to their garage,
and they shouldn't have a garage sale every weekend.
That condo is just too visible.
But, alas, I have a win-win solution.
- Since the condo isn't going to appreciate much more,
- Since we're only making $9000 a year off of it
We're going to sell it and take the $130k. (if I can, I'm selling to the tenants)...haha
That's enough to pay for this place for the next 10 years.
But if not, a reliable friend told me his investment group has gotten him better than 13% interest over the last few years.
$16,900 sounds like a much better return than what we're getting on the condo.
Time to give my old bud Brian Grady a call.
Wed 
05/30/2007 10:10:46
 Jim  Frontier Tunnel Search
Our tour started at the Frontier's paint shop. The carpenters all knew Sonny, so we ended up chatting for awhile.The rumour had it that the tunnel had an entrance in an old hallway and down some stairs.
I went to the hallway and down the old rotten stairs. It went to a musty, wet hallway that dead ended. The hallway was only 20 feet deep. If there was an entrance there at one time, I couldn't guess where it would be.
Next, we went to room 160.
Room 160 was a parlor where the show people used to hang and party.
The rumour was there was an entrance to the tunnel somewhere under some blocks, but I kind of doubted it. The room was in the back of the hotel.
It was a really cool old room though.
It had a jacuzzi, nice bath, 2 bars, and full windows and sliding glass doors that surrounded it. I found a 1990 phone book that was pretty interesting, and a dead cat, but we found no tunnel.
The last of the Howard Hughs tunnels may never be found.
What may have been miles of tunnels under Las Vegas Boulevard will be buried soon. They'll be a time capsule, that will be forever lost in time.
I did get a black jack table layout
It was pretty cool seeing the guts of an old hotel.
Wed 
05/30/2007 10:10:31
 Jim  What I love about owning this website
Is the links with affiliations for it. I booked a room for 30 days in Louisville through my site.
By doing that, I got a great rate, AND, I get a kick back for two days rent!
What IRS agent has the nuts to say this write off, was reduced by this kick back you got on a totally different date. 
It almost impossible to separate business kick backs from personal kickbacks if its paid in a lump sum.
I was talking to Newberry yesterday.
He was talking about a buddy of his that has millions of dollars saved up, but he pays his bills through credit cards.
Thats what I do. I get paid to pay! I've got $400 sitting on my Discover card that I earned for buying food.
Why would anyone pay cash, even if they had it?
I called Newberry in the first place, because I wondered if he'd like to take care of Squirt for six months.
I brought Squirt (a pomeranian) over there one time, Jerry's wife loved it, and they've got two Pomeranians now.
The conversations strayed into my notary business, and he said he knew someone who would love to take it over.
Then he mentioned Kevin McDonald (who I used to work with at BOA) ran BOA's systems from home.
Later on, Jerry called and said he talked to Kevin McDonald.
Here's how outragious odds can happen every day.
K McDonald knows the people that work in that little building I'll be working with at Louisville. Kevin lives in Vegas.
He said that bank took over NPC, renamed it to Merchant Services, then let everyone go. So now, they've got a mess, they let their talent go. They process billions of dollars worth of credit card transactions a year. This Bank bought Valley Bank when I worked there and they destroyed the systems they bought. So in this situation, I should do VERY WELL. This job is a perfect match for my skills.
Anyway, the odds of this happening on a phone call are astronomical!!!
For someone I know, to know someone that knows what is going on in a small building 2,000 miles away.
Wed 
05/30/2007 09:31:54
 Jim  .Our NEW Kentucky Home
I was hoping Adam might have a group code for me for Extended Stay ($35 a night), but he didn't.
So I ended up booking an Extended Stay though my website for $31 a night.
Whats cool about that is, I get a $50 commission.
Wed 
05/30/2007 09:31:54
 Jim   (Reply)Our NEW Kentucky Home
Suburban Extended Stay Louisville East, LOUISVILLEHotel Address
Suburban Extended Stay Louisville East
Phone: 502-499-9100
4540 Taylorsville Rd 40220
Reservation: Wednesday, June 06 - Friday, July 06
Confirmation#: 46917443 Map


