Still Alive--Just Busy

Ok, Ok, Ok...I know I said I'd be updating regularly now that I'm back online and in a better living situation, but damn, I'm am one *busy* MoFo.

I finally quit the job at the Golden Gate last week--I thought I would be sad to go, but I'm so glad I'm out of there. Working sixteen-hour days was killing me, and the money there at the Gate was horrible. Why bust my ass for no money? Not gonna happen. It was a good experience, but I'm glad it's over.

I thought I'd get some time to relax now that I'm only working one job, but since last Tuesday, I've had numerous folks from out of town coming to visit and wanting to hook up for drinks, dinner, or general Vegas buffoonery just about every day. It's been fun, but it's been taking it's toll. And even tomorrow and Thursday I'm meeting folks for lunch, so my days off are not truly my own anymore...

I'm not complaining--it's a lot of fun getting together with 'my people' and telling stories and having laughs. I think I'm just feeling sorry for myself because now I actually have to work hard for a living, whereas before I was just stealing money for a few years as a broker...Yep, sitting at a desk goofing off with my buddies, surfing the internet, and placing the occasional trade. Decent work if you can get it, but it had it's share of headaches, too. All I know is that I'm working about ten times harder now as a casino dealer than I ever did as an equities trader.

Wanting to make myself more valuable, I'm also going back to school very soon. Dealing blackjack is fun, but can be tedious, and dice is always interesting, but dealing to the same old non-tipping assholes day after day gets really tiring. So I'm going back to school to deal poker.

Poker dealers keep their own tips, and pushing 25-30 pots per hour works out to over $150 per day in tokes--and that's the low end! And working at a Strip resort keeps the faces fresher than standing post at third base on a five-dollar craps table at a locals casino--Yes, the ultimate goal is to be dealing poker full-time at a top-tier Strip resort. But I think I'd like to start out my poker dealing career at the Luxor. It's a fun room, and not a rock garden full of grumpy old retirees.

We'll see how it goes.

Mikey