The Asbestos Mango: Craps dealin' massage therapist

So, my instructor from school finally called me back to tell me…

due to construction delays, the spa isn’t going to open until February.

He also advised me not to quit my job, since it’s going to take time for the new spa to build a clientele. He’s basically going to have everyone work three days a week until we get enough paying customers that we can all go full time, so most of the therapists will be working second jobs for the first few months that it’s open.

Which will work out just fine for me. The casino where I’m working right now has flexible enough scheduling that I can just work weekends after the spa opens. And a casino is prime hunting grounds for finding clients- let’s see, you’ve got your craps dealers with assorted back problems, stressed-out floormen, blackjack dealers with shoulder and wrist pain… yeah, I’ll be distributing my card liberally around the pit. I can also go to a couple of other joints I’ve worked at and let my former coworkers know I’m open for business (No, Keith, I’m not going to pay you to let me practice on you…)

This is going to be so cool. I was afraid that I was going to become accustomed to having a steady income and be scared to quit my current job in order to start my career because in the early months I might have weeks when I’m only making enough money to cover my room rent, but that problem has been solved for me because I won’t be expected to be at the spa on a full-time basis.

And I do enjoy dealing craps, so I won’t be stuck doing some crappy job (did I really just say that?) to pay the bills until I get my carreer off the ground.

So, like, my life is going to turn out OK after all.

Woohoo!

Oh my god. You’re Thea Logica! I totally missed the name change, but I almost made a sarcastic comment about your similarity to ‘her’, being both massage therapist and casino dealer.

Are you sure you’re going to be able to keep your casino job? Didn’t you say in previous posts that casinos like to hire people and then fire them on the 89th day so as to not have to offer benefits? If this is the case, couldn’t you contact your local labor board and lodge a complaint so it can be investigated?

Well, I’m well past my 90th day at this one, and on the extra board, which means no bennies anyway, so I’m not really worried.

Also, the downtown casinos aren’t really known for the “89 day wonder” practice, it’s the mega-corporate owned joints on the Strip that you have to watch out for (although if you’re sufficiently sullen and give poor enough customer service they might give you a pass, since you won’t attract as many tips, thus sucking up money the casinos can’t win back).

And the labor board? It is to laugh. Nevada is an “at will” employment state, which means that an employer can fire you for any reason or no reason. If you’re not in a union, then labor protection doesn’t exist.