Guest room Sitting area



Guest room with kitchen areaWork Address
1231 Durrett Ln 40213
Attractions
  • Louisville Zoo - 7.0 miles
  • Kentucky Fair and Expo - 8.0 miles
  • Downtown Louisville - 10.0 miles
  • Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom - 8.0 miles
  • University of Louisville - 8.0 miles
  • Churchill Downs - 11.0 miles
  • Louisville Slugger Museum - 10.0 miles
    Frankfort 40 miles, Lexington 64 miles, Mammoth Cave 95 miles, Cincinatti 101 miles, Indianapolis 123 miles, Nashville 177 miles, St Louis 250 miles
    UPS - If we ship our stuff to Louisville today, it will get there on Thursday.
  • Tue 
    05/29/2007 13:26:48
     jim  AdventureDome Pirate Ship
    Tue 
    05/29/2007 13:11:11
     jim  Vegas,NV-AdventureDome Bumper Cars
    Tue 
    05/29/2007 11:41:23
     Jim  Adventure Dome
    Tue 
    05/29/2007 10:44:34
     jim  Vegas,NV-AdventureDome Water Ride
    Tue 
    05/29/2007 10:43:08
     jim  Vegas,NV-AdventureDome Models
    Tue 
    05/29/2007 09:56:31
     jim  Vegas,NV-AdventureDome
    Tue 
    05/29/2007 06:37:28
     Jim  The Adventure Dome with Jennifer

    We're supposed to go on the May 29th. It sounds good to me!
    Mon 
    05/28/2007 14:12:52
     jim  Vegas,NV-MemorialDay
    Mon 
    05/28/2007 14:12:52
     jim   (Reply)MemorialDay-PreggersRenee,Victoria,Dustin,Jen
    Mon 
    05/28/2007 12:29:17
     Jim  Memorial Day BBQ
    At GMa's.
    Sun 
    05/27/2007 23:18:04
     jim  Vegas,NV-Flamingo,Mirage,CasinoRoyale
    Sun 
    05/27/2007 15:47:48
     Jim  As an active lifeologist
    I know I'm boring. But everyday, I ask what this life is all about.
    I know the answer, of course.
    Life, is about experience.
    Life is a wonderland of treasures just waiting to be found. 
    You know when you've found a treasure. A treasures is worthless unless it is found.
    Life is its own self documenting experience.
    As such, we owe life for this experience.
    I believe the cost (for this top attraction 4D ride) is to share and exploit whatever gifts life has endowed us with.
    - If what you do best is make babies, make babies.
    - If you're a great cook...then cook.
    -If you're a great singer, sing!

    If you do what you do best, everybody and everything that follows you will benefit from it.
    If you don't do what you do best, your depriving, not just yourself, but everything from what you could have done.
    The discoverer for the cure for cancer, may have been someone who gave up on becoming a doctor, just because it was difficult. So by that person not trying, they've killed billions to come.
    I like what Aristotle said, "I stand on the shoulders of the giants that have come before me".
    So, with that said, I'm not going to deal blackjack, bartend, or drive a truck.
    I'm going to program computers. I know what I've done has already affected millions of people.
    And its what I do best.
    Sun 
    05/27/2007 12:24:23
     Jim  Pirates of the Carribean
    At the Worlds End. With Paul-n-em.
    It looks like they're not coming.
    SOOOooooooo......we'er u headed to thu drive-in.
    Sun 
    05/27/2007 06:15:28
     Jim  Extended Stay Hotels
    # Rooms: 1
    # Adults: 2
    # Children: 0
    Rate: Best Available Rate
    Extended StayAmerica Louisville - Dutchman
    6101 Dutchmans, Louisville, KY 40205
    P: (502) 895-7707 F: (502) 895-6900
    Check-In Date: 6/8/2007
    Check-Out Date: 7/8/2007
    I CALLED THEM:
     $5 wireless internet for the month. $35 a night...its 30 minutes to work. 3+ hours ahead.


    opens in a new window

    34.99/night USD
    Rate Type: Best Available Rate
    Studio
    1 Queen Bed
    34.99/night USD
    Rate Type: Best Available Rate
    Accessible Studio
    1 Queen Bed
    34.99/night USD
    Rate Type: Best Available Rate
    Studio
    1 Queen Bed
    44.99/night USD
    Rate Type: Best Available Rate
    Studio Suite
    2 Twin Beds
    44.99/night USD
    Rate Type: Best Available Rate
    Studio Suite
    2 Twin Beds
    At this time, Extended StayAmerica cannot guarantee smoking preference.
    Sat 
    05/26/2007 18:38:56
     jim  Vegas,NV-LakeLV-Dustin,Jen,Becky,Jim
    Sat 
    05/26/2007 16:14:04
     Jim  Louisville Hotels
    $99-Galt House
    $40-Motel 6
    $59-Super 8
    $61-Days Inn
    $50-Red Roof
    $70-Quality Inn
    $61-Best Western
    $61-Days Inn
    $52-EconoLodge
    Extended StayAmerica Louisville - Dutchman
    6101 Dutchmans Ln,Louisville, KY 40205
    P: (502) 895-7707 F: (502) 895-6900
    Check-In Date: 6/7/2007 to 7/8/2007
    # Rooms: 1, Adults: 2, Room Type: Studio
    Preference: Smoking, Bed Type: 1 Queen Bed
    Information About Your Stay
    Date Range Rate Nights Rooms Total
    6/7/2007 - 7/8/2007 $34.99 31 1 $1,084.69
      Total $1,084.69






