Fever

After our first day on the job, we moved into our Las Vegas apartment. After unpacking, we decided to see what Las Vegas was all about and we drove downtown and visited the Mint casino. They had a 32 ounce steak dinner for just $3 and that attracted us to their top floor restaurant. We did a little gambling and far too much drinking, but Alex steered us back to reality by reminding us that we needed to get up at 5 the next morning.

And the next morning we began to assemble a crew from the candidates sent out by the local union. We were in luck, as the new Aladdin hotel had just been finished and now there were a few carpenters available that knew one end of a steel stud from the other. (Yes, there is a “right end” and “wrong end” to a steel stud.)

The days went by quickly. Since we knew the Broadway store layout so well, we were able to concentrate on teaching carpenters how to frame with steel studs and that kept us busy. And every night we could be found downtown at the Mint or the Fremont. Trying to win a fortune at the roulette wheel.

We had brought money (cash) with us and we had tried budgeting, but to no avail. The gambling was just too attractive and by Thursday we were out of money and had to have some emergency cash wired to us. What were we thinking? It was a sobering trip home on Friday afternoon. Hungry and thirsty. Well, not quite…between the three of us, we came up with enough loose change to buy a 6-pack for the drive home. (This was in the 1960’s…we didn’t have credit cards then. Honest!)