2006-02-10 ~ 11:45 p.m.

Semi-Charmed Kind Of Life

Hi. What's up? Yeah? Forreal? No! Wow!

I worked 13 days in a row. Most popular question after I tell someone: On purpose?

No, not on purpose.

But I did know that I had to do it before I did it, so that was alright. I probably would have "taken someone out Vegas style and not in the good way" if that had been thrown upon me each day. I was alright until day 7, then each day I was just noticeably more tired each day. I totally understand why on the 7th day God rested cause after that, you're pretty much useless. (And I think God would have looked pretty silly when the giggles started to strike around the 10th day...and I believe the idea of fire and brimstone occured around the 12th).

The reason that I had to work 13 days in a row is because of Chinese New Year and the Superbowl. Chinese New Year is a pretty big deal in Las Vegas, much, MUCH to my chagrin.

Ok.. I'm sorry.. I'M SORRY!!! I shouldn't complain. I made some pretty good money over the course of Chinese New Year, but, honestly, I would have gladly given a day or two of it for some good sleep.

2 of those 13 days were 12 hour shifts. Have you ever worked a 12 hour shift? It's really bizarre. The only things you have time to do is get up, eat, work, go home, sleep. (You can't even really eat at home because you're so tired, so you eat at work). Some people had to do 15-12 hour shifts in a row. Yeah, I don't have it so bad. I would tell you about the grievances some people had about the compensation they were getting for working so many hours, but I believe that I signed away my right to speak about that kind of thing on getting hired. But...yeah.

Have I mentioned that I hate Chinese people? I mean, not all of you, of course. Just those that were here these past few weeks that think you make up your soul by the amount of smoke you create this lifetime.

I have seen disgusting amounts of money switch hands many times over, and I'm not even a dealer that sees the SERIOUSLY disgusting amounts of money transact. And let me illustrate what I mean... I beat a guy out of 1.5 million dollars. I beat him out of it $30,000 at a time. He had the worse luck I've EVER seen. So, $30,000 at a time is actually a VERY conservative pace. No, I'm serious, it really is. But, yeah, in that high limit room, the other dealers considered my game a $15 game. (Dude was playing 2-$15,000 hands at blackjack in case anyone was interested, and I know you are.) Can you imagine? Can you begin to imagine? And do you think that after one loses 1.5 million dollars, one might start to think in terms of how much money one just lost? Like how many private island trips? Or, God forbid, how many 3rd world country children one might have been able to save? Because that's what I was thinking about as he lost 1.5 million dollars in front of me. But, alas, gambling is the strongest addiction in the world. You can tell because compulsive gambling has the highest rate of suicide. Well, I guess that's because the other ones kill you themselves. Anyway, lots of money tornadoed its way around my city last week. Lots.

And there's always one a-hole that brings $10,000 in cash to the table to count out. I got things to do and games to deal; I don't have that kind of time to be counting out all that money, and what the hell are you doing carrying around ten THOUSAND dollars? Are you stupid? Deposit it at the cage and get to the table and say "marker", you sign, I sign, done. Bleh.

And, ya know, it wouldn't be so bad if they all didn't act the way that they do and (not) tip the way that they do. And then it wouldn't be so bad if it didn't all get topped off by the SuperBowl people, who act the way that THEY do, but they do tip me more for it, God love 'em.

Ah, yes, SuperBowl folk. Very loud and drunk SuperBowl folk. I guess that really is the best part about Chinese New Year. SuperBowl people come at the very ass end of Chinese New Year, so most of them are gone or getting ready to leave, but they still have their reserved tables, so I get to sit dead at the table while other dealers have to go and deal to the very loud SuperBowl folk.

Yes, the bittersweet charmed life I lead indeed.

{ previous ~ next }