    Suburban - Extended Stay Hotels
    Suburban Extended Stay Louisville East
    4540 Taylorsville Road
    Louisville, KY 40220
  • Show On Map
  • View All Suburban - Extended Stay Hotels In Louisville
     
    Suburban - Extended Stay Hotels
    Suburban Extended Stay Louisville Ne
    11405 Westport Road
    Louisville, KY 40241
  • Show On Map
  • View All Suburban - Extended Stay Hotels In Louisville
     
  • $ 29.99 - 35.99
    Direct N 13.5 Away Map It

  • $ 31.99 - 37.99
    Direct N 7.0 Away Map It

             RESULTS FOR LOUISVILLE

    Extended Stay America
    ESA Louisville-Hurstbourne
    9801 Bunsen Way
    Louisville, KY 40299
  • Show On Map
  • View All Extended Stay America In Louisville
     
  • $ 37.99 - 69.99
    Direct NE 7.6 Away Map It

    Fri 
    05/25/2007 21:38:47
     jim  Cold Cucumber Soup
    COLD CUCUMBER SOUP  
    4 unwaxed cucumbers (if waxed, peel 50%), unpared
    1 lg. sour cream
    1 med. onion (on sm. side)
    1 clove garlic (on sm. side)
    1/2 can each Campbell's pea soup & chicken broth (don't reconstitute)
    2 drops Worcestershire sauce
    Dash lemon juice
    1 tbsp. thyme & oregano
    Generous handful fresh parsley, removing most of stems
    Salt & pepper to taste
    In blender/food processor, combine in small batches the cucumbers, garlic, onion, both soups and parsley. (Pre-chopping makes the first 3 ingredients blend better.) Pour into large bowl and add Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, spices and sour cream. When all pureed, mix and taste. Adjust according to your palate. Chill before serving. Garnish with a few chopped chives, parsley, a slice of lemon, or a couple of the above. Keeps well (if you can keep your family's hands off!). Yield: 2 quarts.
    Fri 
    05/25/2007 18:35:38
     jim  Vegas,NV-Dustin
    Thu 
    05/24/2007 13:38:16
     jim  My loan fell delayed, got a new PC.
    The loan fell through.
    I was told the interest rates were fixed at 3.75%, interest only for 5 years and I'd get $40,000.
    In the end, the rates were fixed for 1 month, and I'd get $18,000.
    And my loan officer, gets for his 20 minutes of personal attention, gets $6,000.
    Just got an update
    The loan officer called and said the title company slipped in an extra $1,000 for him.
    And my insurance was whacked. They were going create an impound account that included Auto insurance.
    He also said my payment won't change for a year.
    I got a 1.8g dual processor PC
    200gig, 500mg memory, DVD writer for $200, with XP Pro installed.
    Sonny actually helped build it.
    Its pretty cool, except I can't install IIS6 on it..I don't have an XP Pro SP2 CD.
    And to tell ya the truth, I really don't feel like reloading XP.
    Thu 
    05/24/2007 09:38:35
     jim  Pickup Garmin I3 GPS at Walmart
    Link Item Price Notes




