Location: Twin Palms, Palm Springs, CA

Got up early this morning. An unusual event for me as you all know. So I spent some time in the kitchen flippin' through the newspaper and I came across this article.

It looks like Patti Smart (pictured above) is retiring from the friendly skies. Hell, she was the friendly skies! I remember Patti from the early Vegas days after Ava. Dino and I would sometimes fly out to Honolulu to hit the links between gigs. She was quite the knockout. Truly, the Angel of the skies.

We'd always get a kick out of sayin', "there goes one Smart broad" as she walked down the aisles. She was always good to us and put up with our shit and we loved her for it. It's a tough gig bein' a stewardess and she always pulled it off flawlessly. A real pro.

She was one of the few who knew how to mix my drink without bein' told twice. That gets you noticed in my world, believe me. I tried to hire her away from Aloha once, but she wouldn't budge. She's the only broad who could tell me no and make me feel like I won a natural 21. Patti's a real rarity in this world. As soon as I'm outta' the shower, I'm sendin' her a "Thanks, Sinatra" lighter.

Location: Twin Palms, Palm Springs, CA

Aside from agreeing to record with the Muppet (sort of...), I haven't done a whole lot musically since coming back. Hell, like I've had time. To tide you folks over until I commit genus to tape, I have ordered a repackage of some of my earlier material, because, well, that's what you do when you aren't recording or performing. If there's one thing an entertainer can count on, it's you people shelling out money for the same thing over and over again... not that I'm criticizing anyone or anything, but all we gotta' say is that it's been remastered, and you're all out buying all over again.

Anyway, through an agreement with RCA, I've just released "Frank Sinatra, A Voice In Time (1939 - 1952)". Yeah, I'm saving the really good years for later, but RCA doesn't carry that stuff. I'm still in negotiations with the other leaches at Capitol and Reprise for a similar package and even considering re-releasing my old "Greatest Hits" albums. For you freaks who must have everything, there's some alternate takes on this new one, and some of the commercials that I did way back when. So you know, start buying, alright? Christmas is just around the corner. Francis needs a new airplane. You get the drift.

In recognition of someone's brilliance, recognizing my brilliance, there's a gold, "Thanks, Sinatra" lighter going out to a cute little number named Becky Howard over at the Deseret Morning News in Utah. This is the first one I've sent out to a chick (with no strings attached that is). I don't ordinarily agree with or even mention the press, but little Becky hit the nail on the head reviewing my new RCA release. I guess the press ain't all bad, or maybe it's my Mormon following (don't know why that is, could be I've had more wives than most of them, which somehow makes us paisan). You can catch her brilliant write up here. Send her a note of thanks if you get the inclination.

OK, I got an early morning (11:00 AM!) meeting with the architects for the new casino we're building. I haven't selected a firm yet, so it'll kind of be like a casting call without the couch (who sleeps with architects?). It's gonna' be a morning of bad design and even worse ass kissin'. I don't know what I want, but I'll know it when I see it and when I do see it, I'll still send 'em back for revisions. Nothing's more fun that making a perfectionist egghead like an architect sweat.

Ciao,