THE FAST LANE IN ONE WEEK-END!

      The other evening while watching the opening scenes from CSI, the original that takes place in Las Vegas, It took me back to a Vegas related story.

      My first wife and I had a couple who were friends that for a time lived across the street from us in Urbandale and then they moved to Omaha where, he, Chuck, went to  work for Mutual of Omaha as an underwriter and we would drive over on occasion to visit.

      Mutual of Omaha had a convention of some sort going on in Las Vegas back in the late 60's. They also had a private Lear Jet and it was flown back to pick up our friend Chuck and his wife and they in turn included us with them on the flight to Las Vegas for the last week-end. 

      We all stayed at the old Sands hotel which was one of the original famous hotels. Chuck and his wife, Royce, stayed in what had been Frank Sinatra's personal suite when he was in Vegas performing in prior years. But, when Howard Hughes bought out some of the old hotels during those years his intent was to rid the town of Mob influence. One person that he banned, as it goes, was Frank Sinatra as he supposedly had ties to organized crime.

       I always remember one evening, before going out for dinner, my wife and I went to our friends room suite and rang the door bell to let them know we were there. The suite was so big that at first they did not hear us. The other thing that I thought was cool was that their suite also had a small private swimming pool just outside. 

     That's my fast lane experience. A ride in a Lear Jet and being in a swanky suite in Las Vegas once occupied by Old Blue Eyes himself!