    Garmin StreetPilot i3 Auto GP $198.86 Estimated pickup: between Thursday, 05/24/07,
    and Wednesday, 06/06/07
    Wed 
    05/23/2007 19:18:01
     jim  Vegas,NV-Renee
    Wed 
    05/23/2007 18:38:31
     Jim  Interview with the LV Dudester
    11:30pm - Interveiw with Louisville, KY. Conference call. Call HH 30 minutes before
    2:30pm - Wrap up loan at Common Wealth, 2200 Paseo Verde #190...bring cancelled check.
    Tue 
    05/22/2007 18:21:51
     jim  Vegas,NV-Sonny
    Tue 
    05/22/2007 16:34:20
     jim  Another day goes by
    I canceled the interview at Sam's Town.
    I mainly wanted Becky to go, because if I go to work for them, the Notary thing is dead.
    Becky was a little too confident about her interview. She had her resume and it was scant.
    We'd applied at Sam's Town before.
    They want you to fill out another application, even after filling one out online. Last time they wouldn't take my application until I put down the zip code for my schools (including elementary). They intentionally make applying for a job a super pain.
    J Long promised we'd have the loan done today at 4pm.
    He promised he'd send me an email telling me where to go. He promised today he'd call me in two minutes. He actually told me we could have the loan done Saturday, and then said Monday. But he called in sick Monday, and never called me. I'd drop the WHOLE loan thing, but I'm into it now for $350 and they've pinged my credit history. So, now, this is important.
    Greenburg called about 2 positions that opened up.
    One is Louisville, KY, the other is in Columbus, GA at Total Sys (TSYS).
    Mon 
    05/21/2007 18:20:55
     jim  Frontier-GilleysGirls-Jim,Becky
    Mon 
    05/21/2007 10:00:00
     Jim  Interview - Sams Town - Bowling Clerk
    Dress nice! Bring employment history and references. 
    Mon 
    05/21/2007 10:00:00
     jim   (Reply)Sams Town Interview - 21 Dealer
    Dress nice. I will take an hour. Bring employment history and references.
    Tue 
    05/22/2007 23:54:01
     jim   (Reply)..Sams Town Interview - 21 Dealer
    We suck Mikey! Actually, I do.
    We were supposed to close the refi on Monday, plus Becky didn't have her complete history.
    I just said f it. There was just too much that was supposed to happen Monday.
    As it turned out, nothing at all happened Monday.
    I spent the day snaking the plumbing and trying to fix my PC.
    The motherboard is tweaked out. As it stands, I can't rule out a Jennifer virus, a candy wrapper bridging a connection, or just plain old fault circuitry.
    I ordered $400 worth of hardware from Frys/Outpost!
    I got a 500 gig hard drive, a 350 gig usb drive and a Garmin street pilot.
    I can't wait!!! They had refurbished Garmin GPS I3s for $200 last week.
    I'm going to need some kind of GPS system for doing notarys. YellowBook still hasn't come out. :(
    But we're expecting repeat business from a notary we did the other day. I can see a build up happening.
    Wed 
    05/23/2007 02:14:07
     jim   (Reply)...RE:Sams Town Interview - 21 Dealer
    Yea it is a shame about dealing 21.
    Dealing 21 is the only job I've ever known where you can work an entire shift with your fly undone (they wear aprons).
    About you car
    A lot of collisions cause the piston rings to score the cylinder walls. Didn't you say you now hear pinging under the hood?
    BTW - Did you get whip lash from the rear ending?
    A girl friend and I both had whip lash from a rear ender that totalled my 62 Chevy. Our necks hurt and were swollen.
    I lost my babe mobile and my date that night, and all I got was a hickey. (^%&$)
    Sun 
    05/20/2007 18:38:01
     jim  More about the Frontier Tunnel
    The Desert Inn was owned for a time by famed wacky billionaire Howard Hughes. In 1966, Hughes booked the top two floors of the place for ten days...and when the ten days were up, he declined to leave. The proprietors of the hotel wanted him out. Even though he was paying for his lodging, they were in the business of renting to gamblers who'd lose money in the casino, not to rich folks who stayed holed-up in their rooms. Hughes eventually solved the impasse by buying the whole Desert Inn for $14 million, which at the time was around double what the place seemed to be worth. (Next year, there will be individual paintings on the property that cost that much.) Eventually, Hughes purchased other Vegas hotels, including the Frontier — aka The New Frontier — right across the street.
    At one point, Mr. Hughes decided he wanted to be able to go back and forth between the Desert Inn and the Frontier but — of course — he was not about to go out and cross Las Vegas Boulevard like any normal human being. So...at considerable expense, he had a tunnel built under the Strip, connecting his two establishments. It cost a couple million and apparently, Hughes never got around to using it himself. In fact, some say he never got around to setting foot in the Frontier or several of the other hotels he owned, like the Sands, the Landmark, the Silver Slipper and Castaways, all of which have since been levelled. But the Desert Inn-Frontier tunnel was used for a few years by employees of both establishments. Wayne Newton tells stories of how he would do his show at the Desert Inn and then, because the headliner at the Frontier was out sick, he'd dash over via the tunnel and fill in across the street.
    In the seventies, someone decided that vibrations from the traffic above had dangerously weakened the tunnel structure so they closed it down.
    The bringdown of the Desert Inn probably seals off one side of it forever
    and any day now, when a deal is finally put in place to implode the Frontier, that will close it off from the other side. Before that happens, someone had better check to make sure Shecky Greene isn't down there.
    Sun 
    05/20/2007 11:35:18
     jim  Pauls Graduation
    At IBEW. Oscar Goodman was there too!!!
    About 200 people graduated in Paul's class.

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