High school football, cooling temperatures and Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner.  Fall is the best season of the year!  For those of us here in Lone Grove, Oklahoma that means snow is on the way.  Love Las Vegas – but the change of seasons in Lone Grove is refreshing.

Susan and I had a whirlwind week in Las Vegas.  Hosted 50 of my clients and friends at Stephen Crystal’s VOX Wine Lounge.  Clint Holmes stopped by.  Gavin Isaacs of Bally Technologies, Scot Campbell of MGM Mirage and Phyllis Gilland of American Casinos were there.  You could not miss Skip Martin of Kool & the Gang and R&B artist B. Taylor.  One of the best groups ever!

The following night Susan, Mom and I attended Cher at Caesar’s Palace.  Sensory overload.  Amazing show, and I appreciate Vicki Stringham putting us right up front.  Great seats.   Finished up the week by hosting 50 technology executives at The Stirling Club.  No sales people, no consultants, no getting gang tackled to buy software – just an opportunity to meet 50 of the best technology executives in Las Vegas.  Thank you to Kathleen Gustafson at The Stirling Club for all her help and to every single attendee for showing up.

We’ll spend most of November in Las Vegas so we can attend the Big Brothers Big Sisters Gala at Wynn Las Vegas and Opportunity Village Camelot.  Great organizations that need our support.  If you have interest in attending, contact me at mwayman@godfatherlv.com.  To whom much is given, much is expected.

I don’t have to tell you…the job market is less than optimal.  Highest unemployment rate in twenty years.  Las Vegas is taking the worst of it.  The good news is that 2009 looks much better.  By the second quarter, I believe we’ll see an uptick in both hiring and real estate prices.  Meanwhile, I have 100 resumes for every available job.  As the Godfather has trumpeted from the highest mountains, "dig the well before you need a drink" and "build your bridge before you need to cross."

Backbackbackgone, our Kentucky Derby horse, runs October 18 at Santa Anita.  Coincidentally, our filly Set Play makes her last start ever in the Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland on the same day.  Thereafter she retires to be a broodmare.  I will be in Los Angeles with my good friend Sean Gerson during October to host an event at House of Blues West Hollywood and attend the Breeders Cup World Championships of Horse Racing.

That is the latest from Lonesome Grove, Oklahoma.  Happy Holidays!