Friday, August 27, 2004
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Latin for "Table"
I got a rather fat package in the mail the other day. It was something that I wasn't expecting for at least another 2-3 weeks. Just so everyone's on the same page, I did something two weeks ago that I didn't tell anyone about. I didn't tell anyone about it because I believe that "if you fail, destroy all evidence that you tried". As a result, I didn't want anyone to know that I tried just in case it didn't pan out.
Before I make the announcement, however, I would like to turn everyone's attention to my new watch!
I bought it just yesterday because it's so tiring not knowing what time it is while you're working. There are no clocks in the casino (obviously because they don't want anyone to realise how much time precisely they are spending playing the games). It's not like I want to know how much time has passed because I don't want to be there. It's more like I'm marvelling how quickly the time passes. Also, it's a very pretty watch and it's about time that I got one. I think it's silly how I have to keep pulling out my cell phone every time I need to know what time it is. It makes me look like some kind of lonely idiot who wonders why no one has called her yet.
I just learnt something really interesting about how the casino works yesterday. I've never worked until closing time and I've had multiple shifts cancelled because of the weather. Earlier I was trumpeting my full-time hours. Truth is, I'm scheduled for full-time hours, but that doesn't really pan out. I took this all in my stride, figuring that because the
PNE is an outdoor fair, naturally shifts will have to be cancelled due to the plain and simple fact that attendance is determined by the weather. I also figured that as the number of customers peter out as the night wears on it is only logical that people get sent home early as fewer and fewer tables need stay open. It all made sense to me and I figured that it was all part and parcel of working at a fair instead of at an actual location. Until yesterday when one of the regulars (i.e. dealers that usually work at actual locations) revealed that they are
guaranteed 12 hour shifts.
Basically because I'm a rookie I get half-shifts, shifts that are cancelled with less than 4 hours notice (yes, 4 hours notice, not the requisite 24) just so that everyone else can get obscene amounts of overtime! (Overtime is paid at twice someone's regular wage. Work it out people, this means that other people are getting double what they would make on a normal shift at the expense of my hours!) I think it would be fair if the rookies were the first ones to get cancelled/get sent home because of closed tables, but not so that someone else can earn grossly more than they normally would! The flip side, obviously, is that I can't wait to get seniority in this industry because they certainly treat their old hands well. It's a little like joining a sorority, only that there are guys working with you too and, well, I've never tried to join a sorority so I can't really say that I know what I'm talking about. I was tempted to try and join a sorority during my first year because I was really attracted by the idea of not having to live at home. Interesting thing is that the sororities up at UBC don't own houses in which their members stay because way back when, it was assumed that any group of girls (un-related) who shared a dwelling were running a whore-house. I think they might be finally building some houses for the sororities on campus this year, but I think they're at least 50 years too late. Besides, I already don't live at home. Bah.
I digress. I've digressed
alot considering that the point of this post is that the Latin word for table is
Mensa. Yeap. Mensa. I got in, I'm a member now. I sat for the qualifying IQ test about two weeks ago and scored 99% on both tests. I don't know what that score means and the welcome letter didn't tell me what my IQ was. It just said that I'm in the 98th percentile (or higher), which I'm assuming is pretty good. Best part about this is that now I have a shot at the Mensa Scholarship. It's not much money ($750-$1000) but it'll help.
posted by Joie! at
12:44 p.m.
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