Happy New Year Everyone!

I just wanted to post some of my excitement. I went to a party down the street tonight and met several neighbors that I had not yet had the pleasure of meeting. One of them was a physician here in Las Vegas from the mid-1950's until a few years ago. Naturally, I got him started on some stories about the old days. The one I liked the most was about the time someone had shot somebody else at the Horseshoe. They took the guy, a friend of Benny Binion's to this guy's office. He said he had his arm in the guy's body elbow deep. He had entered near the abdomen and was trying to clamp an aorta from bleeding. Another doctor walked in and said that Benny had just arrived and was sitting in the waiting room and that this surgeon had better save this guy's life or else! He said, "I didn't need THAT kind of pressure, but I luckily was able to clamp down on the artery and stop the bleeding!" The other one was about why Sunrise Hospital was built. Someone (I can't remember who - too much vodka) was hiding from the authorities and had the hospital built so they could hide out as a patient inside.

He also told me that one of my other neighbors actually worked for Bugsy Siegel and he will introduce me to her whenever I want. Gee, what do you think my first question will be?!?!?! I asked him if he would be open to lengthy interviews about old Las Vegas and he said he would so hopefully I'll be able to put together some tales.

We left the party around 11 PM and found a FANTASTIC location to watch the fireworks on the Strip. We were at the Howard Hughes Center on Paradise and Twain. Awesome show!

I'm ready for bed now. I've had a great opportunity to kick back and catch my breathe over the last few weeks. I spent Christmas day on the beach in Cozumel and had shrimp and lobster for my Christmas dinner. I'll do some major scanning and catching up on the website over the next week and promise to have a GREAT year as far as chipping goes. I wish the same for you!

So HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!

Tyrus